Seed Cycling for Menstrual Cycle Regulation: A Natural Approach to Hormonal Balance
What is seed cycling?
If you are a woman and you have a menstrual cycle that you have been trying to regulate you probably have come across hundreds of “solutions” supposedly tailored to women but really put out by the pharmaceutical industry. As a woman who was on the hormonal birth control pill for a couple of years, threw it in the bin after reading the book “Period Power” by Maisie Hill and has since been educating herself on menstrual cycles, I am very excited to talk about seed cycling. In my experience, I now have pain-free periods and my cycle is even more predictable.
Seed cycling is a 100% natural menstrual cycle regulating method. The idea is this: you eat certain seeds at different phases of your menstrual cycle to help regulate and support the hormones that are at work in your body. It may sound like just another habit you are told to implement into your life but it is actually an incredible way to incorporate superfoods (yes, seeds are superfoods) into your daily routine and give your body a chance to regulate its menstrual cycle.
"In my experience, incorporating nutrient-rich seeds into different phases of your cycle is a simple yet powerful way to support hormonal balance. While every woman is different and requires different things, it’s undeniably a great way to boost overall health at low cost. It’s definitely a trend worth trying!" – Leah, Founder of The House of Hormones
How do I do it?
To make this work, you need to understand your cycle in two phases: the follicular phase and the luteal phase.
Pumpkin and flax seeds for the follicular phase: These will be consumed between days 1-14 of your menstrual cycle. In other words, (according to a regular menstrual cycle) between the first day of your period and your ovulation day. Flax seeds contain nutrients called lignans that either block or stimulate estrogen. This means that eating seeds that contain lignans will help balance the estrogen in your body according to what you need. Pumpkin seeds have nutrients called beta-sitosterol that bind to excess estrogen and help flush it out of the body. Pumpkin seeds also are full of zinc which is useful for preparing the body for progesterone production in the second phase.
Sesame and sunflower seeds for the luteal phase: Both seeds contain lots of zinc and vitamin E, both of which boost progesterone production between days 15-28 of your cycle. These seeds also contain lignans which, again, regulates estrogen in the body (which in this case would mean making sure there isn’t too much of it).
Sticking to seed cycling regularly will help realign your hormones throughout your cycle if they have a tendency to fluctuate a lot. Of course, it can’t be expected for this practice to heal all problems e.g. PCOS however it is an excellent way to minimise menstrual-related issues and a great way to get lots of nutrients into your day.
Infographic provided by The House of Hormones
What if my cycle isn’t regular or if I don’t have one?
You can still use seed cycling even if you don’t have a period or ovulation to refer to, in fact, this is particularly useful for you! The best way to track the different seeds is by using the cycles of the moon, as they resemble a menstrual cycle. From the new moon to the full moon, consume Phase 1 (aka Follicular phase) seeds daily. From the full moon to the new moon, consume Phase 2 (aka Luteal phase) seeds daily.
The most important things to know:
Seed cycling requires eating one tablespoon of each seed blend a day
Seeds need to be blended up to facilitate absorption
Seed mixes need to be stored in the fridge or freezer, otherwise they will go rancid
Whether you have a regular cycle or not, you need to take both seed mixes two weeks at a time (yes, even if that doesn’t quite align with when you menstruate or ovulate, after a few months this will regulate itself therefore you may notice a few changes in your cycle).
Top tips!
Add a reminder on your phone that repeats every 2 weeks to change seeds
Eat your seeds at the same time every day: this will help you get into a habit faster!
Find recipes that work for you whether that may be throwing them into your usual morning smoothie, your bowl of oats or yoghurt or getting creative and making protein balls that you can take to work. If you want to ingest them fast, just mix them with water and drink them straight.
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Lily Maret is always striving for more. With her interests and hobbies based around cooking, reading, fitness, well-being and puzzle-making she hopes to enlighten people about wellbeing and the importance of our environment through her future Geography degree in London. As a bilingual in French and English, she feels in touch with different cultures and ideologies and only wants more, more and more. Lily is also a Marketing Executive at The C Word Magazine.