Fibroids

Attention, Coffee and Tea Drinkers: Did you know that caffeine disrupts your hormones — including insulin, cortisol, and reproductive hormones — for many hours after you drink it, interfering with blood sugar, sleep AND a wide range of physiological processes? For example:Caffeine hijacks your delicate hormonal wiring and wreaks havoc on your health in significant ways — from increasing the stress hormone cortisol (especially in women) to fueling the growth of benign breast cysts and increasing the risk of infertility and miscarriage.

‍Studies show that insulin rates are significantly higher after caffeine intake than after participants drank placebos without caffeine. And that’s not all. Caffeine stays in women’s bodies longer than men’s and it robs women of essential hormone-balancing nutrients and minerals. Caffeine consumption is also linked with increases in blood pressure in females (but not males).

This makes coffee and caffeinated beverages dangerous stuff if you suffer from existing hormone balances — or if you are concerned about protecting your hormones and your fertility in the future. What’s more, only 10 percent of the population is able to efficiently metabolize caffeine. If you’re one of the 9 in 10 people who have trouble processing caffeine, you might be extra susceptible to caffeine’s hormone disrupting effects.

Are You Able to Metabolize Caffeine?

Caffeine is broken down by the liver using the CYP1A2 enzyme. The CYP1A2 enzyme is regulated by the CYP1A2 gene. If you have a mutation in this gene, it affects how your liver breaks down and eliminates caffeine from your system. Based on your gene variation, you’ll either make a lot of this enzyme (and be a successful caffeine guzzler) or a little (and be unable to safely process caffeine). If you have a CYP1A2 mutation, a 2006 study found that you are at an elevated risk of suffering a heart attack from consuming 2 or more cups of coffee a day. Heart disease is the number 1 killer of women, so I think it makes sense for all women to  think twice before consuming caffeine.

The Mayo Clinic notes that too much caffeine can cause a variety of problems, from fertility struggles to insomnia and irritability. The CYP1A2 gene is also involved in the metabolism of estrogen. So if you struggle with PMS or a diagnosed estrogen-dominant condition like PCOS, fibroids, or endometriosis, then you have reason to suspect that you have a CYP1A2 mutation and are making less of the enzyme that breaks down both caffeine and 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 negative changes in breast tissue. Perhaps the variation in risk factors has something to do with this gene variation?

I think if there’s a history of breast cancer in your family, then this is important information to consider.Women often ask me about black and green tea, especially match, which is an antioxidant-rich green tea. Certainly teas provide certain health benefits, and matcha is rich in health-promoting compounds that protect cellular health and support physiological functions. But the fact remains that these beverages contain caffeine — and caffeine poses unique challenges for any woman with hormone imbalances. If you plan to indulge in caffeine once in a while, I think matcha is a great splurge, but I still maintain that women in their reproductive years should avoid most caffeine most of the time.

This is why getting off caffeine is such an important part of the FLO protocol. If you’re struggling with any hormone related issue (and if you’re reading this, you likely are), it’s important to remove any potential endocrine disruptors from your daily diet and lifestyle routine, including caffeine. You want to give your hormone system the break it needs to heal and come back into balance.

How Can I Tell if I Have a Hormone Imbalance (...aka How Do I Know if I Should Ditch Caffeine?)

I encourage all people with female physiology who are in their reproductive years to say no to caffeine. But women who suffer from hormone imbalances or a diagnosed hormone condition, like PCOS, fibroids, ovarian cysts, or endometriosis, should make going caffeine-free a top priority. How do you know if your hormones are out of balance (and that giving up caffeine is a good idea for you)? Here are some signs and symptoms of a hormone imbalance:

• PMS
• Severe period cramps
• Bloating
• Acne
• Moodiness/depression
• Anxiety
• You have been steadily gaining weight for a few months or years
• You can’t seem to lose weight even with a healthy diet and increased exercise
• Chronic exhaustion/fatigue
• Cyclical migraines
• Sugar cravings
• Breast or ovarian cysts
• Low sex drive
• Low energy
• Endometriosis
• PCOS

Women who are experiencing one or more of these symptoms should consider ditching caffeine for good. You should also give up caffeine if you suspect you have a caffeine intolerance.

How Can I Tell If I’m Caffeine Intolerant?

As I mentioned above, caffeine intolerance is surprisingly common, but most of us think of ourselves as immune to caffeine’s harshest effects. And almost everyone who drinks coffee or other caffeinated beverages will recognize that familiar pick-me-up feeling that caffeine brings. But if you experience any of the symptoms on the following list—symptoms that are often attributed to other conditions or physiological responses—you might be caffeine intolerant. Symptoms like:

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Restlessness
• Fatigue (yes, fatigue!)
• High blood pressure
• Poorly balanced blood sugar
• Digestive distress
• Feeling wired but tired
• Racing heartbeat

You suffer from a hormone condition related to estrogen dominance (like PCOS or endometriosis)In many cases, these symptoms are chalked up to other diagnoses, like adrenal fatigue or anxiety disorders, but the real culprit might be coffee OR the causes of your symptoms are multifactorial and coffee consumption is one of the factors.

Caffeine Damages Fertility — in Both Men and Women

Caffeine has a significant negative impact on fertility for both men and women, yet it’s rarely ever mentioned as a dietary change that supports conception. Here’s just some of what the research tells us about the link between caffeine and infertility:

• 3 cups of coffee a day consumed by women or men dramatically increases the risk of miscarriage – 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  

What About Upgraded Coffee?

In my new book, In the FLO, I expose the gender bias inherent in medical, fitness, and nutrition research and in health trends. Upgraded coffee is a great example of this in action. It can be great for men, and it's questionable for women.

Here's why:

Coffee can be a potent biohacking tool for men who experience an energy dip in the afternoon as they run out of  their testosterone and cortisol supply for the day or for those who are intermittent fasting. People with female physiology, however, do not have the same issue, nor is it safe to practice intermittent fasting during your reproductive years, as I uncover in In the FLO, and, hence, do not need to compensate for the same daily energy dip. For men, caffeine as an energy booster makes sense for their bodies and their unique hormone patterns (so long as they have no CYP1A2 gene variation).In the female-centric health paradigm, you want to boost your energy by balancing your blood sugar and supporting as your estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and insulin fluctuations throughout the month by working with your infradian rhythm.  

