If you're looking a breakfast to help balance your hormones, this recipe is for you. Before we talk about why this bowl is such an awesome way to start your day, let's first talk about why the typical breakfast of sugary cereal or coffee and granola bars are contributing to hormonal disruption in the first place. Sugar and refined-carb loaded breakfasts spike your blood sugar early in the day and set off your blood sugar-roller coaster journey from your first meal. When your blood sugar spikes high quickly, insulin rushes in to bring it back down, resulting in a blood sugar spike and crash at the beginning of your day. This sets you up for a day of hormonal chaos since you're likely to be hungry again not long after eating and our emotions and energy tend to follow this roller coaster, swinging up and down at a moment's notice. This is no fun in the short run because it leaves you feeling sluggish, tired, weak, jittery, and straight up hangry. But in the long term is can lead to serious hormonal imbalances like type II diabetes, PCOS, Alzheimer's disease, and more. That's why I always encourage people who are looking to make a health change to start with breakfast- it sets the tone for your entire day and it makes a huge difference in your overall health.
For a breakfast to be a regular in my rotation, it needs to be nutrient dense, delicious, and filling. And these super seed breakfast bowls check off all the boxes. They're super high in protein and fiber, both of which are critical for balanced hormones. Flax seeds in particular have many well researched benefits for repairing hormonal imbalance (due to the way they bind to estrogen in the small intestine and stimulate the production of a hormone called SHBG- Sex Hormone Binding Globulin, which plays a major role in hormonal imbalance). They're also rich in vitamins, minerals, and omega 3 fatty acid, along with hemp and chia seeds which are super nutrient dense as well! Seriously, this breakfast is an amazing way to calm hormonal chaos every morning and has so many fun flavor combos and mix ins to keep it from getting boring. You can also easily make this in advance and store in the fridge (just heat up, sometimes with a little extra hot water if you want to enjoy warm).
Ingredients:
The Base:
1 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp chia seeds
2 Tbsp flax seeds
2 Tbsp hemp seeds
1 cup almond milk, no sugar added
1 tsp honey or pure maple syrup, optional*
*Now I'm at a point where I fully enjoy this without any added sweetener but that was NOT the case when I first started my sugar free journey. If you're used to eating maple-brown-sugar oatmeal, you'll probably need to add some natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup to enjoy this. As you cut back on sugar and your taste buds become more sensitive, you'll find you'll need it less and less.
Vanilla Spice:
splash of pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp natural peanut butter
handful of chopped walnuts
cacao nibs
Other toppings:
coconut chips
fresh blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries
sliced banana
nut butter
chopped hazelnuts
Instructions:
In a small saucepan, heat the coconut oil until it melts.
Add the almond milk and stir.
Add in all the seeds and stir until combined and the mixture thickens a bit. It will also thicken more as it cools, so add more milk or water if you prefer it liquidy.
Remove from stove, add to a bowl or jar, and top with toppings of your choice. Enjoy!!