Seed Cycling

This is my favourite favoruite afternoon tea snack. Basically I have it in some form every single day. Even when I travel (back in those glorious pre-covid days) I always pack my seeds.

It started out as just linseeds (flax) and yoghurt to keep me regular AND to stop me getting too ravenous before cooking dinner.

But recently it evolved to this seed cycling. It’s a concept I learned from my friend and hormonal health expert Maisie Hill.

The idea is to have linseeds and pumpkin seeds in the first half of your cycle. And then sunflower seeds and sesame seeds in the second half. I haven’t seen any research around this but I love seeds. So I figured I’d give it a go.

First and most importantly, the extra seeds have made my afternoon tea even more delicious than before. But the other benefit has been my cycle has become more regular which as any 48-year-old with PCOS knows, is a good sign.

And if you’re past the stage of having pesky periods, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy this anyway. In fact Maisie recommends following the lunar cycle.

NOTE: When starting out – best to introduce the linseeds slowly – as going straight to 2 tablespoons a day can be a bit much fibre and can actually cause some unpleasant side effects.

If you’re having problems with your cycle, Maisie’s books Period Powder and Peri-Menopause Power as well worth reading. And see your doctor, you shouldn’t haven’t to suffer.

And if you have PCOS and you’re not eating mostly low carb, I highly recommend considering it – that made a massive massive difference in my having semi-regular cycles AND being able to conceive my children naturally in my 40s.

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Seed Cycling

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 person

Ingredients

Day 1 to Day 14

• 1-2 tablespoons linseeds (flax)
• 1-2 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 2-4 tablespoons Greek yoghurt

Day 14 to Day 28

• 1-2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
• 1-2 tablespoons sesame seeds or tahini
• 2-4 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
• 1-2 tablespoons linseeds (flax) optional

Instructions

• Place linseeds (flax) in the base of a small bowl or glass. Top with yoghurt then top with the remaining seeds or tahini.
• Eat immediately. Or you can leave it in the fridge for a few hours or up to a week if you perfer your seeds softer.

Notes

If your cycle isn't regular like mine, continue with the pumpkin seed combo until you ovulate and then switch to the sunflower seed option. Or if it's easier, just change over at Day 15. There's no need to be too pedantic with it. And Day 1 is the first day of your period (or the first day of the new moon if you are following the lunar cycle)

Variations & Substitutions

dairy-free – use your favourite dairy-free yoghurt, cashew yoghurt or whipped coconut cream.

ground seeds – I don’t bother but your’e welcome to if you want to maximise nutrient absorption.

toasted seeds – again I don’t bother but if you want extra flavour you can.

extra flavours – sometimes I add roast nuts or nut butter (my macadamia butter is amazeballs with this) to mix things up.

sweeter – feel free to add some berries or any fruit you like. It’s really good with these vanilla roast pears.

chocolate – feel free to add finely grated chocolate or this quick chocolate sauce.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

yoghurt – usually has a shelf life of a month or so. Otherwise, have it for another meal like breakfast! Don’t freeze.

seeds – keep them in the pantry.

tahini – I keep mine in the pantry but will keep longer in the fridge if open.

Prepare Ahead

Yes! Just prep as per the recipe. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks – the seeds just won’t be as crunchy.