Repeat after me: I do not earn dessert. I can eat it whenever I damn please.

I’m serious. I don’t know at what age we decided that dessert was only to be had for when we were good that day, or feeling skinny, but it’s outrageous when you really think about it. Are you meaning to tell me if your 8-year-old self was licking an ice cream cone, you’d slap it out of her hands and tell her to run a mile if she wanted to earn that decadency? Let’s be real—if anyone saw you do that to a poor child, you’d be hashtag canceled in this cancel culture that we live in. And for good reason. Because you’d suck.

But why are you any different from that little kid? Besides the obvious fact that you have lived on this earth for longer than 8 years, why does aging come with guilt? Dessert, to me, is like patting myself on the back for living today. For giving love to people. For cleaning my room. Or getting work done. Or visiting my grandma. It’s a way to tell myself ~I’m doing amazing, sweetie.~

If you feel like you’re not at the point in your health journey where you can comfortably eat dessert every night, keep fighting for that mental freedom.

Because that’s really all it is—mental. No one is standing at the foot of your bed, yelling at you to put the ice cream down. It’s simply a rule you have materialized in your own head. When you can loosen the reigns and let yourself enjoy the sweetest part of life, you will feel incredibly liberated.

I do, however, understand that you might want to find healthy alternatives to your favorite dessert foods if you’ve been quite indulgent during the day. In full disclaimer, if you’ve been indulgent during the day, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have that cup of ice cream. I’m just saying that I can understand if you want something with some nutrients in it. That’s not shameful, that’s called adulting. And on nights when I know I should feed myself something with a little nutritional value, I typically turn to nicecream.

I’m not about that sliced apple for dessert kind of life.

If I’m going to have fruit for dessert, it’s going to be in ice cream form. All you need is frozen bananas, protein powder, cacao powder and some nut milk. Plus toppings, because a queen wouldn’t go to a ball without her crown. Oh my god, yes I just said that. I’m so freakin’ weird, but also mildly entertaining. But I digress. My stomach is incredibly sensitive (hello, celiacs, IBS, and gastroparesis!) and almost everything makes it bloat, nauseous, or feel like it’s stabbing me with gas pains. Almost everything except my new favorite, clean-as-a-bean protein.

Bow down to the digestive QUEEN, Bethany.

She’s the face behind @lilsipper on Instagram. And she’s an absolute’ wealth of knowledge when it comes to all things digestion. And ya girl (hey, that’s me) is a freakin’ digestive disaster. Protein powder can be tricky. A lot of them have bizarre additives that usually result in bloating, gas, or constipation…you already know I have no shame in the potty talk. I would kiss the ground she walks on for teaming up with Nuzest to create this protein powder. It’s chocolatey not chalky. It makes smoothies thick and creamy, not gritty and crunchy. And 1 serving (2 scoops) is 90 calories, 17g protein, 3g sugar and no added gums or stevia. Like damn, bae. You done did it.

If you’re reading this, it’s too late scroll down for the recipe. -Drake

Use this:

• 1-2 frozen bananas

• 1 scoop @lilsipper Nuzest Chocolate Probiotic Protein

• 2 tsp cacao powder (I used Navitas Organics)

• 1/4-1/3 cup nut milk (I used Elmhurst Almond Milk)

• Toppings: coconut shreds + Early Bird Food Granola + Wildfriends Sugar Cookie PB

Do This:

1. Get all blendyYyyY.

2. Stop & scrape, bitches.

3. Pour into a fancy goblet and eat it like the royalty that you are.