Fertility

Of all the things that can make you put on weight, it seems so unfair that stress can be one of them. We all get that fried foods and doughy treats are going to pile on the pounds, but stress is harder to manage and more difficult to avoid. We all get stressed and what’s more stressful than thinking about how you keep gaining because you’re stressed? It’s enough to drive anyone nuts! In a study from Ohio State University, the researchers actually found that women who experienced stress burned more than 100 fewer calories than women who had not experienced stress, during the period directly after they had eaten a high-fat meal. This disruption to the metabolic process, caused by stress, builds up to the equivalent of 11 pounds potentially gained every year! Eeek. But, and it’s a big but for me (the great kind!), we women NEED more of the loving and compassionate kind of self-care based energy in our lives. We need to banish that no pain=no gain energy of the past. Just as we’ve updated our workout wardrobes from spandex and leg warmers to lululemon-like style, we also need to update our thinking when it comes to weight loss.

How stress-fat happens to good women

We just need to face the facts - stress blocks our natural ability to lose weight. It disrupts our adrenal patterns and cortisol levels, so that the fat doesn’t become useful glucose, but instead goes straight back into our cells. It doesn’t get used up, it just pads out your belly and hips. Plus, more fat in those cells equals higher levels of estrogen and estrogen dominance is the cause of so many hormonal health issues from endometriosis to infertility problems. Taking the regular route - that is restricting calories and over-exercising - just does not work. In fact, it causes more stress on your body, making it even harder to lose those stubborn pounds. In fact, if you’re stressed already, it seems pretty barbaric to me to expect yourself to go without enough food and strive for physical exhaustion to get around this problem. If you’re over 35, just had a baby, or suffering with hormonal imbalances, then it’s not only barbaric, but counterintuitive - you’ll only be increasing your appetite and your cravings. You’ll be starving, soon carbo-loading, and regretful. Your adrenals will go haywire, causing your hormones to go into panic-mode, leaving you feeling low and lumpy.

The secret to avoiding stress-related weight gain

One of the most important things you can do when you’re stressed to avoid piling on the pounds is to get good quality sleep. That’s right - don’t move more, move less - and for 8-10 hours per night. Getting decent, deep sleep calms the adrenals, rebalances your cortisol levels (avoiding the pitfalls of adrenal fatigue, and primes your body for weight loss. Good sleeps helps you to burn more calories (when you’re awake and while you’re asleep!), melt more fat, and curbs those tendencies to give in to unhealthy cravings and overeating.Those who run on too little, poor quality sleep have been found to experience an increase in levels of hunger hormone ghrelin and decreased levels of satiety hormone leptin, causing both overeating and weight gain. Five days of bad night’s sleep can cause you to add on another 2 pounds in just that short time. It makes sense, right? We get sleepy, exhausted even, and we eat more of the wrong kinds of foods to keep us going. Our hormones get sluggish, our adrenals slow, our metabolism slumps. So, the best thing you can do is to make yourself a sleep schedule that protects your body’s fat burning skills from this kind of sabotage.

5 steps to get that fat-burning good sleep

1. Give up caffeine - follow my coffee detox plan and replace your morning cup of joe with something more adrenal-soothing.
2. Get Appy - install a blue light filter on your laptop and phone to decrease the stimulating, sleep-disrupting light your devices currently give off. Try this one or this one for calmer evening times.
3. Get off - orgasms will help you fall into a deep and restorative sleep. Follow my steps to get the best solo experience of your life!
4. Get supplemented - figure out your personal sleep story to make the right choices in supplements that will see you through the night with no slip-ups.
5. Get your magnesium - a magnesium deficiency is one of the most common health issues and one of the most prominent causes of sleep disturbance, so you need to consciously supplement and sustain.

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 struggle with your weight? Second, do you feel sleep-deprived? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

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!

Did you know that there are many studies that suggest Thanksgiving is, by definition, the most healthy holiday? That’s because gratitude is so very good for you and your hormones. Grateful people have been shown to get better sleep, feel less anxious and depressed, and be better at keeping to their exercise goals. Those who keep good track of their blessings experience more feelings of true happiness than anyone else. Thankfulness even goes a long way to boosting your immunity. People who keep a gratitude journal each day also experience fewer physical symptoms. And, of course, we can all see how gratitude can benefit our relationships, which in turn benefit ourselves.

One part of my life I am exceedingly grateful for is you!

I am grateful that you found us here at Flo Living, for coming on the journey to living in your Flo with me, and for being part of the vital Flo community. I am overjoyed every time I hear from you, whether through the online program, via email, Facebook message, Tweet, Facebook like, share, comment or note on one of our blog posts here. I hear every affirmation that comes through! Thank you for taking part in this conversation and supporting my work, the work of my colleagues, other women, and yourselves! I am so grateful for your courage to share your story and to share the FLO living program and WomanCode, the book with the women you care about in your life. Every time you do that you open up the possibility for another woman to not only transform her health, but to also reconnect her to parts of herself essential for her full expression and vitality. I am so very proud of every single woman who decides to take her hormones into her own hands and make the change she knows she needs. As part of my pre-Thanksgiving thankfulness routine I’ve been going through the blog posts past, reading your comments, taking in and drawing upon your feedback, intuiting your desires and hopes, and filtering this all through to make Flo Living even better in the year to come. I was struck to see which blog posts have been the most popular and helpful to you in 2015 so far and I wanted to revisit that top 10 here, knowing this might help more women to discover the important information they’ve been searching for. If you haven’t had a chance to tell me your thoughts on what we’re up to and what we should do next - please take 2 minutes and answer the short survey questions - it would truly make my day to hear from you!

Top 10 FLO Living Blogs of 2015

I hope putting these all together in a list for you makes it easy to refer back to you if you want to reread these blogs and of course, please share this list on FB or Twitter to help women in your community begin their journey back to their own FLO.10) 5 Signs You Have A Healthy, Normal Period - this one really struck a chord with ladies who couldn’t believe they too might be able to have a perfect period! It’s true, yes you can, join me!9) 4 Smoothies That Will Balance Your Hormones - the enthusiasm for this fun post was a delight, thanks so much for joining in! 8) How I Stock My Fridge And Pantry - you all definitely enjoyed a peek in my lovely fridge! I tidied it up especially for you. 7) The One Thing You Are Doing At Work That’s Hurting Your Hormones - we spend so many hours at work, sometimes we forget it’s important to keep our health in mind even when hard at our job. Keep moving cycle sisters!6) My Favorite Energy Boosting Snacks - we all love to snack and why not keep it simple and healthy? I always love to share my secret tricks with you. 5) The One Secret Reason Women Shouldn’t Drink Coffee - I have a feeling this was a shocker! So many of you commented, the most comments all year, and some great shares of favorite alternatives and success stories of kicking the habit! 4) The Nutrient Deficiency Almost No One Has Heard Of But Almost Everyone Has - lots of comments here too! It seems that many of you were struck by the symptoms of magnesium deficiency and glad to have practical solutions.3) The 4 Best Sources of Protein For Your Hormones and The Worst Ones To Avoid - we’re all in search of the perfect protein and I think I’ve found it! A bit of myth busting here, over which many of you shared your surprise/interest.2) 4 Foods To Get Rid Of Your Symptoms In 4 Weeks - I’m so glad you liked this one as it makes for a nice gateway to the full cycle syncing protocol. Just keep folding in more foods to each phase (check out my book “WomanCode”) and you will have yourself a full Flo Living lifestyle.And…..at number 1!1) Why You Should Stop Using Your Vibrator - with a title like that how could it not win out?! Yes, I asked you to put away your sex toys, but with good reason! How are you getting on without it? Thank you, again, ever so for your community support, feedback, and energy - all of this drives us at Flo Living to improve on what we provide and to make our center THE hub for hormonal health. 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, what was your personal favorite blog post?Second, what are you most thankful for? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

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!

Over the years I have been living in my Flo I have developed a way of staying relaxed, present, and stress-free. I have made this practice as much a part of my life as my eating protocol or my workout routine. All three of these lifestyle elements do feed into each other, but keeping stress at bay needs additional conscious effort if you’re to protect your hormones, your health and your well-being. You need a special self care strategy.I think this is the perfect time of the year - the holiday season - to experiment with embracing true abundance. Everything becomes about the idea of “more is more” - more food, more gifts, more money spent - even if it makes us feel empty. It’s hard not to get sucked into the snowglobe of chaos - the endless events, the competitive gifting, the lavish meals, and constant treats. We (especially women) feel obliged to give, give, give - to catch up with all friends and family, to say yes to every invitation, to expend on time, money, and efforts to avoid feeling guilty or envious. Social media only seems to drive our FOMO feeling (fear of missing out). We start to think self-care is all about the socializing selfies! When we put that kind of strain on our personal bandwidth we feel stretched - emotionally, mentally, and physically. All the things that keep us healthy and sane - sleep, good nutritious food, getting active - the rest of the year, immediately go out of the window. We put ourselves last - behind taking care of our to-do list and taking care of other’s needs.

Recognize that you create your experience of time

My self-care strategy is a practical extension of my yoga or meditation practice. The more time I spend with myself, the more spaciousness I create in my experience of time during the day. During the holiday season this looks like less events, less parties, less spending, less stress, more quality time, more loving connection, more thoughtful sharing. When it comes to your biochemistry, it’s not just what you feed yourself that matters. Your whole lifestyle is tied to your health - sleeping, eating, moving, working, socializing - all that you do feedbacks to your body and can produce symptoms. The way you live your life is reflected in your body. Saying no, cutting back, reprioritizing, cleansing your life will help you to stay happy, present and stress-free. You’ll get more out of your experiences and put more back in. Your relationships, work and health will benefit from the practice of less is more. When you avoid stress, your cortisol hormone levels stay stabilized, your oxytocin levels rise, your progesterone production is pumping away and you’re ovulating, bringing all the more benefits!

Focus on what makes you feel good for family-related stress

Not over-giving emotionally can be the trickiest part of the holidays. We can reverse our spending habits, reorganize our diet, and physically stay home more often, but the holidays tend to mean spending more time with those you might otherwise choose to avoid - namely, stress-inducing family members! My tip here is to focus on making yourself feel good! Going home for the holidays can feel like watching the same movie play over and over before your eyes - each family member plays the same part, no one deviates from the script, they’re all just walking through the steps, recreating the same drama, even having the same arguments! Recognize that you can step away from the play, and focus on what you need instead. Play a new game by changing your responses and stop trying to change anyone else’s. Base what you decide to do differently this time on the concept of what makes you feel the best. Do and say things that bring you happiness, react to hurtful or difficult behavior quite simply, as though you were still a 3rd grader at school, and with as few words as possible, “That hurt my feelings” or “I don’t like it when you say that.” Don’t hold things in, don’t get over-involved and don’t get into arguments. Prioritizing your needs emotionally and physically is guaranteed to leave you feeling good, rather than drained at the end of the season.

Enjoy more with less

“Less is more” works across the board - think of how great that first cookie tastes, but then think how flavorless the last cookie of the whole box tastes, when you’ve eaten them all in one sitting? If you say yes to a party every night, you’ll soon tire of the socializing and begin to resent the obligation. Selecting a few very special gifts for super special people is so much more rewarding than stacking up present after present for every single person in your life, however you feel about them. Next time someone says they have FOMO, tell them LIM! Your ultimate destination for this abundance experiment in the coming months is to recognize that your value is not in what you do for other people - throwing events, buying gifts - your value is your presence. You are a vehicle for love and whenever you share those two things the experience is perfect in itself. No bells and whistles required. Leave room for you to really, truly, utterly enjoy yourself. That’s the secret to self-care during the holiday season and beyond and of course, by keeping cortisol low, is also a great safeguard to your overall hormonal health. 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, what causes you the most stress?Second, do you feel more stress this time of year? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

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!

