Have you heard of seed cycling before? If not, then you have landed in the right place. Seed cycling is a hormone supporting practice that is actually one of the easiest ways to support your hormones gently and effectively. It is the top trending wellness practice as it helps women who are struggling with hormonal imbalances.
Hormones in women are a complex system of chemical messengers working in coordination with each other. They get influenced by slight changes in diet, exercise, sleep hygiene, stress levels, and environmental toxins. In turn, this imbalance can become a cause of other health concerns like irregularity in the menstrual cycle, frequent acne breakouts, PCOS, thyroid disorders, fatigue, etc.
The simple practice of seed cycling can help you get away from these health issues. It helps in bringing back a balance in hormone levels thereby reducing PMS symptoms, boosting fertility, and causing regularity in periods. Seed cycling is one of the easiest ways you can support your hormones in a gentle, yet effective way.
So, Let’s find out what seed cycling actually is and How can you begin with it.
Seed cycling involves eating specific seeds during the two main phases of your menstrual cycle (follicular and luteal) to help promote the healthy balance of estrogen and progesterone levels- the two main female hormones. It can be practiced at any stage of a woman’s life including post-menopause.
To have a better understanding of seed cycling, one needs to understand the two main phases of the menstrual cycle. The first 14 days of a menstrual cycle form the follicular phase, while the following 14 days form the luteal phase. A well-balanced hormone level in any woman is such that estrogen rises during the first half of the cycle whereas progesterone levels rise (and estrogen slowly declines) during the second half of the cycle.
So, one needs to follow the given simple regime to follow seed cycling:
DAYS 1-14 OF YOUR CYCLE i.e. MENSTRUATION TO OVULATION
- 1-2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 1-2 tablespoons ground pumpkin seeds
DAYS 15-28 OF YOUR CYCLE i.e. OVULATION TO MENSTRUATION
- 1-2 tablespoons ground sunflower seeds
- 1-2 tablespoons ground sesame seeds
Don’t worry if you don’t have a 28-day menstrual cycle. You can adjust the length of time you consume each seed combination based on your cycle length. If you are facing irregularity in periods or miss your periods altogether, you can sync your consumption of seeds with phases of the moon.
Days 1-14 (new moon to full moon)- Eat pumpkin seeds and flax seeds.
Days 15-28 (full moon to new moon)- Eat sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.
It may seem a little odd to people. But the truth is the moon has its own effect on the menstrual cycle of women. It is no coincidence that the moon and the average menstrual cycle are both 28 days. When balanced, many women’s cycles naturally follow the phases of the moon.
Now, you must be wondering how does consumption of these seeds in a cyclic way help support hormonal health. Well, the answer is here.
There have been only a few studies done on this topic. But as per the ones which claim to link seed cycling and hormone balance, this is how it works.
- During the first phase of the menstrual cycle i.e. follicular phase, the pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds are consumed. They help in improving estrogen levels while preventing excess estrogen production. Flax seeds, on the other hand, contain lignans which bind to excess estrogen. Pumpkin seeds are high on zinc which helps support progesterone production as you move towards the progesterone rise in the second phase of your cycle.
- During the second phase of the cycle i.e.luteal phase, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds are consumed. They help in boosting progesterone production. Sesame seeds are a rich source of zinc which helps boost progesterone production and also contain lignans that help block excess estrogen while progesterone rises. Sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E and selenium. Vitamin E can help boost progesterone production, while selenium helps detox the liver of excess estrogen.
So, do not wait if you’re facing an imbalance in your hormones. Also, do not jump to conclusions in just a few weeks because such grave symptoms take at least 3 months to ease out with any natural remedy.