Gluten free, hormone supportive and naturally sweetened whole food courgette chocolate muffins
I’ve been watching Desperate House Wives for the past few months (somehow as teen, I never watched it, despite the whole school talking about it!) and Bree’s tradition of bringing people baskets of muffins really got me on a muffin baking spree. And whilst she brought them to people whatever the season, something about baking muffins feels very appropriate for autumn.
I saw a lot of courgette (zucchini) chocolate bread and cakes making the rounds on IG, so I wanted to make my own version that was a bit more endo and endo belly supportive. You know the jam - anti-inflammatory, good for the gut microbiome, rich in nutrients and low in sugar. And I made a muffin version, of course!
These are so good, and so nutrient dense, that they’re an amazing grab and go breakfast to fuel your morning or a perfect snack. Be warned - these are very filling! They’re perfect when you need a lot of fuel, but if they feel too heavy, go for a smaller size. FYI - this recipe was inspired by Healthful Radiance’s Zucchini Loaf, though the end recipe is very different!
This Chocolate Courgette Muffins…
Are made with fibre rich whole food ingredients, are sweetened only with fruit, and contain olive oil and flax, to help stabilise blood sugar.
Most shop bought muffins or even the muffins we make at home, are made with easy to digest starches and sugars like flour, and sugar. Even the healthier versions still use easy to digest sugars such as maple sugar and coconut sugar, and whilst some sugar, in moderation, is necessary for certain recipes and brings us joy and flavour, you know I am always looking for ways to choose more whole food, fibre rich and lower sugar options for us endo folk.
Why?
Because 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.
I have focused on the presence of healthy fats, fibre and protein, which have all been shown to help stabilise blood sugar levels and slow down the uptake of glucose/starch from our food (chocolate, oats and dates, in this case) to our blood stream, preventing blood sugar spikes.
One of the easiest ways for us to support our blood sugar is to opt for whole food carbohydrates, such as whole oats, over refined carbohydrates, such as flour, 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.
Thanks to using whole foods, this has allowed for each muffin to be naturally high in protein, about 20-25g per muffin (depending on if you use Greek yoghurt or a dairy free yoghurt, plus, Greek yoghurt protein content varies from brand to brand). Protein helps increase satiety, which means we feel more satisfied so we’re less likely to reach for more sugary snacks, and it also slows down digestion, helping to stablise the release of glucose.
Another great way to support blood sugar is with lower glycemic index foods, and every ingredient in this recipe 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. 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.
Now, with that being said, the amount of that food you’re eating can have an affect too - and that’s called the glycemic load, which essentially takes into consideration the GI of the food and how many carbohydrates from that food you’re eating in one serving. Unless you’re really struggling with blood sugar or diabetes, you don’t really need to go down this rabbit hole - instead, it’s really just about moderation.
However, research has shown that individual blood sugar responses vary from person to person. This recipe is high carb because of the dates and oats, meaning it does have a high glycemic load, but it’s also high in fibre, healthy fats, and protein to slow down the release of those carb sources, so the impact won’t be the same as a high glycemic load meal that doesn’t have these extra components. But if you know you’re particularly sensitive to blood sugar fluctuations and you’re concerned, just opt for regular muffins sizes (so 4-5 muffins) instead of the jumbo muffins, and that will drop the glycemic load and total carb load down significantly.
To further assist a healthy blood sugar response, I’ve used a generous amount of olive oil. Research has shown that adding olive oil to meals reduces the post-prandial blood sugar levels (meaning it helps prevent blood sugar spikes from foods/meals), even in high glycemic meals (meaning meals/foods high in sugar or starch that can cause rapid blood sugar spikes).
Additionally, the presence of viscous fibre from flax seed is another great functional food blood sugar hack. Flax seeds are evidence-based for slowing down the release of blood sugar, by creating a gel-like consistency in the gut. You can learn more here.
So, why else would we want to support blood sugar?
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, these cookies can help us out with luteal phase 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, such as cookies! 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. These cookies, being low in sugar and rich in fibre, can help us get our fix without the pain 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.
Provides a therapeutic amount of flax seed to support healthy oestrogen metabolism.
Flax seeds are rich in a type of fibre called viscous fibre, which creates a gel-like substance in the gut, and bulks out bowel movements, improving regularity and treating constipation. This is absolutely essential for the last step in clearing out oestrogen - we want to be having at least one bowel movement a day to keep oestrogen at a healthy level. When oestrogen is hanging out in the gut, not going anywhere, it can be reabsorbed, creating higher levels of oestrogen once again.
This is especially true if we have elevated levels of an enzyme called beta glucuronidase, that can be high in people with endo, and recirculates waste oestrogen. The good news? Eating a diet rich in fibre (which flax seed offers in great amounts) helps to lower levels.
