Category: Nutrition

Nutrition for Hormone Balance: Quinoa & Kale

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It’s week 2 of our Nutrition for Hormone Balance video series and I’m going to share with you my 10-minute dinner bowl that I threw together after a busy day in clinic. And of course, I’ll share with you how all the nutritious & delicious ingredients help balance our insulin, cortisol & estrogen – how it came together so quickly…because I totally know you understand when I say I’m hungry (soon to be hangry) when I get home from work and need to eat stat!

 

So let’s get started!

 

 

10-Minute Quinoa Kale Stir-fry Bowl

The Hormone-Balancing Ingredients

 

1 tablespoon avocado oil

 

½ chopped onion – Contains sulphur compounds that help support liver detoxification

 

1-2 cups chopped kale – A proud member of the cruciferous family vegetables that are awesome for estrogen detoxification – great for heavy/painful periods, fertility concerns and perimenopause.

 

½ cup cooked quinoa – This is actually a seed that works like a side-dish grain in place of rice. The higher protein content than most grains helps keep blood sugars more stable which means your insulin and cortisol can stay balanced too

 

Cooking tip: Cook a cup of quinoa on the weekend so you can throw it in quick dinners or pack lunches all week. I cooked 1 cup quinoa (to 2 cups water) earlier in the week and this is probably the 4th or 5th meal I’ve used it in…it makes so much!

Hormone balance BONUS tip #1: Store your big batch of quinoa in glass containers to reduce hormonal exposure to plastic which can contribute xenoestrogens that disrupt our estrogen balance.

 

½ cup chickpeas – Adds additional protein and fibre. The fibre helps feed healthy gut bacteria and keep bowel movements regular (yup, I said that!) – both of which help eliminate estrogen in the body, especially helpful for those with estrogen dominance

 

Avocado – Healthy monounsaturated fats further stabilize blood sugars, keeping insulin and cortisol in check…and the healthy fat increases the satiety factor of the meal (meaning it helps you feel fuller longer, as in it satiates you!)…and who doesn’t love avocado?

 

Hormone Balance BONUS Tip #2: if you saw my Instagram post yesterday, you saw I shared the EWG Guide. Remember, pesticides add to the work your liver has to do to help detoxify your body from well, everything – including our own hormones. So it makes total sense to avoid as many pesticides as you can, and the EWG Guide totally helps you do that. Why do I mention this here? Avocados are #1 on the Clean 15 list (onions are on there too!).

 

Garlic powder & sea salt to taste (I would have added freshly ground black pepper but my pepper grinder broke & I am literally heartbroken and don’t know how we’re surviving without it!

 

How to bring this bowl to life!
  1. Heat avocado oil on low-medium heat. Add onions and saute for a few minutes.
  2. Add kale and saute for 2 minutes max.
  3. Add quinoa and stir for 1 minute.
  4. Add chickpeas and stir for 1 minute.
  5. Turn off the burner and add garlic powder & sea salt to suit your taste.
  6. Serve in a bowl with half a small avocado, decompress & enjoy!

 

 

If you made this, make sure you let me know – I’d love to see how yours turned out! And of course – modify the recipe to suit your need and make it your own! Post a picture & tag me on Instagram @odettebulaongnd or Facebook Odette Bulaong ND because I’d love to see how it worked out for you and know if you like it as much as I do (it’s totally ok if you don’t!).

 

Make sure you check back right here for next week’s hormone-balancing recipe!

 

Take care until then!

Nutrition for Hormone Balance: Protein Shakes On-The-Go!

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It’s the first Thursday in June, so I’m kicking off our new video series: Nutrition for Hormone Balance with a breakfast recipe, a prep tip & a demo (sort of!) all rolled into one.

 

Last month we talked about the importance of knowing about your own hormone balance and I stressed how important it was to ensure insulin and cortisol balance. For most of us, one of the best opportunities to do this is first thing in the morning with breakfast.

 

However…

 

I know that breakfast is one of the toughest meals for us to fit in because we’re so darn busy in the morning, or we’re not hungry or we’re not morning people (ahem). So I’m gonna share a little secret that you may not have thought about for a quick way to make sure breakfast is ready the next day.

 

 

The Recipe

 

Here’s what’s in tomorrow morning’s protein shake & how it’ll help balance my hormones all morning:

 

  1. To the blending container (if you’re using an immersion container like I did), the blender cup, the blender itself, if it’s removable from the base, or a mason jar if it’s not removable add:

 

300 mL organic unsweetened cashew nut milk: non-dairy means decreased hormone exposure (and easier to digest for those of us who have some lactose-intolerance)

 

1 scoop vegan protein powder (providing 20 g protein):  vegan protein powder means less hormone exposure, less risk of allergenicity and an anti-inflammatory protein source. Be sure to choose a brand with no added sugars or artificial colourings or preservatives. A good amount of protein to start the morning keeps the blood sugars stable and as a result, ensures insulin and cortisol remain balanced so you stay energized all morning.

