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Balance Your Hormones With This Green Smoothie

Jul 4, 2015

Green juice, green smoothies, green leafy veggies—it’s all the rage, and rightfully so! Greens are certainly some of the most nutrient dense foods out there. Maybe you’ve already made a daily green smoothie part of your routine. Or, maybe you’re on the other end of the spectrum, and can’t seem to make one that not only tastes good, but actually keeps you satisfied until lunch. I hear you! If you’re going to swap some waffles for a green smoothie, it better be good.

This is by far my favorite green smoothie. It’s incredibly nutrient dense, plus it tastes (believe it or not) like a cookies and cream milk shake. But this smoothie's real superpower? It will balance your hormones. Let’s face it, hormones are a complicated thing, and we could all use a little support. Did you know periods and menopause are not meant to be absolutely awful? Because hormones form a balanced network throughout your body, when one is out of line, it upsets the rest. There are many signs of hormonal imbalance, including:

Mood swings
Cravings
PMS
Painful cramps
Abnormally heavy periods
Abnormally light periods
Short cycles
Long cycles
Infertility
Acne
Hot flashes

When working to rebalance hormones, the liver is often overlooked. The liver is actually directly responsible for the metabolism of hormones—clogging and toxicity can result in dull skin, acne, frown lines between your eyebrows (an area often treated with acupuncture to re-balance the liver), and many other complications. When the liver isn’t functioning properly, hormonal imbalances are inevitable.

The liver processes excess hormones, and in an increasingly toxic environment, women receive and process high levels of estrogen, especially from pesticides. This leads to hormonal imbalances and extra stress on the liver. What if you could drink a delicious, liver-supportive, hormone-balancing, creamy smoothie to help reset all of these things? Coconut Milk Meets Maca Root The Hormone Balancing Green Smoothie contains light, canned coconut milk (note: it is only ‘light’ because they add a bit of water to the coconut milk to thin it out, I never recommend ‘light’ or ‘reduced fat’ products). Coconut products contain healthy medium chain fatty acids. Not only are these metabolized easily, they also give optimal, long-lasting energy. Coconut contains healthy cholesterol, which is key for hormonal balance, as hormones are made through cholesterol. Healthy fats are essential to healthy, happy, hormones.

The real superstar (and what turns your smoothie green!) is maca root. Maca, also known as Peruvian Ginseng, is a vegetable native to the central highlands of Peru. Recognized for its high amounts of micronutrients, maca has been called the revitalizing and energizing superfood. In addition to its energizing, stress-reducing, and stamina-producing qualities, maca is an endocrine adaptogen, meaning it does not contain any hormones, but rather it contains the raw materials for the body to produce hormones. Maca is known to improve infertility, hot flashes, libido, PMS, etc. You can purchase maca root powder at your local health food store, or order online from somewhere like vitacost. Maca root is a bit pricey, but keep in mind that a serving size is just one teaspoon, and you will be able to get many uses out of one bag. The Recipe Whip up this smoothie 1-3 times a week for an energizing, grounding, and hormone-balancing treat. Enjoy! ¾ cup light coconut milk ¼ cup filtered water 1 medjool date 1-2 teaspoon maca root ¼ teaspon pink himalayan or celtic sea salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 scoop of your favorite quality vanilla protein powder 1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter 15-20 drops pure liquid stevia or 1 tablespoon raw honey Using a blender, mix until smooth. Experts, Concerns and Treatments Mentioned In This Feature: Concerns— Diet Dull Skin Acne Frown Lines Treatments— Acupuncture