Seed Cycling
Preface: This is based on the many wonderful convos I’ve been having with you about seed cycling. It’s so heart-warming and cramp-soothing to know that so many of you are actively making period care your normal. And for those who are new to this idea — you are in the right place. EVERYONE should get to know about the magic of cyclical living and how to get there by supporting your body’s natural processes, like the female hormone cycle’s fluctuations. That’s what I’m diving into today as I walk you through seed cycling — the act of methodically using seeds to support the balancing of the female hormone cycle’s reproductive hormones, mainly estrogen and progesterone.
*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
First, the terribly liberating truth.
PMS is not normal. Most women have been told to believe that PMS and mood swings are normal side effects of menstruation. This is basically gaslighting because when we share the pain and turmoil of PMS, we’re told that it’s normal and shouldn’t be a big deal. We shouldn’t be complaining about something that is a natural process in a woman’s life. Just like how childbirth is MEANT to be painful because Eve stole from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We’ve been told it’s our birthright to suffer as a part of femininity. We’ve been putting up with pain and a pink tax in a lot of areas just to be more… attractive.
This is udder crap. And it’s time to stop eating that old grass that they’ve been feeding us.
PMS is a sign of a hormone imbalance. Basically, that the body is prioritizing (usually) the creation of adrenaline and cortisol hormones (your stress response to potential danger, like living through a pandemic) to KEEP YOUR ALIVE, and other hormone functions that aren’t necessary for survival from imminent danger, like sleep, digestion, libido, & fertility, are put on the back burner.
So what’s a gal to do if she’s experiencing irregular and comfortable periods?
Well, there are two big things that all women need to prioritize to balance hormones: stress relief and proper nutrition.
You absolutely must give yourself a rest from the constant stress that is life in 2021. Rest gives you the opposite of what you’re experiencing when you’re in a hyperaroused state fight-or-flight.That’s what you need to balance stress.
The second thing you absolutely need is to give your hormones the proper nutritional care they need to produce a healthy balance of regular ovulations and pain-free menstruations.
As females, we experience our hormones fluctuating all month long. They go up starting after your period ends until ovulation, and then dip until you shed again. This hormone cycle can be split up into two phases.
1) Follicular phase: from day 1 of your period until ovulation.
2) Luteal phase: from ovulation to the start of your next period.
These two phases have entirely different hormonal environments having different amounts of caloric needs and energetic predispositions (when balanced).
This is where seed cycling comes into the picture. To make sure you are getting the right balance of hormones through your diet, try cycling through seeds during your hormone cycle with flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.
How to Seed Cycle
Follicular phase: 1st day of menstruation – ovulation (typically days 1-14)
Estrogen Boosters: Add 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds daily
These seeds are designed to support the healthy estrogen levels required to build up the endometrium in preparation for ovulation.
Luteal phase: Ovulation – onset of menstruation (typically days 14-28)
Progesterone Boosters: Add 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds daily
These seeds provide zinc and vitamin E which help the body to produce progesterone as it should during the luteal phase.
Simply add these seeds to smoothies, on top of yogurt, salads or soups, or even into baked goods.
Where to Get Seeds
You can get seeds at the grocery store, health food stores, and online.
What to be mindful of when buying your seeds is that seeds need to be ground up really well in order to be digested. With the bigger seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, your teeth can do the work. But with sesame seeds and flaxseed, you need to have them ground. You can buy them freshly pre ground, refrigerate them and use them within a few weeks if you’d like. My current top pre ground blend is made by Moon Cycle Seed Co. They sell a blend for your first two phases and second two phases. It’s a fancy product that definitely makes things easier if you’re a busy gal.
If you have more time on your hands and want to save some cash money, you can buy seeds and do the grinding yourself. You can go local and shop around for the best deals near you.
Or you order 2 poundsish of each seed on Amazon for about $47.32. The caveat is you must refrigerate them after opening them and they won’t stay as fresh by the time you go through the entire bag. At my calculations, 2 pounds of seeds is 64 servings. That means you could get almost 5 cycles-worth of seeds (that may be around 5 months depending on the length of your cycles). I share the links to Amazon products if you’d like to go that route. Full disclosure: I get a small percentage of the sale price for bringing Amazon your business. Thanks for supporting my business with your purchase.
All that being said, I love having a special ritual for caring for my hormones and having a beautiful product like Moon Cycle Seed Co is an awesome way to do just that. You can get 10% off your order with the code LUNAR10. And no, I don’t make any money through your purchase. This is just a product I love made by a small business I love to support.