 

Optional: Give it a quick stir (with chopsticks like I do, if you like!) – or don’t, the blender will do the work for you!

 

1 tablespoon chia seeds: provide healthy and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fat & protein to stabilize blood sugar and insulin plus the fibre it provides helps support healthy detoxification of estrogen from the body. Remember, estrogen dominance can be a factor in infertility, painful, heavy periods.

 

1.5 cup (generous handful) organic spinach: provides inflammation-quenching antioxidants and fibre to support optimal detoxification of estrogen

 

½ cup frozen organic wild blueberries: more antioxidant support to provide protection against any free radicals

 

1-2 dates – provide natural sweetness with some fibre – so blood sugars don’t go too crazy

 

Optional: For a thicker protein shake, add ½ – 1 cup ice and half a banana!

 

  1. Cover container (or blender) and stick in the fridge. Make sure your blender and to-go cup are ready on the counter so you don’t have to waste a second in the morning!
  2. Have a good night’s sleep, knowing you’ll wake up to a 95% done ready-to-go breakfast!
  3. The next morning, take out your ingredients, blend away and pour into to-go cup. Enjoy & have a hormone-balanced morning 🙂

 

So excited to talk more nutrition for hormone balance next week.

 

Take care until then!

 

 

 

Know Your Hormones! #3 Cortisol

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Do you ever get STRESSED OUT?

 

Don’t worry…I do too!

 

When we get stressed out, cortisol is one of the hormones that can help us make it through the day. If you’re thinking: “But that’s every day for me!”,  then you’ll want to watch this short video where I’ll share my TOP 3 tips for balancing your cortisol levels so you can handle stress more effectively.

 

 

 

 

What is cortisol?

 

Cortisol is a hormone made by our adrenal glands (two little triangular shaped organs that sit on top of each kidney – so we have one right and one left adrenal gland). (1)

 

 
What does cortisol do?

 

Our adrenal glands release cortisol to help us deal with long-term stressors like:

  • High-stress jobs
  • Balancing work, home, relationships and all of your other many responsibilities
  • Coping with a loved one’s illness
  • Coping with our own long-standing health concerns like infertility and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

 

 

How does cortisol help us deal with long-term stressors?

 

Cortisol raises our blood sugar by converting fats & proteins into glucose (sugar). (1, 2)

 

Glucose is the preferred fuel of our cells because our cells can convert it to energy very efficiently. And when we’re stressed out, we need lots of energy to fuel our brain to help us make the right decisions and of course to fuel our other vital organs like our hearts, lungs and muscles. (1, 2)

 

 

So what’s the problem?

 

If we are consistently stressed out – day in and day out – our adrenal glands need to make lots of cortisol on a repeated basis. Excess cortisol over time (months & years) can lead to:

(2)

 

On the other end of the spectrum, too little cortisol isn’t good either because it can lead to

  • Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning
  • Inability to handle stress
  • Decreased ability of other hormones to function optimally, including thyroid hormone, estrogen & progesterone

(2)

 

 

So what can we do about this?

 

Saying we need to relieve stress is obvious – but I know the million dollar question is how? The answer will be unique to each person, but my top 3 tips for YOU today are:

 

  1. Eat to balance your blood sugars: If your blood sugar levels drop too low, cortisol is released because the body considers blood sugar levels that are too low (hypoglycemia) to be a stress on the body. Watch last week’s video for some basic nutrition tips to stabilize your blood sugar levels.
  2. Practice relaxation techniques daily: Abdominal breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and positive Self-talk can all be used to help turn off your stress response and turn on your relaxation response.
  3. Physical activity: Find something active you LOVE to do. I know – this may take a while, but keep at it. It doesn’t have to be the typical running or hitting the gym, both of which are great of course, but if these don’t excite you, you won’t be motivated to it. So think outside the box. What about yoga, kickboxing,  dance lessons, rowing, dragon boating or dodgeball (yes, it’s a thing!). The bottom line is to find something you LOVE to do, so it doesn’t feel like you’re being forced to “exercise”. I truly believe there’s something out there for everyone…so start looking!

 

 

Final Thoughts

 

You can’t balance cortisol by getting rid of all of the stress in your life – that would be unrealistic and unnecessary because there’s always going to be stress (and some stress can actually be positive motivators). Instead, by introducing the tips above (start one at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed!), you can help cortisol work smarter not harder – and thus keep it, and your other hormones in better balance.

 

Next week, we’ll be learning about a hormone the women are going to be super interested in – here’s a hint – it’s in charge of our metabolism!

 

References:

  1. Marieb, EN. Essentials of human anatomy & physiology. 11th ed. Boston: Pearson Inc.; 2015.
  2. Bellevue, Shannon Ed. Functional and personalized hormone restoration therapy live event workbook. LP3 Network Inc. 2017.

 

Take good care of your Self until then!

 

 

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Know Your Hormones! #2 Insulin

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Do you ever get hangry?

 

I know I do!

