Meet Emma Ellice-Flint, a qualified nutritionist, presenter, chef and also published author of two cookbooks! Emma specialises in women’s health and hormone balance. Learn about Emma, her tips for hormone balance, and her new Emma’s Vitality Series online programme. PLUS there’s a free recipe too!

A few weeks ago I attended a panel event at my nutrition school (Endeavour College of Natural Health, where I’m studying a Bachelor of Health Science). One of the panelists was Sydney-based nutritionist, Emma Ellice-Flint. I loved listening to Emma speak, in particular about her specialty area, women’s hormone balance and health. Her dedication to evidence-based nutritional medicine is really impressive. As you’ll learn in this blog post, Emma is knowledgeable, super accomplished, and she’s got lots to share with you, including a new online programme packed full of delicious recipes.

Hormone Balance with Emma Ellice-Flint

Qualified nutritionist, presenter and chef, Emma is passionate about making a difference to people’s lives through nutrition and natural medicine. She founded her practice Emma’s Nutrition with the aim of giving patients in her clinic the food knowledge they need to create healthy lives for themselves and their families. She often gives food talks and healthy eating demonstrations around Australia focusing on the intertwined themes of female hormone balance and gut health.

Emma has written TWO informative healthy cookbooks – The Happy Hormone Cookbook and the Bone Broth Bible – to support her quest to inspire people to eat nourishing and nutritious foods. This month she’s also launching her online ‘what to eat’ programme – Emma’s Vitality Series – to further enhance accessibility for women to heal themselves through nutritious, nourishing food.

I really wanted to share Emma’s goodness with you and so I’ve got a lovely little interview below PLUS a free recipe from Emma’s programme. This will give you a little taster of what you can expect in her new Vitality Series, where she supports you toward achieving better hormone balance! (The next round kicks off 28th October!)

1. How did you come to write a cookbook? Was it always something you wanted to do?

I laugh when I think about the fact that I have written two cookbooks. It was something I never thought about and can barely believe I have done it. But when I reflect back on my career I realise that I was writing recipes all the way through and had just never been bold enough to think they could be turned into a cookbook.

The Happy Hormone Cookbook came about because I was giving a cooking demonstration about foods for female hormone balance. The local paper wrote an article about it and my publisher saw this article. She then got in touch and proposed I write a cookbook about this very topic.

2. What are some of your favourite foods for hormone balance for women?

My gosh, how long have you got! I have loads!

• Flax seed meal has to be one of my all time favourite female hormone balancing foods. It is a rich source of dietary fibre, beneficial oils, lignans and isoflavones – this means it provides oestrogen modulating effects, anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids (oils), gut soothing soluble dietary fibre, and helps reduce oestrogen reabsorption from the gut. I eat 1 tablespoon of this flax seed meal each day.
• Most days I use sea vegetables in dishes as they contain some of the broadest range of minerals of any food. Interestingly, offering unique support for the brain’s functions. Not often what we think about when considering the health benefits of seaweed in relation to female hormone balance but there are two glands in our brains, hypothalamus and pituitary, that dictate many of our female hormone functions. Seaweeds are also an excellent source of iodine and vitamin C, supporting the thyroid glands which help to stimulate feelings of vitality in our bodies and minds.
• Another favourite of mine for hormone balance are the brassica vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, swedes, turnips, asparagus, radishes and greens such as watercress/bok choy/chinese broccoli/choy sum. This is because they contain potent oestrogen balancing properties and compounds that enhance the liver’s work. I try to eat two portions of these stand-out veggies each day.

3. What are some of the common mistakes/issues you come across in clinic when it comes to women getting on top of their hormones?

For the women I see in my clinic some the most common things they present with are weight gain, low mood and poor sleep. Some women may present with painful periods or strong mood swings before their periods, while others might be missing periods and have strong sweet food cravings – these are all symptoms of hormonal fluctuations. So focusing on food, lifestyle and hormones is the key, whilst working alongside any medical professionals they may be seeing. Often they have tried to sort these things out a number of times before but seem to have missed out vital parts to the healing story and find themselves still affected by their symptoms.

4. Do you have a favourite recipe you can share with us? 

Yes! A recipe from my Emma’s Vitality Series programme – Watercress, Avocado and Snow Peas with a Chunky Basil Pesto.

Watercress, Avocado and Snow Peas with a Chunky Basil Pesto

This recipe taken from my Vitality Series programme for Watercress, Avocado and Snow Peas with a Chunky Basil Pesto, is a typical example of combining brassica and sea vegetables in a delicious easy dish.

Serves 2

Salad:

• 150g snow peas (mange tout)
• 1 large avocado
• 2 big handfuls watercress
• 1 tbs dried whole seaweed (Wakame is best), broken up a bit

Chunky Pesto:

• 2 handfuls basil leaves
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 handful shelled peas (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• Big pinch of salt

1. Pop a pot of water on to boil.
2. Put the seaweed into some water to soak for 10 minutes.
3. Pull the stem top and ‘string’ from the side of each snow pea.
4. Once the water is boiling put the snow peas in to blanch. After 10 seconds strain them out of the boiling water and rinse with cold water to prevent them cooking further. Then thinly slice and put into your salad bowl.
5. To the salad bowl add the watercress and the peeled, de-stoned and chopped avocado. Drain the seaweed and add to the salad bowl.
6. Put the peas into the boiling water. If from frozen pull them out after 30 seconds, or if fresh peas then cook them for 1 minute. Then drain and rinse with cold water to prevent them cooking further.
7. Add all the pesto ingredients into a high-speed blender and pulse until blended into a thick chunky pesto consistency.
8. Massage the pesto through the salad ingredients. If saving the salad to eat later wait to add the pesto just before eating.

I like to eat this on it’s own or sometimes I throw in some cooked peeled prawns or cooked calamari.

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Connect with Emma + join Emma’s Vitality Series

If you’d like to know more about Emma, you can find out more about her over at Emma’s Nutrition – try some recipes, book a consult, buy a healthy cookbook!

You can also sign up to Emma’s Vitality Series; the program kicks off on 28th October. 30 days of delicious, hormone-nurturing guidance from a qualified nutritionist.

Emma on Facebook: @emmasnutrition

Emma on Instagram: @emmas_nutrition

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