Cycle Syncing®

A few weeks back I told you about my favorite supplements to boost weight loss and help you shed those pounds. This time I want to tell you about what I take to stay looking and feeling young. I can’t tell you how many times I have been told I look way younger than my actual years. It’s a humble-brag, I know, but it does show that what I’m doing for myself every single day really works. I’m in my late 30s and I get mistaken for someone in their early 30s - and who doesn’t want that?! Vanity aside, why you want to look a decade younger is because you want to be biologically youthful regardless of whatever your chronological age might be, so you have the best chance to live your healthiest and happiest life TODAY, right now. Living in your FLO turns back the biological clock so that your body, your fertility, is actually younger than your chronological years. From my experience, many women experience a body and a fertility that is actually functioning at a point that is older than their chronological years. They feel tired, look older than they should, can’t work out with the stamina and ability they want, and feel slower. We should not expect or assume this will happen to us in our late 30s, 40s or even 50s. We can keep producing buoyant hormones for many more years if we make a conscious effort to live in a hormone-supportive way. I have helped many women reverse this through my Flo Living protocol. And, of course, when your insides are younger, your outsides look younger. Aging occurs chemically when we have too much oxidative stress on our cells, we don’t have enough access to key micronutrients required for all parts of the body to function optimally, and when we start to make smaller concentrations of all of our hormones. This is aging on the inside, and we see it on the outside in the quality of our skin, how funky our periods and hormones feel after 35, our sex drive, our muscle tone, our weight, our mental clarity, diminished fertility, and even our mood! If you want to stay youthful biochemically-speaking - the sooner you get back into your FLO the better. “Anti-aging” (although I hate that term as it’s not scientifically possible) so let’s say - “age defying” is built into the FLO protocol. This is why following this hormone-supportive way of eating and living can help you get pregnant in your 40s and slow the process of perimenopause. Just as there is weight loss supplement industry, there is an anti-aging supplement industry. A quick search this morning showed me there are companies telling women to shell out some $600 for a bottle of pills they say will reverse the aging process! I find this shocking. It does reveal, however, the demand and need for products that help us to look and feel younger. A cursory glance at the ingredients in those $600 supplements tells me this is not the miracle you’re looking for. So I wanted to share what I consider to be the best researched and most effective supplements for their age-defying properties and to save you money too!

My favorite age-defying supplements

1. Blueberries. Not strictly a supplement I know (although it is available in supplement form as an extract), but just as simple and easy to eat every day. Blueberries are a great source of resveratrol and other anti-oxidants. This phytonutrient fights damage to your DNA, which is a central source of the symptoms of aging, and slows tissue aging. In testing on insects and animals blueberry extract has even been shown to increase longevity. Studies on people have shown that blueberry extract improves the appearance of aging skin.
2. Collagen. Most women don’t have enough collagen in their diet. You can take this in pill form like: Biocell Collagen with Hyaluronic Acid, or a powder to add to your smoothies or even by being really dedicated to drinking bone broth. What’s great about collagen is how quickly you see and feel results with this one. This actually helps your skin regenerate and as such increases suppleness and fullness. It will also prevent those aches and pains that can come with aging.
3. CoEnzyme-Q10. This supplement is mitochondria supportive, promoting their regeneration and overall function. Mitochondria are a part of every cell in your body - they’re your cell’s digestive system essentially - which convert glucose into a usable fuel. Again, this supplement prevents DNA damage (a primary source of the symptoms of aging). It fights free radicals which contribute to DNA damage and cell death. This will slow the aging process and, some claim, increase longevity.
4. Vitamin D. A high intake of vitamin D protects telomeres, which are the “caps” on the chromosomes that make up our DNA. Research from Stanford University shows that the key to reversing the aging process is preventing DNA damage via shortened telomeres or telomere erosion. The condition of our telomeres has a direct impact on the aging of our cells and therefore the aging of our bodies. There are supplements out there that call themselves “telomere lengthening” supplements (this is what can cost upwards of $600!). Most of the claims are bogus. It’s better to use food and supplements that prevent your telomeres from erosion and shortening, rather than trying to do what might be impossible, at least for now.
5. Vitamin B12. Known as the energy vitamin B12 can give you back that youthful energy, exuberance and vibrance. It’s important to note that if you’ve recently come off the Pill you may find you’re deficient in this vitamin as it’s one that the Pill depletes the most. Your body needs this to convert the food you eat into glucose for fuel.

Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, do you feel you’re aging too fast? Second, are you in perimenopause? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Feeling Frazzled, Bloated, and Unsexy?

If you’ve noticed more distance between cycles…or some periods are light and some are super heavy…your sex drive is flat…and you’re more moody in general (anxious, depressed, or both)…and especially if you’re in your mid 30’s and up…Your hormones may be aging faster than they should. But you can start reversing this process by adding one key micronutrient that you’re likely missing.Get your free report: The Magic Missing Micronutrient to Get Your Sexy Back.

I know most women assume that after getting their first period and then pregnancy that the next hormonal milestone is menopause. But we skip a step - the third “P” in our lifetime hormonal cycle is perimenopause, the shift that happens once we hit 35. Perimenopause can have an impact on how you look and feel in ways that you don’t expect to deal with until much later, and the effects are all the more startling the less you have supported your hormones and your health up to this point. Perimenopause can be when some women realize they just can’t put off taking care of their bodies better anymore. If you’re not healthy, your body will let you know now!

The first sign that you’re entering perimenopause will likely be newly and unexpectedly irregular periods.

Your hormone production is slowly waning. You won’t ovulate as regularly, every cycle, and your periods will reflect this. We expect our cycles to stay the same until they suddenly stop with the menopausal shift, but actually this is a long process that starts in our 30s. The good news is that if you take control at this first sign of entering this life phase, then you can prevent many of the symptoms that come along with the change. Not to mention allowing yourself the option of achieving pregnancy when you want to, in your third decade.How much you feel the impact of the perimenopausal hormonal shift in your day-to-day life will depend a whole lot on your diet and lifestyle. The less healthy and hormonally-supportive those aspects are, the more likely it is that perimenopause will hit you hard. Here’s how you should not be feeling when you reach 35:

• Completely disinterested in sex
• Like you’ve got your teenage skin back, acne and all
• Out of control when it comes to your weight - you’re gaining and nothing you do helps
• Exhausted from lack of good, deep, healthy sleep
• Anxious, low and overwhelmed by everything going on in your life
• Worried about where your periods have gone now that you want children

These are not natural, normal signs of perimenopause - far from it. These are actually symptoms premature hormonal aging!

Change your diet and lifestyle today and you won’t and don’t have to feel like this. You can keep your youthful, vital, luscious energy, sex drive, skin, figure, and happiness for years to come. These issues are entirely unnecessary symptoms you don’t have to go through if you choose to change how you approach your health and live in your Flo. Here are 4 changes you can make today that will slow down perimenopause and stop the symptoms: 1 – Eat according to your cycle. This is a key change that is necessary to balance out your estrogen and progesterone. Get started with cycle syncing your diet with a very simple, quick, and easy to follow introductory protocol – focusing first on your greens and your grains. Layer in the rest of the foods as detailed in my book “WomanCode” to complete the process. 2 – Eat enough protein and fat. These are very important as they help you to make enough hormones to feel young and good. Your body is slowing down hormone production so it’s critical you give it all it needs to produce as much as it can at this stage. Learn more about my favorite proteins here and fats here.3 – Take D3 and Evening Primrose Oil. These are essential for keeping your hormones balanced. These are specifically helpful for the perimenopausal transition. Evening primrose oil is a source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid that influences prostaglandin synthesis and calms perimenopausal symptoms. Read more on why D3 is so important for your hormonal health here. 4 - Increase your Zinc intake. Zinc is bountiful in beans and seeds, however you can also supplement with 50mg a day. Zinc is super important for testosterone production, a vital hormone is soothing the perimenopause process. You can read more about balancing your testosterone levels here. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, do you feel like you’re entering perimenopause?Second, what symptoms have you experienced? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Feeling Frazzled, Bloated, and Unsexy?

If you’ve noticed more distance between cycles…or some periods are light and some are super heavy…your sex drive is flat…and you’re more moody in general (anxious, depressed, or both)…and especially if you’re in your mid 30’s and up…Your hormones may be aging faster than they should. But you can start reversing this process by adding one key micronutrient that you’re likely missing.Get your free report: The Magic Missing Micronutrient to Get Your Sexy Back.

