Low FODMAP, Prebiotic & Blood sugar balancing Hazelnut crunch DUBAI Style chocolate bar
Whilst I love giving you guys creative new recipes and variation, I never want to push you out of your budget trying to keep up with them. My partner and I make quite small incomes with our businesses, so every purchase we make (food shopping included) is considered, and based on the toll that chronic conditions take on our lives and livelihoods, I suspect for some of you, budgeting is also something you have to be conscious of too.
When I make recipes for you, I try to base them around either foods I have in the house or foods I already buy regularly, and I use them as part of my daily breakfast, or snack or weekend treats, to keep it within our food shopping costs. So, naturally, I want to be clever when using these ingredients and I don’t want to waste them, and so I’ll often think of new recipes that I can make with the left over ingredients from the previous recipe I have just made.
That can mean that recipes are similar for a few weeks on end, but then I (sometimes) try to publish them in a different order to avoid boring you guys or feeling like I’ve somehow ‘cheated’ you because the recipes are too similar.
However, it occurred to me, that if you spent £7-£10 on hazelnut butter for last week’s recipe, you would probably rather have another recipe to make the most of it with. So, instead of waiting to publish this recipe in a few weeks time for fear of boring people, I would rather publish it now, so you can A) eat this incredible hormone supportive chocolate bar sooner rather than later and B) put that bag of hazelnuts, roasted chickpeas and hazelnut butter to good use.
This recipe is inspired, of course, by the infamous Dubai chocolate bar but with a hazelnut twist. At first, I thought I was going for the flavours and textures of a Ferrero Rocher, but the more I think about it, I guess it’s more like a Kinder Bueno? Or perhaps a hybrid of the two. Hazelnut butter enrobed in dark chocolate, with crunchy chickpeas for that wafer-like bite, and a hefty sprinkle of roasted hazelnuts. If you want it to lean more towards the Ferrero Rocher style, I suggest you add chocolate to the hazelnut butter to make more of a chocolate ganache taste and texture, plus you can pulse the chickpeas and hazelnuts to mimic the smaller pieces they use in a Ferrero Rocher. If you want to try that, I have given alternative instructions in the recipe below!
Now, of course, you may now know all about the benefits of chickpeas, hazelnuts and chocolate from last week’s recipe, but a little refresh couldn’t hurt…
This low FODMAP, prebiotic and blood sugar balancing Dubai style hazelnut crunch chocolate bar is…
Blood sugar balancing to stabilise hormones, reduce PMS and lower oxidative stress.
For many of us, chocolate is the ultimate sweet treat (especially when deep in our luteal phase!), but unless you’re going for a high percentage which is lower in sugar, chocolate tends to be a big blood sugar spiker, 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 the most delicious chocolate bar, I have focused on the presence of fibre and protein from the nut butter, chickpeas and hazelnuts. In fact, just 1/4 of this bar offers over 7g protein and 7g of fibre. Protein and fibre have both been shown to help stabilise blood sugar levels and slow down the uptake of glucose/starch from our food to our blood stream, preventing blood sugar spikes.
And the magic goes further with nuts and beans.
One study added 30g of hazelnuts to 120g white bread, in three varying forms, for example, one white bread had sliced hazelnuts, whereas another contained 30g hazelnut flour. They compared the glucose effects of plain white bread to these three hazelnut breads, and found that the hazelnut breads led to a smaller overall rise in blood glucose after eating, meaning blood sugar didn’t rise as much or stay elevated for as long.
To further slow down any rise in blood sugar from the chocolate, I’ve added another super star ingredient - chickpeas. Research has shown that when compared to other carbohydrates, like white bread, chickpeas not only cause a lesser spike, but a smaller crash as well. When compared to white bread, which created a large spike followed by a more severe crash, chickpeas created a gentler, more even rise in blood sugar that was followed by a gentle return to baseline blood sugar levels pre-meal. What’s even more interesting is that when eaten first, chickpeas reduce blood sugar spikes in the following meal!
Constant blood sugar swings or elevated levels can take their toll on hormones, leading to issues like high 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 chocolate bar 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 chocolate bar, 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.
Rich in prebiotics and polyphenols to help heal the endo belly and reduce systemic inflammation.
