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Seed cycling primarily supports hormonal balance. It involves tracking the menstrual cycle and consuming specific seeds at different phases of the cycle.
Hormonal balance plays an important role in woman's health, as it affects their fertility, menstrual cycle, sexual health and every other aspect. Maintaining proper hormonal health requires focusing on various factors, including quality sleep, having a nutritious diet, managing stress and anxiety, etc.
Various supplements can also support hormonal health. Similarly, one natural practice of promoting hormonal balance that has become very popular among women is seed cycling.
What is seed cycling?
Seed cycling is basically an alternate medication practice that helps regulate and improve reproductive hormones. It involves diet supplementation with four different seeds, including pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds.
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In seed cycling for hormones, all seeds have to be eaten raw and grounded every day during the two specific phases of the menstrual cycle. As whole seeds don't break down in your digestive system completely, grinding them helps your body intake more vitamins and essential minerals from the seeds. You can eat these seeds alone or add them to other food, such as salads and smoothies.
What is the process of seed cycling?
The menstrual cycle involves two major phases, namely the follicular phase and the luteal phase. The follicular phase starts at the beginning of a woman's menstrual cycle and ends on her ovulation day.
The luteal phase, meanwhile, starts between ovulation and the first day of her period. Women who are seed cycling are required to eat two of the seeds depending on their menstrual phase:
Follicular phase
The first part of seed cycling is the follicular phase. In this phase, the ovarian follicles start to grow. The estrogen level also increases, causing the endometrial lining of the uterus to grow. The first day of the follicular phase is the first day of the menstrual cycle, and it usually lasts for ten to 16 days. The follicular phase stops as soon as the ovulation begins.
Seeds for follicular phase
Women who want to begin seed cycling will have to eat pumpkin seeds and flax seeds during the follicular phase. It's recommended to eat one to two tablespoons of each seed per day.
Luteal phase
The second part of the seed cycling process is optimizing the luteal phase. In this phase, the follicles that grow in the follicular phase start to burst and release eggs. Further, a cyst gets formed in place of the burst follicle, which secretes progesterone and estrogen, which thickens the uterus lining.
Seeds for luteal phase:
During the luteal phase, women who want to practice seed cycling will have to incorporate sunflower seeds and sesame seeds into their diet.
It's recommended to eat one to two tablespoons of raw and freshly ground seeds. Both seeds included in the luteal phase are important sources of vital nutrients. While sesame seeds are rich in calcium, sunflower seeds are loaded with Vitamin E, which supports hormone balance and healthy ovulation.
How to get started?
Practicing seed cycling is quite a simple process and doesn’t require a lot of effort, time, or money. However, the first thing you should do when planning seed cycling is to learn the technique of tracking your menstrual cycle accurately. Learning to track your menstrual cycle will help you determine when you are ovulating so you can plan the process accordingly.
Aside from tracking your periods, you should also learn about the specific symptoms and patterns you may face during your menstrual cycle. A common hindrance in seed cycling is not being sure about when ovulation takes place. As seed cycling largely depends on your ovulation, it's crucial to learn how to identify this phase. To make learning easier, you may use ovulation test kits to understand your monthly menstrual cycle.
Overall, seed cycling is safe and effective, and there are no risks or major side effects. However, women with allergies to any of the seeds involved in seed cycling should avoid this practice. Additionally, women suffering from hormonally sensitive cancer should first consult their healthcare provider before incorporating phytoestrogens or dietary supplements into their diets.
