Fully Loaded prebiotic and protein rich edible brownie batter
A few weeks back I made this brownie stuffed chocolate bar, and goddamn, that brownie batter was something else. But, it has a whole chocolate bar melted into the dough, plus extra chocolate chips thrown in - not the most affordable and more of a treat!
So, I wanted to make you guys a brownie batter that was both a bit cheaper to make, but you could also eat for breakfast (why not?!), because it’s so full of whole foods and goodies.
This brownie batter gives you almost one serving of veg, one serving of fruit, 12g protein, 13g fibre, healthy fats, complex carbs and a heap of hormone loving and endo fighting micronutrients. I mean, it’s probably the healthiest brownie batter in the world, but don’t quote me.
This fully loaded brownie batter is…
Supercharged with powerful antioxidants to help lower oxidative stress and inflammation.
Dark chocolate, black beans, nuts and dates are all significant sources of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are types of plant compounds that fight oxidative stress - in the simplest terms, oxidative stress is a chemical reaction in the body that when high, causes inflammation and significant damage. People with endo have been found to have lower levels and lower intake of certain antioxidants, with higher levels of circulating oxidative stress and oxidative stress markers in the peritoneal fluid (fluid in the pelvic area). In fact, oxidative stress is a key player in endometriosis development and progression, but the good news is, research has shown we can actually modulate these inflammatory markers and pathways through nutrition and food. To learn more about oxidative stress, listen to (or read) this episode.
A good source of omega 3 to lower inflammation and improve endo symptoms.
Walnuts contain a high amount of omega 3 fatty acids, specifically ALA, which can help us manage endo.
A large body of research has shown links with endo and low omega 3 intake, and significant improvements in endo pain and period pain with increased intake or supplementing with omega 3. In fact, numerous research is now showing dietary intake of omega 3 as a helpful treatment for endometriosis inflammation and symptoms. Additionally, research has shown that a higher omega 3:omega 6 ratio suppressed endo cell survival, whilst another study showed suppression of growth.
Why are omega 3 fatty acids so beneficial? It’s mainly to do with their effects on immune compounds called prostaglandins. Prostaglandin E2 and F2α are elevated in people with endometriosis and people with dysmenorrhea. It’s these inflammatory prostaglandins that are the key cause of our pain with endometriosis, they also play a major role in the development and progression of endo. And whilst we need a health inflammatory response to heal after surgery, elevated levels of prostaglandin E2 can also make surgery recovery more painful and slow down wound healing time.
The good news is, we can actually lower the amount we make by the we eat (and supplements we take). A type of omega 6 called omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid makes prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin F2α, but omega 3 makes anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. Eating foods like walnuts on a daily basis, can help us balance our omega 3 to 6 ratio and keep inflammation levels at bay.
Blood sugar balancing to stabilise hormones, reduce PMS and lower oxidative stress.
Whilst I love a decadent brownie (or eating the batter before I can even get it in the oven!) the typical ingredients, like sugar and refined flours, are some of the biggest blood sugar spikers, which can pose a problem for us endo peeps.
Blood sugar spiking foods such as high sugar foods and processed foods can potentially contribute to more PMS, menstrual pain and endo pain. Blood sugar spikes increase oxidative stress, which leads to more inflammation in the body and that may trigger further pain and symptoms. In fact, oxidative stress is higher in people with endo, and it’s a key driver of endo growth.
To avoid these issues, yet also deliver a decadent brownie batter worthy of a Friday movie night, I have focused on the presence of healthy fats (from the nut butter and walnuts), fibre (beans, nut butter, walnuts and dates) and protein (beans, nut butter and walnuts), which have all been shown to help stabilise blood sugar levels and slow down the uptake of glucose/starch from our food (dates, and the chocolate, in this case) to our blood stream, preventing blood sugar spikes. In fact, just 1/4 of this batter offers 12g protein and 13g of fibre.
One of the easiest ways for us to support our blood sugar is to opt for whole food carbohydrates, such as dates, instead of sugar or maple syrup, as I have done here. Whole foods still contain their fibre, which helps slow down digestion and the resulting absorption of glucose to the blood stream, creating a steady drip rather than a flood. Not to mention, they offer extra minerals and vitamins, and count as a serving of fruit!