One of the most common questions I am asked by women wanting to follow the WomanCode protocol and sync their diet, exercise and lifestyle to their menstrual cycle is: “How do I know where I am in my cycle?” If you’re not experiencing clockwork periods every 26-32 days, and if you’ve picked up my book or found my site then there’s a good chance that you are not experiencing this, then figuring out whether you’re in your follicular or luteal phase can seem like a conundrum.

I don’t want this to worry you as it’s simple to untangle. So, let me walk you through the 3 most common types of irregular cycles and how you can cycle sync with each starting TODAY.

The WomanCode protocol is designed so that within a few months of following the plan you will once again experience regular periods and feel totally comfortable and confident about where you are in your cycle and know when to expect your period, whether you’ve previously had PCOS or just some random irregularities.

But, when you first get started you want to maximize the benefits of your food choices. As I said, by just following the plan laid out in my book you should see regular cycles within months. You can, however, speed up the process considerably by committing to the full Flo Living program with the additional support from me and the other Flo coaches.

To help you on your way to better and regular periods, no PMS, no cramps, high energy, suped up sex drive, and healed hormonal health issues, I’m going to go over some common cycle scenarios. That way, you can start following the WomanCode protocol ASAP and get your body back on track.

The 3 most common types of irregular menstrual cycles

Period Delay Type 1 - Too long - Either you’re not making enough hormones to ovulate and you’re experiencing a perpetual follicular phase; or you are not making enough progesterone and staying in the luteal phase post-ovulation for far too long.

‍How to cycle sync - Figure out which issue you are dealing with first. Thankfully it’s not too hard to do. The most scientifically accurate way is to take your basal body temperature every morning when you wake up. When you ovulate, your temperature will shift and indicate your body is entering the luteal phase. This can also help you to predict when you will see your period. You could do this with a regular thermometer and read “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” by Toni Weshler to understand how to interpret your temperature data to know which phase you are in, or you can use any one of the new fertility monitors and apps, which does all the interpreting and analysing for you and let’s you know if and when you have ovulated. You can additionally monitor the other signs your body will provide - if you are experiencing a long follicular phase then you will have constant vaginal dryness and if you’re in your luteal phase for weeks you will be experiencing bad PMS symptoms like mood swings and bloating. Monitor your cycle for at least 3 months to figure out the issue you are dealing with. One cycle can be thrown off by stress, antibiotics, illness, alcohol consumption, over exercise - delaying ovulation. But 3 months of monitoring will show a pattern you can work with. Then, start with the phase that you are experiencing for the longest - follicular or luteal - and eat the foods listed for that phase and follow the plan for that part of your cycle. Then move forward through the protocol every 7 days - so 7 days luteal/follicular, 7 days ovulatory/menstrual and so on. This will support your body and help you to balance your hormones, so that you can then progress to the next phase and the next. Your body will be prompted to follow suit. ‍

Period Delay Type 2 - Too short - A short cycle (we’re talking less than 26 days) is a sign that your thyroid is under-performing. First of all, read up on thyroid disorders with my previous post on this problem. I have tips on how to support your thyroid more effectively without pharmaceuticals. Usually this means you have a very short luteal phase.  

‍How to cycle sync - Figure out where you are in your cycle using the methods mentioned above. Then focus on the luteal phase foods. Eating more of these will help you support your thyroid and progesterone levels and make your luteal phase longer and more regular (ideally it should be at least 10 days long and at best 14 days long.

‍Period Delay Type 3 - No period for months - Not seeing your period for months on end suggests you are in a very long follicular phase most of the time. You’re body is only ovulating very occasionally, if at all.

‍How to cycle sync - Start with the foods in the follicular phase and progress every 7 days to the next phase in the cycle regardless of what your body appears to be doing. For many, many women I’ve worked with this is enough to kickstart their reproductive hormonal system and they see their period return quite rapidly. We have testimony after testimony from those women who are Flo Living graduates who have gotten their periods after months, even years of it going M.I.A (see here and here).

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Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you!  You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!

To your FLO,

Alisa

PLUS Alisa shares her favorite beauty product picks!

