Seed’s Nutritional Therapist, Kristina Carman, shares her tops eats, recipes, tools and techniques to support you through all stages of your cycle and hormonal balance.
Hormones have profound effects on your mental, physical and emotional health. These chemical messengers play a major role in controlling your appetite, weight and mood, among so many other things.
Normally, your endocrine glands produce the precise amount of each hormone needed for various processes in your body. However, hormonal imbalances have become increasingly common with today’s fast-paced modern lifestyle and our diet which is often lacking in whole foods.
In addition, certain hormones decline with age, and some people experience a more dramatic decrease than others due to their genetic inheritance.
Fortunately, a nutritious diet and other healthy lifestyle behaviours can help you achieve happy healthy hormones and allow you to feel and perform your best.
What to Eat During the Different Phases of your Cycle:
Phase 1 – Menstrual Phase – Typically lasts 3-7 days
Phase 2 – Follicular Phase – Typically lasts 7-10 days
Phase 3 – Ovulatory Phase – Typically lasts 3-4 days
Phase 4 – Luteal Phase – Typically lasts 10-14 days
Natural Ways to Balance Your Hormones
There are some big NO NO foods to avoid during your menstruation (& as much as possible).
For women menstruation is one of our detoxification pathways.
If you don’t nourish your body during this time then more toxins accumulate and your body has a more difficult job to do trying to eliminate.
Try to avoid or limit your intake of: Fatty foods, Diary, Salty & Processed foods, Fried foods, Refined Sugar, Alcohol, Caffeine, Fizzy drinks.
This is sometimes a difficult one as its also the foods we crave during this time. Try drinking more water and focus on your three meals. This will give your body what is needs nutritionally and through hydration which will curb those cravings for sugar and nasties.
Seed Cycling for Happy, Healthy Hormones
Seed cycling is a lovely naturopathic practice of eating different kinds of seeds during the two phases of your menstrual cycle, in order to more naturally balance your hormones. During the first half of your cycle (the follicular phase, approximately days 1-14), it’s recommended that women eat 1 tablespoon each of flax and pumpkin seeds per day.
Then during the second half of your cycle (the luteal phase, approximately days 15-28), it’s recommended to eat 1 tablespoon each of sunflower and sesame seeds per day. It’s said that these specific seed cycling mixes can naturally help to balance oestrogen and progesterone in the body, and many women believe the practice can help with everything from regulating periods to reducing acne and cramps and fatigue, easing symptoms of menopause, helping with infertility, and much more.
SEED CYCLING ENERGY BITES INGREDIENTS:
Here are the ingredients that you will need to make two variations of this seed cycling energy bites recipe — one version of the recipe for your follicular phase (with flaxseed and pumpkin seeds) and one version for your luteal phase (with sunflower seeds and sesame seeds):
HOW TO MAKE SEED CYCLING ENERGY BITES:
POSSIBLE VARIATIONS:
There are many ways that you could customise this seed cycling energy bites recipe, so please get creative and adapt whatever works best for you! For example, feel free to…
INGREDIENTS
FOLLICULAR PHASE ENERGY BITES (DAYS 1-14)
LUTEAL PHASE ENERGY BITES (DAYS 15-28)
INSTRUCTIONS
The foods listed above are also encouraged for women going through pre and post-menopause. Our bodies still cycle even though we don’t “bleed” so aim for a healthy plant rich whole food diet and lots of water. Happy, healthy hormones equal a happy, healthy you!
Please if you have any question do get in touch with Kristina! kristina@seedwellness.co.uk
Kristina Carman (adv.NT.dip) – Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist Vinyasa Yoga & Barre Instructor
www.tinyfishco.com
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