This ‘pretty in pink’ smoothie may look like all the rest but, believe me, it packs a real punch nutritionally.
You see, it’s designed specifically to balance the hormones. This, I’ve found, is really vital when you get to an… ahem… certain age, where your hormones can start going a bit haywire. Keeping them balanced will ensure good health and harmony, so ensuring your diet includes nutrients known to regulate hormones is a no-brainer.
I found the basis for this recipe from Make Drinks.org. I tried it as is, but wasn’t fussed on the taste and also found it way too thick to drink. So I took their recipe as a basic starting point and played around with the ingredient amounts in order to achieve a more drinkable thickness (you’ll see I’ve included exact weights in the recipe). Then I added in a few extra health-inducing ingredients that I personally find beneficial. The resulting line-up (with corresponding reported benefits) is pretty impressive:
- Beetroot – a great hormone balancer, removing excess estrogen
- Avocado – rich in mono-unsaturated healthy fat – essential for hormone production
- Broccoli – keeps estrogen levels balanced
- Raspberries – helps to lower blood sugar levels and insulin resistance
- Red grapes – contains flavonoids to balance hormones
- Yoghurt – aids the metabolism of estrogen
- Goji berries – harmonizes the endocrine system (the glands that produce hormones)
- Maca powder – harmonizes the endocrine system
- Extra virgin olive oil – contains essential fatty acid oleic acid, one of the body’s key building blocks for synthesizing hormones
- Savoury yeast flakes (nutritional yeast) – high in B-complex vitamins, vital for hormone balance
- Almond milk – almonds are packed with antioxidants and protein which helps the body to balance hormone production
You may, or may not, want to use all the ingredients that I have included. The ones I’ve used suit me (and they’re also what I have in the pantry), but there are other ingredients that also boast great benefits when it comes to regulating hormones – bee-pollen, banana, coconut oil, red raspberry leaf, carrots, flax-seed – to name a few. I suggest you do some research online (simply type in ‘how to balance hormones naturally’) if you’d like to investigate further.
In the meantime, try this drink out – it’s super delicious and will get you off to a good start in the morning!
‘Hormone Harmonizer’ Smoothie
Ingredients
- 30 g 1 oz (about a quarter) small beetroot
- 30 g 1 oz (about a quarter) avocado, pitted and peeled
- 20 g 0.7 oz (1-2 florets) broccoli
- 1/3 cup 1.7 oz frozen or fresh raspberries
- 10 about 1/4 cup seedless red grapes
- 2 tablespoons natural unsweetened yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon goji berries
- 1 teaspoon maca powder
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or you can use coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon savoury yeast flakes nutritional yeast
- 1-1/2 cup 12 fl.oz almond milk (or you can use filtered water or coconut water)
- Optional: Up to 1 tablespoon runny honey to sweeten
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients into a powerful blender (I used my Nutribullet) and blend until completely smooth. Enjoy!
