How seed cycling can help balance women’s hormones

Most of us women have experienced mood swings, bloating, heavy periods, cramping, acne and pain during our menstrual cycle.

But what if I told you that painful periods and PMS actually isn’t normal, and is a symptom of a hormonal imbalance?

When our hormones are out of balance, we normally have too much estrogen, known as estrogen dominance. This can cause bloating, weight gain, water retention, and a host of other issues.

While there are many natural ways to balance your hormones, it’s great to start with the diet. I recommend experimenting with seed cycling: a naturopathic method of rotating different seeds at different times of your menstrual cycle.

There are four seeds that can help balance your hormones and alleviate PMS symptoms: flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.

These seeds provide oils, vitamins, and minerals that help produce, detoxify, and metabolize estrogen and progesterone.

How it works:

There are two rotations of seed cycling:

Rotation 1
Days 1 - 14

The first rotation of seed cycling combines flax seeds and pumpkin seeds to support rising estrogen levels. These seeds contain zinc, fibre, omega 3 fatty acids. These nutrients help detoxify excess estrogen, prime the body for the next phase’s progesterone production, and support ovulation. Tip: grind your flax seeds to aid in absorption.

Check out this recipe by The Glowing Fridge for energy balls that cater to the first rotation of seed cycling.

Rotation 2
Days 15 - 28/30

The second rotation combines sesame seeds and sunflower seeds to support your body’s ovulatory and luteal phase. These seeds’ contain magnesium, calcium, omega 6 fatty acids and selenium which work to ease PMS, boost immunity, reduce inflammation, detoxify excess hormones, and support progesterone levels.

Check out this recipe by The Glowing Fridge for energy balls that cater to the second rotation of seed cycling.