Flax seeds have also been shown to improve the metabolism of oestrogen through the liver, by increasing the amount of healthy oestrogen waste products (known as metabolites) and reducing the amount of the more potent, harmful ones, which can cause more oestrogenic activity.
Finally, flax contains lignans, plant compounds that have mild oestrogen-like effects, but are no where near as potent as oestrogen. Structurally, they mimic oestrogen and so can bind to oestrogen receptors. Think of a receptor as the lock, and oestrogen as they key, when we turn the lock, it triggers an oestrogen activity like thickening of the uterine lining. This can actually reduce the impact of high oestrogen levels, but also supports low levels, in menopause, for example.
In fact, one study showed that the participants who consumed 10g fresh, ground flax seeds (uncooked), daily for three cycles had longer luteal phases and a higher progesterone to oestrogen ratio in the luteal phase as well. You’ll be pleased to know that these muffins provide 10g of flax per muffin!
Now, despite what the research shows, everyone is individual, so if you find flax seeds make you feel more oestrogen dominant, please listen to your body, and I advise you listen/or read this and this, for more info on how to use flax for your body and endo.
A great source of whole food plant foods, polyphenols and prebiotics to help build a healthy microbiome.
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 5-6 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.
This recipe is also 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 that can support our good gut bugs to thrive.
Polyphenols can be found in various plant foods, and are in high amounts in cacao, olive oil, flax and dates. In fact, dark chocolate, flax and olive oil are amongst the top 100 highest polyphenol containing foods.
The anti-inflammatory effects of extra virgin olive oil, thanks to its polyphenol content, are far reaching. For example, research has shown that extra virgin olive oil can decrease C-Reactive Protein levels, a marker for inflammation.
Additionally, these muffins are a great source of prebiotic fibre from the whole foods, and provide special soluble fibres like viscous fibre from the flax and beta-glucans from the oats, that are incredibly beneficial for a healthy gut microbiome.
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 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.
Gluten free, which may help endo belly and endometriosis symptoms.
Whilst not everyone with endometriosis needs to go gluten free or entirely gluten free (some people feel better just not eating it that often), reducing gluten may help some of us manage our pain and endo belly symptoms.
In a major and recent survey study of 2388 endometriosis patients, out of those who removed or reduced gluten, 45% experienced a reduction in pain. In another study, 75% of patients had a significant reduction in painful symptoms after eliminating gluten for 12 months. There is also a significant association between endometriosis and coeliac disease. And whilst the research on endometriosis and gluten has limitations, I myself experienced improvements by reducing gluten in my diet (in fact, it was one of the key players for helping me live a normal life again no longer ruled by pain and my periods), as have many of my clients (though not all, it’s very individual).
If you’d like to learn more about why gluten may impact some of us with endo and how, my Nutrition Masterclass dives into all the science, and you can also check out my podcast episodes like this one.
Are absolutely packed with beneficial nutrients, including magnesium, zinc, B1, B12, folate, B6, 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.
B1 helps to reduce menstrual pain by regulating nerve signalling and muscle contractions, it’s also an antioxidant that helps to lower inflammation. Research has linked better B1 levels with less menstrual pain, and a systematic review and meta analysis found that B1 effectively contributed to dysmenorrhea pain management.
Research on the use of B12 for pain suggests that B12 can reduce chronic pain (and menstrual pain) through various methods. Firstly, B12 can inhibit the production of the inflammatory prostaglandins which are responsible for pain and inflammation, and are found to be especially high in people with endometriosis and dysmenorrhea (which is the medical term for period pain). Additionally, B12 plays a role in supporting nerve health and pain signally pathways, which can influence pain perception. If nerves or pain signalling pathways are comprised, this could increase pain levels. The B12 mainly comes from the dairy in this recipe, but you’ll still reap the benefits of all the other nutrients, like vitamin E and magnesium.
Folate is crucial to ovarian function and ovulation, and low folate levels can cause irritability, mood swings and fatigue, and fertility problems.
B6 is one of the most important B vitamins for balanced hormones as it supports progesterone production and oestrogen metabolism. Additionally, research has shown that B6 treatment can help reduce PMS, especially the mood challenges that can come with the syndrome.
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. 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 due to having SIBO, avoiding red meat, heavy periods or other reasons. 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.
Important notes to help you tailor this recipe to your own body and needs (and tastebuds!)
How much water to use
I have always used 3 tbsps water with this recipe. I have found when just cooled, they are very moist and maybe would be better with one less tbsp of water (though Chris my bf, thinks they’re fine as is), but after a few hours or the next day, they are perfect and the three tablespoons really helps them to stay softer for longer and prevents them from drying out with time.
