Hassle-free seed cycling

When I first heard about seed cycling I thought it was a bit too out there, even for my liking.

The more I learned about it though, the more it seemed to make sense: food as medicine has gained an enormous amount of traction in the past few years, and the compounds in the seeds have been proven to encourage and inhibit the production of female reproductive hormones.

Before we jump into what seed cycling is, let's debrief on what a "normal" female body's menstrual cycle looks like:

• A normal cycle runs for roughly 28 days
• A cycle is split into 2 main phases: the follicular phase (days 1-14; from the first day of your period through ovulation) and the luteal phase (days 15-28; from ovulation until your period starts)
• A delicate interplay of hormones must occur during this time
• In days 1- 14 during the follicular phase, the ovaries prepare to release an egg. In this phase, estrogen levels increase. This catalyzes ovulation.
• In days 15-28 during the luteal phase, estrogen drops off and progesterone increases to increase the lining of your uterus in preparation for pregnancy. When your body realizes it isn't pregnant, it will shed its uterine lining - this is your period.

So, back to seed cycling!

The gist is as follows: during your follicular phase (days 1-14), you eat a tablespoon each of pumpkin and flax seeds to boost estrogen and encourage ovulation. From days 15-28 (luteal phase) to boost progesterone you switch to sesame and sesame seeds, which help produce progesterone and flush the estrogen out of your system.

But why does this work?

We know - it sounds like magic. It makes more sense when you unpack the nutrients in each type of seed:

Flax: Flax seeds contain lignans, which support your body in flushing excess estrogen from your system (your body should be producing estrogen during this time to ovulate, but too much can cause undesired side effects and long-term health issues). Lignans bind to estrogen, and flax is a great elimination catalyst (read: it helps you poop), so when you are incorporating these into your diet, estrogen is more seamlessly flushed out. Lignans are also known to decrease chances of hormone-related cancers such as breast and prostate cancer. Flax for the win!

Pumpkin: These guys are high in zinc, which supports progesterone production in preparation for ovulation and the next phase of your cycle.

Sesame: Like flax, sesame seeds also contain lignans to block excess estrogen. We want your body to flush estrogen during this time.

Sunflower: Sunflower seeds are abundant in selenium, which is good for hormone balance and liver detoxification.

Food Period's Moon Bites can help regulate your period with a combination of seeds times carefully during your follicular and luteal phases. Their subscription product offers a tasty and hassle-free way to get your seed cycling in.

Food Period’s founders, Jenn Kim and Britt Martin, have done a great job creating a trusted brand with a delicious product. They’ve made access to functional food super convenient on their website, and you can even set yourself up on a subscription basis so that your Moon Bites are delivered monthly.

Want to learn more about Food Period? Head over to FoodPeriod and check out their great posts - this is one of Pollie’s favorites for quality educational content. Or, visit www.foodperiod.com to order your Moon Bites today!

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