Seed Cycling: The Natural Cure for Hormonal Breakouts?

In my 22 years of working in aesthetics, I have seen how many of my clients try to manage hormonal breakouts with birth control pills and topical prescriptions. Unfortunately, these methods just mask the root cause of the symptoms.

Don’t give up! I am here to educate you on these natural beauty and lifestyle secrets! There is more that you can do to have a balanced body and clear skin.

Could something as simple as eating seeds help to balance hormones naturally?GOOD BYE mood swings, bloating, cramping, PMS and hormonal acne? HELLO happy days and smooth glowing skin?!

What is Seed Cycling, anyway?

Seed cycling involves rotating seeds such as flax, pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds throughout the month to help balance hormones during women’s menstrual cycles. The concept behind the cycling is that the seeds contain lignans that help to bind and excrete excess hormones. On the other hand, they also contain minerals, vitamins, and essential fatty acids that support the production of hormones at different phases of your cycle.

Eating seeds in a certain format can ultimately help your body find balance! The result? A more even mood and clear radiant skin!

Basic Principles for Balancing Hormones

Estrogen and progesterone balance are key to healthy body. Too little estrogen can lead to a thin uterine lining or a lack of ovulation and too much estrogen can cause irregular periods, depression, and harsh PMS symptoms.  Progesterone is essential for getting pregnant and sustaining pregnancy, but a deficiency has been linked to symptoms of PMS, fatigue, irregular periods and recurrent miscarriages.

Ok, with that said…

Throughout the menstrual cycle, the female body is dominated by estrogen for the first half of the cycle (days 1-14), and dominated by progesterone during the later half (days 15-28).

Seeds For BALANCING Estrogen (Days 1-14):

Flax seeds and pumpkin seeds are excellent sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, which allow the smooth transmission of hormones throughout the body.

Flax contains lignans, which blocks the absorption of and assists the elimination of excess estrogen out of the body.

Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc, calcium and magnesium content, which allows the body to release progesterone, reduce cramping and clear the skin. The combination of these two processes allows for the balance between the two hormones.

Seeds For Progesterone (Days 15-28)

During the second half of the cycle, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds will encourage the production of progesterone.

Sesame seeds are high in zinc, calcium and omega 6 fatty acids which are essential to progesterone production. As well as, reducing acne, headaches, cramping.

Sunflower seeds are rich in Vitamin B6 and selenium which support the liver, having a positive effect on the reduction of breakouts and removing excess hormones and toxins. They’re also rich in magnesium, which works with calcium to reduce cramps and calm mood. Just like the flax seeds the lignans in the sesame seeds deter excess estrogen production.

Eats the Right Seeds During Your Cycle

Keep in mindthis part is very important!–ONLY consume the seeds appropriate for your cycle on the given weeks. Aim to avoid sunflower and sesame seeds during the first half of your cycle, and avoid pumpkin and flax seeds during the second half.

Healthy Tip: Choose raw, unsalted versions of each of the seeds.

In the first 14 days of your cycle, have one tablespoon each of ground flax seeds and ground pumpkin seeds daily. In the latter half of your cycle, work in one tablespoon each of ground raw sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. Grinding the seeds breaks down the tough outer layers and makes their nutrients more easily accessible to the body.

Add to smoothies, salads or soups or even blend with water or juice for a quick drink. Make a sauce, salad dressing or your own tahini or seed butter. Go ahead, get creative!

Smoothies, dips/spreads, dressings, sprinkle on yogurt, salads are great vehicles for your seed regimen.

ADD TO SMOOTHIES, DIPS: Daily Dosage GUIDE

Days 1 -14:  Add 1tbsp. of ground flax meal and 1 tbsp. of pumpkin seeds.

Days 15-28: Add 1 tbsp. sesame seeds and 1 tbsp. of sunflower seeds.

*For extra support, add 1500 mg of Fish Oil (EPA+DHA) on days 1-14; and add Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) on days 15-28.

And ONE last suggestion!

Did you know parabens, phthalates, and artificial fragrances, etc. are found in every day beauty products? These are toxic chemicals that are absorbs through your skin, and can alter the natural rhythm of hormones. Scary right?

