For many of you that follow me, you will know by now how passionate I am about using food as medicine. This recipe combines all the goodies the body requires to balance hormones AND they taste amazing! I decided to use carob powder as it is caffeine free. Raw cacao is often used in bliss-ball recipes so this is a nice alternative. Plus, caffeine can aggravate hormonal symptoms, so it is best to avoid it where possible.
Phyto-oestrogens
Phyto-oestrogens are natural plant components that are structurally similar to oestrogens, and have very mild oestrogen-like effects when consumed. Phyto-oestrogens do not produce the full range of oestrogen- like actions, but instead are weakly oestrogen modulating by binding selectively to oestrogen receptors.
There are three main classes of Phytoestrogens:
> Isoflavones (such as genistein and diadzein, found in high levels in soy beans and soy products such as tofu, miso and tempeh)
> Lignans (a constituent of dietary fibre and found mainly in nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, fruits & vegetables)
> Coumestans (found in sprouted beans eg. alfalfa & clover sprouts; split peas, pinto beans, lima beans)
It is possible to use Phyto-oestrogen foods therapeutically, for example a healthy diet high in plant-based foods, including phyto-oestrogen foods, has potential to decrease the severity & frequency of peri- menopausal symptoms, at a time when the body is producing less natural oestrogen. Phyto-oestrogenic foods also help to balance female hormones, reducing PMS symptoms such as bloating, mood swings and breast tenderness.
Food sources of phyto-oestrogens include flaxseed, pulses and beans (whole, organic soy beans), sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, alfalfa sprouts and mung beans.
Makes 24
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup whole flaxseeds
¼ cup of each: pumpkin seed, sunflower seed, nuts (cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds or brazil nuts)
¼ cup unhulled tahini
1 cup shredded coconut
3 large tablespoons carob powder
1 over-ripe banana, mashed
¼ cup sweetener, add gradually as you may not need all of it (honey, coconut nectar, rice-malt syrup)
1-2 teaspoons Spirulina (depending on how strong you like it)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of good quality salt
Approximately ½ cup sesame seeds for coating
DIRECTIONS
Grind all seeds and nuts together in a coffee grinder or good food processor. Make sure the flaxseeds are broken down well. Add all ingredients together in a food processor and mix until well combined. The mixture is quiet a moist consistency – almost paste like, if you prefer it to be dryer add a few tablespoons of almond meal or chia seeds. Roll into balls with your hands, use about 1 teaspoon per ball. Coat with sesame seeds or desiccated coconut, and store in freezer for up to 2 weeks 🙂
| NUTRITION FACTS: | |
| Carbohydrate | 10.83 g |
| Protein | 5.5g |
| Saturated fat | 4.6m |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 6.25 g |
| Monounsaturated fat | 4.4 g |
| Fibre | 5.2g (daily requirements 25 – 30g) |
| Magnesium | 95.5mg (daily requirements 400mg) |
| Calcium | 70 mg (daily requirements 1000 mg) |
*** 1 serving = 2 balls