I have been on a quest to learn more about hormonal health for the past 10 years and seed cycling has popped up a few times in my research. I did try it for a period, yet didn’t perhaps give it the consistency and credit it deserved. Or maybe it just wasn’t what I needed at the time.
This is the nature of wellness practices and hormonal health. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for everyone, all the time. You may need a season with a particular practice, or you may need it down the track, or it may never make the difference for you, because there are so many other variables that are more important for your body. So I invite you to be your own investigative scientist and find what works for you. I am back trialling it for myself again and whether it helps me or not, I am enjoying the creative process of incorporating seeds into my diet and developing a relationship with these power packed gifts from nature. I find it a nourishing process in itself to explore the wonder of food from nature, along with its healing properties. Hormones aside, these seeds are a fantastic way of boosting fibre and essential minerals such as zinc, manganese, molybdenum, magnesium, iron, calcium, silicon and essential fats.
In case you were wondering - What is seed cycling? It is a dietary program that includes 1 tablespoon of flaxseed and 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seed for the first two weeks of the menstrual cycle to support follicular phase - the building of oestrogen. Then 1 tablespoon of sesame seed and 1 tablespoon of sunflower seed for the second 2 weeks of the menstrual cycle to build progesterone in the luteal phase.
A clinical trial has now been published by Two Moons Health, makers of the ZEST and ZEN seed cycling capsules. Because it can require a bit of extra mental bandwidth, remembering and planning to consume the seeds, they made it more convenient and developed capsules to be equivalent to the 1 tablespoon of each of the required seeds. Forty women took the capsules, flaxseed and pumpkin seed for the first two weeks of the cycle, then sesame, sunflower, chasteberry, and psyllium for the second two weeks, across two menstrual cycles. By the end of cycle two, many of the women in perimenopause with irregular cycles had more regular cycles. These were some other remarkable results:
→ Sick days tied to menstrual symptoms dropped 73.86%
→ Menstrual cramping pain dropped 24.49% on the numeric pain scale
→ All nine PMS symptom measures tracked, from bloating to brain fog, improved significantly
The company's co-founders, Terry Chang and Dr. Ulrike Kaunzner, discussed it in a podcast with the teacher I am studying under at the moment - Dr Jessica Drummond from the Integrative Women’s Health Institute. Neurologist. Dr. Kaunzner walks through why they put chasteberry only in the second half of the cycle instead of dosing it continuously.
I can see why psyllium is used in the second half of the cycle to help resolve some of those pre-menstrual constipation tendencies. Additionally, psyllium is a great ingredient for binding to excess cholesterol and clearing it from the body, so you may wish to try this the full month around if you are concerned about high cholesterol or if you tend to get constipation. 2 level teaspoons daily is a good amount to take. Make sure to take it with plenty of water. You can listen to the seed cycling podcast here.
And here are my latest recipes and strategies for trialling the seed diet yourself.
Pepita Flaxseed Loaf
Serves 4
4 tablespoons pepitas
4 tablespoons whole flaxseed
1/4 cup of psyllium husk
1 cup of almond meal
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of soda bicarbonate
1 dessert spoon of finely chopped rosemary or lemon thyme or your favourite fresh herb
1/4 cup of coursely chopped parsley
1 egg
Cover seeds in water and soak overnight. Blend seeds.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Spoon mixture into a small loaf tin lined with baking paper.
Bake in a 160 degree oven for 40 minutes.
Once cooled, cut into 8 slices and store in an airtight container in the fridge. (2 slices per serve)
Delicious served with butter or extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
You could also make a double batch and store sliced bread in the freezer to toast as needed.
Pepita Flaxseed Bliss Balls - or squares
Serves 8
8 tablespoons pepitas soaked
8 tablespoons ground flaxseed
3 tablespoons of cacao powder
6 fresh dates
1 cup of walnuts or pecan nuts
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup of espresso coffee (or strong instant coffee)
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
Pinch of salt
Soak the dates in the freshly brewed coffee
Blend all ingredients together
Divide into 8 portions and roll each into a ball. Store in the fridge.
Alternatively you can press the mixture into a slice tin lined with baking paper and refrigerate until firm, then cut into 8 pieces.
Sunflower and Sesame Savoury Biscuits
Serves 8
8 tablespoons of sunflower seeds
8 tablespoons of sesame seeds
80g butter (melted)
1/2 cup of cassava flour (for gluten free)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of mixed dried basil
2 tablespoons of savoury yeast flakes
Optional extra - 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Divide into 8 balls and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Press each ball with a wet fork to flatten the biscuits to about 2cm.
Bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes or until slightly browned.
These will keep better in the fridge.
Sunflower and Sesame Slice
Serves 8
8 tablespoons of sunflower seeds
8 tablespoons of sesame seeds
100g coconut oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup of finely chopped cashew nuts
1 tablespoon activated buckwheat kernels
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup of 70% chocolate chips
Melt the coconut oil over low heat if not already liquid.
Take off the heat and add remaining ingredients except chocolate chips. (Unless you prefer the chocolate melted and mixed through.
If you prefer chunky chocolate in your slice, mix in chocolate chips once cooled.
Spread mixture into a baking tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate until firm.
Cut the slice into 8 pieces. Store in the fridge.
Suggestions to incorporate seeds into your everyday diet
Sesame & sunflower combos:
Note:
1 tablespoon of tahini can substitute for 1 tablespoon of sesame
Spread tahini on your toast and top with sunflower seeds. What makes this delicious?
-> A drizzle of honey
-> A squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt
-> Chopped dried figs or apricots
Spread tahini on toast, top with fried, poached, scrambled or boiled eggs and drizzle with a spoon of apple cider vinegar, a sprinkle of salt and finely chopped parsley or coriander.
Make a chocolate dessert by mixing together 1 tablespoon of tahini, 1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds, 1 tablespoon of cacao powder, 1 tsp of honey and 1 dessert spoon of coconut oil.
Pepita/Pumpkin seed & flaxseed combos:
Note:
Flaxseed has a hard outer coat and you can’t get the nutritional benefit without grinding it. When using a tablespoon of flaxseed, make sure to grind it just before use, or store it in a light-proof jar in the fridge.
Add pumpkin seeds and a tablespoon of flaxseed oil to roast vegetables and ricotta cheese.
Mix crushed pepitas and ground flaxseeds to smashed avocado and season with salt and lemon juice. Spread on toast or serve with boiled or scrambled eggs.
Make a chocolate dessert by mashing 1/2 an avocado and mixing in 1 dessert spoon of cacao powder, 1 tsp of honey, 1 dessert spoon of coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 1 of pepitas.
Suggestions to include any of the seed combos
Add seeds to your salads
Add seeds to steamed vegetables
Add seeds to mashed potato and sweet potato to serve with your meal
Add seeds to your favourite muesli or porridge
Sprinkle seeds on scrambled eggs or egg omelette
Sprinkle seeds on poached, boiled or fried eggs on toast
Add seeds to natural yoghurt and drizzle with honey
Sprinkle seeds on your favourite soup
Add seeds to your smoothies
Soak seeds with a tablespoon of psyllium husk in approximately 3/4 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice until a jelly forms.