A great breakfast tastes like dessert... but an outstanding breakfast tastes like dessert AND is healthy, gluten-free, leaves you feeling full and energized, and can be made ahead of time to save you time in the morning! So I guess you could see this breakfast is pretty outstanding.
Ingredients for your follicular phase: carrots, oats, cashews, chia seeds, almond butter, and pumpkin seeds. During the follicular phase, your metabolism naturally slows down, so you want to eat foods that are lighter and aid liver detoxification to ensure estrogen buildup doesn't occur in the gut.
Carrots have been shown to have hormone-balancing effects because they're high in magnesium, but also high in fiber which is key for our gut health - which in turn aids healthy hormone production.
Oats are high in fiber which makes it wonderful for our body during the follicular phase. Fiber is key to helping our body flush out excess estrogen while our body ramps up production at this time of the cycle. The specific type of fiber it contains is called beta-glucan, which acts as a prebiotic for beneficial bacteria in our gut microbiome. And because a healthy gut is able to best regulate hormone production, this is very important! Rolled oats are also typically gluten-free by nature, so for those of us that are gluten sensitive - this is a great breakfast to have.
Cashews contain zinc and selenium which are important nutrients for the production of healthy follicles. They are also rich in fiber and high in protein, which aids blood sugar regulation and will help you maintain higher energy levels.
Chia seeds are rich in omega-3s and are also high in fiber, two important nutrients for the follicular phase. Fiber helps our body flush out excess estrogen and maintain a healthy digestive tract, while omega-3s are important for healthy ovulation. High FSH levels can lead to menstrual problems including PCOS, and omega-3s are shown to reduce FSH levels.
Almonds (and almond butter) are great for follicular because they contain high levels of omega-3s. They also have high levels of dietary fiber and contain magnesium.
Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc, which aids progesterone production, are high in omega-3s which lower FSH levels, and contain phytoestrogens which can reduce the effectiveness of estrogen in the body.
Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
Serves: 2 Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 6 hours
Ingredients
Overnight Oats:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup cashew milk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp maple syrup
2/3 cup shredded carrot
2 Medjool dates
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Serve with:
almond butter
pumpkin seeds
unsweetened coconut flakes
Process
1. The night before, add all ingredients into one large jar or equally separate between two smaller jars.
2. Mix until fully combined and then put in the refrigerator overnight, or at least for 6 hours
3. Serve with almond butter, pumpkin seeds, and unsweetened coconut flakes!
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