It’s easy to buy that supplement to ‘balance your hormones’, forgetting to use food first. Here’s a hormone loving salad that uses broccoli stem (the bits you normally toss out).
The main superstars are:
➖ 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘪 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 and 𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘢𝘨𝘦: contain indol-3-carbinol (I3C) which is converted within the body to DIM (diindolylmethane) that can help to balance estrogen and testosterone ratios.
➖ 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘮: an excellent source of vitamin C required for progesterone production.
➖ 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘥: high in iodine, essential for balanced estrogen ratios and healthy thyroid function (which in turn, effects sex hormones).
➖ 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥: rich in omega-3 fatty acids, the precursors for all hormones. They are also anti-inflammatory and support detoxification/metabolism of sex hormones in the liver.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 purple cabbage
- 1/2 red capsicum
- 1 medium-sized broccoli stem
- 1/4 purple onion
- 1 handful coriander
- 1 handful mint
- 1 tbs seaweed flakes (such as dulse, nori or wakame)
- 2 tbs tamari
- 2 tbs rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbs sesame oil
Method:
- Using either a knife or mandolin, thinly slice broccoli stem, cabbage, capsicum and onion.
- In a bowl, combine the above the coriander and mint.
- In a seperate bowl, combine tamari, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar.
- Add a grilled salmon fillet on top then drizzle dressing and sprinkle seaweed flakes.
Notes:
- It's recommended to add 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice or quinoa per serve on the side to ensure this is a complete meal.
- The salad will last up to 4 days in the fridge (without a dressing).
- For those seeking a vegetarian alternative, tofu is good replacement for salmon.
- For those with soy allergy, tamari may be substituted with coconut aminos.
