Smoothies to Help Balance Hormones

When we think about eating healthily, hormones may not always be at the forefront of our minds. But hormones play an incredibly important part in our bodies. Hormones are chemical messengers that have profound effects on our mental, physical, and emotional health and play a huge role in controlling our appetites, weight, and mood.

Hormonal imbalances (when the body has too much or too little) can lead to a whole host of problems from diabetes to infertility and other problems. But a healthy diet can help to keep your hormones in check, and one way to do that is by consuming smoothies.

Smoothies are a simple, delicious, and effective way of getting in all the key nutrients our bodies need. Because they contain plenty of Fibre (which plays a critical role in balancing oestrogen in the body), it helps us to stay fuller for longer and keep blood sugars nice and stable too, meaning we don’t snack as much throughout the day.

Benefits of smoothies for hormones

Besides being incredibly easy to make, homemade smoothies are nutrient-dense and contain plenty of protein, healthy fats, fruit, and vegetables. Starting the morning with a smoothie is a quick and effective way to add foods to your diet that are rich in phytoestrogens such as leafy greens, and when ingredients rich in omega-3s such as chia or flax seeds are added, they provide the body with all the necessary building blocks for proper hormone production.

What should hormone smoothies include?

Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty acids

Because they aren’t produced by our bodies, we need to get these essential fatty acids into our diets through nutritious foods. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids help our cells to regenerate, lower our bad cholesterol, and help the liver to metabolise excess hormones. They are available in both flax and chia seeds, as well as walnuts.

Fats and Fibre

Soluble fibres help our bodies to get rid of any hormonal excess that has been metabolised by the liver, flushing it through the intestines. Rolled oats, avocados, bananas, pears, and berries are all sources of important soluble fibres.

When we talk about fats, we’re looking for the good kind. The ones which our body creates hormones from. This comes from good fats such as avocados, coconut oils, or cacao butter.

Fruits and vegetables (ideally organic)

It wouldn’t be a smoothie without some fruits or vegetables. Ideally, you want to include organic fruits and vegetables in your smoothies as studies have shown that just one serving of fruit and vegetables treated with pesticides can have a negative effect on fertility. This is because glyphosate, which is found in many pesticides, is an endocrine disruptor. So, by eating organic, you can reduce your exposure.

Recipes

These hormone balancing smoothies are the perfect way to fuel your body by keeping your blood sugar levels stable and keeping hunger at bay.

Hormone Balancing Smoothie “The Health Boost”– serves 1

This hormone-balancing smoothie is perfect if you have a sweet tooth. The bananas and chia seeds add a nice amount of fibre to this smoothie. Bananas also contain soluble fibres, with around 3g per medium banana, and chia seeds contain 5.5g per tablespoon. The addition of spinach gives you even more prebiotic fibre plus plenty of antioxidants for nutrient support.

Creamy Vanilla Hormone Balancing Smoothie

This hormone-balancing smoothie is perfect on cold mornings – the touch of cinnamon gives it a nice hint of spice whilst the coconut milk and vanilla extract make it highly creamy and decadent. It contains plenty of healthy fats, is low in sugar and contains a good serving of protein too. If you want an additional boost, you can always consider adding in some additional leafy green veggies or soluble fibres such as berries or bananas.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp nut butter (almond or cashew work best)
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
½ tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
150ml coconut milk
1-2 pitted whole Medjool dates
1 level scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp Greek yoghurt

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender and whizz until smooth
2. If the smoothie is too thick, add in some additional coconut milk and blend to your desired consistency
3. Pour into a glass and enjoy!