Eliminating coffee and using The Cycle Syncing Method™ to eat, move, and supplement in a phase-based pattern is the best way to biohack for increased energy. Women’s bodies are brilliantly designed to conserve energy (so we are better able to conceive and carry a pregnancy). Our bodies retain fluids longer and we metabolize the compounds contained in foods and beverages much more slowly. Men drink and excrete both alcohol and caffeine faster and more efficiently than women, meaning these substances don’t have as significant an impact on their physiology or lead to caffeine toxicity.

If you have female hormones and you choose to consume caffeine, it IS essential to consume it with or after a meal that contains some healthy fats — to keep blood sugar stable and never on an empty stomach. You don’t need to add butter to your coffee. But of course my top recommendation is to give up caffeine all together!

How to Wean Yourself Off Coffee

Ready to give your hormones some TLC by ditching coffee? Here’s how to come off coffee with fewer withdrawal symptoms and no loss of energy:

‍Eat a big, nutrient-dense breakfast.

‍Eat a phytonutrient-rich breakfast with lots of healthy, high-quality fats and protein every day. This could be a (free-range organic) egg omelette with spinach plus gluten-free avocado toast drizzled in extra virgin olive oil. Or a smoothie with nut butter and hemp protein.  Make breakfast the biggest meal of your day. Your body needs most of its fuel in the morning (rather than the evening) to support healthy energy levels throughout the day.

‍Shore up your adrenal system with supplements and adaptogenic herbs.

Herbs like ginkgo biloba and rhodiola support sharp thinking and mental focus, making them a good addition to your routine when you are trying to give up coffee and caffeinated tea. Vitamin B12 and vitamin B5 are necessary nutrients for maintaining healthy sustained energy everyday, and most people are deficient. Maca root powder is another plant compound that helps boost energy and support the adrenal system without taking a toll in adrenal and whole body health, like coffee does.

Seek out healthy substitutes.

Swap coffee for kukicha or “twig” tea, which is made from the roasted stem from which green tea leaves are plucked. It has a nutty taste and is perfect any time of the day. It’s also alkalizing for the blood versus the 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 can also drink maca root powder as a tea. It has a coffee-like taste, helps with energy and detox, and is especially delicious with a bit of non-dairy creamer and a small dollop of honey. Roasted dandelion root tea and burdock root tea both have a satisfying earthy flavor.

‍Replenish your micronutrients.

‍Coffee drains the body of essential micronutrients. If you have a history of caffeine use, your body will need supplemental nutrients in order to bring your reproductive hormones back into balance.

‍Practice The Cycle Syncing Method™.

When you eat, exercise, and work in a way that supports your fluctuating hormones, you will build energy daily instead of working against your hormones and leaving yourself depleted and drained. If you are new to The Cycle Syncing Method™, star by downloading the MyFlo app and tracking your 28-day hormone cycle, also known as your infradian rhythm.

‍If you occasionally Indulge in caffeine, remember that size matters.

‍Take the European approach to coffee drinking. Drink a small cup of fresh espresso, rather than a giant cup (or two or three) of coffee and only have it with food. And make a habit of savoring your occasional cup of coffee instead of guzzling it on the run. And on any day you have caffeine, make sure to rehydrate with coconut water or another healthy source of electrolytes.

Whether you’re struggling with acne, bloating, PMS, or even PCOS or trying to conceive, hormonal imbalances can create all sorts of complications and painful symptoms. The good news is that identifying and supporting the root causes of hormone-related conditions may not be as mysterious an endeavor as you’d think. One of our favorite supplements for empowering women against their struggles with issues like heavy bleeding, fertility struggles, and other hormone-related conditions, is N-acetyl cysteine (NAC).

NAC is the supplement form of an amino acid called cysteine which has been used for decades to support functions that are linked to hormonal health. It is also the precursor to glutathione, and glutathione is essential for boosting liver detox. This is critical to helping us to break down estrogen which, when in excess, is often a root cause of many hormonal symptoms.

‍NAC benefits your hormonal health by supporting:

• Ovulation and fertility
• Liver and kidney detoxification
• Healthy hormone balance
• Insulin resistance

Intrigued? Let’s learn more about how NAC can support your journey.

NAC for fertility

Making a baby is hard work ... yeah, we said it! It may start off fun and flirty, but as you continue on your fertility journey you might learn that there’s more to it than you thought. And that’s not just a “you problem.” In fact, approximately 12% of US women between the ages of 15 and 44 have reported using infertility services, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Incorporating NAC into your wellness practice can be a really useful way to help calibrate your fertile factors. NAC has been shown to support the growth of healthy eggs and promote ovulation. It’s also been linked to increased ovarian function. A recent analysis of 15 randomized controlled trials found that NAC can be an effective adjuvant in unexplained female infertility (so, a therapy that follows the primary treatment), especially for women with high BMI, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress. (However, the authors did note that they’d like to see additional research.)

NAC for PCOS

If Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is behind your fertility struggles, know that you’re not alone—PCOS is one of the most common causes of female infertility in the US.In addition to causing irregular periods, weight gain, and acne, PCOS can lead to serious health complications, ranging from type 2 diabetes to hypertension to stroke. In short, it can feel like a crushing diagnosis if you’re struggling to get pregnant or regulate your hormones.

But that's where NAC comes in.Clomiphene citrate is a commonly prescribed medication for PCOS-related infertility, but alone, it doesn’t address the root hormonal imbalances that give rise to PCOS. A recent randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study of women with PCOS found that a combination of NAC and clomiphene citrate significantly increased ovulation and pregnancy rates among women with medication-resistant PCOS.

Another small study suggested that NAC’s antioxidant properties contributed to improving the level of circulating insulin and insulin sensitivity in women with PCOS and hyperinsulinemia (high levels of insulin in blood).And that’s not all you need to know if you’re living with PCOS. A prospective trial following 100 women with PCOS who received NAC or metformin for 24 weeks found that NAC produced a significant decrease in BMI, excess facial hair, and menstrual irregularity, as well as a drop in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.

