Super Slaw for Inner Summer

Is anyone else enjoying this amazing Spring sun???

Wow, it truly is the perfect weather for experiencing my Inner Summer.

This Inner Summer feels really energetic for me - I’m literally bursting with ideas and inspiration :)

I woke up naturally at 5am this morning with a million ideas whizzing round my head - one of them being that I wanted to make and share this delicious salad recipe with you today!

So here you go my loves….enjoy!

Inner Summer is when oestrogen hits its peak in our cycle. We’re ovulating and we’re feeling goooooood!! (and possibly very sexy).

This is the time for flow, for riding the energetic high and for preparing fresh vibrant foods.

Did you know that oestrogen suppresses appetite? That’s why we don’t feel like eating as much at this time, which is why nutrient-dense salads are PERFECT for this time.

One of the most important things about ovulation that can get forgotten is that we have to detox all the oestrogen we're producing.

If you’ve been following me on Instagram you’ll know I’m a big fan of detoxing oestrogen.

Yes, oestrogen is amazing and can make us feel sexy and energised and feminine BUT if it hangs around too long it can lead to all those horrible PMS symptoms we all dread so much - mood swings, sore breasts, hormonal migraines, bloating, etc.

And no one wants that.

This is why this salad is perfect for this time - it’s packed with oestrogen-flushing ingredients like Brussel’s sprouts and broccoli.

The pomegranate seeds also help to detox oestrogen by boosting gut health AND the walnuts are an excellent source of good fats and protein. Even though we want to eat light we want to make sure we’re still getting plenty of good fats and protein and the walnuts really help with this.

I mean just look at those colours and textures! So delicious! And so perfect for this time in our cycle :)

Ok so let’s have a look at what’s actually in this mouth watering salad:

First up are Brussel’s sprouts. It’s funny, a few years ago I would only eat them at Christmas. But now all of a sudden I’ve become a massive Brussel’s lover!

They’re much more versatile than you think (I used to think they could only be served steamed on the side of a roast dinner)

In this recipe we’re slicing them finely to provide the base for our slaw. It works really well and tastes really crunchy and delicate.

Sprouts are incredible for liver health and especially with helping the detoxification of oestrogen. They contain a compound called sulforaphane which is amazing for detoxification. As I said before, we really need to make sure we’re detoxing oestrogen during our Inner Summer, which makes them the perfect ingredient for this time.

Next up we have broccoli.

Like Brussel’s sprouts, broccoli also contains sulforaphane and is spectacularly good for detoxifying oestrogen.

What I like about this recipe is that the broccoli is also added in raw and sliced very finely. It’s not often I eat raw broccoli but this recipe makes it really palatable (and tasty!)

Then we have a humble red onion

I just love the taste that raw onions give any salad (much to my husband’s despair!) I love their crunch and strong flavour.

Red onions are high in quercetin which is anti-inflammatory. This can be helpful during our Inner Summer as ovulation can be quite inflammatory at times (hands up if you ever experience pain at ovulation?)

They also contain lots of wonderful prebiotic fibres which feed our lovely gut bacteria. These in turn help us detoxify oestrogen out of our bodies (yep, there I go again warbling on about oestrogen detox!)

Speaking of gut bacteria, pomegranate seeds are also great foods for boosting our gut health.

Their beautiful deep red colour means they contain polyphenols. These are amazing plant compounds that our gut bacteria just LOVE feeding on. Happy gut bacteria equals happy and healthy levels of oestrogen so yay for pomegranate seeds :)

The final man ingredient in this recipe is walnuts: they give the salad texture, boost protein and fat intake AND provide a great source of fibre which is needed for detoxing hormones (I promise this is the last time I talk about detoxing hormones!)

One other ingredient worth mentioning is the walnut oil used in the dressing.

I’m trying to expand my use of different oils as I realised a while ago that I had got stuck in a rut with my oils; all I was using was extra virgin olive oil for salads and coconut oil and butter for frying….boring!

We’ve heard of eating a variety of veg but how often do we talk about eating a variety of fats? Walnut oil is a great source of omega 3, which is anti-inflammatory, and as we know the high oestrogen during our Inner Summer can be quite inflammatory.

What I love about walnut oil is that it has a very light taste which means it works really well in salad dressings.

Ok, so we’ve gone through all the main ingredients, all that’s left is the method:

This is a super easy salad to prepare, the most time consuming thing is slicing up the Brussel’s sprouts finely at the beginning. Once you’ve done that you’re pretty much good to go!

SUPER SLAW FOR INNER SUMMER

INGREDIENTS (serves 2-3)

250g Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced

1 head broccoli, cut into very small florets

1 small red onion, finely sliced

200mll walnut oil

60ml balsamic vinegar

Zest of 1/2 lime

Juice of 1/2 lime

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)

60g pomegranate seeds

125g walnuts, chopped

METHOD:

1. In a small bowl combine the walnut oil, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup lime zest and juice. Whisk with a fork until nicely blended.

2. Mix the Brussels sprouts, broccoli, red onion, pomegranate seeds and walnuts in a large salad bowl (the prettier the bowl the better!)

2. Add the dressing and mix though et voilà! You’re good to go! Enjoy!

I can’t wait for you to try this recipe - it really is the PERFECT salad for our Inner Summer.

The sweetness of the pomegranate and the tangy twist of the dressing just make it so so so delicious! AND hormone loving!(don’t worry, I’m not going to mention hormone detox again lol)

Don’t forget to let me know how you get on and make sure you tag me @hormones_in_harmony in any photos you post so I can send you some love!

Giulietta x