The Hormone Reset Diet (38 page)

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth and creamy. Enjoy with celery sticks or sliced cucumbers.

Mung beans are not only easier to cook than other varieties of legumes; they are easier to digest as well. Since they don’t have a tough outer layer, mung beans make for a quick, light, and creamy homemade hummus.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Blend the mung beans, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, harissa or cayenne, and salt for several minutes in a blender or food processor. Slowly add the almond milk until the desired consistency is achieved. Serve with grain-free crackers or crudités.

Adapted with permission from Heidi Swanson’s Mung Bean Hummus. Heidi Swanson, “Mung Bean Hummus Recipe,”
101CookBooks.com,
accessed March 8, 2014, www.101cookbooks.com/archives/mung-bean-hummus-recipe.html.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1. Bring the coconut milk to a boil in a medium saucepan, whisking frequently.

2. Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the xanthan gum, nutritional yeast, and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk the mixture continuously for about a minute until thick.

3. Drain and rinse the macadamia nuts.

4. In a high-powered blender, combine the nuts, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the warm coconut mixture. Blend until creamy and thick.

5. Line a small round cake pan or wooden cheese box with cheesecloth, and spoon the macadamia mixture into a thick, even layer.
Mound the edges toward the center slightly so that the sides of the mixture are not touching the cloth.

6. Pour the remaining coconut mixture over the top, and smooth it into the channel you created around the edge so that a thin, even layer covers the top and sides of the cheese.

7. Cover loosely with cheese paper or the top of the wooden cheese box, and refrigerate overnight.

Geek Out with Dr. Sara:
A study of sweet potatoes in the
Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism
found that the way in which the potato is cooked will affect its glycemic index. Boiling was found to be the optimum cooking method for a lower glycemic index. The glycemic load in these grain-free brownies can be reduced further by substituting additional xylitol for coconut sugar.

Makes 12 servings

For the icing:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot.

3. Peel the sweet potatoes, and cut each into several large pieces. Add them to the boiling water, and cook until tender, approximately 30 minutes.

4. Strain the potatoes, and mash them with a fork in a large bowl.

5. Stir in the eggs, xylitol, coconut sugar, avocado oil, sorghum flour, baking powder, and cacao powder.

6. Pour batter into a greased 8 × 8-inch baking dish, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate bars in a microwave or double boiler. Stir the xylitol into the melted chocolate.

8. When the brownies are done, remove them from the oven, and pour the melted chocolate over the top to form a thin, even layer.

9. Allow the brownies to cool before serving.

Geek Out with Dr. Sara:
Chia seeds contain substantial amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Recent studies have shown omega-3s to increase insulin sensitivity, one of the underlying issues with regard to obesity and weight gain. In other words, this delicious dessert may actually help you lose weight!

Makes 4 servings

Place all ingredients in a jar or other glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously for 1 minute. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Enjoy as a dessert or for breakfast.

If you are not an almond butter fan, you can use cashew or macadamia nut butter instead in this dish. Be sure to find organic, unsweetened, cold-pressed almond butter. Most commercial almond butters are made from nuts that have been roasted at very high heat. Cold-pressed almond and other nut butters retain the vitamins and nutrients of the raw nut.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

1. Break the chocolate bars into pieces, and melt them in a microwave or double boiler. Stir in the coconut oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ cup xylitol.

2. Line a shallow baking dish with parchment paper, and pour the chocolate mixture into an even layer on the bottom of the dish. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened.

3. Meanwhile, combine the rest of the xylitol and vanilla, the coconut milk, and the almond butter in a large bowl. Stir well.

4. Spread this mixture evenly over the hardened chocolate.

5. Cover, and freeze again for at least 1 hour. Cut into small squares. Serve cold, directly from the freezer.

For an updated list of resources, visit www.HormoneReset.com.

For the measurements in chapter 2, use the following websites for handy calculators:

• Waist-to-hip ratio: www.healthstatus.com/calculate/waist-to-hip-ratio

• Body mass index (BMI): www.bmi-calculator.net

• Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR): www.health-calc.com/body-composition/waist-to-height-ratio

• Basal metabolic rate (BMR): www.bmi-calculator.net/bmrcalculator or www.bmrcalculator.org

These are my favorite devices for measurement:

• Sleep: Fitbit, UP by Jawbone

• Blood pressure: Omron for wrist or upper arm, Panasonic for upper arm

• Blood sugar: TrueResult Blood Glucose Starter Kit, OneTouch Ultra

• Steps: Fitbit, UP by Jawbone, iPhone

• Body fat: Omron Fat Loss Monitor, Tanita Body Fat Monitor

To learn about ways to talk to your doctor about ordering tests, see page 334–35 in
The Hormone Cure.

Estradiol level,
in blood or saliva, ideally performed on Day 3 or Day 21 if you’re still menstruating regularly, and performed anytime if you’re irregular or menopausal.

Fasting glucose level,
drawn by lab personnel in a laboratory or measured with your own glucose meter and a finger stick.

Fasting leptin level,
drawn by lab personnel in a laboratory.

Morning cortisol level,
in blood or saliva.

Thyroid panel,
including thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (free T3, or FT3), and reverse triiodothyronine (reverse T3, or RT3).

Growth hormone level,
typically measured in the blood as insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).

Free testosterone level,
in blood or saliva.

My first book is called
The Hormone Cure
(www.TheHormoneCure Book.com)

Against All Grain
by Danielle Walker

The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet
by Mark Hyman

The Disease Delusion
by Jeffrey Bland

Good Calories, Bad Calories
by Gary Taubes

The Paleo Approach
by Sarah Ballantyne

Sugar Impact Diet, The Virgin Diet
and
The Virgin Diet Cookbook
by JJ Virgin

WomanCode
by Alisa Vitti

Your Personal Paleo Code
by Chris Kresser