There is not better and cheaper way to balance your hormones than seed cycling. When I first heard about it seemed way too simple, yet it had helped me tremendously and kept me sane!

Seed cycling is becoming more and more popular in the holistic world for helping women to balance their hormones. It seems simple, and it works great! Seed cycling provides a natural nutrition support for improving your cycles to follow it’s natural rhythm. Seed rotation is done with the use of whole foods, not with supplements or drugs. It is simple, natural, and inexpensive and it helps you to recognize that there is a natural way to healthy hormones. Seed cycling is about eating certain seeds at specific times throughout the menstrual cycle. It works great for PMS, irregular periods, cramps, infertility and more.

In a woman’s body, estrogen and progesterone are the two most important hormones that regulate your menstrual cycle. During the first half of the cycle, estrogen levels rise, and progesterone levels rise during the second half of your cycle. When there is an imbalance between progesterone and estrogen, we can experience PMS symptoms, acne, anovulation, irregular cycle, and painful period to name a few.

What is Seed Cycling?

Seed cycling protocol includes cycling different seeds at different phases of your menstrual cycle. It helps rebalance your hormones mostly estrogen and progesterone by adding seeds like pumpkin seeds and flax seeds, sunflower and sesame seeds to your diet at different times in your cycle. Seeds used in the first phase of the menstrual cycle help promote estrogen detoxification, and the seeds used in second stage help increase progesterone production. It is important to keep the balance between those two in order not to develop hormonal imbalances like estrogen dominance.

Flax seeds and sesame seeds contain lignans, which can help the body bind excess estrogen. Omega-3s in seeds help cellular receptor sites to remain in good condition stimulates progesterone production, which keeps hormones in balance. Seeds are a great source of vitamins or minerals like zinc and selenium that help support hormone release and are crucial for liver detoxification and thyroid hormone conversion.

Seed cycling can be helpful with different hormonal imbalances like:

• Adrenal issues
• Acne
• Bleeding that is too light or too heavy
• Endometriosis
• Sub-fertility
• Excess abdominal fat caused by sugar overconsumption
• Excessive sweating
• Fatigue
• Heavy bleeding
• Infertility
• Irregular periods
• Low libido
• Painful periods
• PCOS
• Peri-menopause
• PMS
• Post-menopausal symptoms
• Thyroid disorders

How to rotate the seeds?

You can rotate the seeds from day one of your menses to day 14, and from day 14 to the first day of your period (or new moon to full moon).

Day 1 of your menstrual cycle is the first day of real flow, not spotting.

Women with the regular cycle between 25 to 29 days, rotate your seeds with your cycle.

Women with irregular, shorter than 25 days, or longer than 29 days rotate your seeds with the lunar cycle.

Women who went through menopause rotate with the lunar cycle.

Seed cycling might take up to a couple of months to see the results.

Moon is strongly connected to women menstrual cycle. Our bodies used to be in tune with the waning and waxing of the moon. This way our bodies stayed in balance with our hormonal rhythm, which is 28 days, (which is the same time it takes for one lunar cycle to complete). Nature designed us to be most fertile during the full moon and the least fertile during the new moon. Seed cycling helps us embody this natural rhythm making it an easy and all-natural protocol your body will recognize.

How to prepare seeds for seed cycling?

Remember to soak seeds first to remove phytic acid. Rinse your seeds. Fill glass jar half full of seeds of your choice. Add one teaspoon of sea salt. Add filtered water and let sit at room temperature for between 12 and 24 hours. Drain off the water, rinse and dehydrate seeds in a dehydrator at 110 F. The seeds should stay raw. The seeds are now ready to be used in seed cycling. Store in the refrigerator in a glass jar. Grind your seeds in a coffee grinder (the easiest way) every day before use (this way they won’t go rancid). Don’t buy pre-ground seeds, as the fats are often rancid as well.

Phase One- the Follicular Phase (days 1 through 14 of your cycle)

The follicular phase starts on the first day of your period and lasts until ovulation.

Using the seeds during the follicular phase, we are regulating the absorption and production of estrogen. Estrogen prepares the body for ovulation. If the women body doesn’t produce enough estrogen ovulation might not occur. On the same note, too much estrogen can aggravate PMS symptoms.

It is necessary that we consume balanced omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids during this phase because they help with natural hormone circulation.

• Use 1 TB each of raw freshly ground flax seed and pumpkin seeds.
• Take a high-quality fish oil.

If you suffer from low estrogen, omit the flax seeds or use them sparingly during this phase.

Phase Two- The Luteal Phase (days 14 through 28)

The beginning of this phase is ovulation.

Using seeds during this phase, we will help to raise progesterone levels by consuming omega-6 rich seeds to stimulate its production. Progesterone builds the uterine lining in preparation for pregnancy. If pregnancy does not occur, progesterone naturally decreases; the lining of the uterus is shed, and you will get your period. Balanced progesterone balance is necessary for a healthy pregnancy as well as easy PMS.

• Use 1 TB each of raw freshly ground sesame seeds and sunflower seeds
• Take Evening Primrose oil (can be estrogenic for some women, if so take black currant oil).

Sesame seeds help us increase the bioavailability of sunflower seeds, which a great addition to the seed rotation. Sunflower seeds are rich in fat-soluble vitamins and Omega’s 6 which supports reproductive health. If your zinc levels are low, don’t use sesame seeds as they contain high levels of copper. When copper levels are elevated, zinc levels become low.

The process can take months before you start seeing results. As with most health issues they did not happen overnight- the same applies to imbalanced hormones. Keeping a journal will be a great idea where you can keep track of your daily symptoms. This way you will be more in touch with your body and notice the changes that occur.

I highly recommend getting your hormones tested and talking to qualify practitioners before diving deep into hormones related protocols on your own.

How to add Seeds to Your Diet

• Sprinkle them on salads or blend them into the smoothies
• Make crackers
• Make seed and nut bars
• Sesame seeds are delicious when sprinkled on a healthy dessert
• Make tahini

In Health

Angie

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