Use Natural Products and Facial Treatments

Therefore, f you’re going to give seed cycling a go, I would highly recommend  switching to (if you haven’t already) natural facial products and choose to have organic holistic facial treatments, which can help prevent further alteration of your hormones.

Hormones can take a while to balance using natural methods, so be patient and give yourself at least 3 months for this process.

Please let me know how you do, or if you have any questions! Feel free to drop a comment below.

Until next time,
Mei-Lana Chow RHN

Soothe Your Skin and Your Gut

Hello friends and beauty enthusiasts! My name is Mei-Lana Chow. Thank you for dropping in to my first blog post!

My Purpose: Glowing Skin

I have been working as an aesthetician for 16 years. 10 of those years as a Medical Aesthetician at a dermatologist office in Toronto. I am also Registered Holistic Nutritionist, a Bellanina facelift massage specialist, and now finally a blogger?!

I know what you’re thinking…I sound all over the place! But the common thread here is: I know skin: how to take care of it, how to keep it looking great ,while keeping you feeling even better.

My goals is to share what I’ve learned throughout my years working as a skin care specialist. I would love to help you find what you really need for your skin to stay healthy and vibrant!  I highlighted “you” because there are so many different opinions and theories out there as to what works to make your skin glow. But the thing is, what works for one person won’t necessarily work for the next. Sometimes we have to blend all sorts of methods to find the right fit to achieve beautiful, lasting, illuminating results.

I truly believe that beautiful glowing skin is a by-product of a healthy body. And a healthy body begins with gut health and is supported with healthy lifestyle choices and habits!

My #1 Advice for Skin Care

The number one thing I always recommend to my clients is to start taking a high quality probiotic every day. Look for probiotic that delivers 20 to 50 billion live organisms per dose and contain a combination of different strains of lactobacillus and bifidobacteria. Take as directed, preferably once or twice daily with meals. This “friendly bacteria” helps to keep your digestion running smoothly and also will have a direct impact on the clarity and tone of your skin.

Another way to incorporate gut-friendly probiotics into our daily food choices is to eat fermented foods! Sauerkraut, kimchi, organic yogurt, kefir, and kombucha…yum!!!

One thing I must point out though!!! It’s the fact that some people are unable to properly digest milk proteins, and this can irritate their bodies creating an abundance of mucus in the tissues and ultimately having an “ugly” impact on their complexion. If you suffer from cystic or even mild acne, cutting out all dairy might just clear up your skin!! Try cutting out ALL sources of dairy from your diet for a minimum of 2 weeks.  Betcha you’ll notice less breakouts?

Healthy Food & Healthy Skin

Now I’m going to put a spin on this and suggest you also put the same food you’re eating for a healthy body and put it on your skin for a healthy glowing complexion! YUP!

I have honestly had the most compliments on my skin the days after I apply this turmeric mask on my face. I also put this mask on my boyfriend once after he came home from surfing in November. Yes, he surfs in the icy waters of Lake Ontario, with a wetsuit of course! He just loves catching waves!! Well, this one time he came home with a serious case of wind burn. His skin was so irritated it was screaming out for the soothing, anti-inflammatory nature of this mask. I mixed it up and smothered it all over his face, left it for 15 min, washed it off and BAM, his skin looked and felt normal again!

This is definite must-try at home facial treatment, especially if your skin is inflamed, irritated, or acne prone!

Turmeric Mask for Glowing Skin

At Home Treatment

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp. turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp. raw honey
  • 1 tsp. organic yogurt

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a small dish.  If it is too runny, add more turmeric powder.
  2. Apply to face for 10-15 mins.
  3. Splash with water and gently wash off with a dark-coloured wash cloth. Be careful with blonde or white hair, or light/white towels, as the turmeric can stain!
  4. Follow with applying a lightweight, natural moisturizer.

Benefits of these amazing ingredients: Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Raw unpasteurized honey is antibacterial, moisturizing and softening. The lactic acid in the milk product will gently exfoliate the skin.

*Note: If you suffer from acne, use cooled green or black tea instead of yogurt!

Well, friends and beauty enthusiasts, that’s it for today! Thanks for reading! I’ll be back soon with more helpful tips on how to feel great and keep your skin glowing.

~Mei-Lana Chow xo