Tag: pcos

Cauliflower Kale Avocado Soup

The 3 primary ingredients are all nutritional powerhouses and PCOS-fighters.

Determining whether a meal is healthy can be complicated depending who you ask. In this case, however, there isn’t much to debate. The primary ingredients of this soup (cauliflower, kale and avocado) are all nutritional powerhouses and PCOS-fighters. By pureeing vegetables like cauliflower you can achieve a creamy soup without dairy or flour. In addition, unlike many soups this recipe is very low in sodium. Roasting the cauliflower, garlic and onion first helps achieve a richer flavor (and makes your home smell really good!).

Cauliflower Kale Avocado Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 cauliflower head, broken into florets
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped into large chunks
  • 4 whole garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (& extra to drizzle as garnish)
  • 1/4 tsp thyme
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 4 cups water (approx.)
  • A few handfuls of kale torn into chunks, organic if possible
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • salt to taste (I didn’t add any)

Instructions:

The full recipe with instructions can be found in my vegan recipe eBook.

PCOS Powers:

  • cauliflower = anti-inflammatory, low on the glycemic index, & contains sulforaphane which improves blood pressure, kidney function and may prevent cancer
  • avocado = helps lower LDL “bad” cholesterol, low on the glycemic index, high in fiber, & high in B-complex vitamins which combat stress
  • kale = anti-inflammatory, high in fiber, & high in calcium which is important for egg maturation and follicle development
  • garlic = helps lower cholesterol, an antibiotic, & blood cleanser which relaxes blood vessels for easier blood flow
  • onion = promotes liver detoxification, improves digestion & is high in chromium which helps maintain healthy blood glucose levels

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Cauliflower Kale Avocado Soup

Power Berry Chia Overnight Oats

A simple breakfast rich in antioxidants.

Talk about starting the day off strong with a punch of anti-oxidants. Every ingredient in this breakfast is nutritious and it takes about 10 minutes to prepare: 5 minutes the night before and 5 minutes in the morning. The key is in perfecting the chia pudding layer to the consistency you prefer as this breakfast can work with almost any fruit.

overnightoatscrop

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 3/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup frozen berries (cherries & blueberries), organic if possible
  • toppings: pomegranate

How to: 

  1. Whisk together oats, chia seeds, almond milk and cinnamon in a bowl.
  2. Place in fridge overnight.
  3. In the morning puree frozen fruit in food processor.
  4. Get creative layering the oat mixture with fruit mixture, or simply mix everything together.

PCOS Powers:

  • chia seeds = high in omega 3s which can help decrease high testosterone and improve egg quality
  • blueberries = low GI fruit, may help to lower blood glucose levels
  • cherries = low GI fruit, may help lower inflammation
  • cinnamon = may help balance glucose levels, lower cholesterol, and decrease triglycerides in blood
  • pomegranate = may help lower cholesterol and triglycerides

Kale Ginger Smoothie with Flax Seeds

Sneak your veggies in, any time of day.

Green smoothies deserve a high five for their ability to provide your daily veggies as painlessly as possible. Adding a banana can mask the taste of greens like kale and spinach. I make sure my bananas are covered with brown spots before using as they are easier to digest than unripe and even yellow bananas. This ripening process allows resistant starch to be converted to simple sugars. For PCOS this is a bit of a catch-22 because spotty bananas will cause less bloating and have greater cancer fighting properties, however they are also higher in glycemic load than yellow bananas. Having said this, a very ripe banana is still considered low on the glycemic index.

Avo Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 1 very ripe banana (pre-frozen)
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 2 handfuls of kale or spinach, organic if possible
  • 1 tbsp flax seeds
  • 1 chunk of ginger
  • 1 scoop plant-based protein powder
  • 1/2 to 1 cup water (depending how strong your blender is)

Avo Smoothie top

How to:

  1. Throw all ingredients in blender for a quick and easy breakfast or snack.

PCOS Powers:

  • ginger = anti-inflammatory, may help decrease fasting blood glucose and HbA1c
  • flax seeds = contain lignans which may increase sex hormone-binding globulin therefore lower blood testosterone levels, may lower blood pressure in hypertensive individuals
  • spinach/kale = high in calcium which helps alkalize acidity caused by inflammation and impaired glucose tolerance, high in magnesium which helps maintain insulin and glucose levels and can relieve painful periods (more kale benefits here)
  • avocado = helps lower LDL “bad” cholesterol, low on the glycemic index, high in fiber, & high in B-complex vitamins which combat stress

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Green Ginger Smoothie with Kale and Flax Seeds (vegan, Low-glycemic)