I’m going to share some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes below, but first I want to explain why the holidays can be so hard on our hormones—and how you can take steps to protect yourself. Now if you read that last paragraph and started panicking because you think I’m about to tell you that you can’t have any of Aunt Julia’s famous caramel pecan pie at Thanksgiving dinner, you’re wrong! When you have a strategic plan for balancing your blood sugar, you can have the occasional sweet treat this holiday season and not feel rotten for weeks afterward. In fact, the holidays become even more fun when you know that you have a strategy for enjoying traditional holiday food without worrying about the hormonal aftermath.

What The Holidays Do To Your Blood Sugar

So what is it about holiday eating and drinking that can cause crummy symptoms for days, weeks, and sometimes months?It’s all about blood sugar. Balanced blood sugar (not too high or too low) is foundational for optimal hormonal health. When we have extra sweet treats at Thanksgiving, mulled wine all through December (alcohol is processed in the body like sugar), and even more treats (and booze) around the winter holidays and the New Year, it puts our blood sugar on an unhealthy roller coaster.  Your delicate endocrine system, which regulates your hormones, interprets mismanaged blood sugar as a stressor and signals your adrenals glands to respond by sending out a lot of cortisol (the stress hormone) and adrenaline.

Chronically mismanaged blood sugar, which is triggered by eating too many sweet treats (like we often do during the holiday months) causes your body to be in a constant state of fight-or-flight and sets your entire hormonal system off balance. What’s more, all the extra glucose in your system (and all the insulin that your pancreas releases to deal with all that glucose) disrupts ovulation and interferes with the production of progesterone. This can lead to more estrogen in your body relative to progesterone, a condition called estrogen dominance.

Not just that, but fat cells secrete estrogen. The more sugar you eat, the more fat cells you have—and the more estrogen they secrete! This adds to the estrogen overload in your body. Estrogen dominance is the root cause behind so many period problems and hormonal symptoms, including PMS, cramps, irregular cycles, acne, along with PCOS and infertility issues.

How To Have Balanced Blood Sugar On Thanksgiving Day

So how can you enjoy holiday meals without sending your blood sugar soaring?The secret is pre-planning. And that means being just as intentional about your Thanksgiving breakfast as your Thanksgiving dinner. The right breakfast will set you up for blood sugar success, whether the meal is one you’re making or at someone else’s home.

A Good Thanksgiving Breakfast

• 2 eggs in coconut oil
• AND some steel cut oatmeal
• AND steamed kale with olive oil

Pre Thanksgiving Noon Snack

Dinner usually doesn’t start until 3pm, but waiting that long to eat ensures you’ll be hypoglycemic and will trigger major carb cravings!

• Avocado smashed on Food for Life gluten-free toast with added chia seeds, sesame seeds and Himalayan salt.

Hormone-friendly, Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes

Over the many years that I have been living in my Flo, I have created go-to recipes that have become traditions for my Thanksgiving table.First up, the turkey question – I usually roast a turkey breast rolled with a stuffing of roasted chestnuts, celery, onions, and herbs.But I also usually like to prepare a lentil loaf (here’s a great recipe) and I make a mushroom gravy to go over the top (here’s an easy recipe, although use coconut or wholegrain flour instead of all-purpose).Then on to the sides – which is where I feel I really shine! Instead of the hormonally hazardous mashed potatoes and bread stuffing or sauce, I make very simple, fresh vegetable blends. I love roasted brussel sprouts and cauliflower mash, but my specialty is something I call “smashed roots.” Delicious.

Smashed roots

My alternative to mashed potatoes

• 3 large sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
• 2 turnips peeled and cubed
• 1 celery root peeled and cubed
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 4 T olive oil or more!

Prepare all veggies. In a large pot place 3 inches of water and a steamer basket. Steam all veggies, one root at a time.  Smash everything together with the olive oil and salt in your serving bowl and enjoy.

Baked parsnips and fennel and green beans

My alternative to the usual bean casserole

• 2 bulbs fennel sliced into ½ inch slices
• 6 parsnips quartered
• 1 lb of green beans trimmed
• ½ tsp Himalayan salt
• 2 T olive oil

Prepare all veggies. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring one medium pot of salted water to boil. Drop parsnips into boiling water for 5 min and place into your casserole/baking dish. In same pot of water, boil green beans for 5 min or until just tender. Finally, blanch the fennel in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Mix everything together with the olive oil and salt in the baking dish and place into the oven. Let roast for 20 minutes until everything is golden and the green beans have a caramelized look to the skin.

Cranberry sauce

I have to say, my cranberry sauce recipe is amazing - it’s the best one I’ve ever tried. Give it a go! No sugar, of course, but it tastes just as good.

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1 tablespoon of honey

Roasted herby holiday nuts

How about avoiding the usual cheese and cracker trap with a good appetizer? I have you covered. I love this appetizer and it’s often part of what I take to a dinner at someone else’s home or a potluck or holiday party. It’s really an all-round crowd pleaser.

• 1 1/2 cups almonds
• 1 1/2 cups walnut halves
• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1/2 cup coconut nectar or honey
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh savory leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram leaves
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• About 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt

Mix almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, maple syrup, cayenne, oregano, sage, thyme, rosemary, savory, marjoram, and oil in a 10- by 15-inch rimmed pan. Sprinkle nuts with 1 teaspoon salt. Bake in a 300° oven, stirring occasionally, until all liquid evaporates and nuts are golden under the skin (break open to test), about 45 minutes. Let cool.

Apple and cranberry fruit cobbler

No skipping dessert today. It’s the holidays, after all. Instead of pumpkin pie, I opt for a cobbler which satisfies both its sweetness and crunch.

• 4 apples, cored, sliced
• ½ bag of frozen or fresh cranberries
• juice of ½ lemon
• ½ tsp cinnamon, pinch of salt
• 2 T coconut oil
• 1 tsp arrowroot

Combine all the ingredients in a 14 inch casserole baking dish. Sprinkle gluten free/sugar free plain granola on top (Udi’s or Elizabeth’s). Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 30 min covered. Let sit 15 minutes uncovered and cool. Serve with fresh mint and coconut yogurt or a drizzle of honey.

Being A Thanksgiving Guest

If I’m going to Thanksgiving at someone else’s home, I will bring my roasted nut appetizer with me and, usually, also the cobbler. This means I have something to snack on and a healthy dessert, so I skip the cheese and crackers and the pies. I can easily have the turkey and vegetable sides while avoiding the mashed potatoes and bread stuffing, without seeming difficult.I have been known to bring my own raw sweet potato to a party, though, I must confess, and quietly steam it prior to dinner so I have a filling, hormone-friendly carb to go with my turkey and veggies

The Flo-fix For Thanksgiving Overindulgence

Say all does not go according to plan and you need to offset your foodie indulgences…maybe you found it hard to avoid what your host was serving up.Here’s how to reset and get your hormones back in balance. If you’ve had a drink as part of the festivities, follow my tried-and-true plan here to hold down your hangover and minimize the hormonal damage. If your indulgences were only food related, then see my effective 3-step plan for the next day:

1. Eat a good breakfast (see above!) but keep it super light the rest of the day. Add some turmeric to those eggs and avo toast. This will smooth out your blood sugar and slow inflammation.
2. Have a green juice (½ cup mango, ½ a green apple, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple, 1/2 cup coconut water, 1 cup of cilantro and blend!) and a green salad with leftover turkey slices for lunch. Have a side order of a fresh apple. Add some sauerkraut to that turkey salad to get your probiotics in and further heal inflammation.
3. Take a shot of apple cider vinegar. Sip on hot water and lemon throughout the rest of the day. These will work to emulsify those fats.

Always remember, 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 you FLO,

Alisa

Do you wake up feeling groggy, like you have a hangover, but without the fun memories of the night before?You’re sure you just spent the work evening as usual, sat on the sofa binge watching every single episode of your new favorite show until late. There was popcorn involved, but no wine, this time, so why the fuzzy, heavy head and desperate desire for coffee? You could be suffering with Adrenal Fatigue. Some studies suggest up to 80% of people today have some form of this health problem. Adrenal Fatigue is an imbalance of the hormone cortisol. You are supposed to get 3 main surges of cortisol during the day, but none at night time. With Adrenal Fatigue the opposite happens, you have low cortisol in the morning, but then it peaks in the evening. You’re not tired, but wired, at the end of the day. Cortisol keeps us going, keeps us pepped and energized. When we have cortisol surges at the wrong time we find that we can’t get going in the morning and we can’t fall asleep at night.

How you know if you have Adrenal Fatigue

If even when you take the time to have a really good night’s sleep (in bed by 10pm, the full 8-9 uninterrupted hours) you still feel that hungover feeling, then it’s possible this is down to early stage Adrenal Fatigue. Heal the root causes now and you’ll save yourself a bigger headache in years to come.Culturally, we’re trained to think that we’re kind of supposed to feel tired all of the time. We keep ourselves overbooked and overextended, we stay BUSY, in order to achieve everything we set out to achieve. Our brains have totally got this handled. They can juggle work tasks, child care, meal planning, socializing, studying for a PhD, all at the same time and succeed. But our adrenals are more primitive than our brains and they cannot handle this. They get burnt out very quickly by the modern way of life. Other symptoms of early stage Adrenal Fatigue include:

• low libido
• inability to deal with stress
• problems with concentrating and memory
• getting sick often
• feeling depressed

Sound familiar?

The root cause of Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal Fatigue is one of what I like to call the “vicious cycle” issues. It comes down to a combination of problems with the gut microbiome, the thyroid, and the adrenals. The gut microbiome is in conversation with our cortisol production system. Inflammation in the gut from issues like “leaky gut syndrome” (brought on by processed flour, sugar, dairy) causes toxic substances to leak through into your whole body and this creates an inflammatory moment, an immune response, and stresses out your adrenals. They send out cortisol like crazy until the well runs dry. With early stage Adrenal Fatigue you’re just not making enough cortisol during the day (and too much at night). With later stage Adrenal Fatigue you can stop making cortisol during the day altogether. The thyroid can become dysfunctional leading to a thyroid problem. That problem can then develop into something more severe - namely Addison’s or Cushing’s Disease. BUT you can turn early stage Adrenal Fatigue around pretty simply and easily and avoid any of these potential cascading health problems.

Adrenal Fatigue and your cycles and fertility

Disruption to the hormone cortisol has a knock-on impact on your cycles. If you’re currently suffering with Adrenal Fatigue you will likely also be experiencing these issues:

• Anovulatory cycles - you won’t be ovulating every month which will hamper your plans for achieving a pregnancy and your overall health.
• Progesterone deficiency - your body eats up progesterone when its struggling to regulate cortisol. Low progesterone lengthens your luteal phase making your cycles longer and the start of your period sluggish (you may see brown spotting and brown blood before the full flow).
• PMS - as you can imagine, the “tired and wired” scenario here is going to worsen all symptoms of PMS including the mood swings and food cravings. You’ll especially crave sugar for energy, which then disrupts the microbiome and causes more cortisol disruption. Vicious cycle!

