I must be late to the game, but I have recently realized how amazing slow cookers are. You just need to quickly prep in the morning, throw it into the crock pot, and by the time it's lunch or dinner-- you got yourself a meal! This time, I made chicken cacciatore with potatoes and oh my gosh the chicken turned out perfectly. It practically melted in your mouth.
Ingredients for your follicular phase: chicken, olives, and carrots. During the follicular phase, your metabolism naturally slows down, so you want to eat foods that are lighter and aid liver detoxification to ensure estrogen buildup doesn't occur in the gut.
Chicken is a follicular phase food because it is high in choline, which is an important mineral for fertility. It is also high in vitamin Bs and minerals such as zinc - which is needed for follicle development- and magnesium - which is important for metabolizing estrogen. Since magnesium is at its lowest during the follicular phase, it's important to maintain healthy levels of it at this time. Lastly, chicken is high in protein (even more so than beef!) which helps regulate blood sugar levels. But also, your body is most easily going to build muscle during this part of the cycle, so load up on protein to ensure you're providing your body with what it needs!
Olives are a great source of probiotics, which are important to maintaining a healthy estrobolome (gut microbiome). A healthy microbiome allows our bodies to effectively eliminate estrogen! But they are also very high in vitamin E which helps flush out estrogen and is an antioxidant that calms inflammation. Just make sure to cook it because otherwise it contains contain goitrogens (which suppress thyroid function) and can contribute to PCOS. Vitamin E also contributes to healthy progesterone levels.
Carrots have been shown to have hormone-balancing effects because they're high in magnesium, but also high in fiber which is key for our gut health - which in turn aids healthy hormone production.
Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore with Potatoes
Serves: 4 Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 4 hours
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
6 small potatoes, cubed
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 medium white onion
1 red bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 jar of Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1.5 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup pitted black olives
Process
1. Dice white onion, mince garlic, cube potatoes, chop bell peppers, and slice the carrots.
2. Add potatoes at the bottom of the slow cooker. Add chicken breasts and veggies on top of the potatoes. Then add in the seasonings and marinara sauce. Hold off on the sliced mushrooms and olives.
3. Put the slow cooker on high, and set for 4 hours.
4. After 3.5 hours, add in mushrooms and olives. Let it cook for 30 more minutes.
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