Seed Cycling

Seed cycling is simply eating specific seeds at specific times throughout the month to balance hormones. Seed cycling can be used for both women AND men. By adding flax, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds to your diet at the right time, you can support your body in binding and eliminating excess hormones and increasing deficient hormones. Seeds contain nutrients that are the precursors to our body’s hormone production.

Flax and pumpkin seeds support the estrogen dominant time of the month while sesame and sunflower seeds support the progesterone peaks.

Flax and pumpkin are both full of Omega-3s which allow our hormones to get where they need to be by maintaining healthy cell receptor sites. Flax also contains plant phytoestrogens called lignans that act as antioxidants and block extra estrogenic activity in the body. In fact, even though flax seeds contain phytoestrogens they actually prevent and regress hormone-associated cancers like breast and prostate cancer. Both sesame and sunflower seeds contain Omega-6 fatty acids and stimulate progesterone production and are also high in zinc, which is necessary for overall reproduction. Sunflower seeds are particularly high in selenium, which is crucial for thyroid hormone conversion and liver detoxification.

Seed Cycling Program For Women

Start seed cycling on the first day of your menstrual cycle. If your cycle isn’t regular or you don’t have a cycle, use the days corresponding to the phases of the moon. It has been studied that the female menstrual cycle and phases of the moon correspond so this is a way to gage it if your cycle isn’t regular.

From Day 1-14 of the menstrual cycle (or new moon to full moon)

• 1 Tbs. per day of ground flax seeds
• 1 Tbs. per day of ground pumpkin seeds

From Day 15-28 of the menstrual cycle (or from full moon to new moon)

• 1 Tbs. per day of ground sesame seeds
• 1 Tbs. per day of ground sunflower seeds

Seed Cycling Program For men

Start seed cycling using the phases of the moon. Men’s seed cycle is the opposite of the women’s

Full moon to new moon

• 1 Tbs. per day of ground flax
• 1 Tbs per day of ground pumpkin seeds

New moon to full moon

• 1 Tbs. per day of ground sesame
• 1 Tbs. per day of ground sunflower

Health Benefits and uses of Seed Cycling are

Stress, xenoestrogens, toxins, pesticides, processed foods, endocrine disrupting chemicals, not enough sleep and birth control all affect our hormones. Imbalanced hormones can wreak havoc on our lives.

Symptoms of hormonal imbalance:

• PMS symptoms
• low sex drive
• infertility
• fatigue
• mood swings
• depression
• excess abdominal fat
• sleep issues
• thyroid disorders
• adrenal issues
• insulin resistance
• PCOS
• endometriosis
• excessive sweating