5 Super Quick Summer Salads to Balance Your Energy Hormones

Welcome to summer!  A delicious time of year for fresh produce, when you body actually craves salads and fresh vegetables.  Or is that just me???

I've pulled together 5 of my favorite super simple salads that are all chock-full of nutrients your body needs for high energy, great sleep, and a focused mind in your perimenopause years. 

Beet & Broccoli Salad

(3 servings)

What you need:

• 3 cups broccoli (including the stalk)
• 2 small beets, peeled
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, medium, juiced
• sea salt & black pepper, to taste

How you make it:

1. Cut the florets off of the broccoli and use a vegetable peeler to peel the stalks into ribbons. Add both the florets and ribboned stalks to the bowl.
2. Peel the beets into ribbons and add them to the bowl.

1. Add the oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Divide evenly between bowls and enjoy!

Sesame Salmon & Edamame Salad

(2 servings)

What you need:

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp tamari
• 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil (divided)
• 8 ops salmon fillet (skin on)
• 2 cups mixed greens
• 1/2 cucumber (medium, sliced)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen edamame (thawed)
• 1/4 cup radishes (sliced)
• 2 stalks green onion (sliced)
• 2 tsp sesame seeds (for garnish)

How you make it:

1. Add the rice vinegar, tamari, and 2/3 of the sesame oil to a jar or small bowl. Whisk or shake to combine.
2. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the remaining oil. Place the salmon in the pan skin-side down, cooking for about three to five minutes or until the skin is crispy. Flip the salmon and cook for one minute or until cooked to your desired doneness. Remove and set aside to cool.
3. Place the greens on a serving dish. Top with the salmon, then place the cucumber, edamame, and radishes around it.
4. Add the dressing, green onions, and sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy!

Artichoke & Chickpea Salad 

(3 servings)

What you need:

• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas (cooked)
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts (from the can, drained, chopped)
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup red onion (sliced)
• 1/4 cup parsley (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• sea salt & black pepper (to taste)

   

How you make it:

1. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix to combine. Divide evenly between bowls or onto plates and enjoy!

Spicy Black Bean & Lentil Salad

(1 serving)

What you need:

• 1 cup black beans, cooked
• 1 cup lentils, cooked
• 1 red bell pepper (medium, diced)
• 1 jalapeno pepper (diced)
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
• 1/2 lime (medium, juiced)
• 1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• sea salt & black pepper (to taste)

How you make it:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the black beans, lentils, red bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, spinach, and cilantro.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, oil, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until well combined. Enjoy!

Cabbage & Bell Pepper Noodle Salad

(2 servings)

What you need:

• 2 tbsp tahini (runny)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, small, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper (sliced)
• 8 oz Shirataki noodles
• 1 cup Savoy cabbage (shredded)
• 2 thai chilis (optional, chopped)

How you make it:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, lime juice, and sea salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, toss the bell pepper, noodles, cabbage, and chili peppers, reserving some chilli peppers for garnish.
3. Pour the tahini dressing all over the noodle salad and toss to coat well. Garnish with the remaining chili peppers. Enjoy!

Hormone-Balancing Foods to Eat

Wondering why these particular salads are great for your hormones? Well, here's why!

Broccoli, edamame and cabbage directly support estrogen detoxification and optimize your estrogen-to-progesterone ratio.

Chickpeas, black beans and lentils are abundant in all the B vitamins your body needs to support a health stress response and fuel your mitochondria (where 90% of your energy is made).

Artichokes, cucumbers, lemon juice, mixed greens, spinach, garlic and onions are superfoods for your liver, improving total body detoxification of excess hormones and boosting elimination via the colon.

Parsley and cilantro are even more potent liver detoxification support foods!

Tahini helps with progesterone production.

Salmon, extra virgin olive oil and salt are adrenal support foods.

And peppers amplify your antioxidant load to reduce hormone-interfering oxidative stress.

Looking for support & clarity in beating long-term fatigue?

My Root Cause Deep Dive Assessment is a fully personalized holistic evaluation of your exhaustion, hormones, and health status to give you clarity and confidence in exactly what YOU need to reclaim high energy and healthy hormones for life. Click here to book your appointment today!