Balanced hormones are the ultimate beauty secret.For years I suffered with painful cystic acne and eczema and I came to learn that no amount of wonder potions and lotions would help. My problem wasn’t only skin-deep, I had to get down to the root cause and heal myself from the inside out.The state of your hormonal health is intricately linked to how you look. When you’re at optimum health, and so optimum fertility, your beauty gets a big boost.Let me share some fun, and surprising, facts with you:1) Women who are at their fertile peak are seen as having more attractive facial features. A woman’s face is in fact more symmetrical when she is ovulating.2) During peak fertility a woman’s lips and cheeks become naturally colored with blusher-like pink as blood flow ups under the skin.3) Due on subtle changes to a woman’s scent and voice, men are more attracted to women with fertile cycles.Fascinating, right? Seems like there’s lots of us who’ve been looking for beautification in all the wrong places.Tweetable: Beautiful Skin comes from Balanced Hormones #FlobeautySo, how to get these natural benefits of balanced hormonal health that your body so wants to give? How can you become this sexy cycler with super-hot window of major attractiveness every month?

With Flo Living’s 5 Step Countdown to Boosting Your Beauty in just 5 Days!

Follow these steps to get glowing skin, glossy hair and revved-up hormones.Your skin is your largest elimination organ. When your liver isn’t breaking down the toxins as it should, this is where they show up as acne, eczema, rosacea and too oily or too dry skin. Not to mention dull, lifeless or greasy hair.The key to beautiful skin and hair doesn’t come in a bottle. It is, on a fundamental level, improved liver detoxification.Here’s how to make this happen.Think about all those lotions and potions and how long they take to (not) work, according to the ads. This 5 Step Countdown is going to give you real and fast results in less than a week.Step One: Wake up and drink one liter of filtered water and add in an Emergen-C Electro Mix, or, if you prefer, the equivalent in coconut water.Step Two: Make yourself my Skin Detox Juice: 2 T cilantro, 1 green apple, 4 stalks celery, 2 strawberries and a little squeeze of lemon juice.Step Three: Buy yourself a nice, organic salt scrub or make your own with kosher salt, olive or coconut oil, and your favorite essential oils. You’re looking to both exfoliate and moisturize to help your skin balance itself out and decongest.Step Four: Start taking a good Calcium D-Glucarate supplement daily. This is the strongest support for liver detoxification that works especially well for those with estrogen dominance (a common cause of the most common hormonal acne – found on the chin and jawline).Step Five: Cleanse your beauty cabinet and cosmetics bag. Throw out anything containing endocrine-disrupting phthalates (look for the acronyms DBP, DEHP); sodium lauryl sulfates and ether sulfates (SLS and SLES); parabens (including methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl); anolamines (DEA, TEA, MEA), and petrolatum or petroleum jelly.Was that your whole beauty stash gone? Eek! Not to worry. I want to share with you my personal favorite beauty product picks.

Alisa’s Beauty Picks

FaceDaily: I only use aloe vera gel on my face to moisturize, in the morning. It’s a natural exfoliator, an anti-inflammatory, and it keeps moisture sealed into your skin. I have sensitive skin so this works for me, but if you have dryness issues try the Raw Coconut Cream from RMS Beauty.Alba Botanica has a wonderful daily detox foam cleanser in its Good & Clean line.Weekly: Naturopathica has two face masks that I love - the Pumpkin Purifying Enzyme Peel and the Sweet Cherry Brightening Enzyme Peel. They are so clean and fresh you could literally eat them!Cosmetics: I recommend Jane Iredale if you’re prone to oily skin as it’s mineral based or RMS Beauty’s range if you have normal or dry skin as it’s all coconut oil based and so moisturizing you won’t even need to add in another product to your beauty regime.HairI use an aloe-based hair shampoo like Shikai Everyday Shampoo twice a week. I have very curly hair so less washing is right for my hair type. However, if you have straight hair you might need to wash more frequently.If you have oily scalp, don’t reach for those harsh drying shampoos! Instead, take some Arm & Hammer baking soda and rub it into your wet hair on your scalp before shampooing in the shower. You will have the squeakiest clean scalp ever!Dandruff is just another sign that your liver is failing to process toxins, so don’t be tempted to use a harsh chemical shampoo to resolve this as it will only give your liver more toxins to deal with. Try an apple cider vinegar rinse before you shampoo instead (before you shampoo, so you don’t smell like a salad later!).Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First: Have you struggled with acne? Did our 5 Day Countdown help?Second: Share your #Flobeauty experience - follow the steps and let us know how you feel.Third: You know every one you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social by clicking the buttons below :)

Need more Hormone Help?