How to heal Adrenal Fatigue naturally

The great news is that you can heal this health problem naturally - no medications involved - and your efforts will reap rewards quickly. Follow my simple 3 step plan to soothe your adrenals and start sleeping like a baby and waking up refreshed, energized and raring to take on the day. 3 things to do if you want to heal Adrenal Fatigue

1. Sleep. There are many things you can do to get a better night’s sleep, even with cortisol levels going haywire. I have a breakdown of many of my best tips here, but as an added extra for your situation, I suggest you also try a herbal sleep aid. My favorite is Hyland’s Calms.
2. Supplement. There are two types of Adrenal Fatigue - one comes with anxiety and one comes with depression. If you have anxiety, take the supplement Ashwaghanda and if you have depression take Rhodiola.
3. Schedule. Your adrenals love a regular, set schedule. They are trying to keep time in your body in relation to the sun rising and setting, so they’re all about that clockwork time keeping. They feel relaxed by regular bed times, meal times, and workout times. This can seem impossible, especially if you have multiple responsibilities, but try picking just ONE part of your life to schedule strictly - like the time you wake up or the time you eat dinner with your family.

3 things to avoid if you want to heal Adrenal Fatigue

1. Over-exercise. Don’t push yourself when you’re not feeling up to that spin class. If you have adrenal fatigue it’s better to focus on walking, yoga, pilates, instead of high cardio workouts that stress the adrenals. Exercise according to your body’s best abilities by cycle-syncing your routine.
2. Empty stomach. Eat a good breakfast every morning and don’t chug coffee on an empty stomach. Better yet, avoid coffee entirely - here’s my easy detox plan.
3. Late night. Try to rearrange your life to avoid having dinner late, binge watching until the wee hours, events that don’t start til 9pm - try to catch that sleep train at 10pm every night. This way you’ll get into bed on the tail end of the evening cortisol surge and avoid experiencing another close to midnight and then not getting to sleep until 3am, if at all.

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 think you have Adrenal Fatigue? Second, do you have low energy? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

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!

Just a quick Google of the words “women” and “exercise” reveals that, only in this last week, the news has reported that exercise can save women from breast cancer, that women need to do resistance exercises during pregnancy, that exercise is more beneficial to women post-menopause, and that, for women, walking is better than working out. One week we hear that too much exercise or the wrong kind of exercise - be it spinning, CrossFit, running - is bad for us, and another week we hear we’re all heading to an early grave because we work out too little. It’s head-spinningly confusing and it’s enough to make you want to spend another evening on the couch, watching TV, eating snacks, and feeling kind of hopeless. When it comes to our hormonal health you have probably heard both that too much exercise or working out too hard can cause irregular cycles, missing periods, endometriosis, and more. You’ve probably also heard that too little exercise brings on the symptoms of PCOS, gives you cancer, and makes your periods heavy and painful. We are overwhelmed with advice, tips, and research. So what is the perfect Goldilocks-scenario here? What is the just right amount of exercise to do and the just right kind of exercise?Wonderfully, your hormonal patterns provide all you need to figure this out. The cyclical pattern of how our bodies work sets up the perfect architecture for us to plan out what is the best workout for us. During each phase of our menstrual cycle our bodies are primed and prepared for different kinds of exercise. At certain times - luteal phase and menstruation - our stores of nutrients and hormones go into building the lining of your uterus, making enough progesterone for example. At other times we have everything at our disposal to channel into a really strong work out. 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!Whether you’re working out to lose weight, stay fit, or keep healthy - it’s all about having a good metabolism and your metabolism is governed by your hormones. They are sensitive to unstable blood sugar, lack of sleep, too much coffee, too much stress - and all of this can prevent your hormones and metabolism from functioning well, which turns working out from something that’s good for you into something that is either ineffective or becomes actually bad for you.

So, what’s the solution? Don’t work out hard, instead, work out smart.

For the next month try this workout routine - it’s a routine that’s in sync with your body and your hormones. It will support a robust metabolism and strike the perfect balance. Follicular phase - try something new, like the Buti Yoga trend. It’s yoga mixed with Zumba-style movement. Stretch, relax, connect to your core, and get in some cardio all in one session! Ovulatory phase - try an interval training class or gym work out, like short sprints interspersed with fast walking, or a spinning class with slow uphills and fast racing segments - Soul Cycle. First part of your luteal phase - this is when to get high-intensity with a bootcamp class and use up your renewed energy stores to burn fat and make muscle. Second part of your luteal phase - ease towards menstruation with a pilates or restorative yoga class that relieves tension. Menstrual phase - take a gentle walk and sleep, sleep, sleep! Deep, restful, uninterrupted sleep helps you to lose weight. In fact, one night of missed, deficient sleep is the equivalent to 6 months eating a diet high in bad fats. Good sleep safeguards our blood sugar stability and prevents metabolic mayhem. Take my recommended steps to sleep like a baby. To supercharge your workouts the rest of the month, take this time to incorporate other routines that support your health and fitness including dry brushing, epsom salt/baking soda baths, massages and acupuncture. All of these non-workout routines improve your lymphatic drainage, which means that when your body is primed for that bootcamp class you will see more of the benefit. If you prefer to get your exercise at home - try out these cycle synced at-home workout videos especially for women living in their Flo. I’ve also selected the best free online routines you can watch on your laptop or TV that are perfect for each phase of your menstrual cycle.

My current workout routine: For new moms

It’s been just over a year since I gave birth and to be honest, I’ve hardly exercised at all. I go for a walk 3 or 4 times a week around Central Park pushing my baby girl in her 30lb stroller! I do some nice, easy, relaxing yoga for 30 minutes at home. And, you know what? My friends and family say I am thinner now than I was before I got pregnant! When do you ever hear that? It’s because I’m eating in my Flo, living in my Flo, and respecting my post-partum hormones. I know conventional wisdom - or at least gossip magazines - tell us that after giving birth we ought to crash diet and workout like crazy to lose the weight. Well, I lost 40 lbs. worth of baby weight in 3 months without depriving myself and without working out. I know what my body needs right now. I’m producing milk for my baby and that’s an energy and nutrient-heavy process. I am healing from the massive nutrient requirements of making a tiny human and delivering one. I am sleep deprived from nursing. I know my body needs my support to be able to provide for my child and keep me healthy and happy. Many women suffer with adrenal fatigue and thyroid issues post-partum and that’s because they push themselves way too hard and get depleted of their stores of nutrients, energy, and hormones. Instead of depleting myself I am strengthening myself with nourishment - bone broth, homemade chicken liver pate, bison burgers and more. When I feel fully stronger, I will start again with my cycle synced workouts just like the plan I’ve outlined for you here. I walk the talk, ladies, and it works! 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, what’s your favorite workout? Second, are you post-partum trying to get your body back, what’s happening? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

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!

From a functional nutrition standpoint, there’s a better way forward when it comes to fibroids - no pain, but also no side effect laden pills or invasive surgeries. Both short term and long term good health are possible - relief now and no fertility worries later. You can have both, if you examine the root cause of your health issues. You have it in your hands to control whether you develop more fibroids and whether the fibroids that you have become larger and more uncomfortable. Essentially, you are able to make choices that will positively impact your current situation and your overall health. If you make changes to your diet and lifestyle you, can avoid more issues down the road. And the work, starting today, to fix this problem is nothing when compared to dealing with the adverse effects of the Pill and invasive surgeries.

A new way to treat uterine fibroids

It might seem harmless - "just take this Pill and everything will be resolved." Unfortunately, the Pill does not stop the growth of fibroids altogether and it actually worsens the underlying hormonal issues that cause this problem. Eventually you’ll want to come off the Pill and the fibroids will grow back and will potentially become more difficult to deal with.

The Pill depletes your hormones and nutrients, leaving you in poor health - from low immunity to a weakened metabolism. This can then create a situation in which a hysterectomy seems like the best choice. Hysterectomy increases cardiovascular risk, among a number of difficult consequences. So it isn’t all that harmless, even if it does seem to make sense to you and your doctor right now to just stay on the Pill and sit tight.

Your internal ecosystem and genetic predisposition that is creating a fibroid condition will keep doing so until you fix that ecosystem. Just addressing the estrogen dominance alone can help turn this ship around. Unaddressed however, you can’t get free of fibroids.The good news? You can avoid all of this entirely! So, what do these necessary diet and lifestyle changes involve? It can all be accomplished in one elegant and simple solution.

There are 4 essential stages to treating fibroids naturally:

1. ‍Reduce your estrogen overload‍
2. Improve your lymphatic drainage‍
3. Reduce your gut inflammation‍
4. Improve yourliver function

Finding the heart to take action

You might not know this, but a diagnosis of uterine fibroids means that your daughter is more likely to also develop uterine fibroids once she hits puberty. Try thinking about it from this perspective -  what would you do to prevent your child from going through the pain, the heavy bleeding, the backaches and the other ensuing health issues that you have gone through? I’d imagine you’d say - everything and anything possible. I know I would. I truly believe that we need to treat ourselves like we would treat our own daughters - with the same love, compassion, and care. You in this very moment have the fierce heart of a mother to turn that love into powerful self-care for you!I meet so many women who say, “If only I had known what was coming, I would have made different choices for myself far earlier in my life.” This is especially true for women who have suffered with fibroids. You can take your health into your own hands and make a difference. To kickstart this process you need to try my 4 Day Hormone Detox Plan and then ease into the cycle syncing health-style of living in your Flo. Once you get started, it becomes second nature. I know you’d do it for your daughter, but I want you to do it for yourself. 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!

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To your FLO,

Alisa

We’ve all met those women - the ones that are quick to tell everyone that their period is totally light, quick, pain and problem-free! Like those women in the commercials, running around playing tennis and horseback riding, as if nothing were happening down there.

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We tend to think those women are just plain lucky, that it’s a happy accident of fate whether you experience an easy period or a hard period. We assume something goes on in that mysterious process that either delivers you with a life of period positivity or a life of hating your period. We think: “Maybe it’s in the genes?”

And, if that lady isn’t you - if you do suffer every month with heavy bleeding, cramps, periods that go on forever, horrible PMS symptoms like moodiness and cravings...well then it can be really annoying to hear about someone else’s great period! You might even be in the situation where you have to explain your problem periods to your boss or co-workers, friends and family, because you just can’t carry on with life when you’re bleeding.

I have a confession to make, though, I am one of those women with a great period that causes me no problems! I even went on the Dr. Oz show to tell him about how great my period is!

But, I didn’t used to be one of those women. Before I developed the Flo Living protocol my periods were a real pain in the ass. So, I get where you’re coming from.

I want to tell you what my period is like NOW, only so that you know what a normal, healthy period SHOULD be like. There is absolutely no reason you should suffer on your period. It is not necessary, inevitable, fated, or unavoidable that you currently have cramps, heavy bleeding, clots, long periods, irregular periods, or terrible PMS issues. It is not some cross women have to bear, this problem period situation. It can be fixed.

What is a normal, perfect, healthy, period?