Another great way to support blood sugar is with lower glycemic index foods, and every ingredient in this recipe, even the dark chocolate (because we are opting for a high percentage and low sugar version) is low to moderate on the glycemic index scale. The glycemic index is a tool that looks at foods and the impact they can have on your blood sugar, on a scale of 0-100. A high GI index would be 70 and above, a medium GI is 56-69 and a low GI index is 55 or less. High GI foods are very likely to spike your blood sugar levels and do so quickly, foods with a medium GI rating tend to cause a moderate rise and low GI foods tend to keep blood sugar levels stable and steady over time with a gentle rise. This is because low GI foods break down slowly in the gut because they are rich in fibre and slow release carbohydrates, this means that the release of glucose to the blood stream is slow and gradual.
A quick word about dates: Dates have a low to moderate glycemic index, which means they shouldn’t cause a dramatic or quick rise in blood sugar. However, research has shown that individual blood sugar responses vary from person to person, and if you eat a lot of even a low glycemic index food, it may have a greater impact on your blood sugar levels because you’re eating more in one sitting. You can learn about this here. Therefore, I’ve kept the amounts of dates low and have deliberately ensured there was support from fat, fibre and protein, to further reduce the blood sugar impact.
I’ve also added some special ingredients to slow down any potential blood sugar spike…
Beans contain soluble fibre and resistant starch which have both been shown to help manage blood sugar levels and research has shown that combining black beans with a meal improves the glucose response and prevents blood sugar spikes from high carb foods. This recipe contains naturally occurring sugars from the dates, and some sugar from the dark chocolate (though we’re aiming for a low sugar dark chocolate) and so the black beans in this recipe can help to curb our blood sugar reaction to these sweeter ingredients. Additionally, other research has shown that black beans can help prevent insulin resistance (pre-diabetes) by beneficially changing the gut microbiome.
We then have the addition of nut butter. Nuts have been shown to have a positive effect on blood sugar, showing improvement in blood sugar responses when paired with high glycemic/high sugar foods. Almonds have been shown in the research to be one of the most beneficial nuts, and I recommend almond butter with this recipe, but you can use any nut/seed butter you like as they’re all beneficial. One study showed that almonds significantly reduced the increase in glucose levels following a high glycemic food like white bread (high glycemic means this food tends to spike blood sugar levels, learn more here). Another study found that 28g almonds (which is about what we’re using here give or take) reduced the blood sugar spike in healthy individuals from a high glycemic meal of a bagel, juice and butter.
Constant blood sugar swings can take their toll on hormones, leading to issues like elevated androgens (think testosterone), which can affect ovulation and cycle length. Blood sugar swings may also cause oestrogen excess or dominance and low progesterone if ovulation is interrupted or stopped entirely. Both of these imbalances can cause more PMS, heavier periods, and may also exacerbate endometriosis symptoms.
Additionally, this brownie batter can help us out with luteal phase or period cravings. When we’re in our luteal phase, we often experience more blood sugar swings because oestrogen, which dominates in our follicular phase, helps us to regulate our blood sugar response, but is lower in the luteal phase. As a result, we tend to get cravings for sweet foods or foods high in starch. The problem is, these foods keep us on a blood sugar rollercoaster, and raise inflammation levels, resulting in more of those inflammatory symptoms and pain that we’re trying to avoid. This banana bread, being lower in sugar and rich in fibre, can help us get our fix without the pain and PMS triggering spikes.
Finally, blood sugar swings are linked heavily with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, so if you struggle with low moods in your luteal phase, supporting blood sugar can actually support your mental health.
Now, let’s be clear before we wrap up this section. I am not saying you have to avoid sugar or refined carbs for the rest of your life, but if like me, you enjoy a sweet treat as a snack or after dinner, it can help to make these regular goodies a bit more blood sugar balancing, so that we’re looking after ourselves on a day to day basis.
Rich in prebiotics and polyphenols to help heal the endo belly and reduce systemic inflammation.
