Luteal Love
By Sarah Martin @sarahs.healing.house @spindrift_tinyhomes
This is the second post in my series highlighting another magic maker in my community! Sarah and I met in the kitchen of the ever so lovely Beachcomber Cafe, and we’ve been connected by a nourishing sisterhood ever since. She has taught me so much about delicious and nutritious ways to take care of myself. We fantasize of a day when we share land and homestead together making all of our similar dreams come true. Currently, Sarah and her amazing partner Bijan are living in an epic and gorgeous off-grid tiny home they built just last year. They are in the exciting phase of starting their own tiny home company where they build you your ultimate dream home, that you can take anywhere you please! I will link their information below at the end of the recipe.
We are living in a decadently rich time right now where so much information around health is making its way to our doorsteps. This post, and the book recommendation at the end of this post are a great place to get started in the hormonal health world. I am so honored to walk this path alongside Sarah and happy to share this amazing information and recipe below, about how to support yourself during your moon cycle. That being said, this recipe really does apply to any humans looking for a deeply restorative and nutrient/vitamin dense snack!
Grab a cup of tea and enjoy this amazing creation by the lovely Sarah…
This post is going to be all about balls and menstruation.
What a great intro right?!
But seriously, these two topics have woven together so inspirationally in my repertoire of self care recently that it is kind of becoming my trademark. So here we go, lets talk about balls and menstruation.
Let's first discuss what I mean by balls... I love making sweet treats, especially raw vegan ones, and I have found that making little energy balls are the easiest and most delicious way to take your medicine!
Energy balls consist of a binder (usually dates or some kind of dried fruit) a nut, coconut flakes, and any other kind of herb, seed, powder or flavor your heart desires. It is so simple and so empowering to whip up something special for yourself that is exactly aligned with what your heart, mind and spirit are needing to get you through the day. And these needs are changing all the time, especially as a person who identifies as a bleeding woman, am I right?!
Now let's get to the menstruation part... The past few years have been all about aligning my lifestyle with the cyclical nature of my body, and a huge part of that for me has been aligning my diet with my cycle. I am a big time foodie, and so tirelessly researching and understanding the different nutrients and ingredients that accentuate the changing tides of my cycle has been LIFE CHANGING (emphasis on the LIFE CHANGING part). In the past, I have experienced horrible PMS symptoms. I thought it was just normal and this is the way it will always be for me, even though I saw a lot of women around me not having this experience. Every month, the two weeks leading up to my period I prepared myself and the people around me for all ranges of meltdown attacks to happen at any minute. I also prepared for my breasts to swell two sizes bigger and become so painful to touch, to be in a constant state of constipation, to be depressed, to have no energy, to break out all over my chin and so many more variations of what it means to simply suffer in one's body.
So many women go through this, and sadly, so many more women don't even know the hormonal climate of their bodies and what chemical reactions are happening to make this all happen. THANK THE GODDESS there is a rising movement happening in the realms of women's hormonal health that takes into account the holistic approach, involving first of all knowledge and awareness, then how to make the changes in diet and lifestyle necessary to live our best life in harmony with our hormones. It has been a long road of recovery for me, but I think I finally figured out my perfect balance (and calling in the Law of Balance every day) to where I am living in harmony with my body, instead of battling it constantly. I could talk forever about how this has all happened with me and what changes I have made (or you can read Woman Code by Alisa Vitti for some high vibe guidelines), but what I really want to share with you is how I have created energy ball recipes that are inspired by the different phases of my cycle!
As I mentioned above, the luteal phase (the weeks after ovulation and before your menstruation) is where I have struggled the most in the past, and so I have created a delicious Luteal LOVE energy ball recipe to share with you all. This energy ball is packed with proteins, zinc, iron, magnesium, amino acids, vitamin E and hormone regulating yin herbs that have really saved me during in-escapable long days on the brink of PMS collapse. I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I have, and feel free to change it up in any way that feels good for you. As long as you keep the base with the dates and the nut/seed of some kind, the rest is up to your creative freedom!
Another great thing about Sarah is her resourcefulness. Shopping in the bulk section with your own jars is a great routine to get into. And this lady right here is the one who taught me to embark on this new practice!
INGREDIENTS:
8 juicy medjool dates (without pits)
1 Tbsp coconut oil
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
3 Tbsp black sesame seeds
1 ½ Tbsp almond butter
2 Tbsp chia seeds
3 Tbsp cacao powder
2 tsp moringa powder
2 tsp ashwaghanda powder
1 tsp gotu kola powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 Tbsp coconut flakes inside, ¼ cup coconut flakes outside for rolling
DIRECTIONS
Prepare food processor with the S-blade attachment.
Heat coconut oil on low. Turn off when lightly melted, but not boiling.
Take out pits of the dates and add into food processor.
Combine all other ingredients in food processor. Marvel at the beautifully rich deep colors of which you are about to indulge upon!
Add in melted coconut oil to the food processor on top of the other ingredients.
Blend on high for 5 minutes or until the consistency is smooth and sticky.
Set aside a small bowl of ¼ cup coconut flakes and a couple pinches of cacao powder for rolling the balls in.
With your hands, create 1 inch balls of the mixture and roll it in the coconut flake/cacao. You should be able to make 12-15 balls.
Enjoy the luxurious taste of this rich and empowering snack. They will last in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or on the counter for one week.
Sarah in her and Bijan’s first tiny home that they currently live in. Side note: This will be available for purchase very soon! Head to their instagram and website to learn more.
Thank you to my beloved Sarah for taking the time to write this nourishing recipe and give insight into what you have learned by living in harmony with your hormones and cycle.
You can follow along Sarah’s beautiful journey by heading over to…
@sarahs.healing.house
You can follow along Sarah and Bijan’s tiny home crafting journey by clicking either links below and heading over to…
@spindrift_tinyhomes & www.spindrifthomes.com
One more reccomendation, that Sarah had mentioned above, is the book Woman Code by Alisa Vitti. I, too, can attest to this book changing my life for the better. If you or someone you know has or will have a menstrual cycle, deals with fertility issues, low libido, etc. please pick a copy up! I use the app she has created on my iphone to track my cycle, I have read and constantly come back to the book, and love the articles she sends out via email. Click on either links below to follow along the journey of cycle syncing.