1. Your cycle should last 26-32 days - anywhere in between is fine as long as it is regular and consistent for you.
2. Your bleed should be the color of cranberry juice from start to finish, with no clots. A nice, strong, flow that isn’t inconveniently heavy and has you running to the bathroom every hour. Your period should really start first thing in the morning, without any brown stains leading up to the appearance of that cranberry red. And it should last 4-7 days, not longer or shorter.
3. You should be able to feel your uterus in action with some slight sensations or warm feelings, but there should not be any kind of pain that might have you reaching for drugs or hot water bottles.
4. After your period, leading up to ovulation, you should see the development of cervical fluid, which is an indicator of healthy fertility and necessary for getting pregnant. You might see this in your underwear or when you wipe after using the bathroom.
5. Rather than PMS, you should notice an increase in upbeat, social energy towards the middle of your cycle, that’s post-period, and then, in the second half of your cycle, a more focused, determined energy to get things accomplished.

If you experience a period that is the opposite of this - that is “un-perfect” shall we say? - check out my guide to interpreting and treating your period - this is where I provide specific protocols for each potential period problem you might be facing at this time whether that be clots, extremely light periods, brown staining, super short cycles, cramps, or PMS.

It pains me to see the descriptions sent out with the #livetweetyourperiod hashtag on Twitter, so many of them are utterly heart-wrenchingly negative, because women are suffering. Even the founder of the campaign, Tracy Clayton from Buzzfeed, seems to have extremely problematic periods. And so many women seem to feel they have to accept it as their lot in life.

I want to shout it from the rooftops: You can have the perfect period!

‍It’s totally achievable. You can even have a better period by next month, and a period just like mine within 3 months. I’ve seen it happen time and time again with the women I’ve worked with through Flo Living. I think every woman deserves the kind of period they can truly brag about.

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!

Living in New York City, when the seasons change, boy do we know about it! If you’ve not experienced it, then I know you’ve definitely seen on the news how our winter storms have really upped their game in recent years. Basically, it’s dark and gloomy for 3-4 months straight. Sometimes the Holidays and Christmas lights and gift shopping are just not enough to beat back the blues. But there’s a difference between feeling low because you can no longer sit out in the park of an evening, and chronic sadness. Seasonal Affective Disorder shows up in feeling blue, but also as increased irritability, anxiety, issues focusing or concentrating, sleeping longer but not as deeply, and feeling lethargic. Fall is like the weather’s luteal phase! And just like with our own pre-menstrual experience, if we don’t support our bodies and our hormones then we will find that we take the transition much harder than is necessary. You Winter proof your house, right? Well, you’ve got to Winterproof yourself too! Because when the weather’s PMS and your PMS sync - you’ll be in for a rough ride!

The hormonal story behind SAD symptoms

Both pre-menstrual depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder occur because of low levels of the hormones serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin is produced in our bodies from the precursor amino acid tryptophan, and melatonin is converted from serotonin by the pineal gland at night. Thus, low serotonin yields low melatonin, which messes with our sleep cycles and further contributes to depressed feelings.Take away regular doses of natural sunlight with the darkening weather, and it gets even worse. Sunlight increases serotonin production, as well as Vitamin D production, which helps maintain the serotonin levels. I should also mention that the stress hormone cortisol can impact serotonin production, so if you throw stress or adrenal issues into the mix, it will exacerbate the problem.

The 5 Natural Remedies to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder

I’m certain that prescriptions of antidepressants increase exponentially at this time. But you can avoid this heavy-hitting protocol, by trying out some natural, gentle remedies that will support your body, your hormones and boost your mood holistically. Hop over here to get some additional tips on alleviating stress and anxiety too.

1. Brighten your diet. Seek out foods that contain the amino acid tryptophan. These include: turkey, chicken, seafood, eggs, buckwheat, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Vitamin B6 is also important for melatonin production and progesterone production so pick up a B6 supplement and increase the foods listed above. I’m also including a smoothie recipe here that is rich in serotonin-boosting nutrients. You can fight PMS with food and weather-PMS is just the same!
2. Light up your life. Get out of bed and go for a walk first thing in the morning when the sun’s up, if possible. Waking your body up with natural light is one of the best things you can do for moods and monthly cycle. If it’s hard to come by where you live, or the weather is just too bad, then invest in an indoor energy lamp like these or a light mask like this.
3. Get in the rhythm! Waking up and going to sleep at the same time, as well as eating meals and exercising at similar times every day greatly improves your body’s inner circadian rhythms, which will help regulate your sleep cycle and menstrual cycle. A regular rhythm will combat the winter blues and the PMS blues, all at once. I have some tips for getting better sleep and developing a good bedtime routine.
4. Make your social network a reality. Get off Facebook (at least for a while!) and get real personal contact with your favorite humans! Chance are, you’re not alone in feeling down. Picking up the phone to chat with a friend can be the greatest remedy of all.
5. Up Your Supplement Game. If you’re in the SAD cave, then taking the right supplements isn’t just a nice idea, it’s a necessity. You’re already exhibiting the effects of depleted levels of key micronutrients and a disrupted gut microbiome. You need probiotics, omega 3’s, D3, B-vitamins, and more. Click here to learn about our recommended supplements.

How to Combat Seasonal Affective Disorder With Supplements

If you’re ready for a natural solution that will help you balance your mood, order the Balance Supplement Kit and get the daily dose of essential vitamins and minerals you need to get rid of those winter blues. 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 suffer with SAD? Second, what helps to boost your mood in the darker months? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

You’ve been asking me for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, and I finally have created a solution that I am so thrilled to be able to offer to you on your hormonal balancing journey:

Balance by FLO Living Supplements are a complete package that work together to keep your hormone levels healthy. They include a 2 month (2 cycle) supply of the following formulations so you’re never caught short in any phase of your cycle.When you take these 5 supplements daily, you’ll be giving your body excellent micronutrients to support healthier hormone levels. Which means that you’ll start to see your worst period symptoms get better… and even disappear after a while.

Click here to learn more about the BALANCE Bio-Hacking Supplement Kit.

I don’t know about you, but I think that by the time you hit 35 you’ve just got to start being kind to yourself. Many of us spend our 20s feeling anxious and less than confident about our bodies. All that stress is so bad for us! The truth is however that as you get older, you start to make less hormones, e.g. your metabolism slows down, and the hormones you have are telling you to store fat and not burn it for fuel. The solution is not to restrict, it’s to eat more micronutrients that increase the production of youthful hormonal patterns.

Break the cycle

We are trained to view weight loss as an effort in control and restriction. We’re told that it’s a simple matter of eating less and so we starve ourselves. When we don’t see the results we are promised we get depressed. Then we binge on comfort food to feel better! It’s a vicious cycle.This kind of eating pattern does real harm to your hormones, especially as you get older. It puts stress on the body, which causes an inflammatory response. This inflammation creates an imbalance of your hormones and leads to functional issues like PMS, problem periods, and acne. I see at Flo Living how these kinds of health problems can make women feel really down on themselves, and so they are triggered to eat in a way that soothes them in the short term, but does more damage in the long term. I’ve been there myself, I know what it’s like! In addition, we also try working out really hard, and we do it without consideration for our hormonal patterns - we literally work against our fat burning system! (Click here to learn how to workout with your cycle.)

Calorie restriction, depression, and fat

The out of control hormones and erratic blood sugar levels that come from restrictive eating or extreme dieting rob your body and brain of micronutrients that they need to have balanced appetite control neurotransmitters and balanced metabolism boosting hormone levels. Your mood is going to take a hit, your metabolism is going to slow and you’re not going to fit into your skinny jeans.I always like to put dietary theory to the test, so just for fun, I recently decided to see what it would be like to follow a ketogenic diet, which is a high fat, but low carbohydrate protocol that is recommended for weight loss. After just two days I woke up in the worst state of hypoglycemia I’d ever experienced. I was shaking, sweating, feeling faint - it took me about 5 hours to recover. My body reacted poorly to me choosing to cut out carbs like the quinoa, oatmeal, and buckwheat I usually eat every day. Eliminating food groups like carbs and fats doesn’t give you access to key micronutrients that boost hormone production and can keep stubborn weight right where it is.The solution of course is to start eating the foods for each phase of your cycle to optimize the levels of nutrients your body needs to balance these hormones that keep your metabolism working properly!

Focus on how foods make you feel to lose weight faster

Food should make you feel AMAZING, vibrant, vital, energized, clear, and happy. If you eat things that make you feel anything but the above, try eliminating those items from your diet. I promise you, you’ll see the weight melt off. The foods that dampen your energy and mood are likely foods that are creating inflammation in your gut, preventing good micronutrients from being absorbed, increasing binge eating, disrupting your hormonal balance and not helping you achieve your ideal weight. Eating from a place of pleasure and enjoyment, rather than anxiety and restriction, will also boost hormones like oxytocin that help heal the adrenals from stress overload. We strive for mindfulness in many areas of life these days, and yet we still seem to have such a difficult relationship with food. Women who eat for their FLO know how food makes them feel and how they feel about food is all-important in a healthy eating plan.

4 days to transform your eating

I want you to experience what it’s like to eat foods that help you boost these micronutrient levels, balance your hormones, and make you feel amazing. If you’re ready to ditch diets forever, then download my FREE 4-Day Hormone Detox. This is the one that’s in my book, WomanCode, that women have been using for years to lose weight the right way, like me! As well as simple recipes and meal plans, I include a “Self-care reset” protocol that addresses how you feel. I encourage journaling and vision boarding to get in touch with your emotions, hopes, desires, and dreams. You need to take care of the body and the mind, together.My Flo Living grads report feeling lighter, energized, and even blissful after just a few days of following this transformative protocol. Not only that, but they have lost up to 15 lbs pounds! The results you want and a complete change of mindset. Isn’t it about time?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, are you finding it harder to lose weight after 35? Second, did you try my 4 Day Detox? Share with me your experience! 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!

The microbiologist Gregor Reid believes we all need to take better care of our vaginas (we do!). His research shows that your vagina is home to specific vagina-friendly microbes that have their own little eco-system going on. Any imbalance in the delicate production of both lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide can cause a problem called bacterial vaginosis. This causes chaos for your vaginal microbiome, but you won’t necessarily even know that it’s happening, because half of all women with bacterial vaginosis experience no symptoms. Reid speculates that around 30% of American women currently have bacterial vaginosis.‍

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The Vaginal Microbiome & Your Fertility

‍Your imbalanced vaginal flora can compromise your ability to get and stay pregnant. According to Reid, the resulting low-level inflammation from bacterial vaginosis is linked to the prevention of fertilization of the egg, spontaneous miscarriage, and a higher risk of preterm birth. In addition, bacterial vaginosis can also make women more susceptible to acquiring and transmitting STDs and HIV.

‍Your vaginal microbiome balance starts in your gut

If you follow the Flo protocol with your diet, avoid chemical-laden products, and only sparingly use unnecessary medications, then you are also minding your gut microbiome, and by minding your gut microbiome, you are taking care of your vaginal ecosystem. You can read more recommendations for supporting your gut microbiome, probiotic supplement and food recommendations (and the dangers of overuse of antibiotics) here.

‍Stop the antibiotics insanity

‍How many of you have tried taking antibiotics or antifungals, only to have the condition clear up temporarily and then come back? Or even worse, you take the antibiotic to clear up the BV or the UTI, and then you end up with a yeast infection! It’s a vicious cycle and it’s not what the body needs to clear up this imbalance. When you look at your microbiome as something that needs to be supported, then these conventional medicine based treatments make absolutely no sense, and in fact they actually make the situation much worse by destroying your gut flora balance and throwing off your body’s natural ability to keep bacteria and yeast balanced.