NAC for heavy bleeding & fibroids

Another common hormonal woe is heavy menstrual bleeding, or menorrhagia. During the first half of your cycle, estrogen rises and reaches its peak level when you ovulate. Your liver is responsible for breaking down estrogen, but things don’t always go as planned when you’re micronutrient deficient. Without proper nutrients—such as enough NAC or cysteine—your liver might struggle with detoxification, which causes the excess estrogen to circulate in your system. Again, this is where NAC is a valuable supplement in your wellness kit. NAC has been shown to support the liver’s detoxification process. This is essential because when the liver is overburdened, it can have trouble sweeping out excess estrogen from your system.This surplus of estrogen leads to two problems: a chance of the lining of the endometrium to grow back too thick, and the growth of fibroid tumors. NAC has been shown to help reduce the size of fibroids—common benign tumors that are found in the uterus and affect 70–80% of women by the end of their reproductive years.

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If you’re a young woman in your 20s or 30s and your sex drives is low (or missing altogether), you might feel like an outlier. Why?Because social media, TV and movies, and other cultural cues suggest that youth is synonymous with wanting to get it on. And that’s not fair, because everyone’s sex drive is different.But the truth is that when we’re young (and even when we’re older)—and if our hormones are in balance—we should have times when, in the immortal words of 1970’s rock band Bad Company, we feel like makin’ love. So if you’re a young woman with a low (or missing) sex drive, what gives?Where the &#*!&! did your sex drive go? Your Not Alone: Low Sex Drive is Common in WomenFirst things first, if your sex drive is low or completely absent, you are not abnormal—and you are not alone. Studies suggest that one in four women of reproductive age have low libido. Other research shows that Americans are having less sex now than they did a decade ago, and that fewer heterosexual women are having orgasms than any other demographic.Not to sound alarmist but...young women are living in a sexual state of emergency! At the same time, many women with low sex drive—and many of the doctors they talk to about it—don’t treat the issue with urgency. And that’s a mistake because a missing sex drive can be a sign of serious hormone imbalances that can wreak havoc on overall health. It’s also a mistake to ignore low libido because having a sex drive—and, specifically, having orgasms, is critical to hormone health and overall quality of life. You need orgasms to improve hormone health, and you need good hormonal health to want to have orgasms! So what is a girl with a missing sex drive to do? The first step is to understand the underlying factors that might be contributing to your missing urge to make out. 6 Factors That Affect Low Sex DriveThere are many factors that can contribute to low sex drive and some of them are emotional and relational. These can include your relationship status, how you feel about your relationship, how you feel about your body (body image), your historical experience of sex, and any history of trauma or sexual abuse.Other factors can be psychological and environmental, like high levels of stress and anxiety, feelings of depression and low mood, or an extremely pressure-filled work environment or the stress of raising young children or taking care of aging parents. If any of these factors are part of your experience of low sex drive, I recommend working with a therapist or working with another healing professional to tend to these complex issues.Some of the other factors that contribute to the low sex drive are physical, which means you can make lifestyle changes to address these factors. Here are some of the physical roadblocks you might be running into on your way to rediscovering your sex drive:

1. Taking hormonal birth control. Low libido can be a side effect of taking hormonal birth control (HBC) or of having taken it in the past. That’s because HBC works by decreasing the production of testosterone in your body (and testosterone plays an important role in sex drive in both men and women) and because the Pill makes it harder for your body to use the testosterone that you are still making (HBC locks up the testosterone so your body can’t use it).
2. A history of low-fat dieting. The body makes sex hormones from a precursor compound in the body. And guess what that precursor is? Cholesterol. That’s right, the compound so long villainized in the health headlines is actually necessary for producing enough estrogen and testosterone in the body.
3. A history of taking antidepressants. These medications can be critically important for some women in maintaining mood, but they can come with side effects—and a notorious one is lower libido. Luckily, some herbs can help with this side effect. (More on herbal strategies for SSRI-related low libido below.)
4. Hormone imbalances. If you suffer from symptoms like acne, severe PMS, painful or heavy periods, irregular periods, bloating, migraines and/or hormonal headaches, it’s likely that you’re living with an underlying hormone imbalance (one that you can take steps to heal by using key lifestyle and biohacking strategies). This imbalance is also likely contributing to your low libido.
5. You’re not getting enough exercise. A raft of research has shown that exercise can help improve sexual desire and arousal.
6. You’re low on iron. Iron deficiency has been connected to low libido. If you’re never in the mood, you might want to get your iron checked and ask your healthcare provider about taking iron supplements or maximizing the iron you get through whole foods.

How to Get Your Sex Drive BackYou can take some simple but powerful steps to reclaim your hormonal health—and rediscover your sex drive. Here’s what I recommend:

1. Start cycle syncing. You can use certain lifestyle strategies to bring your hormones back into balance naturally, and one of the most important is syncing your life to your 28-day menstrual cycle. When you start to eat, move, and live according to your unique hormonal needs each week, you can experience a profound and positive shift in your hormonal symptoms, including low libido. I consider cycle syncing the first, best thing you can do to balance your hormones and bring your sex life back to life. If the idea of even tracking your cycle is new to you, use the MyFLO app to track your natural hormone shifts.
2. If you’ve ever taken birth control, run some labs. Consult with your healthcare provider about running some blood tests. Specifically, I suggest looking at your testosterone levels and your SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin). The pill can wreak hormonal havoc in general, but it is especially rough on these two biomarkers—both of of which are important for having a healthy sex drive.
3. Do a detox.The pill can cause a flood of excess hormones in the body. And even if you don’t have a history of taking HBC, you might be estrogen dominant, which can cause system-wide symptoms including low libido. So you will also want to do a gentle, natural detox in order to get excess hormones movin’ on out—and your sex drive movin’ on up!
4. Embrace healthy fats. Healthy fats—like the kind found in avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts and seeds, and small oily fish like sardines—help support healthy levels of good cholesterol in the body. You need good cholesterol to manufacture sex hormones—and you need healthy levels of sex hormones to… want to have sex!
5. Consider taking Maca. Studies suggest that the South American plant maca may be beneficial in boosting libido, perhaps especially for women who take a selective serotonin uptake inhibitor.
6. Get moving. Make healthy movement a part of your everyday life. Exercise can be helpful in boosting libido. Just don’t forget to match your movement to where you are in your cycle. When you move can be just as important as how and how often you move.
7. Patch up micronutrient deficiencies. Getting enough iron can be especially important for sex drive, but you’ll want to make sure you have healthy levels of all the key micronutrients that support hormonal health. If you think you’re low in essential micronutrients, ask your doctor to run some labs and consider taking a high quality supplement.
8. Don’t discount the emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions to low libido. Remember that it isn’t just physical factors that affect sex drive. If something else is weighing on you—relationship dissatisfaction, an intensely crazy workload, unremitting stress, etc.—carve out time for self-care and consider talking with a therapist or other professional. In our crazy-busy mody culture, stress recovery can take a village.

