Seed rotation (or “cycling”) for balancing hormones has been around for a while. It is super gentle on the body as well as simple, easy, cost effective and natural. Food as medicine! I believe in using food to help balance our body which increases our health.
Whether you are still menstruating (regularly or not) or you are in perimenopause or menopause, the simple method of seed rotation (or cycling) can help.
Have you ever noticed how women’s cycles get synced more closely to other women they are around frequently? What about the moon? Have you noticed any syncing with moon cycles? There is a rythm to our “monthly” cycle that has outside factors to it. Some we understand and some seem a bit wooowoo, but they are legit.
Whether we understand them or not, when our hormones get out of balance, we are the ones that FEEL a bit woowooo. Time to try natural approaches to rebalance and get them on the natural rythm.
This also works for women going through perimonpause and menopause, minimizing or possibly relieving symptoms of hot flashes, sweats, fatigue and sleep irregularities.
Why Seed Rotation / Cycling
This seems too easy to be true, but it works. It is gentle and it is using food as medicine to work with the body.
Seed rotation can be used to boost estrogen levels in the first part of your cycle (called the follicular phase) and progesterone levels in the second part (called the luteal phase).
Having low estrogen or estrogen dominance can both be helped by this method.
It also takes balanced hormones to have a healthy thyroid. Without a healthy thyroid, our health can plummet quickly.
Somehow we have come to accept that feeling awful and experiencing PMS is a normal part of life. Or that going through menopause has to be a wreched time. In truth, it is not supposed to be. Something is off, it is a warning sign to pay attention to.
Stress is the main culprit!! Cortisol is released when we are under excessive stress. Excessive stress can come from external or internal conditions. Stressful relationships, environmental toxins, poor diet, food sensitivities, gut issues, high caffine or alcohol consumption can all contribute to irregular or painful periods. It can even lead to infertility. Excessive stress can also create miserable menopausal symptoms.
The most gentle way I know to re-balance this is by using food as medicine, seed rotation / cycling. It is easy and inexpensive to support the body with food to help produce sufficient amounts of estrogen and progesterone.
Using Seed Rotation / Cycling
This technique can be used by anyone who is either having irregular periods, periods that are heavy, experiencing PMS and women going through perimenopause and menopause.
From Day 1 to Day 15 (the first part of your cycle), called the follicular phase, we need more estrogen. With seeds such as flaxseed and pumpkin seeds, we can naturally increase our estrogen levels.
On Day 15 to Day 30 (the second part of the cycle) also known as the luteal phase, releasing progesterone. By adding sesame and sunflower seeds, we can naturally support the body to produce more progesterone (many women are low in this sex hormone).
Some people have added chia and hemp seeds to this. For the sake of simplicity, we are not adding them here.
How to feel better and control symptoms just by eating a few targeted power foods at the right times in you cycle can make all the difference.
What Seeds Are Used When?
Days 1 – 14: In the follicular part of the cycle when estrogen is the predominant hormone that helps the ovarian follicles mature. Flax and pumpkin seeds are used to support this part of the cycle.
Days 15 – Period: In the luteal part of the cycle when progesterone is the predominant hormone. These seeds include raw sunflower and sesame seeds.
Easy Memory Guide – SS, the seeds with S’s come together and come Second.
How do you take the seeds?
Take 2 tbsp of 2 types of ground seeds each day. On the first day of your period (first day of bleeding) start taking 2 tbsp each of flax and pumpkin seeds, freshly ground, daily. Starting on day 15 of your cycle (ovulation) start taking 2 tbsp each of sunflower and sesame seeds, freshly ground, daily.
Do this a minimum of 2-3 months. Some people stay on it for many years, some use it for a year and find balance and let it go. Everyone is different. Listen to YOUR body.
Don’t add stress by stressing over this. Do your best and if you forget a day, let it go. Perfection kills people from the stress overload we enduce on ourselves, no one can be perfect.
Moon Guide
The moon is a “Fulll Moon” every 29.5 days, then in 14ish days it turns into a “New Moon.” The female cycle is naturally linked to this.
When I did my year of seed cycling, I was rarely having periods so I used this moon method.
- Day 1 is the first day of the New Moon
- Day 15 is the first day of the Full Moon
I use MOONGIANTS to keep me straight on the moon cycle. Farmer’s Almanac also provides up-to-date moon cycles.
How To Encorporate Into Diet
Seeds can be used in a smoothie, made into raw snacks, or sprinkled on a salad or any meal, or made into pesto.
They are most effective when they are raw and organic. They are not as effecitve when you use them cooked in a meal. Instead, sprinkle them on your already cooked meal.
Be creative so you don’t get bored. Make raw snacks that incorporate the corrects seeds for the correct part of the cycle. Hide seeds in a smoothie when you don’t like them or get bored. Sprinkle them on everything when you crave them. Make a pesto using appropriate seeds.
Where To Purchase Seeds
Your local grocery store or health food store will usually carry organic raw seeds. If not, here are some resources…
Days 1 – 14 (first day of menstration or New Moon): Estrogen Boosters: pumpkin and flax seeds are used to support this part of the cycle. Try to always use organic and raw for greatest benefits.
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Flax Seeds (always purchase whole flax seeds and grind them yourself, they easily and quickly become rancid/unstable)
Days 15 (ovulation or Full Moon): Progestoren Boosters: sunflower seeds and sesame seeds are used to support this part of the cycle. Try to always use organic and raw for greatest benefits.
- Sunflower Seeds
- Sesame Seeds (there are also black sesame seeds)
- Evening Primrose Oil (optional – take 2 a day)
Grind them daily – Seriously, this really is easy and only takes 5 seconds. Grinding them daily helps them to NOT lose their potency and lessens the chances of them turning rancid.
Small coffee grinders are perfect to get the job done.
- Hand Grinder – budget friendly
- Hand Grinder – Turkish (beware that this is perfect for the small seeds but can sometimes have a difficult time with pumpkin seeds)
- Electric Grinder – Cuisinart will last many long years, worth every penny
Turn It Into A Treat
Learn how to make raw cacao bars using raw cacao and cacao butter and using the appropriate ground seeds. Add things like dried cranberries for sweetness. Add essential oil of peppermint or spearmint (remember one drop goes a LONG way).
Dig Deeper, Learn More
Type in “seed rotation” or “seed cycling” into your favorite search bar. There are many articles that cover the same info as I did today. Many of them go more indepth. HINT: type in “hormone balance” for even better search results.
Want more suggestions for naturally dealing with PMS? Read, 20 Remedies to Kick PMS Naturally ~ GreenMedInfo
Want more evidence that flaxseed can extend you life? Read, Flaxseed, Just an Ounce a Day Can Extend Your Life ~ GreenMedInfo
Want to keep digging into flaxseed research? Read, 70 Reasons to Eat More Flaxseed ~ GreenMedInfo
Balancing hormones helps to keep your thyroid in balance which all plays a significant role in your health. Enjoy using food for balance and medicine.
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Maribeth!! I had a dream about seeds and I purchased some this week!! How crazy cool that you wrote about that! Makes so much sense, thank you for the info on what type of seeds and when to use them. I am going to be like a bird, they love seeds! I’m going to eat my seeds and fly free like a bird in the opposite direction of the EVIL HORMONES! LOL!
LOVE IT!!! I can just see you flying away from the “evil hormones.” My computer crashed so I am not yet able to make a one-page chart to easily keep track. When I get my computer up and running again I will make it and post it. I decided that it is time for me to do it again too. I will think of your when I am eating mine!!!