This post covers the basics of seed cycling and how you can layer it with other forms of hormonal balancing, such as essential fatty acid cycling, for improved fertility and hormonal balance.
What is seed cycling?
For many people with menstrual cycles, seed cycling is a simple yet profoundly effective tool to support hormonal balancing. Many of my clients have very successfully integrated it into their individualized nutrition and lifestyle plan. In fact, we use seed cycling not just for women trying to optimize their fertility but also for those wishing for improved hormonal balance and menstrual regularity.
Notes and caveats on seed cycling
Seed cycling and essential fatty acid cycling are amazing tools to implement if you are looking to enhance hormonal balance. However, if you are engaged in fertility treatments, make sure you talk with your healthcare team before doing anything that might affect your hormonal balance!
If you have a medical condition, a history of allergies, or take any prescription medications, talk with your healthcare team prior to implementing these recommendations.
You can read a bit more about seed cycling in this post by Dr. Jolene Brighten, author of the book Beyond the Pill. Speaking of which, her book is a wonderful resource for women’s health, regardless of birth control history.
Ready to try seed and fatty acid cycling?
What: Seeds and fatty acids can be “cycled” to optimize hormonal balance throughout the menstrual cycle.
How much? Aim for 1-2 Tbsp of seeds total (organic and in the least processed form possible) and/or 2 capsules per day of the fatty acid with meals. Mix and match the recommended seeds as you see fit.
The first half of your cycle, beginning with menstruation and up to ovulation (follicular phase)
Seeds: pumpkin seeds and/or flax seeds
- Pumpkin seed butter is more digestible than whole pumpkin seeds for some people.
- Flax seeds: Grind the night before and soak overnight in at least 3 times the seed volume. You can use water or another liquid of your choice. Consume as a porridge or gruel the next morning, or add it to your overnight oatmeal blend.
Essential fatty acids: Fish oil, cod liver oil or flaxseed oil, 1 capsule after breakfast and one after lunch or as otherwise recommended by your practitioner.
The second half of the cycle, from ovulation and up to but not including menstruation (luteal phase)
- Seeds: sunflower, sesame seeds
- Fatty acids: evening primrose oil, 1 capsule after breakfast and one after lunch or as otherwise recommended by your practitioner
Additional food and non-food considerations for hormonal balance
There are many variables that affect how our bodies metabolize estrogen. Phytoestrogen-rich foods will affect different women differently. Some women notice improved hormonal balance when adjusting their intake of estrogenic foods and herbs during different phases of the menstrual cycle.
Estrogenic foods and herbs may have a role in your comprehensive individualized nutrition and lifestyle plan. For example, we can use them during perimenopause and in the post-menopausal period to optimize hormonal balance and support bone density. If you have a personal or family history of estrogen-receptor-positive cancers, check with your medical team for advice on estrogenic foods. Keep in mind that the most recent scientific evidence on these foods is very reassuring and greatly shifts the previous perspective away from the restrictive protocols widely applied in the past.
Are you avoiding soy due to concerns that it is harmful to hormone balancing? Please keep in mind that the most up to date research on soy consumption is very reassuring for the vast majority of people during most phases of the lifespan. Keep in mind a few caveats. Some people are exquisitely sensitive to soy from a hormonal perspective. Soy is one of the 8 most common food allergens, and soy has the potential to act as a goitrogen. Additionally, while whole-food versions of soy, such as edamame, soy milk, tofu, tempeh, miso, and natto are healthy, be wary of soy protein powders and soy-based infant formulas.
For those who tolerate soy, it’s not only pregnancy-safe but a wonderful food to consume during pregnancy, as it can lower the risk of gestational diabetes, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8513326/. It is well documented that GDM increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12570462/. By including soy in your healthy, varied, and balanced diet, you can help support the health of your baby, too. Again, this is not to advocate consumption of soy in people who don’t tolerate it or whose thyroid health and hormone balance are negatively affected by its consumption.
Xenoestrogens: chemical exposures
- Conventional (non-organic) meat and dairy products typically contain hormones that can alter your hormonal balance. This is one of many reasons to choose local, organic and pasture-raised products.
- Plastics and artificial scents/fragrances are highly estrogen-mimicking and hormonal-disrupting, so limit plastic food/drink packaging as much as possible and avoid scented home and body care products.
- If you use essential oils, talk with a qualified, well-researched, and experienced aromatherapist about which oils to avoid during the preconception period due to possible concerns about adverse effects on hormonal balance, uterine contractility and more.
Seed cycling and lunar phases
Many women tend to “sync up” their cycles in such a way as to menstruate and ovulate around the new moon and/or full moon. A lot of the visuals and charts suggest that we should ovulate with the full moon and menstruate with the new moon. Don’t get too hung up about this! Rather, keep in mind that it’s a bit like right-handedness v. left-handedness in the sense that one tendency is more common than the other but not necessarily better. There’s absolutely no need for you to try and change your tendency to ovulate with/near the new moon and bleed with/near the full moon. Let your body do its own thing and trust its wisdom.
What does my cycle’s relationship with lunar phases say about me?
According to anecdotal reports, the prevalent tendency to ovulate around the full moon and bleed with the new moon may suggest a prevalently physical connection with the body, fertility and the world. Conversely, the less common tendency to ovulate around the new moon and bleed with the full moon correlates with a more spiritual, creative and symbolic personality. Please keep in mind that this may or may not match up in your case. Additionally, different degrees of connection to creative, spiritual or physical/earthly realms will not make you more or less able to conceive and bear children or have a well-balanced life!
Ultimately, by honoring your personal traits, you will support your physical and emotional well-being, thus optimizing your fertility and hormonal balance. So don’t worry about conforming to some standard of “normal” or “better”! If you have any concerns about this, please talk with your practitioner or reach out for additional resources and guidance.
Would you like to work together?
If you’d like to talk further about your health journey, don’t hesitate to schedule a complimentary call! I’ll be happy to talk with you about your needs and explore whether my experience, approach, and training are a good match for you!