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!

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.

Endometriosis gets a lot of press these days, with celebs like Lena Dunham and Padma Lakshmi talking openly about their struggles with this painful hormonal condition. PCOS is also getting more recognition, thanks to Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley and a growing awareness of PCOS as a common cause of infertility for American women.

So if you struggle with period problems, but haven’t been diagnosed with endometriosis or PCOS, you might think that having heavy, uncomfortable periods is just something you have to deal with. Or maybe you're confused about the real root cause.

Your symptoms might actually be caused by uterine fibroids. Studies show that most American women will develop fibroids at some point during their lives. And while almost all of these non-cancerous tumors are benign (and some cases are asymptomatic), a lot of fibroids grow large and lead to a host of unpleasant symptoms — symptoms that you might otherwise chalk up to the idea that that’s just how your body works.

Do fibroids affect hormones?

Or, is it the other way around? In fact, fibroids are fueled by hormone imbalances (just like PCOS and endometriosis). So, you can take steps to balance your hormones and ease fibroid symptoms.

One of the most common imbalances when it comes to fibroids is excess estrogen. An overload of estrogen seems to make fibroids grow larger. Having too much estrogen relative to progesterone is a common hormone imbalance because so many things in our environment increase estrogen, including the foods we eat, the foods we don’t eat, exposure to toxins, poor sleep, stress, and other environmental factors. At times, it feels like the world is conspiring to make our estrogen go up. But you can take simple steps to biohack your hormones and bring estrogen and progesterone back into balance. Read on to learn how!

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‍Fibroid Symptoms

‍Fibroids give rise to some telltale symptoms. Here are some signs that fibroids might be at a root cause of your period problems:

1. Heavy flow. This is one of those symptoms that can be easily overlooked or assumed is "just how your period goes", but heavy flow can be a sign of fibroids.
2. Periods that last more than 7 days. If your period tends to run longer than a week, you might think that you just drew the short end of the menstrual stick. But overly long periods can also be a sign of fibroids.
3. Feeling like you have to pee all the time… but nothing comes out. You might never have thought of this as a symptom of an underlying hormone imbalance, but this too can be a sign of uterine fibroids.
4. Pelvic pain/pressure. Another potential symptom of fibroids.
5. Constipation. Constipation can strike for any number of reasons, many unrelated to hormones, but if you experience it in combination with other symptoms, it could be related to uterine fibroids.
6. Backaches and/or leg pain. Like constipation, a sore back and other aches might strike you as normal and not connected to your endocrine system. But in some cases, just like constipation, this can be connected to fibroids.

Fibroids are often diagnosed during a routine pelvic exam and confirmed with an ultrasound. If you suspect that you have uterine fibroids, consult with a trusted healthcare practitioner. And if you discover that fibroids are an issue for you, Western medicine will tell you that the cause is unknown and that the only “treatment” is taking hormonal birth control. But the Pill doesn’t address the underlying root cause of fibroids, which is hormone imbalance, and it can actually make hormone imbalances worse. In some cases, doctors offer surgery to remove fibroids, but an invasive procedure (with a high risk of generating scar tissue that can complicate future pregnancies) isn’t an ideal choice unless absolutely necessary.

Biohack Your Hormones and Fix Fibroids Naturally

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Happily, there’s a lot you can do with nutrition and lifestyle to address the hormone imbalances that underlie uterine fibroids, especially around the connection between estrogen and fibroids. Here’s how:

1. Understand your cycle. You can help bring hormones into balance by tracking your cycle and shifting what you eat and how much you move, so that your daily routine matches each distinct phase of your 28-day cycle. I call this Cycle Syncing®, and if you’re serious about biohacking your hormones and easing symptoms, this is the first and best place to start.
2. Eat to balance estrogen. Fibroids are affected by excess estrogen in the body, which makes them grow. (They often decrease in size after menopause, when estrogen in the body is lower). So it’s important to eliminate dairy and meat raised with synthetic hormones that can act like estrogen in the body, and to prioritize foods that help modulate and balance estrogen, like flax seeds, beans, whole grains, pears, and apples.
3. Balance your microbiome. The microbiome contains a colony of bacteria that helps metabolize estrogen. This colony is called the estrobolome—and when the microbiome is healthy, so is the estrobolome. But when the good and bad bugs in the microbiome are out of balance, the estrobolome can’t do its job efficiently and estrogen builds up. Ditching sugar, dairy, and gluten is the first step in healing the microbiome. (If you’re ready to give up those estrobolome-destroying foods, try my free 4-Day Detox.) Another key to building and maintaining a healthy microbiome is supplementing with a great probiotic.
4. Support liver function. The estrobolome metabolizes used-up estrogen. Then the liver gets it ready for elimination. So if your liver is sluggish (just like if your microbiome is imbalanced), estrogen can build up in the body. The liver thrives when we eat specific liver-nourishing foods—and it gets clogged and sluggish when we eat high fructose-containing processed foods and when we drink caffeine. You can also use targeted supplements to improve liver function. The supplements in my BALANCE Supplement Kit help support the liver.

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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!

