Seed Cycling

What is seed cycling?

Have you heard of seed cycling? 

Seed cycling is a food-based approach that works to support one’s hormones throughout your cycle. It is the practice of eating specific seeds during the follicular and luteal phase of your menstrual cycle to help promote the healthy balance of estrogen and progesterone levels. 

As women, our hormones are a complex system that function in a delicate balance – greatly influenced by our diet, exercise, sleep, stress levels, and environmental toxins. When either of these elements is imbalanced, our cycle is directly impacted. 

Why seed cycling?

Seeds contain lots of phytoestrogens and healthy fats which help to balance out hormones. Phytoestrogens have structures similar to estrogen, which have a weak estrogen-like effect in the body. Additionally, the seeds contain other essential nutrients such as magnesium, omega 3, selenium, zinc etc in them that aid in hormone regulation. 

How to start seed cycling?

Before you start, it’s important to understand each phase of one’s cycle.

The first phase of the menstrual cycle is known as the follicular phase and lasts up to 14days. Your hormone levels drop to let your body know it’s time the uterine wall sheds. During this stage, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds help improve our estrogen levels while preventing excess estrogen. Flax seeds contain lignans which bind to excess estrogen. Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc which helps support progesterone production as you move towards the progesterone rise in the second phase of your cycle.. 

The second phase is the luteal phase and comes after ovulation usually 12 – 16 days before your period. During the second phase it’s important to support progesterone production. Sesame seeds and sunflower seeds help boost progesterone production. Sesame seeds are rich in zinc which help boost progesterone production and also contain lignans that help block excess estrogen while progesterone rises. Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E and selenium. Vitamin E can help boost progesterone production, while selenium helps detox the liver of excess estrogen.

How to incorporate seed cycling into your daily routine?

It’s recommended to eat 1-2 tablespoons of the specific seeds each day. Incorporating seed cycling into your daily routine is easy. Simply add them to anything! Salads, smoothies, oats, toast spreads, soups, yoghurt etc. Remember that grinding the seeds makes them more effective. 

Note that seed cycling isn’t a cycle remedy, instead together with nutrition and lifestyle shifts it encourages menstrual regularity and helps ease period pain.