Happy Hormone Smoothie

Whether or not you struggle with hormonal imbalances, supporting our hormones through nourishment and nutrition is always a welcome addition to our wellness routines. Unfortunately many of us do face hormonal challenges at one point or another, which may be traced back to a myriad of causes from toxin exposure to lifestyle factors. These hormone challenges can range from insulin resistance to irregular cortisol, to estrogen dominance and beyond. Our many different hormones interact with each other, so more often than not, an imbalance of one hormone may be linked to imbalances with another. For this reason, it’s important to look at the whole picture of our health and approach our wellness from a holistic wide angle view. While I will always encourage you to speak with your doctor and/or naturopath, I thought I would share a simple yet effective smoothie recipe that can support you in your hormone journey and overall cycle health.

Nutrients to Support Your Hormones

Fibre

Fibre is well known for supporting healthy digestion, which is just one of many benefits to prioritizing fibre for hormone health. A happy gut allows for happy hormone production and detoxification. Fibre is also supportive in balancing blood sugar (insulin levels) which directly correlate to the production and elimination of other hormones in our bodies. Adequate fibre also specifically allows us to metabolize and eliminate any estrogen surplus our bodies might be experiencing. For this reason, adding in different seeds - especially chia seeds which are high in fibre, can be especially nourishing and hormone balancing.

Protein

As another key component of blood sugar management, including enough protein in our daily meals will not only help us build and maintain muscle, it will also help us to feel satiated after meals, keeping cravings and mood swings at bay. This regulation helps to keep our hormones in check. Beyond blood sugar and insulin, protein provides our bodies with amino acids which are used to produce certain hormones such as estrogen, and help our hormones communicate with the different systems and functions of our bodies. Adding protein powder to your smoothie (if your belly agrees with it) can be a great way to ensure you’re incorporating enough protein into your day. (And spirulina for a little extra boost!)

Fats

Fats are a complicated topic with a long convoluted history in the world of health. Although the conversation can’t necessarily be boiled down to one simple answer, for the sake of attempting to simplify fats as they relate to hormones - many naturally occurring fats (from unprocessed foods) are the building blocks for hormone production, and therefore a necessary piece of the balanced plate puzzle. In other words, don’t be afraid to include fats like avocado, coconut, olives or nuts & seeds to your meals. They again help us to feel satiated and support many functions in our bodies. Adding avocado and seed cycling seeds (more on that below) is a great way to balance your morning smoothie.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants work to protect us from oxidation and free radicals. They have an anti-inflammatory effect, which supports our bodies optimal functioning and allows our hormones to work as they should. Adding spinach, berries and spirulina to your smoothies is a great way to get in those antioxidants to keep inflammation at bay, and your hormones balanced.

Seed Cycling

As women, we move through 4 different hormonal phases of our cycle each month. Seed cycling is a simple yet effective practice of using various seeds to support these different phases. The different properties of each seed can support the different hormone fluctuations necessary to create harmony and balance in our cycles. Seed cycling can be beneficial to foster healing if you’re experiencing symptoms or imbalances, or to simply work alongside your already happy hormones. It often takes a handful of cycles to begin to notice and feel a difference, and is important to be patient with your body as you intentionally use food to fuel your well-being.

*How-To *

Day 1 through Day 13: 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds + 1 tbsp of ground pumpkin seeds Day 14 through Day 28-30: 1 tbsp of ground sunflower seeds + 1 tbsp of ground sesame seeds Days 1 through 13

In this phase of our cycle, estrogen levels start low and steadily increase. There’s a fine balance between too much and too little estrogen, so we can incorporate seeds that contain phytoestrogens to support this internal dance. Imbalanced levels can negatively impact other hormones, so it’s important to keep estrogen in check. Phytoestrogens work by adapting to the body’s natural estrogen levels. They can support an increase of estrogen where needed, and may also help to decrease estrogen in the body. They do this thanks to the lignans they contain, which bind to estrogen receptors and help to modulate production. Flax is especially high in lignans, supporting this balance, while pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc which will help to prepare the body for progesterone secretion in the next phase.

Days 14 through 28-30

This phase is brought on by a sudden drop in estrogen, when progesterone levels steadily begin to rise. Estrogen levels then increase throughout this phase, however if they get too high, they might bring on PMS symptoms and lead to a difficult cycle. Progesterone keeps estrogen in check, so modulating healthy progesterone levels is vital for a happy cycle and happy body. In this phase, we want to focus on omega 6s (found in sesame and sunflower seeds), which convert into gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) in the body, supporting progesterone levels and reducing inflammation.

A Few Reminders

*Always use raw seeds (not roasted nor salted) *Choose organic when possible *Keep your seeds in the fridge to avoid oxidization, and ideally grind them fresh each day. (For myself, this isn’t realistic for my mornings so the next best thing is to grind in small batches and keep them stored in glass jars in the fridge/freezer) *If adding these seeds to something warm (like oatmeal or soups) add them after cooking to avoid denaturing the nutrients

HAPPY HORMONE SMOOTHIE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1-2 large handfuls of spinach
• 1/2 frozen banana + 1/2 avocado or 1 full frozen banana
• 1 large handful of frozen berries (I love blueberries or strawberries)
• Filtered water to blend (or coconut water for a little extra hydration/electrolytes if you prefer!)
• 1 tbsp of chia seeds
• 1 scoop/serving of protein powder (I typically use pure hemp protein, and have also been loving Cymbiotika's protein lately!)
• 2 tsp spirulina (I use Organika or Prairie Naturals)
• 1 tbsp ground pumpkin seeds + 1 tbsp ground flax (day 1 - 14) OR 2 tbsp ground sunflowers seed + 2 tbsp ground sesame seeds (day 14 - 28)

Optional Add-Ins: (for flavour + nutritional gold stars)

• Mint
• Basil
• Pure vanilla extract
• Almond butter
• Raw cacao powder
• Cinnamon

Instructions:

• Blend spinach, frozen fruit and water until consistent
• Add powders and seeds
• Blend until creamy & smooth
• Pour & savour

Notes:

*Add as much water you like throughout - less if you prefer a thicker smoothie, or more if you prefer thinner *Ensure you blend the spinach and frozen fruit before adding the powders/seeds to avoid them sticking to the sides *Use organic when possible & accessible *You may choose to add 1 tbsp extra flax for extra fibre & hormone support

Enjoy & be well x