A Timeline for How to Heal

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You’re making the move from conventional to organic, you’re syncing your workouts with your cycle, and you’re taking the necessary steps to get your gut and hormonal health back on track. So when exactly can you expect to see a payoff from all that dedicated effort?

If you’ve finally committed to resolving your menstrual symptoms, you’re probably anxious to see results. After all, if you’re like most women dealing with issues including PMS, PCOS, endometriosis, or otherwise problematic cycles, you’ve been struggling with symptoms for way too long and you’re frustrated that you haven't found the cure. Trust us, I get it. Our founder Alisa Vitti suffered through years of painful symptoms before doctors diagnosed me with PCOS. Even then, she had to tell them that she thought it was PCOS before they diagnosed her. It was her own extensive research that led them to the answer! That was her first clue that conventional medicine didn’t hold all the answers.

With a hormone-related diagnosis in hand, Alisa was offered conventional medicine’s most common answer to all hormonal issues: synthetic birth control. After experimenting with every other option, naturopathy, acupuncture, elimination diets, she finally decided to try it even though her gut was telling her not to take the pill. Maybe it will help, she thought?Turns out, it can hurt A LOT. After ten days, she was having a heart arrhythmia and migraines so severe that she would temporarily lose her vision! Alisa quit the pill immediately and never looked back.

Today we know—and research shows—that the pill actually causes a host of hormonal issues. It does the opposite of solve hormonal problems. The fact is, once you have the right tools and you start taking your hormonal healing seriously, you can absolutely see results fast. True, lasting, permanent change takes time and patience, but there’s nothing as encouraging as seeing evidence that things are moving in the right direction. If you commit to the FLO protocol, here are some of the amazing results you can expect to see—and when you can expect to see them.

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In 1 week: You can reduce the endocrine disruptors in your body by up to 90%

How long does it take to restore hormone balance? There are many benefits to healing your hormones that show up quickly, even in just 1 week. We've long encouraged women to follow an organic protocol in every area of their life at least 80% of the time. Now, science is finally catching up to this wisdom, with research revealing that switching to an organic diet reduces the harmful, endocrine-disrupting pesticides in your body by nearly 90 percent.

‍Researchers found that participants’ urinary dialkyl phosphates (DAPs) — a common method of assessing exposure to pesticides — were 89% lower when they ate an organic diet for a week compared to a conventional diet for the same amount of time. Why does pesticide exposure matter so much for hormonal health? Pesticides add synthetic hormones to your body (like xenoestrogens), congest your liver, making it harder for your body to process and eliminate excess hormones, and confuse the hormonal conversation your body needs to have to create balance and avoid symptoms. What’s more, too many pesticides in the body can impair fertility, make the growth of fibroids worse, interfere with regular ovulation, and damage thyroid function.

So if you’ve ever thought that eating organic doesn’t matter, think again! It is a foundational piece of balancing your hormones and erasing your symptoms. And the fact that you can reduce your pesticide load by almost 90% in a week is seriously motivating, right?

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In 9 days: You can improve your blood sugar (and other important biomarkers)

How long does it take to reverse estrogen dominance? When it comes to dietary offenders, there few more hormonally-disruptive bad guys than sugar. When you consume too much of it, it sends your blood sugar and insulin levels soaring and then crashing, which can stop your hormones from triggering ovulation and producing progesterone. This leads to estrogen dominance, the most common culprit behind a slew of hormonal conditions.

‍Research suggests that eating less sugar can stop the blood sugar roller coaster in just 9 days. This is the fastest proven way to reset your hormones. When researchers modified pubescent participants’ food intake by reducing the portion of their diet they typically filled with sugar (from 28% to 10% of their daily calories), and swapped it for starch, their fasting blood sugar levels dropped by 53%, along with the amount of insulin their bodies produced.  Participants’ triglyceride levels, LDL levels, and the amount of fat in their liver, also dropped.

The takeaway? Balanced blood sugar—which can be achieved in under two weeks—protects against estrogen dominance and all the devastating symptoms that come with having imbalanced estrogen levels, including irregular ovulation, severe PMS, acne, weight gain, and painful fibroids. If you’ve been dragging your heels on giving up sugar, consider how much better you could feel in a seriously short amount of time!

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In 2 months: You can improve estrogen metabolism and reduce PMS symptoms

Estrogen dominance is at the root of most hormonal conditions, so flushing the excess hormones from your body is essential to maintaining your overall health. One critical way to do a hormone flush is to fix your gut.

Your digestive health is deeply connected with your hormonal healing. The gut contains a colony of beneficial bacteria called the estrobolome, which produces an enzyme that helps metabolize estrogen. Having a healthy gut means having a healthy estrobolome—and a healthy estrobolome efficiently eliminates used hormones from the body, preventing estrogen build-up (and all the problems that come with it). But in our modern world, everything from a sugar-rich diet to overuse of antibiotics (and even the birth control pill) can throw your gut bacteria off-kilter, increasing your chances for estrogen dominance. There is great news here, though.

Studies have shown that what you eat matters, and your diet can start having a major impact on the composition of your gut bacteria quickly — in some cases, as quickly in a few days. One study showed that microbiome composition changed detectably within just 24 hours of initiating a high-fat/low-fiber or low-fat/high-fiber diet. And the research indicated that the longer participants adhered to specific food plans, the more significant the changes to the bacteria were, which should show you that committing to a hormone-healthy diet for the long haul is your best bet for continued success.

Another study found that increased dietary fiber intake elicits a wide range of physiologic effects, not just locally in the gut, but systemically — something we talk about often at FLO Living. Specifically, fiber helps support the liver, a critical organ necessary in the detoxification process that helps prevent and heal estrogen dominance. One great, easy, Harvard and FLO-approved way to start making major changes: eat fermented foods and use probiotics to help heal the gut.

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In 4 months: You can lower stress and improve menstrual regularity

Stress isn’t just something that’s out of your control or something that requires a variety of meditation principles to cope with. It turns out that the intake of vitamins, particularly the B-vitamins including B6, B9 and B12 may have a number of positive effects on mood and stress.

