3 Hormone-Balancing Smoothies to Try

We all know smoothies are quick, easy, and packed with nutrients. But did you know they can help promote a healthy hormone balance, too?

Hormones are the part of health and weight loss we often forget about. But leptin (the hormone responsible for fullness), cortisol (the stress hormone that can promote fat storage), and thyroid hormones (which can cause weight gain) all play a role in weight and overall wellness.

Below, we’ll share three hormone-balancing smoothies to help even out these hormones.

They’re full of fiber, which flushes out metabolized hormones to minimize hormonal imbalances. And there’s protein to help you build and maintain muscle. Plus, these hormone-balancing recipes have healthy fats in the form of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are needed for hormone creation.

Here’s why they’re great and how to make them.

Leptin is a hormone made by fat cells. It has a few jobs, but one is regulating appetite and metabolism.

When fat stores in the body go down, leptin goes down, too. Your brain interprets this as entering starvation mode. Satiety (the feeling of fullness) decreases — so you feel hungrier — and metabolism drops to conserve energy. Then what? You might eat more, burn fewer calories, and experience weight gain.

When there are enough fat stores in your body, leptin increases, signaling to your brain to increase satiety and metabolism. So, you eat less and burn more calories, avoiding overeating and weight gain.

At least, that’s the idea. As with everything, things can go wrong.

If you’re leptin-resistant, your body might not respond properly to leptin. This is linked to obesity. You could have reduced satiety (hello, uncontrollable hunger), overeat, and have a higher body weight, even though there’s enough stored body fat.

Research shows fiber may improve leptin levels, and protein might help, too. This green smoothie is packed with both. It also has flaxseeds, a great source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Ingredients

Servings: 2

Here’s what you’ll need for this hormone-balancing smoothie recipe:

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• 1 small avocado (approximately 3 ounces), pitted, peeled

• ½ cup baby spinach

• ½ ripe banana, frozen

• ½ tsp. cinnamon

• ½ Tbsp. freshly ground flaxseed

• 3 scoops of protein powder (equivalent to 30 grams of protein)

• ½ cup ice cubes

Instructions

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Total time: 5 minutes

Here’s how to make it:

1. Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth, approximately one minute.

2. You may need to stop the blender, give everything a stir, and restart it to ensure the mixture has a smooth, lump-free consistency.

Nutrition Information

Here are the nutrition facts for one serving:

Calories: 244

Total fat: 14 grams

Saturated fat: 2 grams

Trans fat: 0 grams

Sodium: 180 milligrams

Total carbohydrates: 15 grams

Dietary fiber: 8 grams

Total sugars: 4 grams

Added sugars: 0 grams

Protein: 19 grams

Cortisol is known as the stress hormone, but it’s actually involved in many bodily functions. It’s made by the adrenal glands and helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle, immune system, blood sugar levels, and stress response. All good things.

But chronically high cortisol levels can lead to a spike in appetite, especially for comfort foods. And cortisol can increase fat storage, especially around the belly.

Check out our guide to cortisol and weight gain to learn more.

A nutritious diet rich in fiber, protein, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals can help you avoid the cortisol spikes that can come from processed or high-sugar foods.

Here’s a healthy cortisol smoothie recipe with fruits, chia seeds, and protein to do just that.

Ingredients

Servings: 1

You’ll need:

• ½ cup frozen organic strawberries

• 1 orange, peeled

• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds

• 3 scoops of vanilla protein powder (equivalent to 30 grams of protein)

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• ⅛ tsp. pink Himalayan sea salt

Instructions

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Total time: 5 minutes

Here’s how to make it:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Depending on your blender, you might need to pause to stir everything, then start it again to get your smoothie smooth.

Nutrition Information

Here are the nutrition facts for one serving:

Calories: 305

Total fat: 8 grams

Saturated fat: 0 grams

Trans fat: 0 grams

Sodium: 292 milligrams

Total carbohydrates: 26 grams

Dietary fiber: 10 grams

Total sugars: 12 grams

Added sugars: 0 grams

Protein: 35 grams

Thyroid hormones are made by the thyroid gland. No surprises there. They affect metabolism, fat breakdown, energy levels, and even fertility.

Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, is when your thyroid gland isn’t making enough thyroid hormones for your body. It can lead to fatigue, thinning hair, depression, and weight gain.

Diets rich in vegetables, nuts, seeds, seafood, and other lean proteins can protect against hypothyroidism. These foods are high in antioxidants and nutrients like iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, iodine, and selenium, which can improve thyroid function.

This healthy thyroid smoothie is packed with nutrients and anti-inflammatory ingredients to support thyroid hormones.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need for one serving:

• 1 cup unsweetened lite coconut milk

• 1 date (pitted), chopped

• ½ cup frozen bananas, sliced

• 2 scoops protein powder (equivalent to 20 grams of protein)

• ½ tsp ground turmeric

• Dash of black pepper

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• 1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger root

• ½ cup ice cubes

Instructions

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Total time: 5 minutes

1. Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth, about one minute.

2. As with all smoothies, you may need to give things a stir halfway through, then start blending again to get a smooth consistency.

Nutrition Information

Here are the nutrition facts for one serving:

Calories: 321

Total fat: 14 grams

Saturated fat: 12 grams

Trans fat: 0 grams

Sodium: 77 milligrams

Total carbohydrates: 27 grams

Dietary fiber: 4 grams

Total sugars: 14 grams

Added sugars: 0 grams

Protein: 20 grams

These hormone-balance smoothies make for a nutrient-dense meal or snack. They’re an easy way to get in plenty of foods that support hormonal health while tampering cravings for not-so-healthy foods. They might also help with hormone-related conditions, like PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and weight gain during menopause.

Don’t be afraid to mix up the ingredients every now and again. Add in other fruits and veggies, like blueberries or kale (which some consider superfoods), and other protein sources, like Greek yogurt. Good healthy fats to add include avocado, hemp seeds, peanut butter, almond butter, or other nut butters.

Protein powder can be vegan (such as pea protein isolate or hemp) or made with dairy (whey) or bovine (collagen).

Finally, as tasty as they are, smoothies aren’t the only way to balance your hormones. Our guide to resetting female hormones for weight loss goes into more steps you can take beyond your breakfast smoothie.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.