The Happy Hormone Guide

by Shannon Leparski

  Hydrating Dark Berry Smoothie

  Grounding Sweet Beet Smoothie

  Black Bean Tofu Scramble

  Sunday Morning Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

  Deconstructed Mermaid Sushi Nori Bowls (or wraps)

  Mood-Lifting Miso Bowl

  BBQ Black Bean Burgers

  Spicy Portobello Pepita Tacos

  Fudge Flourless Feel-Better-Brownies

  Breakfast

  HYDRATING DARK BERRY SMOOTHIE

  (makes 1 serving)

  2 handfuls of kale leaves

  ½ cup frozen blueberries or blackberries

  ½ cup frozen zucchini (chopped and steamed before freezing)

  1 scoop vegan plain or vanilla plant protein

  1 tablespoon chia seeds (can sub flax seeds)

  1½ cups coconut water

  Handful of ice (optional)

  Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.

  Grounding Sweet Beet Smoothie

  GROUNDING SWEET BEET SMOOTHIE

  (makes 1 serving)

  Handful of kale leaves

  ½ of a fresh beet, peeled and cubed

  ½ of a frozen banana

  1 scoop vegan plain or vanilla plant protein powder

  1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

  1 tablespoon almond butter

  1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk + ½ cup water

  Handful of ice (optional)

  Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.

  BLACK BEAN TOFU SCRAMBLE

  (makes 2 servings)

  2 tablespoons avocado oil (can sub grapeseed or coconut oil)

  1 shallot, finely diced

  1 head of broccoli florets

  1 cup chopped white button mushrooms (about 6)

  1 clove minced garlic

  1 14-ounce package organic extra-firm tofu

  2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

  1 teaspoon turmeric

  2 teaspoons low-sodium tamari (or soy sauce/liquid aminos)

  ½ teaspoon sea salt (can sub kala namak or truffle salt)

  ½ teaspoon black pepper

  ½ teaspoon paprika

  1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

  2 cups chopped kale leaves

  ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

  ½ fresh lemon, squeezed

  Optional toppings: dulse flakes, avocado, salsa

  In a large pan, heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, sauté the shallot for about four minutes, or until translucent. Stir in the broccoli, mushrooms, and garlic, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Feel free to add in more veggies than the recipe calls for. I usually load up on veggies and use whatever I have on hand. Turn heat down to medium and cover to steam the vegetables for about 4-5 minutes or until tender, but not overcooked. The broccoli should still be vibrant in color.

  Meanwhile, crumble the tofu into a large bowl then mix in the spices, nutritional yeast, turmeric, tamari, sea salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix until well-combined, and the spices are evenly dispersed on the crumbled tofu. Stir the crumbled tofu into the pan with the veggies. Cook 5-10 minutes, then add in the black beans to warm for about two minutes. You will notice the golden color getting deeper. Add the kale, cilantro, and lemon, and remove from heat. Serve on gluten-free toast with avocado and/or salsa on the side, with rice or quinoa, or plain. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

  Note: no need to drain or remove excess water from tofu in this recipe as it creates more of a scramble-like texture.

  Sunday Morning Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

  SUNDAY MORNING GLUTEN-FREE BANANA PANCAKES

  (makes 6-7 pancakes)

  ¾ cup gluten-free oat flour

  ½ cup buckwheat flour (it’s gluten-free, can sub oat flour)

  1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

  2 teaspoons baking powder

  2 teaspoons cinnamon

  Pinch of sea salt

  1¼ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any plant milk)

  1 ripe banana, mashed (can sub for ½ cup unsweetened applesauce)

  2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

  2 tablespoon maple syrup (I use Choc Zero maple syrup)

  ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract (alcohol-free)

  1 tablespoon coconut oil (for frying)

  In a large bowl, whisk the oat flour, buckwheat flour, ground flaxseed, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt until well-combined. In a separate bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients—the almond milk, mashed banana, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients together until smooth, then pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir until well-combined (add a couple tablespoons of water if too dry). Set mixture aside for 5 minutes to thicken.

  Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan on the stove over medium heat. Once hot, pour ¼ cup of the pancake mixture onto the pan and cook until you see little bubbles popping, then gently flip to the other side and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Continue with the rest of the mixture.

  LUNCH

  Deconstructed Mermaid Sushi Nori Bowl (or Wrap)

  DECONSTRUCTED MERMAID SUSHI NORI BOWL (OR WRAP)

  (makes 2 servings)

  1 14-oz package organic extra-firm tofu

  2-4 tablespoons low-sodium tamari (to marinate tofu) or liquid aminos

  2 tablespoons rice vinegar, divided

  ½ cup uncooked short-grain brown rice (or 1 cup cooked)

  ½ cucumber, chopped

  4 cups kale, chopped (can sub spinach)

  1 tablespoon maple syrup

  1 avocado, cubed

  1–2 large nori seaweed sheets (or dulse flakes)

  OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

  pickled ginger, green onion, sesame seeds, wasabi, dulse flakes

  Begin by draining the package of tofu to remove excess water, then cut tofu lengthwise into four slices. Lay the slices flat over a couple of paper towels (or a clean kitchen towel) on top of a baking sheet. Lay a couple more paper towels over the tofu. Place another baking sheet (or heavy, flat-bottomed object) on top, plus a heavy book on top of that (because you don’t want the book to get wet). Set aside for 20-30 minutes (note: you can also use a tofu press if you have one). After the tofu has been pressed, cube the tofu, transfer to a bowl and drizzle with tamari and 1 tablespoon of the rice vinegar. Set aside.

