Seed Cycling for Hormone Balance

embracing-nutrition
May 1, 2024

ESTIMATED READING TIME 11 MINUTES

Unlocking the Power of Seed Cycling to Support Hormone Balance – a Functional Medicine Approach

If hormone imbalances affect you, you’ll know how disruptive they can be to your health and wellbeing. In this article, you’ll discover how seed cycling can support healthy balanced hormones.

Are Your Hormones Out of Balance?

Because hormones influence every single cell in your body, the symptoms of hormone imbalance can occur pretty much anywhere. For now, we’ll be concentrating on the female reproductive hormones oestrogen and progesterone.

These hormones fluctuate according to a natural rhythm over time. Any deviation from your normal can create diverse symptoms. Think headaches, mood swings, bloating, digestive disturbances, anxiety and depression. Then there’s weight gain, food cravings, poor energy, joint aches, and problems sleeping – the list goes on.

Collectively, these symptoms are often lumped together as PMS. However, unbalanced hormones can cause heavy, painful and irregular periods, too, as well as problems conceiving, PCOS and fibroids.

Meanwhile, if you’re postmenopausal, hormone imbalances can lead to hot flushes, mood swings and night sweats.

Your GP may offer medication to ease your symptoms, like natural or artificial hormones, painkillers, or antidepressants. However, these mask the symptoms or replace the missing hormones without addressing the reasons underlying the hormone imbalance.

What is Seed Cycling and How Does it Work?

Seed cycling is a natural and holistic approach gaining popularity among functional medicine practitioners looking to naturally balance hormones.

It’s all about eating certain seeds at various times of your menstrual cycle to help regulate hormone levels. The natural substances in seeds can support your body’s natural hormone production and help achieve balance throughout the month.

What Happens During the Menstrual Cycle?

First, here’s a quick 101 to help you understand your menstrual cycle.

Your menstrual cycle occurs in in two main phases. The follicular phase is the first half of the cycle, around days 1-14. During this phase, oestrogen levels rise as your body prepares for ovulation when an egg is released.

Ovulation usually occurs on or around day fourteen. The luteal phase is in the second half of the cycle, around days 15-28. During this time, oestrogen decreases while progesterone rises. This helps create the conditions needed for a successful pregnancy.

If the egg isn’t fertilised, hormone levels drop at around day 28 and your period will start. Every woman is different, however, and your cycle may be longer or shorter than average.

How to Cycle Your Seeds

During the first (follicular) phase, practitioners recommend consuming flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds. These seeds contain plenty of zinc to help support healthy hormone balance ¹ as well as omega-3 fats to regulate inflammation ². They are high in substances called lignans, too. These function as natural, weak oestrogens and can help prevent your body’s oestrogen from climbing too high or from dropping too low ³. This condition is a common cause of PMS-related issues and is known as oestrogen dominance.

During the luteal phase, the emphasis is on eating sunflower and sesame seeds. These contain good levels of vitamin E ⁴ and selenium. These nutrients can help support healthy progesterone levels. They’re also a rich source of lignans to continue balancing oestrogen levels.

By eating these seeds during the different phases of your menstrual cycle, you can help your body regulate its hormones and restore balance. Because seed cycling naturally encourages your body to balance its hormones, it’s not connected with the side effects experienced with prescription medication.

Balancing Hormones With Seeds

Seed cycling is an inexpensive way to support your health. What’s more, it’s easy to incorporate into your lifestyle. Seeds are delicious added to cereal, mixed with yoghurt or into smoothies, or on top of a salad. They can be sprinkled over roasted or steamed vegetables or made into raw energy balls and seed butters. Aim to include 1-2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds per day in the first part of your menstrual cycle, up to day fourteen, taking the first day of your period as day one. During the second half of your cycle, aim to include 1-2 tablespoons of sunflower and sesame seeds each day. Once your period starts, go back to eating flax and pumpkin seeds again. If your cycle is all over the place, follow the guide above and you may find your periods become more regular. Seed cycling can be helpful for post-menopausal women, too.⁵ If you’re no longer having periods, use the phases of the moon to guide you. Use the new moon as day one, and the full moon as day fourteen. Use seeds fresh, not roasted, and keep them in the fridge. Ideally, grind them shortly before consumption. Seeds are packed with plenty of other essential vitamins and minerals, so will benefit other aspects of your health, not simply hormone balance. Because seeds are naturally high in fibre, you’ll be supporting your gut health, too.

How Do I Know If Seed Cycling is Working for Me?

Monitoring changes in symptoms through a diary can help track the effectiveness of seed cycling. By doing this you can more easily see any changes or improvement. Otherwise, it can be hard to remember how you felt even as little as two or three months previously, especially if your symptoms naturally fluctuate. Consider your cycle length, regularity, your energy levels, and mood, as well as any aspects of your health you mightn’t have imagined were connected with your hormones.

Remember every woman is different, and it might take several months for your body to naturally adjust. Your practitioner may recommend a functional hormone test to evaluate your hormone levels over time. These can be useful to assess baseline imbalances as well as to track any changes over time.

Functional Medicine to Support Hormone Balance

Functional medicine always aims to address the root causes of ill-health, and hormone imbalance is no exception. Your practitioner will discover the contributing factors for you – be they stress, nutritional deficiencies, environmental toxins, gut health, or chronic inflammation, for example. Putting these right will naturally support your body’s healing processes and can bring about lasting and sustainable results.

Seed cycling is only one aspect of a functional medicine practitioner’s toolkit. By using a combination of nutrients, herbs, and lifestyle measures designed to provide your body with the very best opportunity to heal, balance can be restored throughout your body.

If you are struggling with hormone imbalances and are looking for a natural approach to finding relief, contact us today to start your journey to optimal hormone balance.

References

Did you know you can request a FREE 15 minute Discovery Call

Do you or someone you care for need personalised support for hormone balance? Then book a free 15-minute discovery call to see if Functional Medicine is for you.