You’re not meant to nor can you ever actually get rid of yeast or bacteria - you have TONS of it living in you and on your skin - you need to feed the good bacteria so they keep the nasty ones in check!

We recommend making several changes to your lifestyle along with following our eating protocol - part of this includes switching to natural remedies, because conventional treatments not only harm the microbiome, but they don’t solve the root cause and those nasty symptoms return as a result. If you have used a lot of antibiotics and creams in the past to try and get rid of these problems, it’s likely you have a vaginal microbiome imbalance and compromised gut microbiome as well! Below are some natural remedy recommendations that will get rid of the pain, the itching, and are also vaginal microbiome-friendly.

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OUR FAVORITE NATURAL REMEDIES FOR YOUR VAG

Bacterial Vaginosis

‍Liquid chlorophyll taken internally to alkalize the body

‍Jarrow Femdophilous - clinically shown to restore the vaginal microbiome

‍Vitanica Bacteria Arrest Vaginal Suppositories

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‍Yeast infections

‍Vitanica Yeast Arrest Vaginal Suppositories will give relief and help support your vaginal flora

‍Jarrow Femdophilous - clinically shown to restore the vaginal microbiome

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‍UTIs

‍D-mannose

‍Baking soda in water to balance your pH

‍Jarrow Femdophilous - clinically shown to restore the vaginal microbiome

Consult a homeopath for the right remedies for UTIs.

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More tips for vagina care

Don't wash your vagina. (Say what?!) Wash it in the shower of course, but stay away from douches, wipes, and special V soaps! The fact that these products exist is ridiculous. Your vagina is perfectly designed to clean itself! You don’t need them and they can give you any one of the above 3 conditions!

Switch your menstrual products from the conventional to 100% organic cotton. Conventional products are laden with pesticides and bleach - which are not good for your vaginal microbiome. Opt instead for  100% organic cotton products from Natracare or Maxim. Often that itching, inflammation, and irritation we think is a normal part of our period experience, is actually from  the kinds of pads and tampons we’re using every month. Read more here on how conventional femcare products can be harming your health.‍

Learn your vaginal microbiome fingerprint. Imagine you have a UTI or a yeast infection, and you can take a probiotic that is totally individualized to your vaginal microbiome so that you can get the healthy bacteria flourishing fast! Science fiction you say? No longer! There is a company called Sweet Peach Probiotics. CEO and founder Audrey Hutchinson has invented a way to make personalized probiotics for your vagina just by analyzing a mailed-in swab sampling of your microbes. This is such a brilliant idea and we look forward to seeing what comes of it!

Learn the Side Effects of Coffee on Women

‍Plus our thoughts on the Bulletproof/Upgraded Coffee trend, How Women Need to Biohack their Energy Levels Differently than Men, and How to Heal from Caffeine Exposure

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In my early 20’s during a routine visit to the gynecologist, my doctor found a lump in my breast. She asked two other doctors to come in to examine it and the three of them were talking about it as if I wasn’t even there. My anxiety about potentially having something serious was mounting. I remember being totally terrified, actually.

Eventually, after what seemed like hours, they decided that it was a fluid filled cyst, so of course I asked what might have caused that. My GYN then asked me if I had been drinking lots of caffeine recently – the answer was a huge yes - I had been staying up late studying for finals, and then it came out that caffeine increases the tendency of breast tissue to produce cysts.

I stopped taking in all forms of caffeine that day, and have been caffeine free for 20 years.  The research that has come out since I made that choice has only made me more grateful that I listened to that early warning signal from my body.  I wanted to share with you 3 little-known reasons you, as a woman, shouldn’t be drinking coffee or caffeine in general, especially if you have PMS, are trying to conceive, or have a diagnosed menstrual issue.  

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‍Reason #1 - Caffeine Causes Cyst Formation in the Breasts and Ovaries

Coffee effects breasts and other systems in females. Caffeine can increase the development of benign breast disease.  Did you know that?  I certainly didn’t! I LOVED coffee, espresso bars, the ritual, lattes – I’m not gonna lie, the stuff is delicious!  

After this scare, I began looking into caffeine and its effects on hormones. Turns out for women with PCOS, Fibroids, Endometriosis, Ovarian Cysts, and Fibrocystic breasts- caffeine is a guaranteed way to make more cysts. For everyone else with hormonal sensitivity, it might not cause cysts, but it will disrupt your system.

Sometimes it seems like coffee is our national drug of choice. We’re too often overworked, under-rested, plus poorly fed, and so coffee has become the crutch many of us use just to get through another busy day. A lot of people feel like coffee must be good for them in one way or another, and with all of the extraordinary marketing by big brands and continuously reported contradictory research, of course you would. The truth however is that we’re addicted and we don’t know the biochemical effects of this substance on our hormones.

Coffee is absolutely terrible when it comes to the female hormonal ecosystem and beyond this cyst formation situation, there are 3 other reasons it’s not good for us ladies. If you’re struggling with your period, fibroids, cysts of any kind in the breast or ovary, endometriosis, infertility, low sex drive, moodiness, low energy, and weight issues – coffee is making all of these problems much worse.

Reason #2 - Your Genes Determine If You Can Metabolize Caffeine Safely

‍Caffeine is broken down by the liver using the enzyme CYP1A2. Your ability to produce this enzyme is regulated by the CYP1A2 gene.  If you have a mutation in this gene, it will dictate how your liver will be able to break down and eliminate caffeine from your system.  Based on your gene variation, you’ll either make a lot of this enzyme (and be a successful caffeine drinker) or a little. Turns out only 10% of the population make a lot of this enzyme!  

If you are a slow metabolizer, a 2006 study showed that you are at an elevated risk of suffering a heart attack from consuming 2 or more cups of coffee a day. With heart disease being the number 1 killer of women, it seems that every woman should be testing their genes before consuming this substance!

Here’s the other interesting thing about this, CYP1A2, is also involved by the liver in the metabolism of estrogen. So if you haven’t had your genetic testing done, but you struggle with PMS, a diagnosed estrogen-dominant condition like PCOS, Fibroids, Endometriosis, etc, then you have reason to suspect that you may have a mutation with this gene and are making less of this enzyme needed not only to break down caffeine but also estrogen.

In 2008, research was done to build on the earlier studies linking caffeine to breast tissue changes and showed some association with increased risk of breast cancer.  Perhaps the variation in risk factors has something to do with this gene variation. If there’s a history of breast cancer in your family, then this is important information to consider. This is why getting off caffeine is such an important part of the FLO protocol - you’re here because you are struggling with the various ways estrogen dominance can present in the body and we want to remove all obstacles from the endocrine system so it can break that hormone down more efficiently.

Reason #3 –  Caffeine Increases Infertility Rates!  

It’s alarming how significant an impact this has on fertility for both men and women, and yet it’s rarely ever mentioned as a dietary change required when pursuing conception by any means, natural or medically supported. Not all females are focused on fertility, but if you are, here are the research links to help you understand more how coffee can impact fertility:

• 3 cups of coffee a day consumed by women or men increases the risk of miscarriage dramatically – by 74%
• Caffeine is associated with sub-optimal or suppressed fertility and, therefore, difficulties conceiving
• Drinking caffeinated beverages during early pregnancy (before you may know that you’re pregnant) increases the risk of early pregnancy loss
• Caffeine is considered an impairment to fertility alongside alcohol and smoking
• Men who drink 2 of more cups of coffee a day had a lower chance of conception via IVF
• Coffee disrupts ovulation by increasing cortisol levels and stressing the adrenals
• Coffee depletes vital vitamins and minerals needed for ovulation and healthy fertility (including absolutely necessary B vitamins and folate)  and coffee’s acidity causes gut health problems  

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One more Reason – Caffeine depletes the body of micronutrients essential for hormone balance

‍We all know not to drink coffee when we’re pregnant or breastfeeding, but the fact of the matter is – at every stage it is bad news for your hormones. Coffee flushes magnesium and other nutrients and minerals that are vital for happy hormones, such as B vitamins from your system. Here’s more from me on why magnesium is so very important for your ovaries.

The acidity of coffee also causes an imbalance in your gut flora and makes it harder for you to absorb the goodness of even the healthiest of diets. This makes it harder for your endocrine system to do its job of balancing your hormones. Taking supplements is key when recovering from caffeine exposure - these are the optimal supplements you need to replenish your levels.  

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The Bulletproof Coffee Dilemma and Biohacking Your Energy as a Woman

You've no doubt heard of Dave Asprey and his work with Bulletproof Coffee. Coffee is an essential biohacking tool for men who experience profound daily energy dips, particularly as they run out of their testosterone and cortisol supply for the day. You however, as a woman, do not have that issue, and do not need to compensate for your energy in this way.  

In a male-centric health paradigm, boosting their energy with caffeine makes sense for their bodies and the lifestyle that is patterned after their hormones. In the female-centric health paradigm, you want to boost your energy by supporting your blood sugar and your adrenals to give you sustainable energy all throughout the day, as your estrogen and progesterone, testosterone, and insulin fluctuate throughout the month. Eliminating coffee and Cycle Syncing® your diet is the best way to bio-hack your way to more energy.

For example, men are not designed to hold nutrients for as long as women are. Women are brilliantly designed to conserve as much energy from whatever we’re taking in so we can grown other tiny humans in our uterus. Whether you are actively doing this or not, your body simply retains fluids for much longer and we metabolize the chemicals contained much more slowly.

If you do choose to consume it, and you have the genes to metabolize it, then absolutely add healthy fats to the coffee – especially coconut oil – to help your blood sugar cope with the caffeine.

The coffee detox – my 5-step guide to making the transition

If you want to wean yourself off of coffee, you need to first ask yourself this question – why do I drink it? If it’s because you truly love the taste, I have a 5 step strategy for you to keep the habit under control and make it less harmful to your hormones. If you like coffee because it keeps you awake and gives you energy, well I have a 5 step strategy for you too to heal your fatigue and boost your energy.

‍Scenario 1: OK, I get that it’s bad for me, but I’m never going to cut it out completely. What can I do to minimize the damage?

‍So, for those of you who just love the taste and do not rely on it to feel awake in the morning or to concentrate or to get through the day (be honest!) here’s how to minimize those bad effects:

1. Ditch the White Stuff – Lose the sugar and the cream and minimize the blood sugar impact. Try opting for no or low-glycemic sweetener and coconut milk instead.
2. Size Matters –  Take the European approach to coffee drinking. Drink a small cup of fresh espresso, rather than a giant cup from Starbucks.
3. Only with Food –  Again, the Europeans have this right. Drink your small cup of coffee after or during a full meal. If you enjoy the taste, you should be savoring it – not gulping it down on the run or as you dash to the office.
4. Replenish your Nutrient levels - take the FLO Balance Supplements to ensure you rebuild your lost magnesium and B vitamins & help your gut and your liver deal with the caffeine exposure.  
5. Begin Cycle Syncing® to decrease cravings - when you eat, exercise, and work in a way that supports your fluctuating hormones, you build energy daily, instead of working against your hormones and leaving yourself drained.  You’ll naturally crave less coffee! Download the MyFLO app for the ultimate Cycle Syncing® guide.

Scenario 2: Ok, I now see that this is probably making my symptoms worse and I want to stop, but the withdrawal is bad. What can I do to wean off of it for good?