However, because the moisture level of the courgette can vary so much based on how much liquid you’re able to squeeze out, you might like to start with 2 tbsps, and only add one extra if you think it looks a little too thick - or you bake them and find they are a bit on the dryer side and could do with an extra tbsp, so the next time, just go for three. Of course, you could also just follow the recipe as I make it and go with 3 tbsps, and if you think they’re a bit too moist, next time just drop down to two. I suppose you could also do 2.5 tbsps - I should have thought about that sooner!
Making this dairy free or A1 casein free
Research shows that about half of people with endo may experience improvements in pain and symptoms with the removal of dairy.
If this is you, look for a good quality Greek yoghurt alternative that has live cultures in it and minimal ingredients, as many dairy free alternatives are ultra processed or do not have beneficial bacteria in them.
Good brands in the UK are Nush (Nush do a high protein version) and Coyo. You could also look for lactose free options, which may be better tolerated or you could even use my recipe.
Keep in mind if you opt for a coconut based, the protein levels will be lower. Additionally, the nut based yoghurts may be higher in FODMAPS (see above for considerations).
Finally, you may find that you do better on A2 (sheep, goat, buffalo, Jersey or Guernsey) sources of dairy over A1 (cow), which you can learn about here. If that’s the case, try sheep or goat yoghurt for this recipe, these are normally lower in fat, so it may affect the texture (I haven’t tried it) but you can sometimes get Greek yoghurt versions, like the one by Odysea.
Are these muffins low FODMAP?
Almost! Three jumbo muffins fit within the low FODMAP amounts for all ingredients except for the Greek yoghurt and possibly the dates. A low FODMAP serving of medjool dates is 20g, if you use four dates, you should be within that or just a tad over, moving you into moderate levels.
The yoghurt is tricky. Lactose is high FODMAP, so as a result, Greek yoghurt is only low FODMAP at serves of 23g, so even if you made 5 muffins instead of 3 jumbo ones, you’ll still be getting 30g Greek yogurt, which is a moderate serve and may well be fine. You could use lactose free yogurt (170g is low FODMAP), coconut yoghurt (149g) or even coconut milk (full fat, from the can), which is low FODMAP at 60g per serve, though you won’t of course get the protein benefits. I haven’t tried making the muffins with anything other than Greek yogurt, so you’ll have to experiment!
Blood sugar modifications
As I mentioned above, if you’re prone to blood sugar fluctuations, go for smaller muffins to reduce the overall carbohydrate load. Additionally, stick to four dates instead of six - I always use four anyway, but I know some people prefer muffins to be a little sweeter.
How to make these egg free
I haven’t tried making these egg free so I can’t guarantee how they’ll turn out. But I would swap the eggs for two flax eggs, and then swap the 30g flax already in the recipe for ground almonds or ground sunflower seeds, to give a bit more structure and avoid any gumminess from too much flax.
Further resources
If you’re struggling with your endo nutrition 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.
Gluten Free CHocolate COurgette Muffins
Ingredients:
1 small courgette (about 100-130g)
2 large eggs
150g rolled oats
120g greek yogurt
50g cacao powder (you can go up to 60g if you want them super rich, just remember that can cacao can be drying so make sure you stick with 3 tbsps water)
30g flax seeds, ground (freshly ground, if you can)
20g extra virgin olive oil
4-6 large medjool dates (opt for sticky, soft ones)
2-3 tbsps water (see notes)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
50g dark chocolate (85% or higher), roughly chopped into chocolate chips
makes: 3 jumbo muffins or five regular sized muffins
prep time: 15 mins
bake time: 35 minutes
cool time: 1 hour
Method:
Preheat your oven to 190c (fan assisted). Line your muffin moulds with baking paper.
Pulse your oats in a food processor, blender or spice grinder until you have a flour. Get this as fine as possible, but don’t worry about making it totally smooth and like ‘real’ oat flour - it’s always going to be on the coarser side because we’re using whole oats.
Grate the courgette and then squeeze out as much moisture as possible. You can do this in a tea-towel, cheese cloth or simply lay on top of kitchen roll and then press more kitchen roll on top to mop up the water. This normally takes about three ‘rounds’ of squeezing.
Remove the stones from the dates. Add all there ingredients except for the courgette, raising agents and dark chocolate into a food processor and blend until smooth (it won’t be perfectly smooth because we’re using fibrous, whole food ingredients like dates and oats).
Add the courgette and raising agents and blend - you can blend until entirely smooth, or if you like more of the courgette texture to shine through, blend until you’re happy with how much courgette is left whole/in pieces
Stir through the chocolate chips, but leave a few aside for the top.
Pour into muffin moulds and arrange a few pieces of chocolate on top.
Cook at high temp for 10 minutes, this allows for the dome we want with muffins, then drop to 175c and cook for another 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean (with just minimal moist crumbs and of course, some melted chocolate)
Leave in the moulds for 10 minutes to set (otherwise they may break when you lift them out) and then move to a cooling wrack and leave to cool completely for at least an hour.