LCH SHEPHERD’S PIE

6-8 servings 

1.5hours

Ingredients:

• 500 grams Extra Lean Minced Chicken, Lamb or Beef
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Yellow Onion (chopped)
• 3 Carrot (diced)
• 3 Garlic (cloves, minced)
• 1 cup Mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 tsp Dried Thyme
• 2 tbsps Almond Flour
• 1/2 cup Organic Vegetable Broth
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt (divided)
• 1/2 tspvBlack Pepper (divided)
• 1 cup Frozen Peas
• 4 Sweet Potato (peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks)
• 1 head Cauliflower (cut into florets)
• 2/3 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 2 tbsps Coconut Oil

1. Cook your minced meat in a fry pan over medium heat. Stir every minute until cooked through. Drain liquid and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
2. Place the skillet back over medium heat and add olive oil. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until carrot starts to soften. Add the garlic, mushrooms and thyme and cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Transfer your cooked meat back into the skillet. Add the flour and stir until well mixed. Add the vegetable broth and stir in half the salt and half the black pepper. Bring to a simmer stirring frequently. Once simmering, add the peas and stir well to evenly mix. Now transfer the mixture into a casserole dish and spread evenly across the bottom. Set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
5. Steam your sweet potato chunks and cauliflower florets together in a large steaming basket. Once they are tender (about 10 to 15 minutes), transfer to your food processor. Add the almond milk, coconut oil and remaining sea salt and black pepper. Process until smooth and creamy.
6. Transfer the potato mix to the casserole dish and spread it evenly so it covers the meat and vegetable mix. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes (or longer if you like the edges crispy).
7. Remove from oven. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Cut into slices and lift onto plates with a spatula. Enjoy!

PMS is so common and many women just accept that it’s a normal part of their monthly cycle.

Up to 80% of women experience some level of PMS.

The symptoms can vary from women to women. From irritability, anxiety, depression and rage to mood swings, bloating, fluid retention, breast tenderness, back pain and food cravings. It is though that there are up to 150 symptoms that fall under the classification of PMS and the symptoms may start up to 2 weeks before bleeding.

It is my pleasure to let you know that in a healthy female with optimal hormonal health there will be little to no PMS symptoms at all.

There is a natural approach that can help you eliminate PMS symptoms and claim back your quality of life in that part of every month.

What is playing an underlying part of PMS?

–       Hormonal imbalance – estrogen dominance either alone or relative to progesterone.

This imbalance in hormones is most commonly reduced or even resolved by addressing these contributing factors.

–       High stress that goes unmanaged has an effect on hormonal health and this certainly includes PMS.

–       Diets rich in sugar, refined foods, non-organic dairy and meat will promote hormonal imbalance.

–       Diets low in veggies, good quality fat, protein and fibre will disrupt hormones.

–       Constipation and sluggish digestion will inhibit your elimination of estrogen from the body and tip the balance of hormones.

–       Environmental pollutants and hormone disrupting chemicals in the environment will drive estrogen up further and disrupt the balance of hormones.

–       Excess alcohol will place a burden on the liver which is responsible for processing estrogen. This can lead to further estrogen dominance.

A great first step is to addressed these contributing factors for 2-3 cycles (months) and you should start to see improvement or resolve in your PMS symptoms.  Hooray!!

There are certainly times where the hormonal imbalance requires herbal medicine or nutritional supplements to help bring the hormones further back into balance and support estrogen metabolism.

Supplements I commonly consider, depending on the client’s presentation and history:

–       Magnesium – its involved in hundreds of processes in the body including the metabolism of estrogen. This mineral can do all sorts of wonders for hormones.

–       Vitex – The herb I most commonly call on for hormonal balance.

–       Herbs for HPA axis regulation – supports healthy endocrine system, happy stress hormones = happy sex hormones.

–       Fibre – helps to efficiently metabolise and excrete excess hormones. Get’s you pooing daily!!

–       Essential fatty acids –Good quality omega oils can help form the building blocks for hormones. They also help lower inflammation that may be contributing to PMS symptoms.

–       Calcium d-glucarate – supports the liver and helps remove the harmful type of estrogens.

–       Cruciferous veggies, DIM or Broccoli seed extract – supports estrogen metabolism

–       Anti – inflammatory diet – keeps hormones in check.

When you address the underlying contributing factors mentioned above together with utilising specific remedies you can balance and support healthy hormones and you will be PMS free in no time.

For further guidance with getting on top of your PMS book a Naturopathy session here.