I call these Happy Gut Muffins because they're high in antioxidants, have probiotics, protein, and lots of fiber! And of course, they taste great - because nobody wants to eat a gross healthy muffin. Oh, and as an added benefit, all the mixing is done in one bowl, so you'll have an easy cleanup!
Ingredients for your follicular phase: eggs, oat, lemon, and chia 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.
Eggs are a follicular phase food because they are high in choline, which is an important mineral for fertility. Eggs also have high levels of omega-3s which provide ovulation support and are a wonderful source of protein, and protein helps increase energy and promotes healthy egg production. This is also the reason that I love incorporating Greek yogurt into my recipes - it's high in protein and full of probiotics which aid gut health!
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.
Lemon (though it's more of a flavor due to the zest than the juice in this recipe), 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.
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.
Happy Gut, Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Serves: 12 Active Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
0.5 banana
1 egg
1 cup oat flour, or blended old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup rolled oats, old fashioned
1 ½ Tbsp lemon zest
½ cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup almond milk
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
3 Tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup blueberries
Process
1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF
2. Start by smashing the banana in a large mixing bowl. Once fully mashed, add in the egg and whisk it until combined.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix into the bowl until combined. Some people say to do dry and wet ingredients separately and then mix them together slowly - but I don't like added dishes.
4. Add the mixture into a buttered or oiled muffin tin (makes either 12 smaller muffins or 6 large muffins)
5. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes
Comentarios