You’ve probably heard the old adage, “let food be thy medicine”, and wondered whether it holds true. Well, Seed Cycle founder Mel Kovacevic says it does, having applied this concept to reproductive health. In the latest episode of the Unprocessed podcast, IQS’ dynamic duo, Clara and Grace, uncover how the holistic entrepreneur is turning hormone health on its head with a therapy that uses – you guessed it – seeds. 

“When it comes to nutrition and health, it's never one thing, it's all the puzzle pieces,” Mel told Unprocessed. “But it seemed like, and I know this now for our customers, like seed cycling was that missing puzzle piece for a lot of people.”

The visionary behind Seed Cycle and certified functional nutrition consultant is all about helping women map their way to better health – and while pills and invasive treatments often come to mind when we think of hormone management, Mel says there’s another way – a natural way. She created Seed Cycle with the goal of helping women balance their hormones affordably, painlessly and safely. You won’t find a hefty list of side effect warnings here!

But you’re probably wondering what exactly seed cycling is. The holistic treatment involves consuming specific seeds during different phases of the menstrual cycle to help balance hormone levels. It is primarily used by individuals seeking to regulate their menstrual cycles, reduce symptoms of hormonal imbalances, and support overall reproductive health. The practice of seed cycling is based on the idea that certain seeds contain compounds that can support hormone production and metabolism. There are generally two phases involved in seed cycling:

1. Follicular Phase: This phase occurs from the first day of menstruation until ovulation (approximately day 14 in a 28-day cycle). During this phase, you’d typically consume specific seeds to support oestrogen production. Flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds are commonly used during this phase.
2. Luteal Phase: This phase occurs from ovulation until the start of the next menstrual cycle. It typically lasts for about 14 days. This is where you’d consume seeds that can help support progesterone production and balance oestrogen levels.

But what are the seeds? Well, Mel says they’re actually very common and affordable seeds – some of which you may already have at home!

“It's four seeds,” she said. “And the concept behind it is that these seeds carry important vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids that support the production and elimination of key hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, and what we know is when our oestrogen and progesterone are out of balance, that's when we see those symptoms, the heavy periods, the hormonal acne, the mood and the mood swings.

“But when we support the body to balance out those hormones which we're doing with the nutrients in the seeds, those symptoms go away, which is pretty amazing.” 

Take a look at the four simple seeds involved:

• Pumpkin seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Sesame seeds
• Sunflower seeds

So where does Seed Cycle come into this? Mel crafted a way to make the process as simple – and tasty – as possible, and it all started rather close to home.

“I was pregnant at the time, but I do also, remember that, my sister-in-law, she was actually the first little guinea pig of mine because she had just come off the pill and she was struggling with some hormonal acne and her period hadn't returned,” Mel told the podcast. “And, so I was like, I'm going to get you to take these seeds... and then that's where the bake mixes came from, because like she was like, ‘oh, I don't know how I'm going to use them’, I'm like, what if I bake up a brownie.

“And then within a couple months, her period regulated her skin cleared up beautifully, she was just feeling so great, and I was like, ‘wow, who else can we try this on?’” 

Seed Cycle offers a range of seed blends for each phase, along with brownie and biscuit mixes for those who aren’t the biggest seed fans. It’s that simple – in fact, the ease of use is exactly what Mel was going for. She says her clients asked her time and time again how to remember which seeds to take and when, so she decided to take the guess work out of it. 

“I had one client who was like, ‘Mel, I just, what seeds are they?’”, she said. “So then I was like, ‘what if I grind them up for you?’ I'll package them up and I'll deliver them to your door each month, so then all you have to do is pop it onto your breakfast and then it's sorted.”

Who is seed cycling for?

Mel says any woman dealing with hormonal imbalances stands to benefit from the practise – take a look at some of the most common issues that bring people to Seed Cycle:

• PCOS
• Menopause or perimenopause
• Hormonal issues from coming off the pill
• Acne
• Period irregularity

“When you are seed cycling to help you get off the pill or if your cycle’s irregular or maybe you're going through menopause or post menopause,” Mel told Unprocessed.   

Head on over to her website, Seed Cycle, to try out her blends for yourself – you’ll find a number of options to suit your needs:

• The Seed Cycle subscription
• Seed Cycle Phase 1 blend
• Seed Cycle phase 2 blend
• Seed Cycle Brownie mix
• Seed Cycle Biscuit mix

Use the code iquitsugar20 for 20% percent off storewide.

Keen to learn more about the two phases of seeds cycling and how you can get started today? Check out the action-packed episode of the podcast HERE for all of Mel’s top tips, tricks and insights into balancing your hormones.