Dry January and Hormone Health: Plus Our Herbal Tropical Mocktail Recipe
Updated: Jan 27
Dry January is celebrated in the month of - yep January. It's all about encouraging positive behavior change and inspiring those to become aware of alcohol consumption and its effect on the body.
Here are some things you should know about alcohol and its effect on girls and women's health:
Alcohol increases estrogen levels. Yep, red wine included. Estrogen dominant conditions include Breast Cancer, PCOS, Fibroids and Endometriosis. If you want the phytonutrient - plant nutrient - resveratrol benefits from the red wine without the alcohol, consider red grapes, and black berries.
Women who regularly drink alcohol tend to have menstrual and reproductive disorders, such as irregular periods, cessation of menses, absence of ovulation (anovulation) and infertility.
Alcohol intake affects growth and bone health during puberty.
Alcohol abuse has been linked to early menopause.
Besides altering estrogen levels in women, strong evidence shows that alcohol consumption is a “known human carcinogen”, increasing risk several cancers (breast, head & neck, colorectal…) per NIH National Cancer Institute - the National Toxicology Program of the US Department of Health & Human Services.
To make it a month full of fun around sobriety, we have prepared our 360Girls&Women® Herbal Tropical Mocktail for you to try!
- see below for the recipe and nutrition tips. This drinks supports not only your hormone and reproductive heath but also your overall health. Recipe taken from our E.A.T B.etter series™ program ebook.
Ingredients:
2 Chamomile tea bags
1 cup fresh pineapples diced
1 tbsp diced raw ginger
2 cups water
8 mint leaves
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup seltzer water
1 tbsp shelled pistachios
1/8 tsp cardamom spice
Directions
Bring the water to a boil in a kettle or pot and add the tea bags. Let it boil until golden brown then remove from the stove and let it cool.
To a blender add the pineapple and ginger with the cool tea. Bend until smooth then drain with a strainer. Place the liquid herbal mixture in a separate container.
On a flat surface like a cutting board, evenly place the honey, cardamom spice and crushed pistachios.
Take the rim of the wine glass and place it on the honey evenly, then the cardamom spice and finally the crushed pistachios to given the glass ring a decorative look.
Add add ice to your wine glass followed by 2 small pieces of sliced pineapple and ginger, followed by the 2 mint leaves.
Add the herbal tropical drink mixture to the glass.
Then add 2 more mint leaves into the glass along with 1/4 cup seltzer water (use the other 1/4 for another serving) and enjoy!
Makes 2 servings
Here is why we chose these ingredients for our 360Girls&Women® Herbal Tropical Mocktail:
Chamomile is a herb know to calm the nervous system and gastrointestinal track thus enhancing sleep. A good night's sleep is needed to detoxify the brain and rejuvenate it. In addition, sleep is one the main ingredients in hormone health.
Pineapples promote gut health by enhancing digestion of protein, reducing constipation, bloating and much more!
Ginger soothes an upset stomach and prevents nausea but also helps to support our immune system through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits
Mint leaves not only aid in good digestion but help reduce symptoms related to the common cold.
Cardamom is a wonderful spice that not only helps balance blood sugars but also supports hormone health in a variety of ways.
In a nutshell our 360Girls&Women® Herbal Tropical Mocktail supports gut health, which is absolutely connected to hormone health.
Sue-Ellen Anderson Haynes, MS, RDN, CDCES, LDN, CPT
Nationally recognized nutrition and food expert and leading global expert in Gestational Diabetes.
"What makes us different?" 360 represents completion. At 360 G+W we provide personalized insights to help girls and women dramatically improve their wellbeing. Our mission is to provide evidence-based information and services to help maximize a woman's complete health through the complete life-cycle - preventing, managing, and reversing certain reproductive and chronic illnesses- using nutrition as the foundation along with other innovative holistic practices. Read more.
References
Alcohol’s Effects on Female Reproductive Function https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6676690/#:~:text=Alcoholic%20women%20are%20known%20to,early%20menopause%20(Mello%20et%20al.
Alcohol and Cancer https://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/brp/hbrb/alcohol-and-cancer
Brain may flush out toxins during sleep https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/brain-may-flush-out-toxins-during-sleep#:~:text=A%20good%20night's%20rest%20may,sleep%20in%20health%20and%20disease.
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