Estrogen, testosterone, adrenaline and insulin. Our body’s “chemical messengers”. As with everything that our bodies are made up of, these little guys are pretty important to keep balanced, because if not, they can cause all sorts of upsets. They affect the obvious hormonal issues such as infertility and irregular periods, but they also play a part in weight gain/loss/maintenance, fatigue, anxiety, depression, libido, digestive issues, insomnia, appetite, even hair thinning and hair loss. Hormonal imbalance can be caused by a number of factors, among them are your medical history, family genetics, environmental toxins, stress levels, and diet.
Since we’re all about the food, we’re going to stick to the diet related factors, because it is possible to maintain a healthy hormone balance through natural, nutritious eating (and drinking, in this instance). And where possible, it really is best to stay away from the conventional medical hormone imbalance treatments – they mostly mask the symptoms instead of solving them, they come with their own set of undesirable side effects, and they have the potential to make you dependent on them for the rest of your life. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be addicted to food than pills!
When your hormones are balanced and playing nicely with the rest of your important bodily systems to get them flowing smoothly, you’ll find that you have more natural energy, you’ll be sleeping better, you won’t suffer from mood swings, your skin will regain its natural glow, you’ll be at less risk of serious disease, and your general overall health will improve.
The things to look for in hormone balancing foods are clean protein, healthy fats, fruit and vegetables that are high in antioxidants, and healing herbs. These nutrients all help your body to produce hormones correctly and maintain hormonal balance, which it can’t do without them.
This Creamy Strawberry Milk for Hormone Balance is a great start, or to add to your already horomone-balance-tailored diet. Strawberries are (absolutely delicious and) super high in antioxidants, and they help to decrease estrogen levels by improving elimination. All coconut products contain lauric acid, which is really good for hormonal production, among so many other things (think skin health, killing viruses and bacteria, speeding up metabolism, and more).
Tahini joins the cause in balancing your hormones, especially in menopausal women, and also contributes to skin health, heart health and immunity. Raw maca powder is known to supply your body with the nutrients it needs for natural hormone production and to reduce stress hormones, and also to increase fertility. And finally we have dates to add a touch of sweetness to our drink, and which bring a plethora of their own nutritional benefits.
I think we can safely say that we’ve got most hormonal bases covered with just these simple ingredients, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg in regaining control of your hormonal balance.
Strawberry Milk for Restoring Your Hormonal Balance
Ingredients
- 1 &1/2 cup fresh strawberries
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp raw maca powder
- 3 pitted dates soaked into purified water for about 30 mins
Instructions
- Blend all the ingredients to obtain a creamy liquid.
- Drink straight away.
Notes
May 16, 2017
Hi Ana, thank you for this–I plan to try it after picking up the ingredients and wonder how often you recommend drinking it. I use a nutribullet to create green drinks most days so would like to slot this in. Thanks very much!
May 17, 2017
Except maca powder, all the nutrients are safe to drink as often as you like. I wouldn’t have maca powder more than three – four times a week, because it influences the hormone production and it’s better to keep if on the safe side.
May 17, 2017
Thanks so much! Really looking forward to this!
May 16, 2017
Thank you for posting it Ana!
It is quite delicious and very sweet even without dates :))
Would give it five starts!
May 17, 2017
Thank you so much Svetlana! You are right, it’s quite on the sweet side, you can pretty much have it for dessert 🙂 Dates can be skipped if you prefer it lighter, because maca it’s a natural sweetener.
May 19, 2017
Hi Ana,
this drink looks so deliciously! Can’t wait to give it a try.
Bianca
May 23, 2017
Thanks so much Bianca!
May 31, 2017
Can you drink this daily while breastfeeding? Thanks
June 7, 2017
Diana, I’m not so sure about maca, but the rest of the ingredients are perfectly fine.
July 25, 2017
isnt maca bad for you because it increases estrogen?
August 4, 2017
Maca is an adaptogen, it doesn’t mimic estrogen, but actually balance the production of both estrogen and progesterone.
September 5, 2017
My hormones are quite balanced but it’s always good to support your body with healthy food! And if it’s healthy and tasty, it’s even better! Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe …
Ginger by Choice I Food & Lifestyle Blog
http://www.gingerbychoice.de/en/
September 11, 2017
Way to go, Eva!
November 1, 2017
Drink looks amazing. For a menopausal woman on bio-identical estrogen and progesterone, would maca be a good idea? I believe, the body no longer produces those hormones after menopause?
November 2, 2017
Andrea, I don’t know how maca interacts with the bio-identical hormones, I think it would be wise to ask your doctor before adding it to your diet.
March 12, 2018
Hi Ana!
I’m going to give this a shot tomorrow morning. Wondering how long it can be kept in the fridge for? I’m just making it for one, and I’d love to be able to use the full recipe and have some leftover for the next day or two if you think it’ll stay fresh! Thanks so much!
Cheers!
Rosalie
March 13, 2018
Hi Rosalie, it will definitely last for a day or two in the fridge. I hope you’ll like the recipe. Cheers!