In a double-blind placebo-controlled study, 138 adults (aged 20 to 50 years) were administered a multivitamin containing B-vitamins versus placebo over a 16-week period. Researchers found that compared to the placebo, 16 weeks of supplementation was associated with a trend towards an increased Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) — an increase of about 50% in cortisol levels occurring 20–30 minutes after waking. One interpretation of that elevation in CAR associated with multivitamin supplementation is that the supplements helped healthy participants develop an adaptive response to everyday demands. And when stress goes down, that means ovulation regularity and fertility go up.

‍Food is, of course, an amazing source of B vitamins — bananas, wild-caught tuna, spinach, poultry, sweet potato, and more are chock-full of it — but supplements are an important insurance policy to ensure you’re getting the right amount. An easy way to assess whether you’re experiencing the net effects of all these dietary changes is to actually examine the color of your blood. It’s true — just taking stock of your menstrual flow can help you see the progress you’re making and confirm the fact that food is clearly the best medicinal approach to dealing with problematic periods.

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Long-term: Continuing to eat in a hormonally-supportive way over time can slow down aging and protect fertility

Healing is truly all about balance. The New York Times recently covered emerging research that supports everything we stand for at FLO Living! Using the health and behavioral data of 914 women who went through menopause naturally, British researchers found that women who ate an additional two-and-a-half-ounce daily portion of fresh legumes (like peas or beans) were able to delay menopause by about one year, and women who ate an additional three-ounce daily portion of oily fish delayed menopause by about three years.

On the other hand, eating refined rice and pasta, was associated with an earlier age of menopause. This information should inspire and empower you to look at the FLO protocol as a hormonally-supportive way of life (not to mention, we’ve been talking about how to avoid premature hormonal aging years before scientists caught up). No diet, pill, patch, or surgery can address and resolve the root of your endocrine imbalance the way a total lifestyle overhaul can. Learning to eat, exercise, work, love, and play in a way that keeps your hormones happy will change your whole life — and the positive changes may come sooner than you think!

Need more inspiration? Check out these testimonials from real clients below:

• " Thanks to FLO Living, my PCOS symptoms are so much better!  The feeling when you really start believing in yourself is so so powerful! I just want to tell to all the woman with hormonal imbalances to not give up. The answer is closer than you think. Be patient and start step by step. You will get there!" — Lavinia

• "It in many ways changed the trajectory of my life, health and skin. I am happy to say that my skin has cleared, I have a handle on my PCOS symptoms and I now know and respect my body better than before. I now see my struggles as a blessing. WomanCode is a book that I recommend to women a lot and it even served as the foundation of starting one of my now closest friendships. The MyFLO app is an essential and daily companion I now use to keep track of my cycle and FLO Living is a place of community and empowerment and I am eternally grateful for the knowledge that Alisa chose to share with the world and women through WomanCode. I’d hate to think where I’d be right now had I not found that interview that lead me to Alisa’s work." — Jamie

• "My cycles are regular again! There’s an inner peace that comes with predictable cycles throughout the month with a deep understanding and respect for my body’s natural ability to function in a state of wellness." — Kelsey

• "Alisa Vitti, her team and the FLO Living movement inspire me every day to listen to my body and its intuition, live and love in my feminine power and to pass on cycle syncing wisdom to the world!" — Amber

• "I'm totally in and I feel amazing! Anemia is gone. I haven't had another sonogram to confirm the fibroids are gone, but my periods are regular and because of rituals and synced workouts I actually look forward to each phase. My body is looking svelte and stunning with the delicious recipes and food list. Sex is better than ever, my husband loves his emails from MyFLO, work is syncing like never before due to scheduling my life around my hormonal strengths. I'm telling everyone I know about MyFLO." — Nicole

• “Having PCOS, confirmed having anovulation, and having spent several thousands of dollars at fertility clinics to try to get to the root of things only coming up with the possibility of having to take Clomid (which doesn’t guarantee ovulation, and ovulation doesn’t guarantee pregnancy), I was searching for a more natural way to regulate my body and make it function ‘like a normal person.’ I implemented the diet and lifestyle protocol 100%, even getting everything organic because I was fully ready to be fully committed to do WHATEVER it takes. About a month later I had confirmed ovulation and then from the same cycle confirmed positive pregnancy test. I am now 2 months pregnant for the first time ever! I will say, based on how much this makes sense, I fully expected to be pregnant at some point this year, but was shocked when it happened so fast.” — Nate.
• “This got me pregnant at 43! I had FSH levels of 15 and was told IVF was the only way to go. After following this protocol, after 3 months, they were a 7.5! We then got pregnant naturally 3 months later! Every woman should start living this way as soon as possible to avoid any hormonal health problem ever.” — Diane.

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Believe it or not, the majority of women will develop uterine fibroids at some point in their lifetime. Crazy, right? But it’s true—a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that 80%-90% of African American women and 70% of white women will develop fibroids by age 50. That means you or someone you love will almost certainly be affected by this condition. But chances are, you’re not sure what to do about it. The good news is that by understanding the issue, you can apply a few simple, natural protocols to effectively treat fibroids.

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What Are Uterine Fibroids?

Uterine fibroids are benign tumors that develop in the wall of the uterus. They’re the most common non-cancerous tumors in women of childbearing age. Fibroids can range in size from tiny (the size of a pea) to very large (the size of a melon). Symptoms can vary from none at all, to heavy or painful periods, bleeding between periods, pain during intercourse, lower back pain, frequent urination, and reproductive problems.

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What Causes Uterine Fibroids?

According to Western medicine, no one knows for sure what causes fibroids to form. What we do know is that they seem to be affected by our hormones. Specifically, excess estrogen in the body seems to make them grow, and they will often decrease in size after menopause (when overall body estrogen is lower). So one of the ways to treat uterine fibroids naturally is to address estrogen excess—or estrogen dominance—in the body’s ecosystem.

Estrogen dominance occurs in the body when there is too much estrogen in relation to progesterone. This can happen as a result of the foods we eat, the beauty and body care products we use, stress, poor sleep, other environmental factors—or a combination of all of the above. It can be very hard to completely avoid estrogen excess because we’re surrounded by chemicals that disrupt hormonal harmony every day. Endocrine disruptors are in everything from our furniture to our nail polish and even household cleaning supplies.

