Hormones control more than most people think; they act as the master switches for growth, reproduction, mood, metabolism, weight, energy, brain function, libido, and the appearance of your skin, hair and nails. And they can make your life downright miserable if they aren’t fluctuating with optimal ratios.
The belief that hormones can only be tamed through medication is false, and these ideas are severely outdated. If we provide young girls with the tools, resources, and education to understand the ride to womanhood – fluctuating hormones and all – it would encourage a more positive connection to their bodies from the beginning.
My mission is to combat hormone imbalance and promote women’s health. Through my recipes I encourage women to eat cyclically for the monthly cycle. Every vegetable, fruit, legume, nut, and seed offers unique vitamins and minerals that can help the body flow through each phase with fewer symptoms and more energy to work on healing and restoration.
These recipes are to support the follicular – spring, waxing moon – phase, which helps prepare your body for ovulation.
Zoodle Broccoli Bowl with Lemon Basil Pesto Sauce
SERVES 2
1 large zucchini (courgette)
⅔ block tempeh, crumbled
1 large broccoli head, cut into florets
150g frozen peas (optional)
For the Lemon Basil Pesto Sauce
25g fresh basil
1½ lemons, juiced
handful of spinach (optional)
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp cashews
2 tsp chili flakes (or ½ jalapeño)
2 tbsp avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
½ tsp sea salt and ½ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp water
Using a spiralizer, spiralize the courgette to make the ‘zoodles’. Set aside. Remove tempeh from packet and crumble into bite-sized pieces into a bowl. Set aside.
Add 1–2 inches of water to a medium-sized pot. Add steamer basket and place broccoli and peas in the basket. Bring water to a boil and cover to steam for about five minutes, or until veggies are soft. Meanwhile, make the Lemon Basil Pesto Sauce by combining all ingredients in a small blender or food processor and blending until smooth and creamy. Assemble your bowl with zoodles, tempeh, steamed broccoli and peas, then drizzle the pesto sauce on top.
Creamy Chococado Pudding
SERVES 2
1 large ripe avocado
1 ripe medium-sized banana
35g raw cacao powder
85g cashew butter (or any nut butter)
2 tbsp maple syrup (you can substitute this for coconut sugar or monk fruit granulated sweetener)
pinch of sea salt
120ml unsweetened vanilla almond milk or cashew milk (plus 2–3 tbsp water if too thick)
Optional toppings: a spoonful of coconut cream, crushed brazil nuts or pumpkin seeds, a drizzle of cashew butter
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve in a bowl and store the other serving in the fridge for tomorrow’s breakfast.
Lemon Cookie Bliss Bites
MAKES 12 BALLS
150g raw cashews
75g shredded coconut (unsweetened)
pinch of sea salt
3 tbsp coconut flour
½ tbsp ground flaxseed
¼ tsp ground turmeric
1 lemon, juiced and 1 tbsp zest (optional)
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
½ tsp vanilla extract (alcohol-free)
In a food processor, add the cashews and coconut and blend until finely ground. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until the mixture is well combined and clumps into one big ball in the food processor bowl. Gently press into balls (they are too delicate to roll) and refrigerate for a couple of hours to harden.
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Edited extract from The Happy Hormone Guide: A Plant-based Program to Balance Hormones, Increase Energy, & Reduce PMS Symptoms by Shannon Leparski, published by Blue Star Press.
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First published in Issue 66 of JUNO. Accurate at the time this issue went to print.
