What Is Seed Cycling?
It’s no secret that there is a very strong link between what we eat and how it impacts our body. This is true for weight loss and nutrition, but it is also true in a medicinal sense. Sure, a lot of “modern” medicine comes in the form of a pill or injection, but for the longest time, most medicines were concocted from foods or edible plants and minerals, many of which actually do have powerful medicinal effects. Many of the pills that we buy over the counter are just refined forms of naturally occurring compounds found in nature. We want to talk today about a new and novel way to help positively impact our body through a medicinal usage of common foods: seed cycling.
What Is Seed Cycling?
Simply put, seed cycling is a way in which you can eat certain types of seed food products like flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds at certain times of the month to help regulate and balance your menstrual cycle. As you may know, there are two primary phases of every menstrual cycle: the follicular and the luteal. During these times, your body is going to be at peak estrogen production or peak progesterone production and a balance of both of those hormones and other cycle-specific hormones is going to determine how well your period goes and how healthy of a period you will have. An improperly balanced hormone cycle during your period can lead to more severe PMS symptoms, harsh cramps, anovulation, painful acne, thyroid disorders, PCOS, and even chronic fatigue, just to name a few.
How Can You Seed Cycle?
The science behind seed cycling is pretty complex. You see, the trace minerals found within the four types of seed (flax, pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame) all interact with your body’s hormones in different ways. Luckily, the actual practice of seed cycling is not complex at all, it’s actually really simple! All you need is one to two tablespoons of seeds per day and a calendar to help you track which phase of your cycle you are on. Here is a handy guide as found on NourishedByNutrition.com:
DAYS 1-14 OF YOUR CYCLE (OR MENSTRUATION TO OVULATION)
1-2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1-2 tablespoons ground pumpkin seeds
DAYS 15-28 OF YOUR CYCLE (OR OVULATION TO MENSTRUATION)
1-2 tablespoons ground sunflower seeds
1-2 tablespoons ground sesame seeds
Is Seed Cycling Right For You?
The answer to that question really lies between you and your doctor of herbal medicine, but if you find yourself experiencing rough, irregular periods, or may suspect that you have PCOS or any other menstrual related symptoms, then seed cycling can be a great start to a more balanced and pain-free life.
For The Road
We hope you enjoyed learning about seed cycling. If you would like to know more about this or anything else along these lines, we are happy to help. Just contact us and we can go over your options and help you find the best path for your health and fertility goals. Schedule a consultation for acupuncture, herbal medicine, functional medicine, supplements or lifestyle modifications, by reaching out to Dr. Burris or our other medical providers HERE. We offer telemedicine for those who are not within driving distance from our office.