 

If you’re like most people, when you get hangry, you need something and you need it quick! You crave cookies, bagels, chips, donuts – something sugary or high in carbohydrates and something fast. While those may give you instant gratification – we all know it doesn’t last long – so if you want some better food choices when you’re hangry & why it’s important to your hormones – I’ll fill you in today!

 

What you’ll learn in this video (feel free to jump to what you’re interested in!):

0:43 What does insulin have to do with being hangry?

2:20 Insulin resistance & why it’s bad for our health

2:56 What to eat when you get hangry!

 

 

I can definitely get hangry.

 

It always amazes me that when I do, my body just wants that quick carbohydrate fix too! But I know that if I give in (and yes – it does happen!), I may get a quick boost of energy but then my energy drops way down just as quickly. And guess what? I’m hungry 10 minutes later!

 

Before we learn how to fix this, let’s learn about blood sugar balance.

 

Enter insulin.

 

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, an organ in our upper abdomen.

 

What does insulin do?

 

After we eat a meal our blood sugar normally rises. Insulin gets released and it tells our cells to absorb sugar. This allows our cells to use that sugar to make the energy we need to function well and complete our day to day activities. Meanwhile, our blood sugar levels return to normal.

 

So what’s the problem?

 

When we eat foods with a very high sugar content our blood sugars spike up really high, really quickly. This causes the pancreas to release a lot of insulin in order to deal with that high blood sugar and sometimes it overshoots the amount needed and too much sugar gets absorbed into the cell, which means our blood sugars actually drop down too low. This is called hypoglycemia. The next thing you know, you’re hungry again! So you’re reaching for another quick fix – another cookie or candy bar perhaps?

 

Setting the stage for insulin resistance

 

If this happens only once in a while, that’s not going to be an issue, but if your pancreas has to do this repeatedly, and you repeatedly eat foods that are too high in sugar (and we do this too often), our cells stop responding to insulin. They don’t absorb sugar as well anymore with the normal amount of insulin, so the pancreas has to make more and more insulin for the cell to respond to the same amount of sugar. This is called insulin resistance. Our cells become resistant to insulin – they no longer respond well to insulin, and this perpetuates unstable blood sugar levels.

 

Insulin resistance can play a role in weight gain, in pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

 

So what can we do about this?

 

Eat to keep our blood sugars more stable throughout the day – so insulin doesn’t go on a roller coaster ride. When you get hangry – reach for something that has some protein & healthy fat in it – not just sugar!

 

You want an apple? Great! Dip it in some natural almond butter.

 

Or maybe pack a hard-boiled egg for snack!

 

Out and about and a bagel is your best option on the road? Ok – but definitely choose whole wheat, maybe just eat half of it and top it with some peanut butter or cream cheese….and maybe you can sprinkle some extra pumpkin seeds you keep stashed at your desk to help.

 

With all of these options, adding protein & healthy fat to your snack slows down the release of sugar into your blood so insulin can be released in a more balanced way. That way – just enough sugar will be absorbed into your cells, and your blood sugar levels will stay stable throughout the day, so you don’t feel hangry.

 

Next week, we’ll be learning about one of our important stress hormones – and how it is also super important for regulating blood sugar and many other hormones.

 

Take care until then!

 

 

 

 

My Top 7 Liver-Loving Veggies

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For today’s Everyday Detox tip for Hormone Balance, I’m going to share my top 7 veggies to help your liver detoxify from estrogen more efficiently and I’ll explain who really needs to do this the most.

 

And if you’re worried I’m going to tell you to buy some foods you’ve never heard of – I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised because they are all pretty common veggies, and hopefully, with giving you 7 options, you can find one that you enjoy.

 

To help support liver detoxification of estrogen on a daily basis, we want to choose veggies from the Cruciferous (or cabbage) family. This family of vegetables contains lots of healthy nutrients including antioxidants, fibre, vitamins, minerals and a compound called indole-3-carbinol (I3C). I3C has been shown to help the liver detoxify estrogen into its less harmful breakdown product.

 

 

 

My top 7 Cruciferous veggie picks

(in alphabetical order because I don’t want to play favourites – I really love them all!:

  1. Arugula (also known as rocket lettuce)
  2. Bok Choy
  3. Broccoli
  4. Brussels sprouts
  5. Cabbage
  6. Cauliflower
  7. Kale

 

Not sure how to enjoy them?

 

  • Bok choy, broccoli & cauliflower go great in stir-fries.
  • Oven-roasted Brussels sprouts can be super tasty.
  • I love to use arugula, kale & cabbage in salads – they each hold up well in easy-to-pack mason jar salads.

 

How do you know if you might need help detoxifying from estrogen?

 

Many people suffer from symptoms related to estrogen dominance (too much estrogen compared to the amount of progesterone in the body) including:

Estrogen dominance is also related to any conditions for which these can be symptoms of, including:

 

If you want to learn additional & personalized natural ways to help detoxify from estrogen and improve any of the conditions above, then click here.

 

I’ll see you next week for our final Everyday Detox tip!

 

Take care until then!

 

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