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Is Birth Control the Answer for Treating Fibroids?

At the doctor’s office, a diagnosis of uterine fibroids often means one thing: a prescription for the birth control pill. That’s because most doctors consider the pill to be a way to control the growth of fibroids as well as the symptoms you’re experiencing. But the problem is, this “treatment” doesn’t actually treat the root cause of uterine fibroids or address uterine health long-term. In fact, hormonal birth control comes with a slew of side effects that ultimately make hormonal imbalances worse.

The other option that doctors give women with fibroids is surgery—and most of us, quite rightly, want to avoid invasive procedures as much as possible, especially as the scar tissue that can develop from this surgery can complicate pregnancy.

But don’t despair: Despite what your doctor may have told you, medications and surgery are not your only options. You can use natural strategies to reduce the size of the fibroids you have now, prevent the growth of new fibroids, and reverse the problem.

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The Best Natural Ways to Treat Uterine Fibroids

To treat fibroids and alleviate symptoms, the first step is to make food and lifestyle choices that support your body in processing and eliminating excess estrogen as efficiently as possible. Your goal is to bring estrogen levels back into balance with progesterone levels in your body.

You may have heard that women with fibroids should specifically avoid meat and dairy products from animals treated with synthetic hormones. This is because synthetic hormones are powerful estrogens that can create estrogen dominance and provoke fibroid growth. But, just as some foods are bad for fibroids, other foods are great for fixing and even shrinking fibroids. Fibroid-fighting foods help the body process and flush excess estrogen and boost progesterone—both of which can help slow (or stop!) the growth of fibroids.  

Another piece of the fibroid puzzle is genetics. If you have fibroids, it’s likely your mom or sisters have this health issue, too. It’s also more likely that a daughter of yours will be at higher risk of developing fibroids in her teens and 20s. But you can stop this domino effect in its tracks by addressing the estrogen excess that is the source of the problem.

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The 6 Simple Steps To Naturally Treat Fibroids

To heal fibroids, you need to address one of the underlying causes of the issue: estrogen dominance. That’s the best way to stay fibroid-free for the future. This natural healing isn’t complicated, but it requires several steps, including eating in a way that flushes estrogen, elevating your progesterone levels, eliminating sources of synthetic estrogen like pesticides, chemical-based beauty products and cosmetics, and conventional household cleaners from your life, and supporting your body’s natural detoxification and elimination systems. There are steps you can take to reduce and ultimately get rid of fibroids.

1. Take a supplement specifically designed to treat fibroids at the source.

The FLO Living RELEASE Kit offers targeted nutrients that help support healthy estrogen and metabolism for easier, healthier periods. Our custom supplement blend provides you with the best-known optimizers to clear out excess estrogen and support the liver through each detox phase. We made sure to include an ideal blend of natural and herbal support which includes DIM, Sulforaphane, NAC, and Calcium-D-Glucarate in one spot.

2. Eat to nourish your hormones.

Reduce your estrogen overload by changing your diet and daily routine—this is called Cycle Syncing®. It involves eating, working out, and living your best life in a cyclical manner that optimizes your healing and long-term success. When you eat in a hormonally supportive way, you incorporate specific foods each week of your cycle and change that selection of foods as you move through each different phase of your cycle. This cyclical approach supports optimal hormone balance and metabolism all month long.

3. Cut out chemicals.

Research suggests that endocrine-disrupting chemicals—like those found in everyday cleaning supplies, cosmetic and body care products, lawn treatment chemicals, upholstered furniture, vinyl products (like shower curtains), plastic food containers and plastic food wrap—are strongly linked to the development of uterine fibroids.

The list of things to avoid (the shower curtain?!) might feel long and overwhelming, but avoiding these chemicals is easy—and, in great news, many of the chemical-free options are less expensive than conventional options. For example, baking soda and vinegar for cleaning the house can be bought in bulk—and for pennies on the dollar compared to chemical cleaning agents. Similarly, opting to not treat your lawn with chemicals is free! If you use plastic food storage containers, you can replace them over time with glass and stainless steel options (which last a lifetime); same with a shower curtain made of healthier material.

4. Support your microbiome.

You’ve likely heard of the microbiome, or, the collection of bacteria that live in the gut. What’s less well known is that the microbiome contains a colony of bacteria that actually helps metabolize estrogen. This colony of bacteria is called the estrobolome, and when the microbiome is healthy, so is the estrobolome. But when the good and bad bugs in the microbiome are out of balance (gut dysbiosis), the estrobolome can’t do its job efficiently and estrogen builds up in the body.

In other words, gut dysbiosis can contribute to conditions related to estrogen dominance, including the development of fibroids. Ditching sugar, dairy, and gluten is the first step in healing the microbiome. (If you’re ready to give up those estrobolome-destroying foods, try our free 4-Day Detox.) The other key to building and maintaining a healthy microbiome is supplementing with a great probiotic.

What is the estrobolome? The estrobolome is a term used to describe the collection of microbes living in the human gut that are involved in estrogen metabolism. These microbes play a crucial role in regulating the levels and balance of estrogen in the body. The estrobolome helps to break down estrogen and convert it into less potent forms, which can be excreted from the body.

When the estrobolome is not functioning properly, it can lead to an imbalance in estrogen levels, which has been associated with several health conditions, including breast cancer, endometriosis, and obesity. Research into the estrobolome is ongoing, and it is believed that maintaining a healthy balance of gut microbes through a balanced diet and probiotic supplements may help to optimize estrogen metabolism and reduce the risk of these conditions.

5. Improve your liver function.

The estrobolome metabolizes used-up estrogen. Then the liver gets it ready for elimination. So if your liver is sluggish (just like if your microbiome is imbalanced), estrogen can build up in the body—and, once again, you’re facing estrogen dominance.

Food is powerful when it comes to liver health. The liver thrives when we eat specific liver-nourishing foods—and it suffers greatly when we eat high fructose-containing processed foods and when we drink caffeine. The liver uses an enzyme called CYP1A2 to break down caffeine—and how much or how little CYP1A2 you produce is genetic. If your genes enable you to make a lot of this enzyme, you’re better at processing caffeine. But you are probably in the minority! It’s estimated that only 10% of the population makes robust levels of CYP1A2.

