How to use seed cycling to prevent hormonal imbalance
Prevent irregular periods, PCOS and PMS naturally through your diet
Text: Livvie B
Hormones get a lot of flak; whether we’re crying at an advert on TV, or wolfing down a family size bar of chocolate, we can be quick to place the blame on these mystical chemicals if we aren’t quite feeling or behaving like our usual selves. However, like many body-related woes, we are capable of controlling our hormones by focusing on our diet— enter, seed cycling. A well-established naturopathic practice, seed cycling involves eating specific seeds during the two main phases of your menstrual cycle to prevent hormone imbalance and prevent hormonal symptoms.
Whilst scientific research on seed cycling is still sparse, the movement is gaining popularity as women increasingly seek natural alternatives to traditional medicines and treatments. Seed cycling involves rotating flax and pumpkin seeds with sunflower and sesame seeds over two weekly periods of your cycle. Hormone-related symptoms, including PMS, PCOS, irregular periods and hot flushes, are all thought to be manageable through seed cycling, with other reported benefits including reduction of acne and easing of mood swings.
Sounds pretty sweet to us!
Understanding the menstrual cycle
The first step in seed cycling is to understand the two main phases of your menstrual cycle; the follicular phase and the luteal phase. An entire menstrual cycle typically lasts from 24-38 days, although this varies from person to person, and may also change throughout the years.
The follicular phase is the time between the first day of the period and ovulation, or the first half of the cycle. When hormone levels are balanced, this is when estrogen levels rise as the body prepares to release an egg. During the luteal phase, after egg release, progesterone levels rise, whilst estrogen levels slowly decline.
Hormonal imbalance occurs when there is too much, or too little, of either hormone, and even the slightest imbalance can impact a range of bodily functions, including metabolism, appetite, sleep cycles, and general stress levels. Hormonal imbalance can occur at any point during a woman’s life, however, as you approach menopause, hormone levels start to fluctuate more erratically.
How to start seed cycling
In a typical seed cycling protocol, you eat two tablespoons of ground seeds every day.
o Phase One: During phase one, which is the first two weeks of your cycle, you eat a tablespoon of flax and a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds
o Phase Two: During phase two, which is the second two weeks of your cycle, you switch to sunflower and sesame seeds
If you’re still menstruating, phase one begins on the first day of your period, and phase two on day 14.
What if my period is irregular?
If you don’t have a 28-day cycle, seed cycling is still possible; simply adjust the length of time you consume each seed combination based on your cycle length.
If you have irregular periods, you can follow the phases of the moon as a guideline instead; whilst this may seem a little ‘woo woo’ for some, and there is speculation within scientific communities about possible connections between the moon and the female body, the fact that one full revolution of the Moon around the Earth takes 27 days, 7 hours, and 43 minutes, makes this a sensical calendar sync. In this case, day 1 of your cycle would begin with the new moon:
o Days 1-14 (new moon to full moon), eat pumpkin seeds and flax seeds
o Days 15-28 (full moon to new moon), eat sunflower seeds and sesame seeds
How can seed cycling regulate hormones?
Seed cycling will either enhance or inhibit the production of estrogen and progesterone in the body (depending on what is needed). This enables the body to balance and optimise hormones, thereby relieving symptoms of hormonal imbalance.
Flax and pumpkin seeds are rich in phytoestrogens (a gentle, naturally-occurring form of estrogen), whilst sunflower and sesame seeds boast high levels of zinc and vitamin E respectively, which both promotes progesterone production.
Incorporating seeds into your diet
Seeds are super versatile, and can be easily incorporated into your diet in a number of ways, including being blended into smoothies, or simply sprinkled over salads or a stir-fry. Check out our recipes for seed inspiration in our nourish section.
