double chocolate seed cycling (follicular phase)PROTEIN flapjacks
Whilst taste testing this recipe, my boyfriend declared that these were chocolate flapjacks, and annoyingly, I had to admit he was right, and thus began the task of changing every “oat bar” throughout the follow blog post into “flapjacks”. Men.
Well, regardless of what you call them, these flapjacks pack not just a chocolatey punch, but a nutrient dense punch too. They provide 13g fibre and 20g protein per flapjack bar. Aaaand they sneak in your seed cycling follicular phase seeds without you even noticing.
So, you get to have a delicious afternoon treat that is not just feeding your tastebuds, but your hormones too.
Oh, and they take 15 minutes to make.
You are very welcome.
These seed cycling chocolate protein flapjack bars…
Provide pumpkin seeds and flax to sneak in some seed cycling PMS and period support!
Seed cycling is when you consume one tbsp of ground flax and one tbsp ground pumpkin seed in your follicular phase (so from menstruation to ovulation, typically days 1-14), and then one tbsp ground sesame and one tablespoon of ground sunflower seeds in your luteal phase, so from ovulation until menstruation (typically days 14-days 28).
Now of course, those days i.e. Days 1 - 14 are based on an average cycle and are not a true reflection of individual cycles, so if your luteal phase runs to Day 30, you would consume the sesame and sunflower until Day 30.
Now if you’re worried seed cycling is just another wellness trend, there’s actually more and more science backing it up.
A 2023 study found that seed cycling could improve hormone levels in PCOS patients, but more recently, a three month seed cycling study of 40 participants found that:
72% reported improved digestion
75% reported PMS was less severe
77% reported less severe cramps
80% reported less breast tenderness
80% reported menstrual pain was less severe
A 2025 systematic review concluded that whilst more research was needed, seed cycling was a safe and associated with “improved menstrual regularity, reduced PMS symptom severity, favorable modulation of sex hormone levels, and improvements in metabolic profiles”.
You can learn more about why seed cycling works and all about the research here.
I’ve included pumpkin and flax seeds in this recipe, at levels that roughly mimic those used in seed cycling for the luteal phase.
Research has found that consuming flax seed daily for three cycles improved ovulation rates, increased luteal phase length (so great for those of you with short cycles) and improved the progesterone to oestrogen ratio in the luteal phase, which is really beneficial if you struggle with PMS, often caused by oestrogen dominating over progesterone.
Flax seeds have also been shown to improve the metabolism of oestrogen through the liver, by increasing the amount of healthy oestrogen waste products (known as metabolites) and reducing the amount of the more potent, harmful ones, which can cause more oestrogenic activity.
Pumpkin seeds contain high amounts of zinc, a mineral essential for healthy FSH and LH levels, promoting proper follicle development and ovulation.
If you want to mimic the amount of seeds you would have when following the seed cycling protocol, you’ll need one flapjack per day.
Better for blood sugar to stabilise hormones, reduce PMS, reduce period pain and lower oxidative stress.
Blood sugar spiking foods such as high sugar foods and processed foods can potentially contribute to morePMS, menstrual pain and endo pain. Blood sugar spikes increase oxidative stress, which leads to more inflammation in the body and that may trigger further pain and symptoms. In fact, oxidative stress is higher in people with endo, and it’s a key driver of endo growth.
To avoid these issues, I have focused on the presence of healthy fats (from the pumpkin, flax and peanut butter), fibre (peanut butter, cacao, flax, pumpkin seeds, dates and oats) and protein (peanut butter, flax, pumpkin seeds and to a degree, cacao), which have all been shown to help stabilise blood sugar levels and slow down the uptake of glucose/starch from our food (oats, dates, and the chocolate, in this case) to our blood stream, preventing blood sugar spikes.
In fact, just one flapjack offers 20g protein and 13g of fibre!
One of the easiest ways for us to support our blood sugar is to opt for whole food carbohydrates, such as dates, instead of sugar or maple syrup, as I have done here. Whole foods still contain their fibre, which helps slow down digestion and the resulting absorption of glucose to the blood stream, creating a steady drip rather than a flood.
