Life (and Vegan Gelato!) in the Raw
This article originally appeared on Better_Nutrition
Endless reams of text have been written about the relationship between diet and health, and the body's ability to heal itself through nourishment. Can we achieve wellness without the help of conventional medicine? For Kailey Donewald, founder of vegan gelato company Sacred Serve, these conundrums took the form of a very personal, lifelong journey.
"I had grown up suffering severe cases of both asthma and allergies, and my doctors told me I was just born with these conditions and would need to rely on medication for the rest of my life," she says.
A trip to Bali, however, proved to be life-changing, leading Donewald to embrace a raw, plant-based diet that freed her from both conditions. "The rapid and complete healing that took place simply by changing my diet was so profound that I quit my job, sold all my possessions, went back to school for nutrition, and dedicated my life to empowering more individuals to heal holistically."
Global Healing
Donewald spent the next six years traveling the world, studying under leading practitioners in the fields of yoga, meditation, Eastern philosophy, Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, whole-food nutrition, and holistic health. Then she moved back to Bali, where she worked as a holistic health practitioner.
But Donewald wanted to do more. "After about a year of coaching, I felt called to create greater change by targeting the root cause of the issue: the food being offered to consumers," she says.
In Bali, the discovery of the delicious benefits of young coconut meat was her jumping-off point for tackling a true challenge--making a plant-based "ice cream" that would be healing, not harmful, while still retaining that wholly delightful ice cream feel and flavor. And that's how her company Sacred Serve was born.
Coconut Heaven
Sacred Serve products are based on young coconut meat, but also include various superfoods, adaptogenic herbs, and even medicinal mushrooms, all sweetened with just a hint of lower-glycemic coconut sugar. They're vegan, non-GMO, raw, and free of dairy, gluten, and soy. They're also astonishingly subtle, creamy, satisfying, and delicious!
Donewald's quest to develop a healthier ice cream extends to the health of the planet, as well. Sacred Serve is packaged in 100 percent plastic-free containers that are fully recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable right at home.
But above all else, Donewald says, "I want to use my story of healing as a catalyst to inspire more people to ask questions and take their health and healing into their own hands. It's a powerful truth that our bodies have a tremendous, innate ability to heal themselves, as long as we nourish them with the right things--foods, movements, thoughts, environments." Truly the definition of "holistic" health.
make it!
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