Seed cycling is a simple food-as-medicine technique that can help regulate your menstrual cycle, balance your hormones, and help with symptoms like PMS, period pain, and hormonal or post-birth control acne. It involves eating two sets of different seeds for the two phases of your menstrual cycle and rotating them every two weeks.
Even though it’s a simple concept, I was NEVER consistent with seed cycling because I would forget to use them in my foods. It wasn’t until I started incorporating seeds into nut butter balls that I started regularly seed cycling (because YUM!). My patients often see benefits even just after 1 month of seed cycling, but it can take 2-3 months to get the full benefits.
How to Seed Cycle
Your menstrual cycle is split up into two phases: the follicular phase and the luteal phase. Both phases are about 2 weeks long. The follicular phase starts on day 1 of your menstrual cycle, and the luteal phase starts around day 14 with ovulation and lasts until your next menses begins.
For the first half of your menstrual cycle (follicular phase), you’re going to eat seeds that support estrogen production and metabolism. For the second half (luteal phase), the seeds help bolster and support progesterone production.
This is how you’ll rotate the seeds for each phase:
Days 1-14: Eat 1 tablespoon each of flax and pumpkin seeds. (I also like to add hemp seeds.)
Days 15-28: Eat 1 tablespoon each of sunflower and sesame seeds.
How to Use Seeds in Your Foods
Grinding seeds helps your body fully utilize the nutrients and fatty acids contained in the seeds, but feel free to eat them whole. If grinding, remember that freshly ground seeds are best! You can grind two weeks worth ahead of time and keep them in your freezer to prevent the oils from going rancid, or just add the whole seeds to your recipes.
Tip: I like using the seed butters in my recipes or just eating a delicious spoonful on days when I don’t have my seed cycling nut butter balls prepared! You can sprinkle some ground flax on a spoonful of pumpkin seed butter for the first two weeks, and eat a spoonful each of sunflower butter and tahini (sesame seed butter) for the second two weeks.
Seed Cycling Nut Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup nut butter or seed butter Use pumpkin seed butter for follicular phase, and sunflower seed butter or tahini for luteal phase. Can also use almond or another nut butter.
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 8 tbsp ground flaxseed (follicular phase) Use sunflower seeds for luteal phase.
- 6 tbsp hemp seeds (follicular phase) Use sesame seeds for luteal phase.
- 3 tbsp protein powder You can also use herbal powders, like Maca or Ashwagandha.
- extra hemp seeds for topping optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients (except extra hemp seeds) to a food processor. Blend well until the ingredients are mixed into a dough on the drier side. If the dough is too dry, add more nut butter, honey, or a small amount of oil. If too wet, add more dry ingredients (protein powder).
- Roll the mixture into 1 tbsp balls and then roll the balls in hemp seeds.
- Put balls in the fridge to harden up.
- Eat 2-3 balls each day to help balance your hormones!