For those of you who find yourselves groggy and tired even after what seems like a full night’s sleep, you might well be suffering with adrenal fatigue. Rather than jacking up your energy levels artificially, you need to think about healing your adrenal glands. Here’s how to start that process:

1. Calorie Load for Breakfast – Eat a really good, big breakfast every day. Have a two egg omelette with spinach plus gluten-free bread and avocado. Make it the central meal of your day. This is eating with the natural biorhythm of your body. Your body needs fuel early rather than in the evening when it’s preparing for rest.
2. Boost Your Adrenal Support – Support your need for mental focus with ginkgo biloba and rhodiola. For natural and sustainable energy take ashwagandha, vitamin B12 and vitamin B5. To reduce stress and calm your cortisol, drink holy basil tea.
3. My Ultimate Substitute – Swap coffee for kukicha or “twig” tea, which is made from the roasted stem which green tea leaves are plucked from. It has a nutty taste and is perfect any time of the day. It’s also alkalizing for the blood versus an acid-forming cup of coffee. I am a tea collector, and I know that most herbal tea over time just tastes like hot potpourri. But kukicha tea is in a non-floral, non-herbaceous class by itself – you will LOVE it (and want to keep it in your bag at all times!)
4. Replenish your Nutrient levels - take the FLO Balance Supplements to ensure you rebuild your lost magnesium and B vitamins and help your adrenals, gut and your liver heal from the long term caffeine exposure.
5. Begin Cycle Syncing® to build energy - when you eat, exercise, and work in a way that supports your fluctuating hormones, you build energy daily, instead of working against your hormones and leave yourself drained.  Download the MyFLO app for the ultimate Cycle Syncing® guide.

PLUS my recommendations for health-conscious and convenient pad and tampon alternativesAs you well know, I like to encourage women to be thoughtful about what they are putting in their bodies as well as on their bodies. However, I know that often the very last health-conscious lifestyle change we make is with our femcare products. Many of us end up using for years the same brands of pads and tampons that we started with as teenagers. Some of us might even get daunted by talk of reusable menstrual cups and cloth pads and feel that would be too big a leap to make.I’m here to tell you there’s an easier, simpler way to make this important change and that it will do wonders for your hormones. As someone who could never embrace the cotton reusable cloth diapers for my baby girl (way too much work!), I get where you’re coming from and I have the convenient solution.

Take out those toxins

We all want to avoid pesticides when choosing the foods that we eat and endocrine disrupting chemicals in the beauty products and household cleaning products we use. The next step to detoxing your life is switching out your femcare products for those that are chemical-free and organic.We spend up to 6 years of our lives menstruating - that’s a whole lot of time we could be exposed to potentially health-sabotaging pads and tampons.Here’s the problem: last year Women’s Voices For The Earth released their Chem Fatale report about the ways in which mainstream femcare pads and tampons (not to mention douches, washes and sprays - but I know you’re smart about those already!) can be hazardous to women’s health.

The harm to your health

We place these products on or in one of the most porous and absorbent areas of the body, our lady parts, which means the chemicals they contain have an even better chance of making it into your body and causing havoc. Mainstream tampons and pads contain known carcinogens like dioxins, irritants, allergens and chemicals that can disrupt your endocrine system. They’re also often made from GMO cotton.Using these products puts you at unnecessary risk of:

1. Reproductive cancers
2. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
3. Endometriosis
4. Allergic rashes or inflammation
5. Heavy, painful or irregular periods

and, as I’m sure you all know, Toxic Shock Syndrome is still a possibility and there has even been an increase in cases recently.Visit Naturally Savvy for more information as well as a shocking video that reveals the real difference between an Always Infinity pad and a chemical-free organic Natracare pad.Sounds nasty, right? Well, I don’t want you to freak out! Stress is bad for you too, after all. If you have to use these products sometimes - say you find yourself caught out on a day trip or at work and that’s all the ladies bathroom or closest store has to offer - that’s okay. It’s just prolonged use - for 3 to 5 days per month for years - that can cause real problems.That means these products are standing in the way of you living in your Flo and we don’t want that!

Making the switch

As I said, I’m not asking you to go from Always, Kotex and Tampax to the Diva Cup. I know that can be like asking someone to switch from mainlining soda to drinking green juice!Personally I love these brands: Maxim and Natracare products, as they’re chemical-free and made from organic cotton. Yet they’re still very user-friendly, with the same designs you’re used to, and disposable. They have all the styles that Always and Tampax provide - overnight, winged, different absorbencies. It’s just like choosing an organic apple over a non-organic apple.If you like your period-prep super convenient, the femcare kit delivery service Hello Flo now offers a choice to receive only Organyc tampons and pads in the mail. And the lovely Period Store not only let’s you choose Natracare tampons and pads for monthly delivery, you can also treat yourself to a period-supportive tea, aromatherapy candle, cute button or tote.I also love Cora for this service. Every month you can receive a custom selection of organic products, tea and chocolate, plus the knowledge that you've changed the life and future of a young girl living in a developing country.So, not only can this step of your life detox be great for your hormones, but it can also be fun too!Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, what femcare products do you use? Second, will you be making the switch to natural #Flofriendly products? 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!

I hear far too often from women that there are several days out of the month when cramps really sideline them from their lives. They are popping the Advil, Midol, or Aleve and they are on the couch until it passes.I myself struggled with cramps and of course I needed to know WHY this was happening. Not just little polite cramps. No, I had cramps that were actual labor-like contractions - that turned me green and sheet white, came in waves and knocked me out. You know me, I have to fix my hormonal imbalances, it’s my way of life I just can’t help myself - I have to understand what is going on EXACTLY with my body, so I can choose the best possible course of action to take care of myself. I, of course, want you to know the science too so you can be properly informed.Tweet: Once you take the mystery out about how your hormones work, then it’s a straight line to feeling optimal!So I learned about the 2 causes of cramps and of course then proceeded to figure out what to do to make the pain stop. I want to share this with you so you can have pain free cycles and so you can pass the goods on to your girlfriends who are likely cramped out in cramptown with you.You don’t have to put up with period pain. Not today and not next month. You can alleviate those cramps right now while at the same time laying the foundation for a future that is free from menstrual discomfort of any kind.As women, we’ve all developed our own quick fixes for those days when you just can’t get off the couch.For many of us, we were prescribed the Pill or another kind of hormonal birth control way back when we were teens. For some this medication has put a stop to the pain, for others it has not. But again, for many of us, the side effects mean we’d rather not have to rely on this common daily medication to manage our monthly woes.The good news is that there are natural alternatives and they work!Here’s what you can do to alleviate your current cramps and what will, over the course of three months, change your period for the better.

Why do you have cramps?

There are 2 causes for cramps - one is chemical and one is functional.A chemical series called Prostaglandins stimulate the uterine muscles to contract. There are 3 types - PgE1,2, and 3. PgE2 is the one that causes uterine contractions and pain. Leave it to the genius design of your body to have only one that does that and two that counteract it - yup - PgE1 and 3 are antispasmodic - natural pain killers!Tweet: Your body makes twice as much natural cramp relief than cramps!The more PgE2 you make, the more crampy you feel. To boot, they also play a part in the vomiting, diarrhea, and headaches that come with your cycle.On the functional side - pain can be caused by any of the following conditions: endometriosis, fibroids, infections, IUD, ovarian cysts, narrow cervix, or a retroverted (tipped) uterus. That tipped uterus, turned out to be what I had along with elevated PgE2 levels!Below are my best strategies for you to leave cramptown for good and become a permanent resident of FLO ;)

Short-term solutions

• If you’re reaching for the painkillers, know that long term these can worsen the problem by putting strain on your liver and exacerbating hormonal imbalances. If you must, take ibuprofen at the lowest dose and try to take it ahead of when you normally get cramps. So if you normally get pain the first day of your period try to plan to take the dose first thing in the morning. Preventative use of ibuprofen will also stop you needing more and higher doses later on.
• Consider switching from tampons to pads. The insertion of the tampon can makepain worse for those who are sensitive to cramping. You can always swap back when the pain has subsided for that month. And absolutely make sure they are organic - just say no to pesticides and bleach in your vag!
• Clary sage essential oil rubbed into the skin above the pubic bone and below the belly button, where your uterus is situated, has been shown in several studies to relieve cramps and even childbirth contractions. You can also diffuse this oil to aid with anxiety and stress or add a few drops to an Epsom salt bath.
• An old-fashioned hot water bottle on your abdomen will work wonders. You can even wrap it with an oversized scarf around your waist if you can’t sit still or lay down for long.
• Apply counter-pressure to the sciatic nerves in your lower back with your thumbs pushing inward toward the spine and down toward your feet will help take the intensity of cramps down. You can also apply the hot water bottle to your lower back as well. Trust me this works - I used this technique to get me through 20 hours of natural labor - it’ll totally help your cramps.
• Instead of Advil - pop some almonds! A few days before your period take a high dose of vitamin E and magnesium and continue this protocol two days into your menstruation. Almonds and hazelnuts are good sources of vitamin E, along with leafy greens like collard greens for the magnesium.
• Click here to try some yoga poses that alleviate pressure and calm the nervous system.

Long term solutions

• Boost Omega 3 Fatty Acids -To really clear up cramps for good, you’ve got to lower your PgE2 levels and boost your PgE1 and 3 levels. This of course is connected to what you eat and drink throughout your cycle as well as your general, overall health. The facts show that dairy and saturated animal fats up that gnarly PgE2 series. So start by cutting those out. To increase the PgE1 and 3 series, you have to get your linoleic acid up, so load up on salmon, sardines, flax, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.
• Do less running around the day before your period starts - Stress hormones can make menstrual cramps worse. If you can start loosely planning your schedule to accommodate your period, you’ll alleviate some of the stress about what you can’t do when it come around. This doesn’t mean you must be confined to bed for three days every month, only that you may benefit from easing off on unnecessary activities and appointments. Try being super selective with your period day plans for three months and see if you feel better for taking some time out.
• Massage your uterus! - To address the tipped uterus – Learn the practice of Mayan Abdominal Massage! I loved doing this form of self massage to restore the uterus to it’s right position and even if your uterus is not retroverted, this massage can be helpful for many health issues associated with the reproductive organs since we all tend to lead very sedentary lives which cause general stagnation in this area – just like knots in your back hurt because they lack proper blood flow, your pelvic region suffers with poor circulation as well. You can look for a class in your local area or teach yourself self-massage via the Arvigo book series.

Now, we want to hear from you!

Share with us on Facebook and Twitter (or Pinterest and Instagram!) the ways in which you deal with menstrual cramps at home (#curecramps) – we’d love to hear about them.

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!

So, you’ve been feeling less than great lately – maybe the first sign was irregular or heavy and painful periods, or maybe it was some weight gain and acne – either way, you know something is wrong and you want to feel better.

You’re thinking it might be hormone-related. What now?

Many women take a trip to their OBGYN and ask for a hormone test. This is a great first step towards treating your health issues. But the results can be confusing and concerning without a little background information and preparation. Knowledge is power! There’s no need to be mystified.

Remember: no result received is static, the diagnosis you get can and will change with the right kind of treatment.

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Here are our tips on how to get what you want and need out of hormone testing.

