Follicular Fat Sal

A salad that doesn’t suck - introducing the Follicular Fat Sal (Phat?). We're done spending $17 on a mediocre salad that leaves you hungry and isn't actually as healthy or fresh as you may think! This salad is something I actively look forward to eating cuz it's so good - and I don't say that lightly. I was never a salad as a meal kind of girl, until I discovered the fat sal.

Ingredients for your follicular phase: chicken, avocado, lemon, pumpkin seeds, carrot, parsley, lettuce. 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!

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. 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.

Lemon, 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, and vitamin C helps with iron absorption.

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.

Raw 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.

Parsley contains high levels of vitamin K which is great for bone health and is also rich in vitamin C and antioxidants which alleviate inflammation in the body.

Lettuce is good for follicular because it is high in fiber content, which helps your body detox and eliminate excess estrogen.