The role of a mother is a complex one. If many of us knew what we know now, perhaps we might do things differently. I often think about what I know now about hormonal health and what I perhaps could have been doing differently when my daughter was going through puberty.
As a young, competitive swimmer, I was filling her up with the sports-nutrition foods of the day, many of which were processed, quick absorbing foods, or high protein foods that I realise now, better suited the male swimmers in her squad and not her hormones.
With the demands of training twice a day, getting enough food that better suited her hormones and that could be eaten quickly within the school day would have been better for her.
What I should have been doing was putting hummus in her school lunch-box. Made with 30mls of extra virgin olive oil, the mono-unsaturated fats would have given her the energy she needed, and myself as well.
I was reminded of those days when she was going through puberty and I was going through menopause, when she sent me this photo of the hummus meal she was eating and the olive oil factory she was visiting over in Sardinia.
Currently on her ‘O.E’ (overseas experience) that so many young New Zealanders go on, after following my work on women’s health and hormones over the years, she is now well versed on the benefits to her hormonal health, from foods such as hummus and extra virgin olive oil.
Many women tell me that finding foods that suit all of the family’s different needs can be challenging for them.
But when it comes to a recipe that suits the needs of the whole family, you can’t go past this Sardinian Hummus (courtesy of Georgia when she was in Sardinia and visiting an olive oil factory as you can see in the image below).
It has tryptophan-containing chickpeas for your moods, olive oil for your heart, metabolic and hormonal health (especially if you have teenage kids) as well as Vitamin C from citrus and iron, calcium and selenium from the tahini. Nutrients that help your health as you age.
The MyMT™ KITCHEN: A Sardinian Hummus recipe to satisfy all the family.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled, cut in half
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oilA
- 3 tablespoons sesame tahini
- Plain low-fat yogurt as needed
METHOD
Step 1. Put the garlic in the food processor and whiz up. Turn off the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the chickpeas and salt to taste and whiz to a purée.
Step 2: Add the lemon juice and olive oil with the food processor running. Add the tahini and process until the hummus is smooth. It should not be too thick or dry. If it is, thin out as desired with yogurt or water, or with the broth from the chickpeas if you cooked them.
Season to taste with salt.
