Seed Cycling is a natural, safe, and gentle way to help support your hormones whether you are still menstruating, in the throes of perimenopause, or post-menopausal. By consuming specific seeds at certain times of your cycle you give your hormonal system a boost and help reduce PMS, regulate your cycle, ease symptoms of perimenopause, and support post-menopausal hormone health. It’s a practice that can serve women no matter what stage of life they are in, whether they’ve only just begun menstruating or haven’t had a period in years. 

The menstrual cycle is made up of two phases. Most women don’t have 30-day cycles, but for our purposes, we’ll use this as an example. Feel free to adjust to suit your needs.

The Follicular Phase 
The follicular phase begins on the first day of your period and lasts until you ovulate. During this phase estrogen levels are rising steadily as the body prepares to ovulate. It’s during the follicular phase that we can balance estrogen levels with flaxseed with pumpkin seeds. 

The phytoestrogens found in flax bind to estrogen receptor sites (found all over the body!) to either increase estrogen in women whose levels are low or bind to the receptor sites to block the stronger estrogens in the body. The fiber in flax will also bind to excess estrogen and eliminate it from the body via the bowel. Pumpkin seeds and flax both optimize estrogen as the lignans found within them are metabolized. Pumpkin seeds are also high in zinc which helps supports progesterone levels in the next phase.

The Luteal Phase
The luteal phase begins after ovulation, around day 14, but this varies from woman to woman. It lasts until you begin your period again. After ovulation, estrogen levels drop dramatically and progesterone levels begin to rise in order to build up the lining of the uterus. During this phase, we consume sunflower seeds which are high in Vitamin E and sesame seeds which are high in zinc to support progesterone production. 

If you are no longer menstruating, you can still benefit from seed cycling! You can get your earth mama goddess on and cycle with the moon in which case you would eat the flax and pumpkin seeds beginning with the new moon as Day 1 or you can just choose when to start and cycle with flax and pumpkin seeds for two weeks then switch to sunflower and sesame seeds for the next two weeks.

Aside from seed cycling, eating a diet full of vegetables and low in sugar will help support optimal hormone production no matter what stage of life you are in. It’s also imperative that you consume 2 tablespoons of high-quality fat (from grass-fed meat/eggs/butter, olive, coconut, avocado oils, or ghee, etc) every day. Consumption of healthy fats is crucial for hormone production–another reason seed cycling is helpful. Supplementing with 1000mg/day of Vitamin C has also been shown to support and raise serum progesterone levels. 

For Best Results:

• Buy raw and organic seeds if possible
• Consume two tablespoons each day, preferably one tablespoon of each seed recommended in order to benefit from their unique nutritional profiles
• Because seeds can go rancid quickly, store them in the fridge or freezer in a tightly sealed container
• Purchase ground flax or grind before eating as they are almost impossible to digest
• Chew other seeds very well or consume in ground/butter form–tahini is ground sesame seeds 
• Try to avoid consuming seeds outside of the phase they are meant to be consumed in
• If you have a hard time digesting seeds, you can soak them overnight in enough water to cover them
•  Feel free to adjust to suit your needs. For instance, if you have a 26-day cycle, you would eat flax and pumpkin Days 1-13 and sunflower and sesame Days 14-26. 
• Keep in mind it may take 3-4 cycles/months to see results

Seeds can be sprinkled on salad, yogurt, or soups for an easy addition. There are many seed cycling recipes online. Explore them and find several you enjoy so that you can bring the health benefits of seed cycling into your life! Here’s one to try:

Seed Cycling Bark
1/2 c. coconut oil
3/4 c. cocoa or raw cacao
2-3 Tb. nut butter of your choice
3 Tb. honey or maple syrup (optional, you can also use stevia or monk fruit for less sugar)
1/4 c. first seed of appropriate cycle
1/4 c. second seed of appropriate cycle
a pinch of salt (optional)

Melt coconut oil and nut butter together and stir until uniform. Add sweetener and seeds and stir. Add in cinnamon or nutmeg, coconut flakes, or dried goji berries or anything else you might love to personalize it. Line a small dish with parchment and pour in mixture. If you have candy molds you can also use these. Place in the fridge to solidify. Enjoy!

Be well,
Ashley and Heather