It may sound like a gardening term, but it’s actually a great method to help with PMS symptoms using…you guessed it…Seeds! Specifically ground flax or pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds or sesame seeds.
There are two star hormones that we’re concerned with here and they are estrogen and progesterone which work hand-in-hand to ensure your cycle moves along properly
The average cycle can range anywhere between 21-40 days and is divided into 4 phases: the follicular phase, ovulation, the luteal phase and menstruation. During the follicular phase, your estrogen levels rise as they work to build the uterine lining while preparing for ovulation and fertilization.
Once ovulation hits, estrogen begins to back off and its sister hormone, progesterone kicks in. This is when we move into the second phase called the luteal phase.
Progesterone tells estrogen “it’s okay, I’ve got it from here” and is responsible for stopping the thickening of the lining while also keeping us level headed, sleeping well and providing calming and natural diuretic effects to prevent bloating and breast tenderness. This phase lasts until the uterine lining is shed aka our period occurs and then the cycle begins again.
Remember, progesterone is responsible for keeping us level headed and calm along with those natural diuretic effects so with low levels of progesterone we will inevitably experience…PMS!
That is, we will get the moodiness, bloating, sugar cravings, cramps, hormonal acne and all those other lovely symptoms that we amazing women have to power through.
The idea here is to support each phase of the cycle with hormone supportive foods. During the first phase, we want to boost our good estrogens that will be detoxified by the body properly using seeds such as ground flax and pumpkin seeds and while in the luteal phase, we’ll switch to sunflower seeds or sesame seeds to boost our progesterone levels.
The idea is to support each phase of the cycle with hormone supportive foods
The easiest way to do this is to incorporate the seeds into your daily meals. I like to sprinkle some ground flaxseeds onto my breakfast granola and/or my lunch and dinner! Sometimes, because I often find 1 tablespoon to be a lot, I’ll divide 1/2 a tablespoon between breakfast and lunch. Try it out like so:
So next time those pesky PMS symptoms hit, remember that there is something you can do that doesn’t include over the counter pain killers! Let me know if you give it a try!
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