Another great way to support blood sugar is with lower glycemic index foods, and every ingredient in this recipe, even the dark chocolate (because we are opting for a high percentage and low sugar version) is low to moderate on the glycemic index scale. The glycemic index is a tool that looks at foods and the impact they can have on your blood sugar, on a scale of 0-100. A high GI index would be 70 and above, a medium GI is 56-69 and a low GI index is 55 or less. High GI foods are very likely to spike your blood sugar levels and do so quickly, foods with a medium GI rating tend to cause a moderate rise and low GI foods tend to keep blood sugar levels stable and steady over time with a gentle rise. This is because low GI foods break down slowly in the gut because they are rich in fibre and slow release carbohydrates, this means that the release of glucose to the blood stream is slow and gradual.
A quick word about dates: Dates have a low to moderate glycemic index, which means they shouldn’t cause a dramatic or quick rise in blood sugar. However, research has shown that individual blood sugar responses vary from person to person, and if you eat a lot of even a low glycemic index food, it may have a greater impact on your blood sugar levels because you’re eating more in one sitting. You can learn about this here. Therefore, I’ve kept the amounts of dates to 100g so you have 20g of dates per flapjack (about 1-2) and have deliberately ensured there is support from fat, fibre and protein, to further reduce the blood sugar impact. This isn’t because I don’t want you to enjoy dates, I just want to ensure I am catering as well as possible - including those who are more sensitive to dates!
I’ve also intentionally used peanut, butter, flax and oats in this recipe to further support blood sugar.
Nuts have been shown to have a positive effect on blood sugar, showing improvement in blood sugar responses when paired with high glycemic/high sugar foods. Adding 2 tbsp (32g) of peanut butter to high starchy, sugary and high carb foods has been shown to lessen the blood sugar spike that these foods would typically cause.
Rolled oats contain beta-glucan, a special type of fibre found in oats that offers a wide range of health benefits, including stabilising blood sugar post-meals, and as a result, makes oat-based foods more effective than wheat based foods (like using regular flour) for blood sugar stability.
Oats also contain something called resistant starch. Resistant starch is a type of starch that resists digestion in the small intestine. Typically, starch is broken down and absorbed very quickly by the small intestine, which is why you may hear me or other health practitioners discuss moderation or being mindful with starchy foods, because it can spike blood sugar.
But resistant starch resists digestion. It makes its way to the large intestine, where good bacteria eat it and this has some incredible benefits for the gut and endo due (more on that below).
Because this type of starch resists digestion and breaks down slower, resistant starch is better for blood sugar vs. regular starch. In fact, resistant starch has been shown to be improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels in multiple studies, and has even been shown to improve postprandial glucose levels when paired with a high sugar meal (in this study, it was 500g of syrup) in contrast to regular starch.
Uncooked oats, as we’re using here, are rich in resistant starch - when they’re cooked, that resistant starch turns into regular starch, which has the potential to affect blood sugar levels, which is why I always recommend pairing cooked oats with plenty of fat, fibre and healthy fats.
Flax seeds contain something called viscose fibre. Viscose fibre forms a gel-like texture when added to water, and when combined with liquids and food in the gut. This slows down digestion (so great for us when we’re drinking coffee) and also the release of glucose (even better when we’re drinking coffee with a pastry or cake!). In fact, research showed that 30g of flaxseed helped reduce the glucose spike with a sugary or starchy meal, whilst 20g flax per day improved overall glucose levels and responses over 12 weeks.
Constant blood sugar swings can take their toll on hormones, leading to issues like elevated androgens (think testosterone), which can affect ovulation and cycle length. Blood sugar swings may also cause oestrogen excess or dominance and low progesterone if ovulation is interrupted or stopped entirely. Both of these imbalances can cause more PMS, heavier periods, and may also exacerbate endometriosis symptoms.
Additionally, these protein-rich flapjacks can help us out with luteal phase or period cravings. When we’re in our luteal phase, we often experience more blood sugar swings because oestrogen, which dominates in our follicular phase, helps us to regulate our blood sugar response, but is lower in the luteal phase. As a result, we tend to get cravings for sweet foods or foods high in starch. The problem is, these foods keep us on a blood sugar rollercoaster, and raise inflammation levels, resulting in more of those inflammatory symptoms and pain that we’re trying to avoid. These flapjacks, being lower in sugar and rich in fibre, can help us get our fix without the pain and PMS triggering spikes.
Finally, blood sugar swings are linked heavily with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, so if you struggle with low moods in your luteal phase, supporting blood sugar can actually support your mental health.
Now, let’s be clear before we wrap up this section. I am not saying you have to avoid sugar or refined carbs for the rest of your life, but if like me, you enjoy a sweet treat as a snack or after dinner, it can help to make these regular goodies a bit more blood sugar balancing, so that we’re looking after ourselves on a day to day basis.
