Liver-Loving, Cravings-Crushing Inner Autumn Magical Smoothie
I’m currently in the middle of a very tricky Inner Autumn - maybe it’s this powerful Full Flower Blood Super Moon, or maybe it’s because we’re on the cusp of Mercury Retrograde, whatever it is, my moods have been WILD and my cravings have been at an all time high.
I really didn’t want to end up bingeing on foods that don’t serve my body so I focused my slightly wild energy into putting together a smoothie recipe to crush those cravings and help me feel more balanced.
And. I’m pleased to announce that after a few days of trial and error I found a combination that works perfectly!
I really hope it can help you in your time of need too!
Looking quite smug after managing to finally crush those cravings :)
As always I tried to put together a really easy to make smoothie with simple ingredients you can get from most supermarkets. What I love about it is that it has a deliciously decadent rich flavour whilst being REALLY nourishing and hormone-loving.
Plus…it contains some very surprising ingredients….can you take a guess at what they are?
Can you take a guess at the mystery ingredients?
Ok, ok, I won’t keep you guessing any longer…here we go:
First up, frozen cauliflower (yes you read that right!)
Did you guess right?
I LOVE using frozen cauliflower in smoothies! I love its creamy chilled texture PLUS cauliflower is an incredible liver-loving food. It really helps the liver flush out used up oestrogen, and in our Inner Autumn we want to make sure the final bits of oestrogen that are hanging around from ovulation are getting removed and cauliflower is perfect for this!
I know it might seem like a bit of an odd ingredient to add to a smoothie but trust me, you won’t even be able to taste it!
Next up….another vegetable: courgette (I love sneaking in as many different types of veg as possible into my smoothies)!
Did you guess this surprise ingredient?.
Courgette is a great vegetable to add to smoothies - it has a very neutral taste, blends easily AND is a great source of folic acid which is needed for hormone balance AND blood sugar balance.
I add courgette to nearly every single smoothie just because it can pretty much be blended up with anything and won’t interfere with the flavours.
Next up: a classic Inner Autumn favourite: cacao powder.
I ALWAYS make sure I have plenty of cacao at home during my Inner Autumn.
Cacao always makes me feel good during my Inner Autumn…the magnesium relaxes me and because it can stimulate dopamine production it’s amazing at cheering me up. It's also fabulous for soothing those crazy chocolate cravings.
I HIGHLY recommend you make sure you have a good old stash in before Inner Autumn hits!!
Next: almond milk, why? For extra creaminess, I don’t know about you but I hate anything that tastes watery at this time - I prefer to leave that for my Inner Summer thank you very much!
Creaminess always hits the spot at this time.
And remember to go for unsweetened almond milk if you can…the recipe already contains a banana (and an optional date) so no need for extra sweetness!
Talking of dates and bananas, here they are:
Looks like the flowers are smiling!
I really like bananas during my Inner Autumn, I usually find them too sweet during other parts of my cycle but I really enjoy them here. I also love the fact that they’re high in potassium which can help to reduce the water retention that’s sometimes happens at this time.
Frozen bananas work well too :)
And…if you still feel you need a bit of extra sweetness (and let’s face it, there are some days in our Inner Autumn when we just NEED that sweet hit!)…then a date is the perfect optional addition:
Always hits the spot.
Again, I would normally find dates too sweet the rest of my cycle but there are some days when I just NEED that extra hit! Plus dates contain fibre and some minerals so they’re a better option than just straight sugar.
Speaking of fibre, our final ingredient is chia seeds:
Fibre-tastic chia seeds :)
Chis seeds are both a fabulous source of fibre (great for pooping that excess oestrogen!) and also a great source of omega 3 which is amazing for hormone health.
The fibre will keep our blood sugar stable at this time which is very important as blood sugar tends to be a bit wonky in our Inner Autumn (hence the cravings!)
Right, I’ve warbled on enough!
Here’s the full recipe:
LIVER-LOVING, CRAVINGS-CRUSHING INNER AUTUMN MAGICAL SMOOTHIE
INGREDIENTS
3-4 florets frozen cauliflower
1/2 courgette, chopped
1 tbsp cacao powder
250-300ml almond milk (add more or mix with extra water depending on the consistency you like)
1 banana, chopped (frozen also works well here)
1 date (optional, for those really bad days)
1 tbsp chia seeds
METHOD:
Bend all the ingredients together until smooth and until you get the consistency that’s perfect for you.
Pour into a glass and sip mindfully and enjoy the velvety consistency and luxurious flavours!
Deliciously decadent
Honestly this smoothie has got me through some very difficult moments this past week!
And it has definitely stopped me from buying a tonne of sweet crap that I would otherwise have devoured.
I really really hope it helps you through your tough Inner Autumn times too :)
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 celebrate you for crushing your cravings!
Giulietta x