A major study of 10,000 people found that eating 30 or more plant foods a week helps to create a healthier and more diverse microbiome. This recipe offers you 5 of your 30! For extra guidance on how to reach your 30 a week, check out this article by The Gut Health Doctor or this one by Zoe.
Thanks to the cacao/chocolate, dates, black beans, walnuts and nut butter, this recipe is super high in polyphenols. Polyphenols are types of antioxidants found in certain plant foods that not only reduce inflammation levels and improve overall health, but they are also an absolute favourite food for our gut microbiome, which means they can support our good gut bugs to thrive.
Additionally, this chocolate pudding is a great source of prebiotic fibre from the beans, nut butter and dates.
Why does this matter for us endo folk?
Research is finding a strong correlation between microbiome disturbances and endometriosis development, such as reduced levels and variety of good gut bugs and higher levels of pathogenic (bad, infectious), opportunistic (in high numbers, can cause problems like inflammation) gut bugs, as well as gut bugs linked to elevated oestrogen levels. These microbiome differences have also been associated with higher IL-8 levels, a type of inflammatory cytokine shown to be involved in the development of endometriosis.
Polyphenols and prebiotic fibre are like gut bug boosters - the more we provide to our good gut bugs, the more they grow and outnumber the bad guys. This helps to bring the gut back into harmony, which can improve gut symptoms and intestinal inflammation and whilst we need to do more research, could even help us fight endo.
These prebiotic fibres help us to increase our production of gut friendly fats, called short chain fatty acids, which are made when good bacteria consume fibre. Research shows that people with endo may be low in short chain fatty acids, especially one called butyrate. Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid produced by our gut microbiome, and has been found to be low in people with endo. Butyrate has a range of benefits for endometriosis and gut health (so therefore, can help us tackle endo belly) such as reducing intestinal inflammation, improving insulin sensitivity, preventing leaky gut, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria and inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria. But here’s what I find most interesting. Butyrate inhibits our inflammatory immune response to lipopolysaccharides (LPS). LPS are toxins that come from certain bacteria, and have been shown to be heavily involved in endo pathogenesis.
Black beans have been shown to increase butyrate, and reduce circulating LPS levels! Another major win for black beans.
Rich with hormone and endo beneficial nutrients, including magnesium, zinc, folate, vit E and iron.
Research has shown magnesium to be an effective treatment in preventing dysmenorrhea (period pain) because it reduces inflammatory prostaglandins that are the drivers of both endo and period pain. One study showed that six months of magnesium treatment reduced prostaglandin F2a by over half! In fact, in recent research, magnesium is being explored as a dietary treatment for endo and a higher intake of magnesium rich foods was associated with a lower risk of endo.
Additionally, magnesium helps to regulate our sex hormones, and as result, is a recognised treatment for preventing PMS.
Low levels of zinc have been linked to endo, and research has shown it can significantly reduce period pain thanks to its anti-inflammatory benefits. It additionally supports follicle development and ovulation, while deficiency has been linked to infertility.
Folate is crucial to ovarian function and ovulation, and low folate levels can cause irritability, mood swings and fatigue, and fertility problems.
A recent meta-analysis of over 589 participants, concluded that vit E supplementation can reduce period pain, pain with sex, daily pelvic pain and even improve quality of life with endometriosis patients. And a systematic review and meta-analysis of eight studies and over 1000 people concluded that vitamin E significantly reduced period pain and could be used as a treatment for dysmennorhea. But it’s not just supplements that help - food helps too! One study found people with endo had a 40% reduced intake of vitamin E, but levels increased after following a high antioxidant diet, and oxidation levels reduced by 20%!
Finally, iron deficiency is extremely common in general, but even more so in people with heavy menstrual bleeding and even more so in endo, with a recent major study of over 43,000 endo patients finding that we have a six-fold increased risk of iron deficiency.
Iron plays a major role in preventing fatigue, and yet many of the clients who I work with, come to me with significantly low levels. Supporting healthy iron absorption and intake is a key part of beating endo fatigue and recovering from heavy blood loss and low levels can cause brain fog, extreme tiredness, heart palpitations, dizziness, muscle weakness and depression to name a few.
