BALANCED SALAD JAR

Ladies, we can all agree, #hormones are annoying sometimes if not often.

Hormones those chemical messengers that have profound effects on our (MOOD) mental, physical, emotional health! Plus it can go from being fine one day and the next day just going haywire.

Getting to know our hormones, our unique bodies and the different stages of life is key, hormones are major players when it comes to controlling appetite, food seeking behaviours, weight, and let’s not forget our mood.

Today’s hectic lifestyle, stress, western diet and urban city living does not help.

Our hormones fluctuate A LOT throughout the month, and throughout our lives. Our hormones are quite different from our thirties / forties than what they were in our twenties.

To help get those hormones back in check, hormone balancing foods can help.

Food is medicine, the right nutritious diet along with other healthy lifestyle habits may help improve our hormonal health and allow us to feel better and perform our best. Embrace and adapt.

Don’t forget Protein, yes plant based or not, we need protein. Essential amino acids is what the body needs and we only obtain this from food, not only key for the body + muscles but they are building blocks that produce protein derived hormones.

Exercise reduces insulin levels and increases insulin sensitivity. Glucose uptake is high after exercise even without the help of insulin. Exercise also prevents muscle decline (sarcopenia).

Estrogen a natural occurring hormone and is key for bone health along with other factors.

Let’s look at some hormone balancing foods and how to make a hormone balancing salad in a jar.

AVOCADO

(Anti-inflammatory healthy fat)

FRESH BERRIES

(Interesting berries being rich sources of vitamin C, which regulates progesterone levels)

LIGNAN RICH SEEDS

(Seeds like flax, pumpkin, and sesame contain lignans, compounds that normalize your estrogen levels)

CRUCIFEROUS VEGGIES

(great hormone balancing foods which normalizes sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone by improving your hormone metabolism)

Ref (more on hormones)

OVERNIGHT SALAD JAR

INGREDIENTS

Zucchini spirals (1 whole zucchini)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 large clove of garlic, minced

1/3 cup diced celery

1/2 Cup cauliflower rice

1 Tbsp flaxseed meal

1/3 Cup lemon juice

1 Tbsp Nutritional yeast

1/3 cup soaked sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 Tsp @mingleseasoning (low sodium)

5 mushrooms chopped

1 tablespoon chopped basil + more to garnish

Hempseeds to sprinkle

dehydrated cranberries and almonds

INSTRUCTIONS

Blend all the ingredients together apart from the Zucchini, mushrooms, garlic and diced celery.

Lightly pan fry the mushrooms, garlic and celery for a few minutes. Once done set aside to cool.

Stack the solid greens, like the spirals, mushrooms and celery in your glass jar, pour over the dressing and leave overnight in the fridge for the next day.

#happyhormone #hormonehealth #lowcarb #sugarfree #healthyeating #womenshealth