Balancing Hormones Naturally: The Power of Seed Cycling

What is seed cycling?

Seed cycling, aka seed rotation, consists of consuming certain seeds at different times during your cycle to help balance your hormones. The goal with this practice is for the seeds’ wonderful nutrients to support the healthy function of your hormones and handle excessive hormones.

When you eat the seeds during the different parts of your cycle, they make it easier on your body to adjust to each shift in hormone production.

 But what’s happening with my menstrual cycle?

In simple terms, during the first half of your cycle (first two weeks), your body experiences an increase in estrogen. At around day 13, things shift and your body starts producing more progesterone for the next two weeks. Around day 21, if you become pregnant, your progesterone levels will keep increasing. If you don’t become pregnant, the progesterone levels will drop until you reach the end of that cycle and then it starts over again. This means that during your cycle, your body is experiencing an influx of either estrogen or progesterone depending on the time of the month. 

With that said, seed cycling addresses these hormone fluctuations. 

What are the benefits?

These seeds help balance your menstrual cycle which alleviates common symptoms of irregular periods like pms and hormonal acne. It is a natural way to balance your cycle (instead of a birth control pill). It strengthens natural hormone production and can get your menstrual cycle back on track. It can also help manage symptoms of menopause.

What does seed cycling actually look like?

For the first half of your cycle (days 1-14), you’ll add pumpkin seeds or flax seeds to your daily diet. These seeds support the production of estrogen in your body and deal with potential excesses of it. Once you reach the second half of your cycle (days 15-30), you’ll switch to sunflower or sesame seeds which handle progesterone. 

But wait…why would I consume food that increases those hormones?

Wouldn’t that lead to an excess? Good question, but actually no. 

Consuming these seeds doesn’t make your body produce more or less of each hormone. Instead, they remind the body to do its job. They serve as messages to the body that prepare it to start producing what you need at this time so your cycle is right on track.

How do I know when to consume each seed?

Seed cycling can only truly start working if you’re able to track your cycle. That means recording data on an app and talking to a doctor so you have a good idea of the days and dates of different parts of your cycle. 

 The first step, consuming flax seeds and pumpkin seeds to support estrogen is pretty easy, because you start eating those on the first day of your period (when your flow starts). For the other times, be mindful of how long the flow lasts and when your body enters the second part of your cycle. 

So how can I do this? 

1. Start with the seeds!

You’ll need flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. 

2. Get creative with your diet.

Seed cycling requires you to consume these seeds every day so you can add them to a snack, make them part of your morning routine, or center meals around them.  Also, for seeds that you grind, make sure to grind them daily or grind and refrigerate them for up to a week.

3. Know how much you need.

You know which seeds and when to eat them, but you don’t know how much. That is a great question for Dr. Musset. You can give her a call to talk about your cycle and your symptoms.

When do I start?

If you have a period every month, start on the first day of your cycle which is the first day of your period.For those who have infrequent periods or none, get started on the first day of the new moon.If you’re perimenopausal or postmenopausal, start any time!

When can I expect to see results?

After 3-4 cycles, you should be experiencing less symptoms of irregular periods. If not, you can talk to Dr. Musset and find a way to adjust your seed cycling schedule!

It should be noted that seed cycling is not a replacement for treatment of various medical conditions. Seed cycling is meant to help balance your hormones and support the natural processes of your body. 

Talk to Dr. Musset to find out if seed cycling is the right thing for you and your cycle.

Who knew that a healthy cycle could be as easy as eating a few seeds?

Book an appointment at drwellnessscottsdale.com or give Dr. Musset a call at (480) 608-4808.