Seed Cycling
What Is Seed Cycling?
Have you ever heard of seed cycling? If you answered “no”, congrats! You’re in the right place to learn. Seed cycling is a simple, easy practice to help support in balancing your hormones by supplying them with need-based nutrients at specific phases in your cycle (follicular and luteal). It promotes the healthy stabilization of progesterone and estrogen levels while helping to reduce PMS systems, stimulate menstruation if absent, boost fertility, and other symptoms caused by a hormonal imbalance, in a natural way.
Phases of Your Menstrual Cycle
In order to fully understand how seed cycling works, you need to understand the two main phases of your menstrual cycle. The follicular phase makes up the first 14 days of your cycle where estrogen levels rise. The luteal phase makes up the next 14 days, and that is when progesterone levels rise (and estrogen levels slowly decline).
Menstruation to Ovulation- Follicular (Days 1-14)
1-2 tablespoons raw, ground flax seeds
1-2 tablespoons raw, ground pumpkin seeds
Ovulation to Menstruation- Luteal (Days 15-28)
1-2 tablespoons raw, ground sunflower seeds
1-2 tablespoons raw, ground sesame seeds
What if my menstrual cycle is not 28 days? No worries! A lot of women don’t have a 28-day cycle, but that’s an easy fix because this process is not a “one-size fits all”. Just adjust the time of your seed consumption to your cycle length. Tracking your cycle makes this calculation much easier, so I recommend tracking your cycle and ovulation.
Seed Cycling at the Follicular Phase
During the first phase of your cycle, estrogen is your main hormone which is where the pumpkin and flax seeds come into play. These seeds help improve our levels of estrogen while preventing an excess of the hormone. Flax seeds have weak estrogenic properties, but contain lignans to bind to excess estrogen. Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc and antioxidants. Zinc helps support healthy testosterone levels and the production of progesterone. Antioxidants are good protectors of our eggs, ovaries, and reproductive system.
Seed Cycling at the Luteal Phase
During the second phase of your menstrual cycle, sesame and sunflower seeds are rich in fatty acids and lignans to support progesterone production. Sesame seeds contain lignans to help bind to excess estrogen as well as a rich source of zinc to boost progesterone production. Sunflower seeds contain nutrients like selenium and vitamin E. Selenium is a good aid in estrogen detoxification in the liver, and vitamin E helps with progesterone production.
How Do I Incorporate Seed Cycling in My Diet?
Incorporating seed cycling in your day to day life is very easy! The recommended measurements of specific seeds is 1-2 tablespoons. It is preferred for the seeds to be raw (unsalted, unroasted) to ensure the nutrients remain intact within the seed, and it is preferred for them to be ground up. This can be done in a coffee/spice grinder. Grinding the seeds helps your body digest easier, but it’s okay if you can’t grind them; however, flax seeds are an exception because your body cannot absorb the nutrients in flax seeds if left whole.
If you want to grind up more than a few tablespoons at a time, put them in a glass jar and stick them in the fridge or freezer for easy access.
Ways to incorporate your seed cycling mix:
Sprinkle on salads, soups, toast, acai and other nutritional bowls
Make homemade granola bites
Add to yogurt, smoothies, oatmeal
Make seed cycling brownie bites for a sweeter treat
How Long Until I See Results
Just like any other new habit, it takes some time to see results! You want to give your body at least a full cycle to see improvement. For some women it can take up to three months before noticing the benefits. And I know you’re asking the question, “Well how long do I have to keep this up?”. That is entirely up to you, but it is such a gentle way to support your hormone balance you may want to consider making this a life-long venture. Life-long. I know, that sounds so scary. Take it month by month and see how you feel. It will make the process more manageable and one day it will become second nature.
Happy seed cycling ladies!