If you’re needing some health upgrading, it’s time you started you looking into what’s going on with your hormones.I’ve designed a 4 day hormone detox and evaluation to help you understand exactly what’s out of whack and how you can start getting back to balance so that your hormones no longer have to suffer.Click here to get your FREE detox and evaluation!

Do you ever beat yourself up for not being consistent with your bootcamp class?Do you feel too tired at certain times of the month and chalk it up to laziness? So many women feel burnt-out and demotivated half the month when going through the same workout routine. Well I have good news for you, my dears! It’s not you, it’s your hormones! There is a new way to “cross-train” your exercise routine that will actually have you feeling awesome all month long. All it takes is a little hormone cycle awareness - you can start by noticing exactly when it is that you feel less than enthusiastic about your workout. You do feel differently at different times during your cycle. Your body is primed and ready for certain kinds of exercise – like intense cardio versus yoga – depending on where your hormones are at.In this I simply break down the 4 different phases of your menstrual cycle and explain what’s happening with your hormones week-to-week.

As I’ve said here, each hormonal phase brings with it different strengths, powers, and abilities you can bring to your exercise routine to make sure you love what you’re doing all month, as well as get the most out of it - whether that’s meeting your weight loss goal, or just feeling happy and healthy.

Your follicular phase is a great time to try something new - a class you’ve always been curious about, a new routine you want to master. It’s also a great time for heavy-cardio classes. You have more energy and you’re super capable at dominating new skills.

Your ovulatory phase is a great time to focus on your strength training - whether that’s using kettle bells, weightlifting, interval training, or a bootcamp. Your luteal phase can be when you currently feel low energy, demotivated, and tired. This is when many women fall behind on their work outs, if they’re trying to do the same thing they were doing the last couple of weeks. This is a great time to switch things up to an intense yoga class, pilates, or something involving a lot of gradual movement and stretching. Cardio is not great at this time and will make you feel a little overwhelmed and tired.

Nearer to your menstruation phase is a good time for light yoga or hiking. You can keep moving without stressing your body.

During your menstruation phase, when you have your period, you should feel free to skip the workout. Just take a nice walk around your neighborhood or do some morning stretches. If you skip the workout for these few days, you’ll feel more energized and enthused for your exercise routine the rest of the month. Your energy is bound to be low at this time, so go with it, have some quiet time - take hot baths and practice self-care, which is all part of a holistic, complete approach to your health. Sleep is super important now, and actually vital for your physical health. Research has shown that one night of poor sleep is the equivalent to 6 months eating a diet high in bad fats.Cycle awareness and cycle syncing when it comes to working out can save you from exhaustion, burn-out, hormonal imbalance-based health issues, injury and boredom! For more ideas on work outs to try during each hormonal phase go here for a breakdown. Plus check out these phase-divided work outs you can follow at home for free, from great instructors across Youtube. On the FLO Living YouTube channel I have 4 hormonal phase-specific yoga workouts you can do at home, led by my friend and FLO graduation, Emily, a certified yoga instructor. Try the follicular, ovulatory, luteal, and menstrual routines she has devised as someone now totally in-tune with her hormones. Too often we as women blame ourselves for not being able to operate at the same energy level every day and we get frustrated for not staying physically active because of it. I want that to stop, today! I can’t wait to hear how your body responds to this new approach to exercise.Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!To your FLO,Alisa

Do You Know the Easiest Way to Fix Your Period Symptoms?

You don’t need to keep suffering with annoying symptoms that drain your energy for 1-2 weeks every single month. In fact, you can start having a better period as soon as your next period.MyFLO is the first-ever functional medicine period tracker that ALSO helps you fix your symptoms. MyFLO will help you understand why you have symptoms and what to do to improve them with food. It will also teach you how to Cycle Sync™ the 5 main areas of your life: food, exercise, work, relationships, and sex.Have a Better Period with MyFLOWhen you follow MyFLO’s weekly recommendations, you’ll get rid of frustrating symptoms and learn how to optimize your energy to be more productive and have better relationships.Click here to get MyFLO for iPhoneClick here to get MyFLO for Android