Unless you’ve been living under an Instagram rock, chances are you’ve heard of seed cycling for hormone balance. #seedcycling has been trending for weeks and digital creators everywhere are waxing eloquent about this trend. So what is seed cycling anyway and does it really help with hormone balance? Here’s everything you need to know.
What is seed cycling?
When you break it down to the basics, seed cycling is a naturopathic remedy that is claimed to balance hormones. Its benefits including helping to regulate periods, treating polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis and infertility. It also eases menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, fatigue and night sweats. Just when you thought the list couldn’t get any more impressive, there’s more. Seed cycling can also help with reducing acne, improving hair health, managing weight, improving thyroid levels, water retention and cellulite. (Woah!)
The way it works is by regulating the hormone estrogen in the first half of your menstrual cycle, and the hormone progesterone in the second half. So you eat 1 tablespoon each of freshly ground pumpkin and flax seeds daily, for the first 14 days of your menstrual cycle. This phase is known as the ‘follicular phase‘. The next 14 days of your cycle is known as the ‘luteal phase‘. In this phase, you eat 1 tablespoon each of freshly ground sunflower and sesame seeds every day.
Days 1-14 of your cycle:
- 1-2 tablespoons ground pumpkin seeds
- 1-2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
Days 15-28 of your cycle:
- 1-2 tablespoons ground sesame seeds
- 1-2 tablespoons ground sunflower seeds
But what if you don’t have a 28-day menstrual cycle? Worry not, most women don’t, including yours truly. It’s still best to stick to the 14-day rotation for each phase of seeds. Sticking to this 2-week seed cycling rotation will enable your body to get into its optimal menstrual cycle rhythm.
What about irregular periods?
You can practise seed cycling even if you have irregular periods or a missing period. In these cases, you need to follow the phases of the moon as a guideline. Here’s how it works:
- Days 1-14: Start with the new moon. Eat pumpkin and flax seeds from the new moon to the full moon
- Days 15-28: Start with the full moon. Eat sesame and sunflower seeds from the full moon to the new moon
Ok, before you write me off as cuckoo and scroll away to do something better with your time, hang on. There is a very powerful connection between the moon and our cycles. This connection has been recognized in Ayurveda and Vedic astrology as well. If you think about it, the average menstrual cycle is about 28 days which closely mirrors the average cycle of the moon. Many of our cycles (when balanced) naturally follow the phases of the moon. So if you have an irregular cycle, just follow the moon.
Oh and as an aside don’t you just love this song? Ok before I start getting too moony, let’s get back to business.
How does seed cycling work exactly?
For those of you who like to dig deeper and understand the science behind things, this section has all the deets. So here goes. Our menstrual cycle has two main phases that we’ve discussed already. The first phase, the follicular phase, begins on the first day of your period and lasts until ovulation. This typically takes 14 days, give or take a few days. The second phase, the luteal phase, begins at ovulation and lasts until your next period. This also typically takes around 14 days.
When our hormone levels are balanced, the hormone estrogen rises during the first menstrual phase. During the second phase, the hormone progesterone rises, while estrogen levels slowly decline. An imbalance between estrogen and progesterone is what causes PMS, cramping, acne and even irregular periods.
This is where seed cycling comes in
The basic concept underlying seed cycling is that different seeds can increase or reduce the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Flax seeds are rich in phytoestrogens, plant compounds that can imitate the action of estrogen. During the first phase of the menstrual cycle (follicular phase), the phytoestrogens in flax seeds can help increase or decrease the levels of estrogen as needed by our bodies. Meanwhile the zinc in pumpkin seeds promotes progesterone, in preparation for the next phase of our cycle.
During the luteal phase, vitamin E rich sunflower seeds boost progesterone levels. And sesame seeds contain lignans, a type of polyphenol, which stops the estrogen level from increasing too much. The mix of these seeds thus enables an optimum balance of hormones.
Is seed cycling for me?
Seed cycling can be used at any stage of a woman’s life. Whether you have bad period cramps, irregular periods, are perimenopausal or going through menopause, seed cycling is for you. It can be used post menopause as well. Seed cycling is especially beneficial though if you’re struggling with irregular periods, PMS, perimenopause or menopausal symptoms, or trying to get pregnant. It can also help if you’re coming off of hormonal birth control and struggling with any side effects as a result.
How to get started with seed cycling
Convinced about the benefits of seed cycling and wondering how to get started? It’s quite simple, really. If roasting and grinding seeds everyday is too much of a task, you can make a seed cycling pre-mix. Use your spice blender or coffee grinder to make a batch of ground seeds and store them in your fridge/ freezer. You can use this for about 14 days and then make your next batch.
Experts generally recommend not roasting the seeds for best results. So raw, ground seeds are best, especially for flax and sesame. If you face any digestive issues with eating raw flax seeds though, you can roast them.
Now that your seed blends are ready, you can use them in the following ways:
- Sprinkle them over your toast, salad, raita, smoothie or soup
- Add it to your rotis, parathas, dosas
- Add it to your oatmeal or chia seed pudding at breakfast time for a sweet start to the day
- Blend it into your pesto or pasta sauce
- Make some fabulous hormone balancing laddoos!
How long will it take to see results?
Seed cycling for hormone balance is a naturopathic remedy that takes time to work. So don’t expect instant results and remember, patience is sweet! It can take between 3-4 months of regular use before you start seeing results. It makes sense to stick with it however, since this is a gentle, natural and effective way to support hormonal health.
Also, don’t forget that seed cycling isn’t a cure-all. When it’s combined with other hormone stabilizing habits however, it is a wonderful way to get the most out of the healing powers of food.
We’ll keep sharing more about hormone happy habits in upcoming posts, so hit us up in the comments if there’s something specific you’d like us to write about. We also have some seed cycling recipes coming up, so stay tuned!