Sick of the same foods weighing your down? Cleanse your cupboards with a menopause pantry makeover. Yep, out with the old use-by-dates and white coloured carbs and in with the new fresh versions of foods that will help you shed belly fat and rock your hormones.
Have these options on hand to make quick and easy delicious snacks or meals to keep your blood sugar stable especially when that mid afternoon slump hits around 3pm.
Pantry essentials
Gluten free grains
Quinoa, millet, buckwheat, red rice to keep your blood sugar and moods stable. Packed with minerals, B complex vitamins and fibre. Toss through salads or serve with curries or stews.
For baking try chick pea flour or coconut flour, polenta instead of bread crumbs.
Nuts and seeds
Flaxseed the flash fighter, chia and hemp, pumpkin and sesame for creating an awesome raw soaked porridge to boost your omega 3 essential fats for skin, hair and hormones.
Brazils for their antioxidant selenium content – eat 2-4 per day – walnuts for brain food. almonds for calcium and macadamias for healthy indulgence, nut butters for celery boats, cashews and shredded coconut for raw food recipes.
Lentils and beans
Puy and red lentils, mung beans, chickpeas for sprouting or adding to stews/curries for their phytoestrogen flush fighting potential and cans of adzuki, kidney beans, cannellini beans for making stews or dips or tossing through salads.
Healthy oils
Coconut oil, olive oil, tahini, macadamia nut oil, organic butter, avocado for a liver oil change and supple skin. Organic eggs, canned wild caught salmon with bones to boost your omega 3’s, calcium and protein for mood and anti inflammation.
Miso, tempeh or tofu
Healthy soy options for a quick soup, stir fry or scrambled breakfast option especially to boost flagging estrogen levels and deal with hot flashes and night sweats.
Natural sugar alternatives
Raw cacao nibs and powder, cacao butter or carob, coconut sugar, raw honey, stevia, dates, dried blueberries, cranberries, goji. No need for artificial sweeteners or white sugar.
Herbal teas
peppermint/spearmint, ginger, liquorice, fennel, rooibos, chamomile, green tea and mint for calming and balancing.
Fruits and veg
Root vegetables, garlic, ginger and turmeric, lemons and citrus, bananas, apples and frozen berries, broccoli and cauliflower, kale, coriander, celery, parsley and a jar of sauerkraut from the markets to clear out excess damaging estrogen….what’s in your pantry?
For more ways to balance your hormones contact Belinda on