The latest data shows that 96% of UK adults are getting less than the recommended 30g fibre a day. That’s not great for our guts, which rely on fibre to thrive, and people with endo need extra gut support already (as you’ll come to learn shortly) so a lack of fibre isn’t going to help the situation (though you may find you need to tailor your fibre sources if you have IBS or SIBO). Thanks to the addition of chickpeas and hazelnuts, this chocolate bar offers 7g of your recommended 30g, with just a 1/4 of the bar.
Additionally, 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 3 of your 30 already, and with herbs, spices, olive oil, fruits, veggies, beans/legumes, teas and coffee and whole grains all counting, you can easily top up your levels further. 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.
And thanks to our specific ingredients of dark chocolate, hazelnuts and chickpeas, 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 (prebiotic) for our gut microbiome, which means they can support our good gut bugs to thrive.
But 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. Chickpeas may be especially beneficial for improving butyrate levels.
Supercharged with powerful antioxidants to help lower oxidative stress and inflammation.
Dark chocolate, chickpeas and hazelnuts 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.
Some studies have shown a reduction in oxidative stress and an increase in antioxidant levels with hazelnut consumption, though findings are mixed.
Rich with hormone and endo beneficial nutrients, including magnesium, zinc, folate, B6, vit E and iron.
Chickpeas, chocolate and hazelnuts contain so many key nutrients for hormone health.
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.
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 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. Cacao, dates and beans are all good sources of non-heme iron, making this dessert a great addition to your daily iron intake. 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!)
Is this recipe low FODMAP?
If you keep to the 1/4 serving size, then yes, this recipe is low FODMAP!
Is this recipe suitable for SIBO?
Everyone’s triggers vary with SIBO, but this recipe is low FODMAP so can help reduce bloating and flares, though some people do find chickpeas challenging - hopefully this smaller amount makes them more tolerable.
What chocolate bar mould should I use?
You ideally want something deep and chunky, that allows you to fill the centre of the chocolate bar. I used a Dubai chocolate bar mould like this.
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.
Low FODMAP, Prebiotic & Blood sugar balancing Hazelnut crunch DUBAI Style chocolate bar
Ingredients:
100g 85% or higher dark chocolate
50g pure hazelnut butter (no added sugar, etc)
30g roasted hazelnuts
30g roasted chickpeas (left over from last week’s recipe, or use 1 tin of cooked chickpeas and follow instructions below to roast)
Optional (if wanting a chocolate centre that’s more like a Ferrero Rocher): 1-2 tsps cacao powder
Optional (if wanting more of a Kinder Bueno flavour): 1 tsp vanilla powder or the seeds from half a vanilla pod or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
serves: 4
prep time: 20 minutes
bake time: 45 minutes
chill time: 2 hours
Method:
To Roast the chickpeas
Preheat the oven to 175C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Drain the chickpeas but do not rinse, as the aquafaba left on the chickpeas helps them to crisp up and stay light and crunchy, without becoming too hard (p.s. I learnt this from Minimalist Baker and base these roasted chickpeas on her recipe).
Scatter on the baking tray and place on the oven shelf for 45 minutes. Give them a stir halfway through to help even the crisping.
When crisp and crunchy, remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray.
To make the chocolate bar
Break up the chocolate and melt gently over a double boiler.
Once silky and smooth, remove from the heat, and pour 1/3 into the base of a Dubai style chocolate bar mould, ensuring the base is well covered in chocolate. Refrigerate for 15 mins. Leave the remaining chocolate over the sauce pan but off the heat, to keep it liquid.
Meanwhile, make the centre by combining the hazelnuts, chickpeas and hazelnut butter together. However, if wanting a more chocolatey and Ferrero Rocher style flavour, you can also add in 1-2 tsps of cacao. You can also pulse the hazelnuts and chickpeas briefly in a spice grinder or food processor, if you’d prefer smaller pieces, before mixing in with the nut butter.
Once the base of the chocolate bar is fairly set (no longer a liquid, but doesn’t have to be completely solid), spoon in the hazelnut mix and if possible, try to leave a slight border around the edge to allow for chocolate to seal it all in, but don’t worry if you can’t quite manage it.
Take the remainder of the chocolate and pour evenly over the top of the hazelnut mix to encase the centre.
Refrigerate for two hours until solid, and if preferred (I always prefer!), stick in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before eating, it just elevates that chunky bite.
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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!