Healthy iron levels are also essential for ovarian function, which is key to producing healthy amounts of sex hormones and low levels are associated with menstrual irregularities and fertility problems. Additionally, low iron levels are linked to ADHD development and can worsen ADHD symptoms, and ADHD is a condition which many people with endo struggle with.
Whilst heme iron (found in animal products and spirulina) is the easiest form of iron to absorb, we can also top up our iron levels with non-heme iron rich foods, found in plants. Chocolate/cacao, dates, almonds and beans are all great sources of non-heme iron, making this chocolate bar surprisingly high in iron. Ideally, pair with a vitamin C food like berries, to aid absorption, as non-heme iron can be difficult for our body to absorb, but vit C has been shown to aid this process.
Important notes to help you tailor this recipe to your own body and needs (and tastebuds!)
Everything you’ve said about blood sugar and processed foods, does that mean I can never have my favourite treats again?
Absolutely not. I am all for ‘worth it moments’. Enjoy our fav foods, whatever they are, in moments when we really desire them. But I am a health coach, and my goal is to minimise your symptoms and lower things like oxidative stress and inflammation that could contribute them, so I am going to encourage snacking smarter and leaning on healthier treats on a day to day basis, and that’s what these recipes are for... So you can have your cake - and eat it!
Not sweet enough?
I don’t use a lot of added sugar in my recipes to keep inflammation levels and blood sugar spikes at bay, and I am very used to using lower sugar amounts and natural alternatives like dates, bananas or apple puree, so for me, my tastebuds have adjusted. If something is not sweet enough for you, give it a few bites and some time, and you may surprise yourself as your palate starts to change. However, if you do want some more sweetness to this recipe, I’ve offered a suggested extra date amount in the ingredients.
Is this low FODMAP?
To make this low FODMAP, have a 1/6 or 1/5 of the serving, as 1/4 takes you a bit over low FODMAP sizes for black beans.
Why do you make so many recipes low FODMAP?
The low FODMAP diet is being shown in the research to be one of the most effective dietary interventions we have for symptom relief in endo (esp. for those with IBS issues). That doesn’t mean you have to do it, and if you do, it should be done under supervision of a doctor or low FODMAP trained professional, but some people may be on the diet already, so I like to tailor to as many people as possible. It also means this recipe is less likely to trigger bloating (though that’s not guaranteed, because everyone is different).
Is this recipe suitable for SIBO?
Everyone’s triggers vary with SIBO, but this recipe can be made low FODMAP (see above) at so can help reduce bloating and flares, though some people do find black beans challenging - hopefully this smaller amount makes them more tolerable.
Further resources
If you’re struggling with your endo symptoms or gut health, you might find my courses and one to one coaching helpful. You can find out more here. I’ve also got endless podcast episodes on endometriosis and SIBO.
Fully Loaded prebiotic and protein rich edible brownie batter
Ingredients:
1 can (240g drained weight) cooked black beans
4 heaped tbsps nut/seed butter (about 70-80g, I recommend almond butter, but use any you like)
4-6 medjool dates (I used four, but if you prefer sweeter, go for six or even 8)
35g cacao powder
2 tbsps milk of choice (I used almond)
50g 85% dark chocolate
30g walnuts
serves: 4
prep time: 10 minutes
Method:
Drain and rinse the black beans and remove the stones from the dates.
Add to a food processor the nut butter, dates, cacao powder, beans and milk, and pulse a few times before blending fully. You may need to stop a few times to scrape down the sides and go again.
Roughly chop the walnuts and chocolate, then stir through the batter and serve! You can refrigerate if you want (cover if so!), but why wait? Also, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt is a nice addition!
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Need more help or want to learn how to work with me?
Ways to work with me:
One to one coaching info and application
Live and Thrive with Endo 2.0 DIY online course
Endo Sessions: Single and mini-package one to one endo coaching
SIBO Sessions: Single and mini-package one to one SIBO coaching
Masterclasses in endo nutrition, surgery prep and recovery and pain relief
This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast digital cookbook
Free resources:
This podcast!