  Prepare the brown rice by combining ½ cup brown rice with 1 cup water in a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil and cover, then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed. After cooking, season the rice in the pot with a few splashes of liquid aminos and a roughly crumbled sheet of nori (or a handful of dulse flakes). Set aside.

  You can cube the tofu and eat as-is or fry it in a pan with coconut oil. To fry, heat 2 teaspoons of coconut oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the cubed tofu and fry for five minutes on each side until lightly browned and crispy.

  Before assembling the deconstructed sushi bowls, I like to soften the kale by adding the remaining 1 tablespoon rice vinegar with the maple syrup into a bowl and massaging it into the kale leaves. Then separate the kale into two bowls, and add the tofu, brown rice, and cucumber to each. Finish with avocado, extra crumbled nori, and a squeeze of lemon or lime.

  Note: You can also roll all ingredients into a wrap with a large nori sheet. If you prefer to steam the kale instead of eating it raw, that is fine, too.

  Mood-Lifting Miso Soup

  MOOD-LIFTING MISO SOUP

  (makes 2 servings)

  4 cups water

  1 sheet nori, roughly crumbled or shredded

  3 tablespoons white miso paste (fermented soybean paste)

  1 cup chopped
kale leaves, green Swiss chard or bok choy

  1/2 cup chopped green onion

  ½ cup chopped mushrooms (any variety)

  1 cup extra firm tofu (cubed) (½ block from a 14-ounce container)

  Add water to a medium-sized pot and bring to a low simmer. Add the crumbled sheet of nori and simmer for 5 minutes. In the meantime, place miso into a small bowl, add 2-3 tablespoons of hot water (from the pot), and whisk until smooth to eliminate clumps. Set aside. Add kale (or whichever green you chose), green onion, mushrooms, and tofu to the pot and cook for five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in miso mixture. Taste and add more miso, a splash of tamari, or a pinch of sea salt, if desired. Serve.

  Note: no need to drain or remove excess water from the tofu, as it is in soup and will absorb liquid anyway.

  BBQ BLACK BEAN BURGERS

  (makes 4 burgers)

  1 cup cooked brown rice

  2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided

  ½ medium white onion, finely chopped

  1 cup raw walnuts

  ⅓ almond flour (or gluten-free bread crumbs)

  3 tablespoons gluten-free oat flour

  2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

  1 tablespoon chili powder

  1 tablespoon paprika

  1 tablespoon cumin

  ½ teaspoon sea salt

  ½ teaspoon black pepper

  1 tablespoon coconut sugar

  1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

  ¼ cup of homemade Vegan BBQ Sauce (recipe on next page)

  If brown rice is uncooked, prepare it by combining ½ cup brown rice with 1 cup water in a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil and cover, then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.

  Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, stir in the onion. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and sauté for 3–4 minutes, or until onion is soft and translucent. Turn off heat and set aside.

  Next, make the BBQ sauce by adding all of the BBQ sauce ingredients to a small bowl and whisking to combine until smooth. Set aside.

  In a food processor, add walnuts and blend until it reaches a meal-like consistency. Then add in the almond flour, oat flour, ground flaxseed, chili powder, paprika, cumin, sea salt, pepper, and coconut sugar, and blend until well combined. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Add black beans to the food processor and pulse to mash them, leaving a few semi-whole beans for texture. Transfer beans to the large mixing bowl with the walnut mixture; add in the cooked brown rice, sautéed onion and ¼ cup of the BBQ sauce. Mix with a wooden spoon (or your hands) until a dough starts to form. If too dry, add 1–2 tablespoons water, and if too wet, add 1–2 tablespoons almond flour. Mold into 4 burgers.

  Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in the same pan used earlier (for the onions) on medium heat. Once hot, add the burgers and cook for 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned. Gently flip over and cook another 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat if they are browning too quickly. Serve burgers on a gluten-free bun or in a collard wrap with extra BBQ sauce, and sweet potato fries or steamed veggies as a side.

