Hormone boosting seeded banana loaf

Hormone Boosting Bread with Shatavari

If you like tasty and health treats that boost your hormones and support your stress response, then take a look at my delicious Hormone Boosting Banana Loaf with Shatavari, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Nutmeg. Full of the best herbs for women to support healthy oestrogen levels, liver function and digestion along with a touch of sweet natural figs and dates. Let’s go!

There’s something magical about the baking process. Watching your creations transform in the oven, expanding with their golden tops and crispy skins. Baking days are good days. I wanted to make something age appropriate today so I set out to revamp the humble banana loaf to turn it into the sort of hormone loving, digestion stimulating seed-fest that every woman in her 40s loves. It’s all about giving you lots of fibre, protein and hormonal support as well as a tasty treat to indulge in. 

What better way to spend lockdown right?! Let me tell you about the herbs…

Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus)

REJUVENATOR | RASAYANA | FEMALE TONIC

Sanksrit: (शतावरी)

The Ayurvedic medicinal plant known as ‘Shatavari’ is one of the highly prized tonic herbs – “queen of the herbs” in fact as it’s called in India. Listen up sisters, this is some deep, plant nourishment here! This Himalayan native nourishes the body and bodily fluids, supporting all aspects of health from mental, nervous, hormonal and more. The literal translation of the Sanksrit name ‘Śatāvarī’ is ‘possessing 100 roots’, which is also thought to relate to possessing 100 husbands. Naturally, it’s a fantastic herb for boosting libido and getting the juices flowing. This is the perfect herb for my hormone boosting loaf because it’s cooling, sweet qualities blend perfectly with banana and figs without the taste becoming too overpowering. 

Bear in mind though, (like all my recipes) this is medicinal food. It’s got that taste. If you’re serving it up to guests who aren’t as herb-mad as we are, consider doubling the honey, or whipping up some coconut cream to accompany it, or serve with a decadent, sweet yoghurt.

hormone boosting loaf

I think the picture speaks for itself. Delicious, seeded, Shatavari goodness for every women in each bite!

Shatavari’s naturally moist and sweet taste suits an afternoon milk latte as well as baked treats. Each bite or sip gives you a touch of aphrodisiac, ovulation inducing and fertility enhancing activity. These actions also bring more vitality and essence to the female reproductive tract after the fertile years so you really can’t lose here. So it’s included here for its taste and qualities along with a handful of medicinal qualities:

  • Shatavari nourishes and builds vitality and health
  • Used as a fertility herb to nourish the uterus and eggs
  • This is as specific as it gets for women’s herbs and its incredibly supportive in menopause
  • Softening, soothing and demulcent on the mucous membranes, this is the sort of herbal tonic you can use to calm down inflammation, internal heat and conditions
  • the mucilage in Shatavari can calm down gastric indigestion, ulcers, spasm and inflammatory bowel disease
  • It calms down a flighty or agitated state of mind and is considered an ‘anti-stress’ herb
  • It promotes our senses of love and devotion

Hungry yet?

Research shows promising actions of Shatavari are yet to be fully utilized. Like the way it protects the liver and kidneys from damage induced by pharmaceutical drugs like Panadol. Or how it inhibits acetylcholine esterase in the brain (the enzyme that’s overactive in Alzheimers and Dementia). Or it’s ability to reduce your glucose and cholesterol levels. Or its anti-bacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. Ahhh so much potential. I love this herb.

Considering those actions, this isn’t a herb to use with ovarian cysts or conditions that thrive on oestrogen like endometriosis and fibroids. If that’s the case for you, just omit the Shatavari and make this amazing loaf anyway! All the natural fibre and goodness in the spices will assist in pretty much any female hormonal condition.

So let’s get to this recipe then. Hope you love it! X Sulin

Hormone Boosting Seeded Banana Loaf

This super simple recipe combines seeds rich in fibre, protein and fatty acids with potassium-rich bananas to create just the right amount of indulgence and makes the perfect, healthy and delicious treat for women over 40. It contains Shatavari and Cinnamon to support healthy oestrogen levels which begin declining in women after the mid thirties.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Sulin Sze

Ingredients

  • 5 ripe bananas (medium sized)
  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup pepitas
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds and poppy seeds combined
  • 1/4 cup dried figs (chopped)
  • 1/4 cup dates (chopped)
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tbsp Shatavari powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup sunflower oil
  • 1/2 cup oat milk
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/2 cup honey

Instructions

  • Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl (flour, baking soda, baking powder, seeds, herbs and spices). Set aside.
  • Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl and stir in the oil, milk, tahini and honey to loosely combine.
  • Pour the banana mixture into the dry mixture to combine. Then pour this into a lined loaf tin, top with seeds and another sliced banana. Cover with foil and pop in the oven at 180 degrees C fan forced
  • After 20 minutes baking, remove the foil and leave to continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is crisp and the centre is cooked. Enjoy warm with some sweet yoghurt.
hormone boosting loaf

Dry ingredients ready to mix

Wet ingredients being blended

hormone boosting loaf

Bring dry and wet together and blend. This is so easy…..

hormone boosting loaf

Dressed and ready to bake

READY!

hormone boosting loaf

This loaf looks like a work of organic seeded art when you pull it out of the oven. The seeds are cripsy, the banana is hot and sweet and the texture has a lightness about it (probably all that fibre!). Enjoy it warm, with some sweetened natural yoghurt and a cup of your favourite herbal tea. 

enjoy

Hey there! Welcome to my world of totally natural and powerful healing medicines. Medicines from nature. Medicine from Source. I’m a naturopath and herbalist with extensive clinical experience working with a range of health conditions including hormonal, metabolic, mental health, sleep and more.

I’ve brought together years of clinical and teaching experience, academic skill and curiosity to bring you this blog. I hope you enjoy it! If you do, leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!

sulin signature sundance 4

References

  • Shameem, I., & Majeedi, S. F. (2020). A review on potential properties and therapeutic application of Asparagus racemosus wild. World J Pharm Res9(7), 2532-40.
  • Amjad, M., Hussain, S., Javaid, K., Khan, A., Ali, B., Noreen, M., … & Ullah, H. Plant Representation, Phytochemistry and Medicinal Assets of Asparagus Racemosus.

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