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How to Balance Your Hormones with Seed Cycling
Seed cycling is one of those hormone balancing tools that are simple and have shown to have anecdotal effects on balancing hormones. While the jury is still out on how big that impact is, there are plenty of women using seed cycling as an easy and natural way to help balance their estrogen and progesterone. As is the general case for women’s health studies, more studies are needed to show scientifically proven efficacy, but regardless, I love the idea of naturally supplementing our bodies with minerals we are absorbing less efficiently at different times of the month.
As women, most of us have been told that whatever symptom we might be feeling is related to our hormones. And then we are told that our hormones are out of balance, or that it’s totally normal to experience X, Y & Z (even when it's not). Despite the fact our culture is rich in information, most women, let alone practitioners, don’t have a solid picture of what is really out of balance, nor how to heal it.
Hormones
Hormones play a huge role in how our bodies function and not surprisingly, nature can be a very effective way to rebalance them: diet, exercise, sleep and stress reduction to name a few. In today’s post, we will connect to the wisdom of Seed Cycling in order to support our bodies in finding their balance.
Before we dive into the seeds, let’s talk about hormones.
When focusing on equilibrium in the body, our hormones are the main players. They regulate our basic needs like sleep and hunger, and for women, our hormones regulate our menstrual cycle, fertility, and related hormonal stages (such as peri-menopause and menopause).
Hormones come from different areas in the body, starting with different glands:
And then we have the hormones that come from different organs;
With all of these weaving systems, glands, and organs moving together to balance and recalibrate, we know that our energetic beings can throw off the physical. Everything in our body, physical, mental, and spiritual, works together. As something is thrown off balance, it is nearly inevitable that there won’t be repercussions or effects found further down the line. It also tends to be that the physical self and our body is the final layer that gets affected. Meaning when you feel it physically, the imbalance has already run energetically and emotionally through your system (often for some time already).
So when an imbalance arrives in our physicality, not only do we address it emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, but we also can do so physically. Enter our method of the hour: Seed Cycling.
What is Seed Cycling?
Seed Cycling is the practice of cycling different seeds along with the different phases of your cycle to balance out phases’ respective dominant hormones. There are two different seeds that you would take during the first half of your cycle to support your estrogen production and then another two different seeds in the second half of your cycle to help your progesterone production.
This is a practice that can be done several cycles in a row, and the more you do it, the easier it will be to sense the changes in your body.
*If you don’t bleed or have an irregular cycle you can still use this practice to bring balance to your hormones and a great way to time yourself is to follow the celestial moon’s cycle.
Seed Cycling is a really easy DIY practice that any woman can do at home. Some signs that seed cycling might be worth a try? If you’re feeling consistently tired (despite getting enough sleep), large mood swings, cramping, swollen/tender breasts, other PMS symptoms including, painful periods, low libido, and even hormonally-driven infertility.
How to Seed Cycle?
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The practice is quite simple, here’s how you can begin:
Day 1 (First day of your bleed):
Start with 1 TBS of each, Flaxseed and Pumpkin seed (you can supplement these as you wish, including grinding and mixing in with other foods). Flax & pumpkin seeds contain Omega 3 & 6, as well as Zinc, which help block the production of excess estrogen in the body.
Day 15 (Ovulation)
Begin with 1 TBS of each Sunflower and Sesame Seed. These seeds contain omega 3 and 6, lignan (precursors to phytoestrogens), and Vitamin E, and help to increase progesterone production and support hormone regulation.
Best practice: Grinding and eating the seeds raw will help open the seeds and give more nutrients to the body. Whereas whole can sometimes be hard on our digestive system and cooked might lose some of the nutrients in the grains.
After you first start seed cycling, give yourself time to feel the difference. The more consistent you stay in your practice and take the 2 TBS of ground seeds daily, the more likely you are to feel a difference.
When it comes to hormones, lifestyle also plays into how we feel, so pairing seed cycling with actively reducing stress from our lives, bringing in more whole foods into our diets, and balanced exercise and movement play equally as important roles.
Enjoy this practice as a ritual for a few months and connect with us on IG about how you have experienced the effects.
**Disclaimer: Kate Murphy & The Feminine Code Team, are not doctors and do not have any licenses as medical care providers, psychologists, psychiatrists, or otherwise. The above is only opinion and not meant to be a substitute for professional advice. You are encouraged to consult with your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding any health condition or any other condition.
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