Meet 'The Seed Cycle'
In this two part series we sat down with the women behind The Seed Cycle - Mel and Sarina. We spoke all things Seed Cycling, hormones, menstrual education and what it means to make empowered choices for your body!
Check back for part 2 coming on the 14th of November where we dive into Seed Cycling, how it works and it's benefits!
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Luna: We are so excited to be sitting down with you both today! We are very interested in getting to know a bit more about you and your unique experiences in the Women’s health space. Could you both please tell us a little bit more about what it is you do?
Mel: For sure! I'm Mel, I'm the founder of The Seed Cycle and my background is in functional nutrition. I'm also an EFT tapping practitioner and over the last 8 years I have worked within the women's health space. When I opened my clinic I really focused on women and their relationship with food and their bodies, offering a holistic approach.. About 2 years in to starting my clinic I had some clients who were a bit stagnant and weren't where they needed to be within their journey, they were coming back into sessions still suffering from PMS symptoms, acne, cramping etc. It was clear all signs were pointing to their hormones. I realised I needed to learn more and work out a way to help my clients support their hormones. So I started researching foods that support hormones and came across seed cycling - from there everything changed and brought me to where I am today with my company 'The Seed Cycle'.
Luna: Amazing, thank you for that Mel! Sarina, tell us, how did you come to join The Seed Cycle family?
Sarina: I am a women's health clinical nutritionist and similarly to Mel an EFT tapping practitioner. I started my clinic 3 years ago, and my main mission has been to teach women to work with their body rather than against it. I work a lot with reproductive disorders like PCOS, Endometriosis, and menstrual irregularities such as PMS. When I first started working with my clients there weren't a lot of options to offer my clients. I came across 'cycle syncing' which is prescribed by Dr Alisa Vitti, who talks about the way your hormones influence your brain, your metabolism, your microbiome and all these different systems in the body and that women living the same way day in day out is actually not supporting your hormones, but instead causing damage. I got really into cycle syncing and started using this in my practice with my clients. Within cycle syncing lies the concept of seed cycling - it's working to shift through food, exercise and the seeds as your cycle progresses throughout the month and really go hand in hand. I knew Mel through the industry, and at this point The Seed Cycle was established but still in the start up phase. It dawned on me one day that I should totally just reach out to Mel and see if she would be interested in working together because at the end of the day we both had the same passions. So I did - and here we are!
Luna: It seems like you really found each other at the right time! What is that makes you both so passionate about this space?
Mel: For me it started with what I was seeing with my clients, but now it's understanding the importance of knowing our menstrual cycle. What drives me most is the lack of solutions out there for women. 90% of women have hormonal imbalances, and the only solution often offered to women is the contraceptive pill, which is less of a solution and more of a band-aid. For me, knowing there are other options that can help align hormones, I'm like everyone needs to know! Contraception isn't your only option for hormone regulation!
Sarina: I feel very similar to everything Mel said. I started realising how little I actually knew about the menstrual cycle when I was younger. I was diagnosed with PCOS and did a really big deep dive into what options were available for me and found so much information on cycle syncing. From there through conversations with friends and colleagues I realised just how few people were actually educated when it came to their cycle, and like me, knew so little about hormones. I feel like it's a disservice to women not to spread awareness about the importance of balancing your hormones.
Mel: I think it's important to mention that like anything, it's an 'in combination with' approach. Seed cycling isn't a quick fix. It's something that you can do in combination with working with your specialist or Doctor. It's the holistic picture that women often miss.
Sarina: Absolutely, and I think as well it's so important to note that seed cycling isn't just about taking seeds. It's an educational experience. You start to learn about your cycle, you learn when you're ovulating, you speak about it to friends. At the core of everything we do is the movement of helping women understand their bodies, their cycles and their health.
Luna: We completely agree. It's so powerful to be able to offer women solutions but also education on their cycle. We put such a focus on menstruation and what it means to have a period, but often neglect the other phases of the cycle. The Seed Cycle really offer such a wonderful holistic approach to menstrual solutions - in your own words how would you say the Seed Cycle is changing the women's health space?
The Seed Cycle: I think there are so many benefits to seed cycling. If we break down the nutrients in the seeds we're looking at things like omega 3's, zinc, magnesium, vitamin e - I think this is why so many customers try them and say "oh my goodness, my skin is glowing!" The power of seed cycling is taking those specific nutrients your body needs at the times in your cycle when you need it the most. For the purpose of seed cycling, we break it into the two phases of your cycle - the follicular phase to your luteal phase. The seeds used in phase one help create healthy estrogen levels, which then in turn helps to balance progesterone levels seen in phase two. Often what we find is when someone has an imbalance in either set of hormones that's where we see symptoms of PMS, acne, bloating etc. The nutrients in the seeds help to balance those hormone levels, minimising symptoms.
Luna: That's incredible! We know the team here at Luna HQ who has been trialling the Seed Cycle seeds for the last month have also really seen a big change in those symptoms you mentioned earlier. Let's chat hormones - what's one thing you wish more people understood when it comes to hormones?
The Seed Cycle: That the key to energy, clear skin, and weight management is hormone balance. The consequences of having hormones out of balance for a long period of time are really serious, and it's something we see in clients all the time.
Luna: Absolutely. Tell us, what's the best period advice you've received?
Sarina: As a whole, cycle syncing was such a powerful tool to learn. Period specific, I would say that your body requires more rest the week you are menstruating. Understanding this has changed my life. I feel like I have permission to finally rest during that week.
Mel: I agree, understanding that your period and your cycle can be your super power. Your period shouldn't suck, it shouldn't be something you have to just 'get through'. Learning to honour my cycle has been so healing and has enabled me to actually find self-love and body confidence.
Luna: We couldn't agree more! Thank you both for sharing. Let's take a peek into the future - where do you both see yourselves in 5 years?
Mel: I see myself continuing my journey with the Seed Cycle, but on a larger scale. I want to get the message of the Seed Cycle out there as much as possible. Let's manifest more understanding and education on the movement that is Seed Cycling!
Sarina: I feel similar! Growing both The Seed Cycle and my online clinic. I envision us hosting retreats, going into schools, talking to as many people as possible to educate them on the importance of menstrual cycle health.
Luna: Thank you for that! Last question - where do you see the women's health space in 5 years?
The Seed Cycle: I think it will move away from the times where contraception is the only option offered, and move into understanding our cycles and how to nourish our body to ensure we support them rather than work against them.
Luna: We can't wait for that day!
Mel, Sarina, thank you so much for your time, it's been such a pleasure to sit down with you both. We can't wait to dive into all things Seed Cycling in part 2!
The Seed Cycle: Thank you for holding the space for us! And likewise - stay tuned!