Seed Cycling For Hormonal Balance

Seed Cycling For Hormonal Balance

What if I told you there was a way to balance your hormones naturally, and stabilize your body while going through hormonal changes like PMS, Menopause, basic aging, and other unknown causes... all by eating seeds. Sounds crazy, right?

This method is an ancient practice of helping your body to balance your hormones naturally, just by adding different seeds into your diet. Also known as, seed cycling. 

Seed cycling is a way of routine eating certain seeds depending on the phases of your menstrual cycle. These certain seeds will help your body either produce or detoxify hormones when needed, helping you feel more consistent throughout your cycle.  

Because seed cycling helps balance the bodies' hormones, it can help with hormone related issues like acne, irregular cycle, PMS, infertility, and post-menopausal symptoms like low libido or depression. This method is not, however, a solution that will solve all your problems within a day. It takes time to re-establish the normal hormonal balance within your body and you may notice changes within 3 or 4 cycles.  

Seeds are an amazing source of energy for balancing your sacral chakra as well. The energetic area that controls men and women’s reproductive systems is the Sacral Chakra. If your Sacral Chakra is blocked, you can experience fluid retention, reproductive issues, PMS symptoms, and cancer in the ovaries, colon, or uterus. This is where the importance of eating for your reproductive health comes in (aka seeds).  

So what seeds are we supposed to eat, and when?

Cycle/Phase:  

This example aligns with a woman's hormones because they fluctuate depending on a 28-day cycle. For men however, it will be different for them because their hormones fluctuate less throughout the month. The highest point of fertility for both men and women is said to be at the time of the full moon. For women, the seed cycling will match up with their menstruation, but for men it should match up with the lunar cycle (Follicular-Luteal).  

The reason you should gravitate towards pumpkin and flax seeds in the beginning of the cycle is to help you detoxify the extra estrogen that your body produces around this time of the month. Pumpkin seeds have a high Zinc level, which aids the estrogen from converting into harmful forms of testosterone. It also helps prepare your body for the second half of the cycle, where you will have progesterone production.  

The sesame and sunflower seed combination provides a healthy source of selenium and zinc, which helps the progesterone production process. They are an essential fatty acid source as well, providing linoleic acid, which helps balance the progesterone to estrogen ratio. Sesame seeds also help to balance healthy blood sugar levels, which is important for hormone balancing.  

Incorporating these seeds into your diet can be a lot easier than you would think. One of my favorite ways is to add them into a green smoothie (you won’t even taste them). You will want to use organic, raw seeds that are fresh and avoid ground seeds that have been sitting for a while. Sprinkle them on top of a yogurt parfait, on your soups and salads to add a crunch, or by themselves if you do not mind their taste.  

I thought I would include this recipe for Baked Sweet Potato, that features an incorporation of any of the seeds listed above, depending on where you are at in your cycle!  

Baked Sweet Potato With Arugula & Sun-dried Tomato

 Ingredients:  

• 1 large sweet potato, cooked and cut in half 
• Handful of arugula 
• Sun-dried tomatoes (however much you like)
• 2 Tablespoons of your seed cycling blend (depending on where you are in your cycle) 
• Half an avocado
• Salt & pepper
• Some crushed red peppers if you like a little spice.

  Directions:  

• Pre-heat your oven. Place the potato on a lined sheet, and bake at 400 degrees 45 - 60 minutes
• Cut your sweet potato down the center 
• Add your arugula & sun-dried tomato topping 
• Add Avocado slices
• Sprinkle on your seed of choice
• Add salt & pepper to taste (& crushed peppers for a little spice)
• Enjoy!  

Conclusion: 

Eating for your energy levels and your body function is a huge part of clean beauty. We want to feel our best inside and out, which can be difficult when we often wake up feeling completely different every day. Especially having a menstruation cycle, we are constantly fluctuating with our hormone levels. Seed cycling is a natural, food-based way to eat for your body and balance your hormone levels without prescription drugs or medications. Try it and let me know what you think :)  

Be well. Be safe. Be beautiful. 

https://dramyneuzil.com/seed-cycling-for-hormone-balance-gentle-ways-to-restore-normal/ 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/seed-cycling