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Your visit to the OBGYN:

• Get the test taken during the first few days of your cycle (when you have your period), if possible.
• Ask your OBGYN for a hormone panel test that includes estrogen, progesterone, FSH and LH (follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone).
• Ask additionally for a thyroid test, blood sugar test (using a glucose meter at home preferably) and Vitamin D3 test. These are also important indicators for hormonal health.
• Ask that they also run a general blood test (the kind you’d get at an annual exam) – you want to be checked for iron saturation, anemia, and C-reactive proteins particularly.
• Ask for a print out of your results to take home if they are not made available online for you to access.

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Assessing the results:

• Your hormone levels will fall within a range, indicated on your bloodwork panel.
• If the results come back within the “normal” range, you will want to compare your numbers within the ranges. A number on the higher or lower end of the normal range will be cast as “normal” by your OBGYN, but that number is still the reason you’re experiencing health issues. It means it is not out of range enough to alarm the OBGYN and trigger a medication prescription, but you will be symptomatic regardless. The good news is that you can do something now, before you cross that threshold into “abnormal,” to avoid worsened symptoms and to avoid having to use drugs or devices with side effects.
• Most hormone-related issues women deal with are the result of too low progesterone, too high estrogen levels and excess androgens. This is what is happening when you have PCOS, endometriosis, PMS, and problematic periods, more generally.

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Three questions to ask your doctor in the most common scenarios:

1. Everything here seems to be normal, but I am experiencing significant symptoms. Where within the range am I falling that might indicate I am moving towards having a hormonal imbalance?
2. It looks like my calcium, Vitamin D3 (also other vitamins and minerals) are at a low level. What can I change about my diet to help them improve?
3. I see you have recommended I use birth control pills/a Mirena IUD/implant to control my symptoms. I would really like to try giving myself 3-6 months to improve the situation first. What kind of changes in my blood work would you like to see so that I wouldn’t have to use these options?

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What next?

• You can follow up on your blood test by using a home saliva testing kit from DiagnosTechs or Phamasan. Testing your hormone levels over a 30-day period via saliva provides far more accurate results than a blood test taken on a single day, and it can help better pinpoint the exact problem. A naturopath or acupuncturist can provide you with a test kit and facilitate you receiving the results. Or you can ask to receive the kit directly from the company and return it yourself for the lab testing and results.
• You can start taking your BBT (basal body temperature) at home to understand if and when you are ovulating. You can learn more about this from Toni Weschler’s, Taking Charge of Your Fertility.  An example for charting your temperature is here. A fertility awareness instructor can help you interpret your chart for a diagnosis of your hormonal health issues.

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And then:

Once you finally have your results, it can be so motivating. By following the FLO protocol, many women have addressed their hormonal health issues and returned to their OBGYN to receive vastly improved results, without the use of drugs or devices. Click here to watch their stories!

‍Food should be your first form of self-medication. Once you know where you stand, give yourself 3-6 months to heal your body at home through dietary and lifestyle changes.

Do you ever struggle with your emotions? I spent many years holding my emotions in -- to the point where I was no longer able to even identify how I was feeling.If you had asked me from the age of 14 to 24 how I was feeling, the only answer I could give was “I’m fine”. I had no modeling to show me how to safely express my emotions. Because I was so afraid of my emotions, I didn’t trust myself or my feelings, and though I didn’t realize what I was doing, I started to rely on my masculine energy. I checked out of my body and lived in the realm of my mind, excelling in academics and problem-solving as much as I could.Meanwhile, my physical body was suffering. I was overweight, covered in acne, and got my period once a year. I was exhausted, anxious, and stressed.While food played a huge part in my healing journey, it was also the relationship between my feminine and masculine energy that had major implications. You see, the fact that I was divorced from my feminine nature was creating all kinds of stress internally. The activation of my masculine energy had my adrenal glands going into high stress mode, plus it had my reproductive organs turned off - hence, no regular period.This is why, in my hormonal health training programs, I not only cover a breadth of information on food and lifestyle shifts, but there is also quite a bit of work we do on your feminine energy.Today, I want get you focused in that direction so that you can start to release stress from deep places and allow your body to do the magic it’s meant to.From a feminine standpoint, reducing stress is NOT about fighting it or cutting it out of your life completely. That, in fact, is a very masculine way of approaching it.Instead, it’s about leaning into the neurochemistry of your cycle and shifting your priorities and the way you engage with the world.As women, our bodies are constantly shifting throughout the month based on our hormonal patterns. So, too, are our emotional needs and ability to handle stress.The next time you’re getting frustrated at yourself for missing an appointment or not accomplishing everything on your to-do list, take a moment to check in with your body.Ask yourself: Where am I in my cycle?Especially if you’re in your luteal (pre-menstrual) or menstrual phases, see if you can cut yourself some slack. Those are the times in your cycle to be gentler with yourself and take things off of your to-do list.I’m curious about your response to stress ...Please share your questions and insights in the comments below, which will help me and my team better know how to help you manage your stress.I know you might feel alone in these struggles, but I can assure you, you’re not!With love to your lady parts - inside and out,Alisap.s. I delving into all this and more when it comes to stress and your female body in my popular webinar, Address Your Stress The WomanCode Way. Click here for more details if you’re digging this conversation!

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!

There’s a safety saying in the NYC subway system that says: “If you see something, say something.”

Today I want to apply that very same saying to your hormonal health, in particular, your PMS symptoms!Did you know that relatively harmless symptoms today could lead more serious issues down the road?As it was researched in a study published by the NIH, having PMS symptoms in reproductive years can increase the development to the big four major diseases of inflammation (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, alzheimer’s) down the road.Once again, we shouldn’t just accept the fact that PMS is a normal part of being a woman - We need to acknowledge that when you have symptoms, you must take immediate action through dietary changes.Banishing PMS means more than just covering up your current symptoms. If you were part of the master class on PMS last week then you’ll know why. If you missed it, you can still purchase the class below, and in the meantime here are three of the typical “spot-treating” remedies you might be using and what you can do instead.

3 PMS Remedies to Avoid

1. The birth control pill: While the pill is often a go-to fixer-upper for your PMS and cycle issues, it can be problematic when used over long periods of time just to mask your symptoms. Why is that? Well, the pill is putting temporary artificial hormones in your system that quiet down your body’s natural hormonal flow. You might be avoiding PMS, but you’re likely going to experience other side effects of the pill such as depression, lack of libido, and weight gain. Plus, when you get off the pill, your PMS symptoms are likely to return with a vengeance.

2. Caffeine: Coffee, diet soda, and energy drinks might give you a temporary pick-me-up, but in the long run they are only doing more harm. Caffeine jolts your adrenal glands into a stress response which, over time, will further contribute to adrenal fatigue and thyroid conditions. Modern day life is already stressful, so why make it worse?

3. Midol or other pain relievers: Yes, popping a Midol might be helping to ease the pain and discomfort, but it’s not doing anything to solve the issue from the root of the problem. Over-the-counter pain medications make your liver work harder, as they are another substance that must be broken down and eliminated from your system via your liver and digestive tract. During your luteal (pre-menstrual) phase, your liver is already overworked with eliminating excess hormones your body is producing (as well as sugar, if you’re having those carb cravings!). The liver congestion that this causes puts you more at risk for serious issues down the road.

So what’s the real solution?

You must get to the root of your hormonal imbalances and begin healing through one of the most simple and common drugs we have access to: food.

The food you eat has a powerful effect on your estrogen and progesterone levels, as well as on the function of your adrenals, thyroid, and liver - all major players in this hormonal conversation. There are 3 major food-related changes that will have a huge impact on your hormonal balance and PMS symptoms:

• Blood-sugar balance
• Adrenal health
• Liver detoxification

We cover all of this in more in the WomanCode System, but for those of you haven’t yet joined, let me help you.

You can’t afford to ignore PMS any longer.

Are you stuck in a nightmare of frustrating symptoms and mood swings every month and wondering what’s really 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!

Are you sick and tired of your monthly period problems?

Do you deal with moodswings, headaches, cramps, bloating, weight gain and more?

Has this just become something you deal with, popping a few Midols and pushing through?

If your answer is yes, I’m not surprised but I am concerned.

You see, PMS has become a catchphrase for this unfortunate monthly occurrence that women just expect to have, as if it’s a given part of being a woman.

I want to share a story with you that my husband recently shared with me to illustrate my point:

When it got to be Vic’s turn, he had nothing to say. His friends encouraged him to share, but his response was simply: “My wife doesn’t get PMS.”My husband Vic was at dinner last week with a group of his guy friends. The topic of conversation somehow led to how they deal with their wives’ or girlfriends’ “time of the month.” Each guy went around the table sharing their story about his experience of her PMS.  Each of them felt confused and in the dark: “We get into unnecessary arguments. It’s like she’s a different person at that time of the month!  I feel like no matter what I do, I can’t make her happy.”

Jaws dropped. They couldn’t believe that was possible.

Of course, Vic encouraged his friends to get WomanCode read it and share it with their partners so they could “have what we’re having” so to speak.

That’s my man! ;)

Now, all silliness aside, there is something wrong with this picture! The fact that PMS has become the norm is not something to take lightly.

There is no reason why you should be suffering from monthly bloating, cramping, or moodswings.

There is no reason why you should feel like a different person half the month and have that affect the quality of your relationships.

The fact is that you are a busy woman and you just don’t have time to be held down, slowed down, or inconvenienced each month. Am I right?

‍If you’re ready to banish your PMS symptoms and resolve your period problems so that you can feel your best all month long, click here to learn how in my special audio class, Banish PMS Forever!

‍Part of the problem of the PMS epidemic is that most women just keep quiet and deal with it, aside from a bit of complaining and commiseration with their girlfriends or sisters.

But I know that you’re here because you’re different - You don’t just want to accept the suffering, you want to take a proactive approach to feeling better. You want to be at a dinner party celebrating with your girlfriends rather than complaining or worse yet, staying home because of your symptoms!

And if you’re here, you probably already know a lot about your body and about what you “should” be doing. So rather than start with all the hormone-balancing tips and diet factors that you can focus on, let’s get to the real motivating factor that will help you make the change. Shall we?

This means we’re going to get clear on what this problem is actually doing to your life, outside of just the annoying physical symptoms.

So get started by answering this question in the comment box below:

How is your PMS or other period problems interfering with your life?

Aside from your physical health, what other areas of your life are affected?

I will be reading every response, so go ahead and take a minute to talk to me.

By sharing your story, you’re not only beginning the process of improving your period health and overall happiness, you’re breaking the cultural norm that tells us we should just suck it up and deal with the suffering.

I don’t know about you, but I never liked to follow the norm anyway!

Speak up and let’s take back our time of the month!

Standing with you and your ovaries,

Alisa

Trying to conceive? Whether you are going about it naturally or getting assistance with infertility treatments, here’s a list of what you must do before moving forward to increase your chances of conception.

1. Check the sperm first! For starters, be sure that the sperm from your man or donor are viable. It can be more lucrative for fertility clinics to jump straight to procedures on the woman before even checking the male counterpart. Don’t be fooled. Before you spend thousands on a procedure to your body, wouldn’t you want to be sure it was your body that needed it?
2. Feel empowered to ask questions. Here’s a reality check: your doctor works for you. Therefore, you have every right to ask questions and feel empowered at each visit. Don’t let fancy jargon intimidate you. Get the facts. Seek second opinions. Get clear about all your options before making a decision.
3. Get your diet and lifestyle in check. We all know that the success rates of IVF procedures are not great. Studies are now proving the point we have been making for years, that your diet dramatically impacts your fertility. Something as simple as increasing the amount of avocado in your diet has been shown to increase the successful outcome of an IVF procedure by 3 times. Feed your fertility!

