Have you heard of seed cycling?
Well I certainly hadn’t heard anything about seed cycling, then all of a sudden, you see it once and then you notice it everywhere… So I am here to tell you a little bit about seed cycling and how it can help you..
Seed Cycling is an effective and gently way to support your hormones and has been used for a very long time. Seed cycling can be used at any stage of your life and is greatly beneficial when you are coming off the pill or if your cycle is out of kilter and/or if you are having painful periods. Cool, sounds like something we could all use at some stage in our lives.
Seed cycling is about taking a mix of different seeds (pumpkin, Ffaxseeds, sunflower and sesame) and using their healing properties during different phases of your cycle.
Simple right? Well here’s how and why it works.
Seed cycling offers specific nutrients to the body to support our hormones at any stage in life. Seed cycling supports what our body does naturally, building hormones and eliminating excess hormones. Seeds are rich in essential fatty acids and nutrients like zinc and selenium which are the building blocks for healthy hormones.
The different phases of your cycle
Follicular phase (Days 1-14)-Seed cycling helps to balance our estrogen. Estrogen is increasing during this phase and then later on in this phase we also see an increase in testosterone levels - this is what tells your body to get out there, be fun, be exciting you are wanting to attract a partner for mating (sorry folks but that is how nature works and how our bodies are designed!!)
So pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc which helps to support healthy testosterone and high in antioxidants which helps to protect our reproductive systems and may decrease the risk of breast cancer. Pumpkin seeds have also been shown to help with sleep and insomnia - which is awesome because sleep plays a huge role in hormone health. Flaxseeds help with the elimination of excess estrogen, are high in lignans, play a beneficial role in decreasing osteoporosis and increasing progesterone and overall helping with estrogen balance. They are great for heart health and also help with breast tenderness just before your period. They also help you to have a longer luteal phase.
Luteal Phase (Days 15-28) - Seed cycling will help to support progesterone, the hormone that is on the rise during this phase. Sunflower and sesame seeds are high in Lignans and essential fatty acids. Sesame seeds are beneficial for hormones even throughout menopause. We see a lowering of inflammation, protective benefits for the heart and they also support healthy cholesterol metabolism (which is where our hormones are produced). Sunflower seeds are high in iron which helps to support estrogen detoxification and are high in magnesium which can help with painful periods. They also contain calcium which has been shown to decrease mood related issues and Vit E which helps decrease PMS.
All seeds are high in fibre which supports the elimination of excess hormones via the bowels.. Great for estrogen dominance….
Wow, this is all sounding pretty good so far….
So how do we make it work…
Honour your cycle
Days 1-14 - Follicular Phase - 1-2 Tablespoons of both Flaxseeds (Ground) and Pumpkin Seeds per day
Days 15-28 - Luteal Phase - 1-2 Tablespoons of both Sunflower and Sesame (Ground) Seeds per day.
If you are not tracking your cycle (then start) - Day 1 = first day of your period. Day 1 through to day 14 is your follicular phase then Day 15 through to 28 is your luteal phase. Please note that most women’s cycles are not 28 days, so see if you can track your cycle to figure out when you are ovulating this is when you then change to your luteal phase.
If you do not have a period anymore or you are on the pill then use the lunar cycle to do your seed cycling - New Moon equates to day 1 - Follicular Phase then switch on the full moon for the Luteal phase
Now that you know why you should be seed cycling and you know when, let’s just throw in a couple of ways to easily add the seeds to your daily life.
How to
Seeds need to be raw
Use them fresh and only grind enough up for a couple of days at a time
Flax and sesame seeds need to be ground
Organic if possible
Where to throw them!
Have some in your smoothie
Sprinkle them on fruit and yoghurt
Make your own muesli bars (make them no bake as you want them raw)
Make bliss balls
Sprinkle on top of salads and veges
Make your own seed pesto…
I am sure you can come up with lots of ways to get the seeds into you, these are just a few ways to get you started.
I hope you have enjoyed learning about seed cycling and I hope that it is something you can give a try. Seed cycling is to be used as part of a healthy lifestyle, you still need to make sure that you are eating well, exercising and getting adequate sleep, it is not going to work miracles on its own. So give it a try, give it at least 3 months to have an effect (although people do say they notice a difference after just one month) and then if it works for you, just add it into your life long healthy habits.
Have an awesome day.
Mel
xxx