  Vegan BBQ Sauce

  VEGAN BBQ SAUCE

  (makes extra for topping)

  1 cup organic ketchup

  1 tablespoon molasses

  2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

  2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

  2 tablespoons low sodium tamari

  1 tablespoon Sriracha, or other hot sauce

  Spicy Portobello Pepita Tacos

  SPICY PORTOBELLO PEPITA TACOS

  (makes 4 servings)

  3 cups raw broccoli florets (about 1 large head, or 2 small)

  2 cups white button mushrooms, washed and stems removed (from one 8-ounce container)

  1½ tablespoons coconut oil

  ½ white onion, finely diced

  ½ jalapeño, finely diced

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  1 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

  2 teaspoons cumin

  2 teaspoons chili powder

  1 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

  ½ teaspoon sea salt

  ½ teaspoon black pepper

  1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (can substitute kidney beans)

  ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

  Fresh juice of ½ lime (optional)

  Corn tortillas (can substitute whatever tortillas you prefer, or use lettuce cups)

  Optional toppings: avocado, tomato, cilantro, salsa, corn

  Use a food processor to blend the broccoli florets until they are crumbled, with no major chunks remaining. Add to a bowl. Do the same for the mushrooms and add to the same bowl. Set aside.

  Heat the coconut oil in a pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Once hot, sauté the onion and jalapeño, about four minutes, then turn down heat to medium and stir in garlic, being careful not to burn. Then add the broccoli and mushrooms, and turn heat down to medium-low, occasionally stirring to soften and lightly sauté the veggies.

  In the food processor, add the pepitas, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper, and blend/pulse into a fine, meal-like consistency. Transfer mixture into the pan on the stove, along with the black beans. Turn the heat up to medium, cook for about 5-7 minutes, then turn off heat. Stir in cilantro and fresh lime.

  Serve in corn tortillas with any toppings you desire or serve plain in a bowl alongside greens, with toppings.

  SWEET

  Sweet Fudgy Flourless Feel-Better Brownies

  SWEET FUDGY FLOURLESS FEEL-BETTER BROWNIES

  (makes 8 brownies)

  2 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed

  2 tablespoons runny almond butter (can sub any nut or seed butter)

  2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce (can sub for almond butter)

  ⅓ cup raw cacao powder

  1 scoop vegan protein powder (chocolate or vanilla)

  2 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips, plus more for topping

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the mashed bananas, almond butter, and applesauce in a large bowl. Stir in the cacao powder and protein powder and mix until completely smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.

  Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or grease it with coconut oil and transfer the batter into the pan. It will be very thick—use a spatula to spread it out evenly. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The brownies will seem underdone when you take them out, but they will firm up after cooling. Once cool, slice into eight squares.

  SPRING IN YOUR BODY, AS IN NATURE, BRINGS a sense of growth, renewal, creation, and new beginnings. Your follicular phase is a fresh start, full of fresh air and light. This exciting phase helps prepare your body for ovulation. Since your period just ended, you’re feeling optimistic, creative, and energized. You feel inclined to plan out your life and work for the next few weeks, leading up to your next period. During the follicular phase, your mood and brain function are optimized, which makes the planning process a breeze.

  YOUR HORMONES

  In the follicular phase, your body is preparing to release an egg during ovulation. Each ovary is filled with hundreds of thousands of follicles, and this phase is their final stage of development. A follicle is a sac of cells that contains an immature egg at the center. During the first seven days of your cycle, the pituitary gland is signaled to send FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) to each ovary, which stimulates a number of follicles to grow (8-15 will grow in each ovary, on average). These maturing follicles release estradiol into the bloodstream to build up the endometrium (uterine lining) where the fertilized egg will implant, should fertilization occur. Estradiol is the best. Known as the “happy hormone,” this female sex hormone increases the neurotransmitter serotonin, which boosts feelings of well-being and dopamine, boosting motivation.
This leaves you feeling energized, confident, happy, and more outgoing.

  After your period ends around day seven of your cycle, one follicle (or more rarely, two follicles) has won the great race and becomes the dominant follicle, while the other growing follicles start to degenerate. The dominant follicle continues to swell while nourishing the egg inside, in preparation to rupture and be released from the ovary for ovulation.

  MOOD & ENERGY

  To keep stress at bay throughout your cycle, it’s imperative to take advantage of this time when planning feels effortless, fun, and productive. Your creative juices are flowing freely, and you feel ready to make decisions and take initiative. It’s a great time to collaborate on new projects and be assertive with your ideas and goals. Try new things, problem solve, take bold risks, set new intentions, and brainstorm big plans. Tune into your vision for the future and gain clarity on the action steps you need to take to reach your goals.

  Since you tend to learn things quicker in this phase, it’s a great time to gain some new skills at work or take a class. Better yet, apply for that dream job you can’t stop thinking about (be sure to schedule the interview near the Ovulation phase). Your actions don’t all need to be work-related either—try a new art class, join a book club, take a cooking class—whatever sounds appealing to you. This is the time in your cycle when you tend to be future-focused and positive about what’s ahead.

  EXERCISE

  This is the time to get active. Physically, the follicular phase is when you feel lightest, and the least weighed down. Keeping with the feelings of spring, renewal, and new beginnings, this is the best time to try a new workout, join a new gym, or mix things up with a group class you’ve been too nervous to try. Because your confidence is rising, you feel more open and less fearful, so take advantage of putting yourself out there in new fitness situations.