Rich in prebiotics and polyphenols to help heal the endo belly and reduce systemic inflammation.
The latest data shows that 96% of UK adults are getting less than the recommended 30g fibre a day. That’s not great for our guts, which rely on fibre to thrive, and people with endo need extra gut support already (as you’ll come to learn shortly) so a lack of fibre isn’t going to help the situation (though you may find you need to tailor your fibre sources if you have IBS or SIBO).
These flapjacks offer 13g of your recommended 30g! If you’re not used to a lot of fibre, start with eating 1/4 bar a day, then 1/2 and so on as your gut adjusts - don’t go full steam ahead, as you’re likely get bloating.
Additionally, a major study of 10,000 people found that eating 30 or more plant foods a week helps to create a healthier and more diverse microbiome. This recipe offers you 6 of your 30 already, and with herbs, spices, olive oil, fruits, veggies, beans/legumes, teas and coffee and whole grains all counting, you can easily top up your levels further. For extra guidance on how to reach your 30 a week, check out this article by The Gut Health Doctor or this one by Zoe.
And thanks to our specific ingredients of dark chocolate, dates, sunflower seeds, flax and tahini, this recipe is also high in polyphenols. Polyphenols are types of antioxidants found in certain plant foods that not only reduce inflammation levels and improve overall health, but they are also an absolute favourite food (prebiotic) for our gut microbiome, which means they can support our good gut bugs to thrive.
But why does this matter for us endo folk?
Research is finding a strong correlation between microbiome disturbances and endometriosis development, such as reduced levels and variety of good gut bugs and higher levels of pathogenic (bad, infectious), opportunistic (in high numbers, can cause problems like inflammation) gut bugs, as well as gut bugs linked to elevated oestrogen levels. These microbiome differences have also been associated with higher IL-8 levels, a type of inflammatory cytokine shown to be involved in the development of endometriosis.
Polyphenols and prebiotic fibre are like gut bug boosters - the more we provide to our good gut bugs, the more they grow and outnumber the bad guys. This helps to bring the gut back into harmony, which can improve gut symptoms and intestinal inflammation and whilst we need to do more research, could even help us fight endo.
These prebiotic fibres help us to increase our production of gut friendly fats, called short chain fatty acids, which are made when good bacteria consume fibre. Research shows that people with endo may be low in short chain fatty acids, especially one called butyrate. Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid produced by our gut microbiome, and has been found to be low in people with endo. Butyrate has a range of benefits for endometriosis and gut health (so therefore, can help us tackle endo belly) such as reducing intestinal inflammation, improving insulin sensitivity, preventing leaky gut, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria and inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria. Butyrate inhibits our inflammatory immune response to lipopolysaccharides (LPS), LPS are toxins that come from certain bacteria, and have been shown to be heavily involved in endo pathogenesis, so by improving our fibre levels, we may actually be improving some of our defences against endo.
Gluten and dairy free to help minimise symptoms and reactions in certain endo folk.
Whilst not everyone with endometriosis needs to go dairy free or gluten free or entirely gluten/dairy free (some people feel better just not eating them that often), reducing gluten and/or dairy may help some of us manage our pain and endo belly symptoms.
In a major and recent survey studyof 2388 endometriosis patients, out of those who removed or reduced gluten, 45% experienced a reduction in pain. In another study, 75% of patients had a significant reduction in painful symptoms after eliminating gluten for 12 months. There is also a significant association between endometriosis and coeliac disease. And whilst the research on endometriosis and gluten has limitations, I myself experienced improvements by reducing gluten in my diet (in fact, it was one of the key players for helping me live a normal life again no longer ruled by pain and my periods), as have many of my clients (though not all, it’s very individual).
Likewise, the same major study found that 45% of those who reduced dairy also had a reduction in pain.
If you’d like to learn more about why gluten or dairy may impact some of us with endo and how, and what all the research says, I recently did a huge deep dive into all the research on my podcast, here and here.
Rich with hormone and endo beneficial nutrients, including iron, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc and B vitamins.
Peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, flax, cacao, dates and oats contain so many key nutrients for hormone health…
Iron
A recent major study of over 43,000 endo patients found that we have a six-fold increased risk of iron deficiency. SIBO could be a player here, as it inhibits iron absorption but it could also be from heavy menstrual bleeding, restricting red meat and other factors.
