Seed Cycling and the Menopause

Menopause can be a stressful time on a woman’s body, but someone women find it much more taxing than others. You might feel more irritated, depressed, anxious and even begin experiencing panic attacks, despite never having suffered with mental health symptoms before this point.

Stress is often related to hormonal changes, but it becomes a self fulfilling cycle, with studies showing that women who are more stressed generally experience five times more severe symptoms during menopause than women who were more relaxed. The reduction in progesterone and oestrogen will also give you a similar feeling to PMS, so if you were susceptible to that, you will be more susceptible to menopausal stress too, and more likely to struggle with keeping your adrenals balanced.

A Two Pronged Approach

I like to suggest a two pronged approach to reducing menopausal stress and the first thing I recommend is called ‘Seed Cycling’.

What is Seed Cycling?

Seed cycling is where you essentially take two tbsps of seeds every day, that are known to help regulate progesterone and oestrogen production, as a supplement to ease the lack of hormones that your body is withdrawing from.

This isn’t just for women in their menopause either, it can also be used to help make irregular periods more predictable and to improve symptoms of PMS. In fact, seed cycling can help with:

• Acne

• Adrenal issues

• Cramping

• Depression

• Endometriosis

• Fatigue

• Heavy or irregular bleeding

• Infertility

• Insomnia

• Low Libido

• Menopause

• Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome

• PMS

• Thyroid Disorders

You can expect to see improvements within 3-6 months of taking your seeds.

So How do I do it?

Days 1-14 of your cycle are all about regulating oestrogen production and absorption. You will need consume a good balance of omega-3 and omega 6-fatty acids during this phase.

You will need to take 1tbsp each of raw, freshly ground flax seeds* and pumpkin seeds each day. It’s very easy to throw them in a smoothie each morning or sprinkle them one some yoghurt.

I also recommend taking a high quality fish oil such as xEO Mega Supplement or the vegan version, vEO Mega.

*if you suffer from low oestrogen you should omit the flax seeds or only use them sparingly

Days 15-28 of your cycle the goal is to raise progesterone levels by consuming omega-6 rich seeds.

You will need to take 1 tbsp each of raw, freshly ground sunflower seeds and sesame seeds each day. You should also take 2000mg of evening primrose oil.

So that’s seed cycling in a nutshell.

The next part to look at is the B Vitamin family.

B vitamins are a family of vitamins that have to work together to function well, and they are extremely important for women’s health. Unfortunately stress and hormonal changes can both lead to poor absorption and conversion, so it’s vital that you eat a diet rich in these and consider supplementation during your menopausal years.

B vitamins and sex hormones

During menopause your ovaries will stop producing sex hormones, but your adrenal glands and fat cells will continue. Your body needs these hormones to keep your bones healthy among other things. Vitamin B3 and B9 are crucial to their ability to produce oestrogen for example.

Your adrenal glands are very susceptible to stress and may not produce oestrogen well if you are feeling hormonal. It is important to support them with vitamin B5. You can also help regulate your ‘fight or flight’ response and reduce the risk of panic attacks with B1, B3 and B12.

Serotonin is the brains ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter, and which will help to stabilise your mood as well as improving your ability to sleep. Vitamin B6 and B12 are important serotonin production, which means that if you are running low, you may have trouble producing it. This can also lead to depression, fatigue and compulsive eating.

Your liver is where your body breaks down excess hormones so that you can excrete them through the gut. If your liver isn’t functioning well, you may have trouble regulating hormones. Both phases of liver detoxification rely on good levels of all the B vitamins.

So Where do I get my B vitamins from?

Here are my favourite sources of B vitamins that you should concentrate heavily on. You’ll notice that I’ve italicised the whole grains. I generally don’t advocate eating lots of grain, in fact, you don’t need any at all. HOWEVER, if you are going to eat grains, at least eat whole grains so that you get a few B vitamins with them.

B1 thiamin: eggs, fresh and dried fruit, liver, vegetables especially peas, wholegrains

B2 riboflavin: brown rice, eggs, milk

B3 Niacin: eggs, fish, meat, milk, wholegrains,

B6 Pyridoxine: avocados, bananas, chicken, eggs, fish, peanuts, turkey, wholegrains

B12: cheese, eggs, fish, meat, milk, Sea vegetables

Folic acid: asparagus, avocados, brown rice, green leafy vegetables, liver, peas

B Complex Supplements

I don’t recommend taking B Complex supplements, just as I don’t like multi-vitamins, as it is difficult to control the dosage of individual vitamins. It is inevitable that the manufacturers will bulk up the pills with the cheaper vitamins and leave the supplement inbalanced.

If you must take a B-Complex, then I always suggest adding Niacin (vitamin B3) on top and ensuring that you are taking at least the same amount of Vitamin C as you are in Niacin.

I also recommend creating a doTERRA account and purchasing the women's health kit, which contains a phytoestrogen supplement, a bone nutrient complex and "Clary Calm" aromatherapy rollerball blend. You can only purchase this great value kit on the Loyalty Rewards Programme, but you can buy each item individually on a retail account.

For more detail on a personalised program of supplements, please book an appointment.