Sort of a weird thing to admit, but my favorite thing about this recipe is that it somehow tastes even better as leftovers So I love eating this the day of, and am actively looking forward to eating it the next day!
Ingredients for your follicular phase: chicken, avocado, lime, and pickled jalapenos. During the follicular phase, your metabolism naturally slows down, so you want to eat foods that aid liver detoxification to ensure estrogen buildup doesn't occur in the gut.
Chicken is a follicular phase food because it is high in choline, which is an important mineral for fertility. It is also high in vitamin Bs and minerals such as zinc - which is needed for follicle development- and magnesium - which is important for metabolizing estrogen. Since magnesium is at its lowest during the follicular phase, it's important to maintain healthy levels of it at this time. Lastly, chicken is high in protein (even more so than beef!) which helps regulate blood sugar levels. But also, your body is most easily going to build muscle during this part of the cycle, so load up on protein to ensure you're providing your body with what it needs!
Pickled veggies (and other fermented foods like kimchi) are great additions to your follicular meals because they are high in probiotics, which are important to maintaining a healthy estrobolome (gut microbiome). A healthy microbiome allows our bodies to effectively eliminate estrogen!
Avocado is a great source of healthy fats, with high levels of Omega-3s, which are shown to reduce FSH levels and are anti-inflammatory which helps curb inflammation. They are also associated with increased progesterone levels, promote ovulation, and optimize hormone levels. They are also very high in fiber, which helps our bodies flush out excess estrogen.
Lime, and citrus more generally, are high in vitamin C and antioxidants which reduce inflammation in the body. But most importantly, they are effective at liver detoxification.
Chicken Enchiladas
Serves: 4 Active Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 60 min
Ingredients
4 flour tortillas
4 chicken breasts
1 bottle enchilada sauce
1 white onion
1 handful of pickled jalapenos
1 container Queso Fresco (or feta)
1 lime
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1 avocado to serve
Sour cream to serve
Handful of cilantro
Process
1. In an oiled pan over medium-high heat, add the chicken breasts. Cook for around 4 minutes on each side. No need to season it.
2. In a large pan (big enough to fit a tortilla), over medium-low heat, pour half of the enchilada sauce. Dip your tortilla in so that it's fully covered in sauce. Then, move it onto another oiled, large pan and let the tortilla dry by cooking over medium-low heat for 3 minutes on each side.
3. Preheat oven to 350º
4. Dice your onion, chop cilantro, and chop the jalapenos.
5. When the chicken is cooked, put it in a large bowl and use two forks to shred the chicken. Add the onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, and feta (or queso fresco) into the bowl.
6. Assemble the enchilada. Put one tortilla on a plate, add a row of the chicken across the tortilla, then roll it up.
7. Put the enchiladas in an oiled 9 x 12 pan (or whatever size will fit your enchiladas). Pour the rest of your enchilada sauce on top. Add mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted-- or around 5 minutes.
8. Serve with sour cream, avocado, and cilantro.
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