Seed Cycling Moon Milk: For the Follicular & Luteal Phase
Written by Lauren Arent (Lo Clark)
Owner of Bewitched Esthetics & Licensed Esthetician since 2013
May 19th, 2023
Hello my darlings,
If you read my last post, you would have learned how to recognize signs of Hormonal Imbalance in the Skin & How to Restore Balance. One of the methods I mentioned was Seed Cycling. I wanted to share these easy moon milk recipes to get you started with Seed Cycling. Remember that by restoring balance to your hormones, you can reduce the imbalances you see in your skin such as acne and inflammation. If you are unfamiliar with what your Follicular & Luteal phases are, please How to Use Seed Cycling to Balance Hormones!
Follicular Phase Ingredients
Licorice Root & White Peony:
During your follicular phase you want to avoid sugars as much as possible. So I used licorice root to add a natural sweetness without tasting syrup-y like the candy. When combined, licorice root and white peony have been clinically proven to reduce testosterone production, aiding in ovulation & reducing PCOS symptoms. Just an FYI, these are a great combo for boosting fertility!
Flax & Pumpkin Seeds
The key in this recipe is the seeds! Seed cycling is a natural remedy for balancing hormones. In this particular phase we are going to use Flax & Pumpkin to naturally regulate estrogen & progesterone. If you would like to learn more about Seed Cycling, please read How to Use Seed Cycling to Balance Hormones!
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is another natural hormone balancing aid due to the cinnamaldehyde. This special element aids in increasing estrogen production and decreasing testosterone. Do not fret that these will complicate your levels, these natural aids help to regulate, they do not overstimulate as long as you aren’t overdoing the cinnamon!
Luteal Phase Ingredients
Chasteberry or Vitex
Vitex supports the pituitary gland, aiding in restoring balance to estrogen and progesterone levels. This will aid in reducing PMS symptoms. It might sound basic but that is just why it’s so beautiful.
Red Clover
Red clover contains phytoestrogens, isoflavones similar to estrogen. Regulating estrogen levels (especially if you are stuck in estrogen dominance) will aid in reducing many symptoms of hormonal imbalance such as mood swings, breast pain, and of course ACNE.
Ashwaganda
This is my absolute favorite sedative (well other than skullcap) that can be very useful during this second phase. It helps to balance stress levels by regulating cortisol (essentially the stress hormone) which can contribute to PCOS. It can also help to regulate irregular menstruation cycles, even soothing menstrual pain.
Sesame & Sunflower Seeds
Again, the seeds hold the key to balancing hormones in this recipe. For each phase there is a specific two seeds you need, for this it is sesame and sunflower. They will aid in regulating the dance between estrogen and progesterone. To learn more, stay tuned for Monday’s article release.
Some Concocting Suggestions
*When preparing the seeds, my doctor recommended I grind the seeds (I use my old coffee grinder) and store them in sealed containers in the fridge. This makes it soo much easier to add the to smoothies and other recipes like this one!
*The herbs must steep in the milk over heat, so either use a tea bag or strain your herbs out before drinking.
*I use a frother to ensure my ground seeds fully incorporate into my moon milk and also to make the texture extra creamy with a little foam.
*I highly recommend using almond milk because of the magnesium content which is another crucial mineral for hormone balance.
Eight Greens Phyto Masque *Hot
Product Pairing and inspiration for today’s recipe is found with the Eight Greens Phyto Masque, specifically the one that gets HOT! It contains phytoestrogens such as…(yes you guessed it!) red clover, vitex (chasteberry), and even flax seed! Balance the hormone imbalances in the skin and reduce the visible impacts this can have on your skin, specifically with acne! I use this product the week before my cycle to prevent breakouts from bothering me. If I ever forget to do so, it’s never too late, you can spot treat when those little buggers pop up. I’ve aided many clients in balancing their skin with the Eight Greens Phyto Masque.
Hormone Balance Heads Up
Whenever I discuss herbal remedies and such, please know I do my research thoroughly for you and I have taken several herbalism courses. HOWEVER. I am not a doctor and I would advise you to double check anything I mention here with your doctor (especially if you struggle with hormone specific conditions or are on any medications) because your health is my number one priority.
If I could make a suggestion, I would recommend Functional Medicine of Idaho, where the doctors are more open minded to natural alternatives. I struggled quite a bit when I started doing my own research into natural health options and found myself very frustrated when the experts had no comment on highly researched subjects like herbalism. It’s nice to be heard. If you struggle with this too, take a look into functional medicine.
Ultimately, I have found it is best to arm yourself with the knowledge to heal yourself and just run things by your doctor to keep yourself on the right path and remember that BALANCE is the key to life.
Give these recipes a try and let me know what you think! Send me selfies @bewitchedestheticsboise and I’ll mention you in my story! Hope you enjoy this skin healthy drink. Remember:
Wishing you a life full of beauty and blessings!
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