Iron plays a major role in preventing fatigue, and yet many of the clients who I work with, come to me with significantly low levels. Supporting healthy iron absorption and intake is a key part of beating endo fatigue and recovering from heavy blood loss and low levels can cause brain fog, extreme tiredness, heart palpitations, dizziness, muscle weakness and depression to name a few.
Healthy iron levels are also essential for ovarian function, which is key to producing healthy amounts of sex hormones and low levels are associated with menstrual irregularities and fertility problems.
Additionally, low iron levels are linked to ADHD development and can worsen ADHD symptoms, and ADHD is a condition which many people with endo struggle with.
Vitamin E
A recent meta-analysis of over 589 participants, concluded that vit E supplementation can reduce period pain, pain with sex, daily pelvic pain and even improve quality of life with endometriosis patients. And a systematic review and meta-analysis of eight studies and over 1000 people concluded that vitamin E significantly reduced period pain and could be used as a treatment for dysmennorhea.
But it’s not just supplements that help - food helps too.
One study found people with endo had a 40% reduced intake of vitamin E, but levels increased after following a high antioxidant and vit E rich diet, and oxidation levels reduced by 20%!
Vitamin E can also help raise progesterone levels, and whilst we’re not using as high a dose as used in the studies, ensuring you’re getting enough vit E can support a healthy corpus luteum and progesterone production.
Magnesium
Research has shown magnesium to be an effective treatment in preventing dysmenorrhea (period pain) because it reduces inflammatory prostaglandins that are the drivers of both endo and period pain. One study showed that six months of magnesium treatment reduced prostaglandin F2a by over half! In fact, in recent research, magnesium is being explored as a dietary treatment for endo and a higher intake of magnesium rich foods was associated with a lower risk of endo. Additionally, magnesium helps to regulate our sex hormones, and as result, is a recognised treatment for preventing PMS.
Zinc
Low levels of zinc have been linked to endo, and research has shown it can significantly reduce period pain thanks to its anti-inflammatory benefits. It additionally supports follicle development and ovulation, while deficiency has been linked to infertility.
B vits
B vitamins play a major role in hormone and period health.
Folate is crucial to ovarian function and ovulation, and low folate levels can cause irritability, mood swings and fatigue, and fertility problems.
B6 is one of the most important B vitamins for balanced hormones as it supports progesterone production and oestrogen metabolism. Additionally, research has shown that B6 treatment can help reduce PMS, especially the mood challenges that can come with the syndrome.
double chocolate seed cycling (follicular phase)PROTEIN flapjacks
Ingredients:
150g nut butter (I used peanut, but any will work, just be aware of FODMAPs if that’s a concern for you)
120g rolled oats
100g medjool dates
50g flax seeds, ground
50g pumpkin seeds, ground
30g cacao powder (about 4 tbsps)
6 tbsps water
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional, I skipped it)
To top:
Topping:
75g 85% dark chocolate
1 tsp nut butter
Flaky sea salt, to taste
Makes: 5 flapjack bars
prep time: 15 minutes
chill time: 1 hr 15 mins
Method:
Break up the dark chocolate and gently melt over a low-medium heat in a double boiler.
Grind the flax and pumpkin seeds in a spice or coffee grinder until a meal forms, and combine in a bowl with the cacao powder and oats. Stir well to incorporate and break up any cacao lumps.
Destone the dates. In a food processor, blend the dates, water and nut butter until a caramel forms.
Empty the caramel into the dry ingredients and with a large spoon, or your hands, stir to combine. This will take some time and work to come together, and you will be tempted to add more water, but I promise you, it does come together! If in doubt, get your hands in there and start pressing it together until a dough forms. If it really is too dry and crumbly, add 1 tbsp water a time until a dough forms that holds together.
Press firmly down into a loaf tin lined with baking paper.
Add a tsp of nut butter to the melted chocolate, and stir well. Pour over the flapjack dough.
Leave to chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to the freezer for one hour.
Slices into five bars and top with flaky sea salt.
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Need more help or want to learn how to work with me?
Ways to work with me:
One to one coaching info and application
Live and Thrive with Endo 2.0 DIY online course
Endo Sessions: Single and mini-package one to one endo coaching
SIBO Sessions: Single and mini-package one to one SIBO coaching
Masterclasses in endo nutrition, surgery prep and recovery and pain relief
This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast digital cookbook
Free resources:
This podcast!