Lunches To Help With The Menopause
August 09 2008
The secret of happy hormones part II
Last month I gave you some breakfast and snack ideas based on foods that provide phytoestrogens – weak plant hormones that may help to reduce menopausal hot flushes and night sweats.
To recap, phytoestrogens are found in a wide variety of foods, including garlic, broccoli, rhubarb, fennel, celery, sage, cinnamon, parsley, brown rice, oats, wheat, barley, rye, berries, plums, apples, sunflower, sesame, flax and pumpkin seeds, chick peas, lentils, kidney beans, peas, tofu and soya milk.
With a little thought and planning, it is easy to make sure you are eating some of these foods throughout the day. Following on from last month’s suggestions, if you are having oats for breakfast and snacking on houmous, seeds or oatcakes you have made a good start. The next step is to add some of these hormone-balancing foods to lunch or dinner.
• A mixed bean salad with cherry tomatoes and brown rice is delicious and filling – you could make your own using a handy can of mixed beans, or buy one ready prepared from the health food shop supermarket
• Lentil soup makes a good hearty lunch when served with crusty wholemeal granary bread and is quick to make - take red lentils, carrots, celery, parsley, garlic and vegetable stock, cook for about thirty minutes then blend
• Chick peas are a versatile ingredient for one-pot cooking. Lightly cook some onions in olive oil and add chopped fennel, green beans, a few sticks of celery and vegetable stock. Simmer for thirty minutes, garnish with chopped mint or parsley and serve with brown rice.
• Chick peas are also good in a vegetable curry and add valuable protein
• If you haven’t tried tofu (soya bean curd), give it a go in a stir-fry. Marinade cubes of tofu for up to an hour in a blend of olive oil, soya sauce, garlic and lemon juice then add to a stir-fry of vegetables and heat through for five minutes. Use a colourful mix of vegetables, such as kale, leeks, broccoli, courgettes, green beans and carrots for a nutrient-packed meal. Cook’s tip: add three or four tablespoons of water to the pan and seal with a lid to make a “steam-fry”, which lowers the cooking temperature and protects the delicate oil from burning.
If you have an underactive thyroid, read my cautionary advice about soya in last month’s article.
What about dessert? Local rhubarb is in season and can be stewed with raspberries or apple for a tangy crumble. Just add an oat and pumpkin seed topping mixed with a little olive oil and bake in a medium oven for fifteen minutes. Serve with a swirl of plain yoghurt.
Leaf through your cookery books to find other ways of combining these foods or experiment with some of your own recipe ideas to up your intake of phytoestrogen foods.
Rita Carmichael - Nutritional Therapist
If you have any other recipe ideas we would love to hear from you!
Susie x
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