Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, especially for those in the peri and menopause phases. It’s all about the protein and NUTRIENT DENSITY that can help maintain blood sugar.
Reaching for a box of cereal will sabotage our hormones.
Bagels, low-fat breakfast foods, lattes, cereals and all the other carbohydrate-heavy “breakfast foods” raise your blood sugar only to make it crash … right along with your energy. Protein, fat, fiber are required!
Smoothie Basics
A smoothie is a healthy dose of blended vitamins and minerals and antioxidants. Smoothies offer more soluable fiber than juicinng, which is good for the heart, digestion and escorting toxin out of the body. But it’s crucial to get in the protein and fat.
Strive for :
- 2 parts greens and veggies
- 1 part fruit
- 1 part protein
- a fat
Ingredients to use in your smoothie:
- Greens
- Kale, spinach, Swiss chard, dandelion greens, lettuce, bok choy, radish/beet tops, parsley, cilantro, basil
- Vegetables
- Carrots, celery, cucumber, peppers, roasted sweet potato, squash or pumpkin
- Fruits
- They all work; banana and apple work the best as a binder
- Proteins
- Protein powders, nuts, nut butters, hemp seeds, chia seeds, Greek yogurt, beans, cooked quinoa
- Fats
- Avocado, coconut or olive oil, nuts/seeds
- Liquids:
- Water, coconut water, tea, juice, soy, almond, rice or coconut milk
- Other additions:
- Flax seed, goji or other dried berries, oatmeal, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne pepper
Smoothie Making Tips
Fill blender at night, hold in fridge
● Blend smoothies at night, drink in the morning
● Freeze ingredients in a ziplock bag, add liquid and blend
● Freeze fruit
○ single layer
○ pre-slice bananas
○ add spices
● Freeze fresh juice in ice cube trayss
Pre-wash greens and toss together
○ grab a handful or two for blending
● Rotate seasonal greens
○ to avoid a buildup of alkaloids (compounds that can cause mild but unpleasant symptoms such as
stomach aches)
○ to avoid oxalic acid build up, which has been linked to kidney stones. Oxalates are common in plant
foods such as raw spinach and Swiss chard. They can be broken down to varying degrees by different
cooking methods.
● use a celery stick to poke and stir your ingredients into the blender
● more liquid makes for a juicy, refreshing treat and will help blending process on less powerful blenders
● Add greens and liquid first, blend, then add remaining ingredients.