By Britt Martin & Jenn Kim

We always describe seed syncing (and our Moon Bites, which make the whole practice convenient) as a tool in your ‘hormonal health’ toolbox. It’s something you can incorporate for small things— your period is four days late this month or your hormonal acne has been out-of-control— and it can also be incredibly helpful for bigger challenges. As the two founders of Food Period, a company that seeks to help women have great periods, naturally, the reasons we each started seed syncing could not be more different. What is common to our experiences, however, is that we now have great periods.

For those that haven’t heard of seed syncing, it’s a functional nutrition practice that involves eating specific combinations of seeds during the two different phases of your menstrual cycle. Each seed has a chemical compound or micronutrient that can help a woman’s body better modulate estrogen and progesterone production and elimination. Food Period makes a set of energy bites, called Moon Bites, that are sold in a monthly subscription box and make the whole practice simple, convenient and delicious.

How We Found Seed Syncing

Britt— In 2016, at age 25, I was suddenly diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and, subsequently, went through six months of chemotherapy, causing my period to stop entirely. My doctors recommended that I use the birth control pill to reinstate my cycle, but I was unwilling to put more chemicals and synthetic hormones into my body, so I made it my mission to find a natural solution.

At first glance, it might seem odd that I latched onto controlling this one aspect of my journey, but it had always been one aspect of my health that I felt I’d failed to find a solution to.

At age 12, my first period lasted 21 days and likely would have continued, if my doctor hadn’t put me on the pill. I was 19 when I was diagnosed with PCOS and told by my OBGYN that I’d likely struggle to have kids. By the time I was diagnosed with cancer, I’d resigned myself to the fact my period would always cause chaos.

But amidst my scary diagnosis, I saw an opportunity to finally find a solution to my period problems. I started visiting with every integrative health practitioner I could find to learn about what they recommended, and I started hearing about seed syncing. With nothing to lose, I visited two natural health stores to find the raw versions of the four seeds— flax, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower— and started adding them to my smoothies and sprinkling them, freshly ground, over salads. Three months in, to the day, my period returned and without any of those pesky PCOS-symptoms I’d become accustomed to.

Thrilled at the success of this natural, food-based solution, I started finding fun ways to eat the seeds, namely making energy bites at home. As life got busier, and I regained a normal pace, I found it more and more difficult to source the seeds, freshly grind them, and then roll them into energy bites that needed to be refrigerated. And when I’d fall off-track with seed syncing, I’d notice my periods would be a little less regular or I’d have old symptoms creep back in.

That’s when I realized if I could buy these energy bites somewhere, I totally would because the whole seed syncing practice was inconvenient and time-consuming if you live in the real world. I called Jenn, my best friend from high school, and pitched the idea that would eventually evolve into Food Period.

Jenn— When Britt first told me about how seed syncing had helped her, I knew I needed to try it myself. I’d grown up with irregular cycles, sometimes missing my period for months at a time, but despite my doctor’s efforts to get me on the pill to regulate my cycle, my Korean heritage won out. My mom didn’t want me taking pharmaceuticals, instead I tried things like Chinese Traditional Medicine, which helped, but it was expensive, and I did not enjoy the taste.

Within four months of seed syncing, my period was regular, following a 28-day cycle for the first time ever. Also, the embarrassing adult acne I’d developed as a result of stress, had calmed and has now disappeared entirely. If someone would have told me I could have a “great” period, I probably would have said that was an oxymoron, but now we both genuinely experience that, alongside our customers, each month.

Seed Syncing Addresses Underlying Hormonal Imbalances

What we love about seed syncing, and our Moon Bites, is that the seeds in this specific combination support a women’s body to better do what it was designed to: regulate estrogen and progesterone levels across a 28-day cycle through hormone production and elimination. Most period-related problems are actually just symptoms of an underlying hormonal imbalance— sometimes a dominance, sometimes a deficit. The reason seed syncing can help with big problems, like the amenorrhea Britt experienced, or what might be considered less serious challenges, like Jenn’s hormonal acne, is that it can help solve the imbalances that underlie them. It doesn’t discriminate, it’s a tool for all, and we hope it can help you too.

If you want to learn more about seed syncing, our story, or our company, Food Period, please visit foodperiod.com and follow us on Instagram at @food.period.