Hormone-Balancing Recipes
RACHEL MORROW
It’s amazing how overlooked hormones are when it comes to being a healthier version of ourselves. From controlling moods to digestion, energy levels, libido, metabolism and even how our skin looks, hormones play a very critical role in our overall health.
Think of them as building blocks, where a number of them have to come together and connect to build up the foundation of our health (especially us women). If our building becomes imbalanced and connections aren’t made, implications to our health start to occur.
It makes sense that how you begin your day has a flow on effect into the role your hormones play throughout the day. Here are some of our top tips for creating hormone-balancing meals from the time you wake up until your head hits the pillow!
HORMONE-BALANCING FATS
Fat is crucial for hormone balance. For years you’ve probably been told that fat-free is good, while cholesterol and saturated fat are bad. I’m here to tell you that isn’t true, and for your hormones to function at their optimal level, you need some healthy fats!
The production of hormones wouldn’t happen if we were not eating fat. Certain fatty acids and cholesterol are required in the synthesis of hormones, and as a human, we can only get these from eating. Especially for women and our complex (albeit beautiful) reproductive system.
Some of our favorite fats to focus on in your diet:
- Coconut oil
- Avocados
- Organic, grass fed butter or Ghee
- Eggs
- Nuts & Seeds
PROTEIN
Packed with amino acids, protein is essential for proper hormone production, particularly growth hormones. Additionally, eating a little protein with each meal will assist with digestion and cause a gradual rise in your blood-sugar levels.
Some clean protein sources that we love:
- Nuts & seeds
- Beans & lentils
- Quinoa
- Organic, grass-fed sources of meat
- Pasture-raised eggs
- Wild-caught fish
ANTI-OXIDANT RICH VEGETABLES
Amping up your intake of greens and focusing on eating more real food will do wonders for those hormones! Vegetables are so nutrient dense, and are the best thing you can include to feed your cells and help support your body to balance hormones.
- Green leafy vegetables
- Bright colored vegetables
- Starchy vegetables - they are not the devil
So now that you know the best foods to include when you want to focus on balancing hormones, here are some of our favorite recipes which include all of the above!
CHOC-BANANA SMOOTHIE BOWL
The combination of cacao, coconut & maca makes this the perfect mood-boosting & hormone-balancing bowl of goodness. Plus it tastes just like a bowl of chocolate & banana ice cream so, why wouldn’t you be happier after eating this?
SHAKSHUKA EGGS
Packed with healthy fats and protein! Confused about how healthy eggs are? Don’t be. Read on here to find out the truth about eggs.
SMASHED AVO & QUINOA
We would go as far as saying that avocados are one of the most perfect foods, when it comes to nutrition. They contain the perfect combination of fats and protein to help balance your hormones. Here are 20 reasons we love them .
NICE CREAM
Yep, when the hormones are out of whack you’re probably craving all of the ice cream! That’s generally because your body will be craving sugar. Give it what it really needs with a super simple homemade ‘nice cream’ using frozen bananas! If you haven’t made your own ice cream with frozen bananas, you are certainly missing out! Add in some mood-boosting cacao and maca powder, along with some coconut and you’ve got yourself a bowl of hormone-balancing goodness.
Our body is an incredible structure. Provide it with the right blocks and you will have a perfectly balanced building abounding with energy, happiness, glowing skin, fertility… everything you need to flourish!
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Alongside being a qualified nutritionist and our social media guru, Rachel is Food Matters’ Recipe Developer. She’s forever dreaming up and developing new recipes for the community to enjoy.