We know the clock is ticking. And we are experts at hand-holding you through this process. Download our PROGRAM GUIDE now to find more about how our protocol works and what it could do for you!

Many women ask the question: Should I freeze my eggs?

While the procedure to freeze a woman's eggs does involve some hormonal supplementation in order to harvest many eggs at

once, the process does also seem to have some benefits. As women, we come into this world at birth with all of the eggs we'll ever have for our lifetime already inside of us - as many as 450,000 - with one being released each month at ovulation. With more and more of us waiting to start a family until we're more established in our careers - in our 30s or in our 40s - more and more of us are also dealing with increased difficulties in conception. As we age, so do our eggs. In other words, even though we're still releasing eggs on a monthly basis, the older we get, the more likely it is that we'll sometimes release eggs that are not viable. This procedure makes it possible for women to harvest their eggs at an earlier age, and then freeze them for use at a later date.One benefit of this option - besides having better quality eggs available when you are ready to start your family - is that it involves some amount of planning ahead, and thinking about your future. For many of us, the time goes so fast - by the time we're settled in our career and are ready to start thinking about having a child, we may already be at an age where the quality of our eggs is in decline.

The FLO Living take

Our line on freezing your eggs? We believe it's an option - and a much better one than IVF, which has one of the highest failure rates of any industry (second only to the diet industry!). With in vitro fertilization, you're already at the point where you're working with less viable eggs; with egg freezing, especially if they're frozen before the age of 32, you've got eggs that are of better quality and therefore more viable - leading to a slightly better success rate.However, this procedure may not be for everyone, and we do have some cautions. Hormonal manipulation is hormonal manipulation - many of us end up using hormonal birth control for years, before deciding to have children at mid-life, and both egg freezing and IVF utilize further hormonal manipulation to provoke your body into releasing several eggs at once. Regardless of the method of conception - whether by egg freezing, IVF, or even the old-fashioned way - spending much of the preceding years manipulating your hormones can make it that much more difficult to maintain a pregnancy, especially a healthy one.Our advice? If you're really serious about having children someday, give yourself a head start by taking good care of your body now. Look to non-hormonal methods of birth control (barrier methods such as condoms and spermicidal jelly, or the Today Sponge, for example), so that whether or not you decide to hedge your bets with egg freezing, you're still setting yourself up for a healthy happy pregnancy at whatever age YOU decide you're ready to conceive.

Question: What sticky substance is a part of many readily available foods, but may have hindering effects on your reproductive system when trying to conceive (TTC)?

Answer: Gluten!

Gluten Intolerance and Trying to Conceive

By now if you're not already gluten-free, you’ve probably heard the term. Something that may seem like just another diet fad is actually a much more serious health concern, especially for those of us who already have underlying hormonal sensitivities. Over the past decade, we at FLO have seen the connection between gluten sensitivity and hormonal balance and have helped thousands of women use food as medicine to heal their reproductive health. And, we're so excited to have science on our side! Research has determined that gluten intolerance, or celiac disease, may also be a cause of infertility.

Why gluten is an issue for reproductive health

In people with gluten allergies or sensitivities, when gluten is consumed, the immune system responds by destroying the villi (small, finger-like projections) on the small intestine. This causes malabsorption of nutrients and a slower transit time of food passing through the intestines. Slower transit time means that excess estrogen and other hormones and toxins are not eliminated from the body properly, contributing to a hormonal balance that can interfere with ovulation.

Even if you are at the stage where IVF or IUI is a necessary step, your diet is a still a huge factor! This is why many fertility centers, like The Sher Institute for Reproductive Medicine, recognize the correlation between their patients' fertility and diet, and encourage them to pursue a holistic route of care in combination with the medical support.

Determining if you are gluten-sensitive or not

Now, it's important to mention that you can be gluten-sensitive but not have full blown celiac disease. There are also women who might not have a sensitivity at all. How can you best determine your tolerance to this sticky substance?

Here are some symptoms that indicate you may be at risk of infertility and/or a gluten allgery -

See if any are persistent issues for you:

• Bloating, gas or abdominal pain
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Chronic fatigue and weakness
• Indigestion
• Absent or irregular menstrual cycles
• Prolonged use of hormonal contraceptives
• Skin issues
• Fatigue and/or weakness
• Irritability or behavior change

What to do next

If you’re having menstrual irregularities, digestive distress, and/or trouble conceiving that seems undiagnosable to doctors, we want to hear from you! There’s a good chance your diet is not supporting your hormonal balance, and our protocol was designed specifically to address this issue. We can help you determine your best route to reproductive health and natural conception!

Sticking with you,

Alisa

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!

There's great joy to be had in doing for others, but many of us probably also experience the downside of over-doing and over-

giving: we end up feeling tired and worn out, and sometimes even resentful of the commitments we've made.If this sounds familiar, we'd wager that there's one important person who is getting left out of all of your giving - YOU. We can't stress how important it is to think about your own self care.

Why would I give to myself?

During times of busyness, it's more important than ever to make time to care for ourselves. The busier we are, the more our bodies are operating in "stress mode" - overproducing adrenaline and cortisol (the stress hormones) to keep us going. These hormones serve a necessary function in the instance that a "fight or flight" reaction is needed. But they also put in motion processes that shut down important functions like digestion and elimination - since in a fight or flight situation you want all energy focused on your current emergency.Taking a little time out to care for ourselves gives our bodies a break, and keeps ALL of our different systems functioning properly.

Create a 'Commitment Box'

So how do we find time to give to ourselves and commit to self care? One of our favorite ways is by creating a 'Commitment Box.' If you're familiar with Julie Cameron's amazing book on stimulating the creative process, The Artist's Way, you'll likely be reminded of her Artist's Date exercise, where you commit to doing one playful thing - something just for yourself - each week, as a way of getting your creative juices flowing.It's easy to get started: just rip a piece of paper into as many pieces as you like, and on each piece of paper write down one thing that you can do for yourself. Then find a box or bag in which to store your papers. If you like, you can even decorate your box, so it stands out as something special. Each week, pull out one piece of paper, and make it a commitment to treat yourself during that week with whatever gift you've chosen.

Having trouble getting started?

Self care ideas don't have to be fancy or cost money. They could be as simple as a luxurious bath, an afternoon nap, buying flowers for yourself, giving yourself 30 minutes of uninterrupted time to read your favorite book or 15 minutes to play outside, or even sharing a cup of tea with your best friend. The only requirement is that whatever you include in your box brings you pleasure in some way.

Share your self care ideas

What ideas did you come up with for your box? Are you enjoying including yourself? Discuss your gifts, share ideas for future giving, and ask questions about this exercise in the comments section below. A FLO counselor will respond!FLO Living recognizes the importance of indulgence, pleasure, and sensuality for every woman's menstrual and sexual health. We help you find the right medicinal foods for healing your condition, and we support you to understand, accept, and enjoy your woman's body and your feminine energy.

This month as I start my new cycle, I am reminded of the fabulous freedom I feel since having switched from tampons to the Diva Cup a year and a half ago. So I decided to write this Diva Cup review, in the hopes that my opinion would be helpful to you.For anyone not familiar with the amazing Diva Cup, it’s exactly what it sounds like; a silicone cup inserted into your vagina to collect your flow. The concept itself will give you a whole new perspective on your menstruation.Don’t get me wrong, the initial switch from tampons was a little daunting. When my DC first arrived it sat staring at me on my bathroom countertop for a week. I knew my period was on it’s way, but I also knew that I needed to ease into the relationship with my new pal. It just seemed so big! Needless to say, I embraced my cup and have never looked back! It’s really freeing to leave the house and not have to worry if I have ‘supplies’ with me. You know the story, you were in a hurry, forgot to stock your bag and now you spend every encounter deciding if you should casually ask for a tampon to get you through the day. No need to live like that anymore. As magical as this notion may be, it’s not the only reason I made the switch (obviously some are after the fact discoveries, isn’t it great I get to pass them on to you).

Diva Cup Review

• It’s non-toxic, unlike many tampons out there that use bleached cotton and add fragrance. Yikes, your vaginal cells are too delicate to taint with bleach and irritate with fragrance.
• It saves you money! Being the analytical left brain that I am, I had to do the math. Say you typically use around 16 tampons (1 box) per cycle, at $8/box, you will spend $96/year on tampons vs. the $25 (currently on Amazon) for a diva cup that you can use for up to 2 years! That’s a savings of $167/year over two years.
• No leakage! Even when swimming, biking, and running, I’ve done it all.
• Seeing your menstrual blood in its natural form is really eye-opening. It’s a view to our insides that you can’t get any other way; something I never really considered before.
• The DC has measurement markings, so you can track how much you are bleeding. This completely blew my mind. It’s really hard to tell how much you bleed with a tampon, but seeing the blood fill ½ ounce cups brings a new compassion for your body.
• Even though the cup is inserted into the vagina, I no longer have that ‘plugged up’ feeling that tampons gave me.

Taking care of your cup is not hard either. Wash with plain (no fragrance) glycerin soap after each time you empty it. If you are in a public restroom, have no fear, just wipe out with a piece of toilet paper and clean when you get home. Between cycles I soak my cup in vinegar for a few hours, and I also soak in just boiled water for 20 minutes or so.If it still seems like a strange concept to you, I dare you to face your fear and take the plunge. Who knows where this little life change may lead you.If you struggle with an unhealthy flow laden with cramps or heavy bleeding, the Diva Cup may be a more challenging transition. Find out how to restore your healthy FLO by booking a free 30 minute focus session here.

Ok, we're not just being cute - we really mean it. Watch your mouth, i.e. your oral and dental health!This awesome article from Women's Health magazine, How Your Menstrual Cycle Affects Your Mouth, reminds us that because of our fluctuating hormones, women are at greater risk for dental problems and can be more or less sensitive at different times of the month. Your female hormones DO affect your oral health.Not only that, but there are studies that link oral bacteria with a greater risk for heart disease, which we all know happens to be the number one killer for women.So, ladies, remember these tips:

1. Care for your pearly whites by brushing and flossing daily (see our resource below for holistic oral health!)
2. Use your hormonal patterns as a guide for when to schedule your cleanings and when to be extra diligent about your brushing and flossing (see details here)
3. Make sure you are using functional foods to keep your hormones stable: Less PMS means less mouth stress!
4. Learn how to use foods to improve immune response and reduce inflammation that can be a precursor to heart disease

Don't just take our word for it - educate yourself!We at FLO Living are all about empowering you with the knowledge about your body and hormonal system so that you can best take care of yourself in the short and long term future. Since your oral health is so linked up to your reproductive system, it's essential to be taking care of both. Contact us at info@floliving.com if you'd like to set up a time to talk with us in more detail!Our favorite expert on the subject of holistic oral health is Nadine Artemis, whose book Successful Self-Dentistry will give you all the info you need to better care for your mouth and maybe even avoid the dentist. Who doesn't love that??Smile! Your body loves you :)

Thank you for watching all of our videos and trusting us enough to take this journey. We hope you now know there is no reason to tolerate suffering and your symptoms. We also hope you learned a lot and will join the FLO community of powerful, joyful women! Stay in touch, post comments to our blog, join us on Facebook and Twitter - engage!Interested in purchasing the Hormonal Sync System? Click Here!