And here’s where things get really interesting: CYP1A2 is also involved in the metabolism of estrogen. So if you struggle with fibroids, there’s reason to suspect you might not be making enough of this enzyme—which underscores why giving up caffeine is so important. You need all the CYP1A2 available to you to process estrogen. You don’t want to waste your precious stores of this enzyme on caffeine.

More good news about our RELEASE supplement kit? It provides you with the best-known optimizers to clear out excess estrogen and support the liver through each detox phase.

6. Eat more of these 5 hormone balancing foods:

• Flax seeds are part of a food group called “selective estrogen receptor modulators” that inhibit estrogen sensitivity in the uterus, which is beneficial when you have fibroids. They are also a fantastic source of fiber, which you need to move excess estrogen out of your bowels as quickly as possible to eliminate it from your body. Finally, flax seeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids (which reduce the insulin resistance and inflammation that can suppress liver function) and lignans (which bind to estrogen receptors and prevent absorption of excess estrogen).
• Whole grains are the best substitute for white processed stuff like bread, pasta, and noodles, and will help with insulin stabilization. High insulin levels from white starchy food (which acts like sugar in the body) are a factor in making fibroids grow. Whole grains are also a great source of fiber and will help to speed up the process and elimination of excess estrogen.

• Soy isn’t my favorite food for women with hormonal issues, but in the case of fibroids, certain forms of soy can be beneficial. Specifically seek out non-processed, organic soy in the form of tempeh and miso to add to your diet.  This kind of soy has an anti-estrogenic effect on the uterus. Avoid all processed soy like soy cheese, soy meat, and other meat and dairy replacements. Moderation is key here and I wouldn’t recommend having soy every day, but unprocessed and organic soy is a useful dietary tool for managing fibroids.
• Beans are an excellent source of fiber and protein, plus they have a low glycemic impact for most women, which reduces the kind of inflammation that can increase fibroid growth. You should focus on kidney beans, lentils, and mung beans. Beans and legumes can be a healthy protein replacement if you’re working to reduce meat (which can also help heal fibroids).
• Pears and apples are liver-supporting foods that contain lots of fiber, along with a flavonoid named phloretin, which impairs tumor growth.

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Stress: it’s something everyone seems to suffer from, but no one knows how to overcome. Is it just a part of “normal” life? Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you struggle with sleep at night worrying about anything and everything?
• Do you get overwhelmingly anxious when faced with a work deadline or big social event?
• Do you have panic attacks?

If so, you’re not alone: Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in America, affecting 40 million adults in the United States or 18.1% of the population every year. And women are hit particularly hard by issues related to stress: Women are more likely than men to report having a great deal of stress, and almost half of all women say their stress has increased over the past five years (compared 39 percent of men). Unfortunately, to address these issues, conventional doctors often turn to pharmaceuticals, prescribing stressed-out women powerful medications that come with a host of serious side effects. Thankfully, drugs are not the only option and there are in fact natural ways to alleviate stress.Many of us do deal with extremely stressful times at some point in our lives (from what I call “external” stressors). But we should not be feeling stressed every day or even every week. When you start to feel like you’re constantly living on the edge regardless of your circumstances, it’s time to address your physical health (or “internal” stressors) in order to support your mental health.The fact is that stress is a hormonal reaction in your body that has some serious side effects that are endocrine disruptive. Maybe you’re trying to improve your period, fertility or sex drive. Unchecked stress is a real obstacle in achieving those health goals. Stress and anxiety are unfortunately common — particularly in women — but you shouldn’t just sit and take it - there are ways to help your body and hormones respond to stress more effectively!

The Damage Stress Does To Your Hormones

Stress, in all its various forms, does a number on your hormones: it forces your adrenal glands to pump out adrenaline, and then churn out cortisol in order to protect itself from the damaging effects of too much adrenaline. It’s a natural process, and in rare instances of extreme danger, it’s a useful one. But when this happens over and over again all the time, triggered by everyday stressors like deadlines instead of life-or-death threats, it can actually deplete your cortisol reserve, prompting your adrenals to begin responding poorly to stress and becoming fatigued. This has a lot of negative effects on your health. Here are the dangerous ways stress damages your hormones and negatively affects your well-being:

• It disrupts your blood sugar. When your blood sugar levels soar and crash (courtesy of too much sugar/alcohol/coffee/carbs, and/or inadequate sleep) your adrenal glands perceive the rollercoaster as a stressor and churn out cortisol in response. Disruption to cortisol has a domino effect on your hormones: it forces your body to eat up progesterone, lengthening your luteal phase, and making your cycles longer and the start of your period sluggish (you may see brown spotting and brown blood before the full flow). You’re also more likely to experience anovulatory cycles and killer PMS. That’s I have some advice on getting a good night’s sleep and how to avoid the pitfalls of alcohol, coffee and sugar.

• It causes vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Excess cortisol from stress depletes your body’s nutrient stores, which are essential for keeping your cool. B vitamins, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids are especially crucial for this purpose, and if you’re stressed, you’re undoubtedly robbing your body of these important players, which actually help prevent the hyper-production of cortisol by your adrenals (and perform a host of other functions like thyroid support and blood sugar regulation).

• It messes up your gut. Ever used birth control pills? Then it’s almost a guarantee your gut is in need of some serious TLC. Every week there’s more research on the gut-mental health connection. A set of gut bacteria, more specifically bacterial genes, called the estrobolome, produce an essential enzyme that helps metabolize estrogen. Your gut is part of the elimination system that is vital in ushering hormones out of the body. A gut flora imbalance can cause everything from bloating and gas to acne and frequent illness.

• It can disrupt ovulation and compromise your fertility. Stress can have a powerful effect on our hormonal health and fertility. In fact, during periods of high anxiety your body is likely to stop you from ovulating. That’s because your body winds up using progesterone to churn out cortisol when you’re stressing out instead of putting that progesterone toward the hormonal harmony you need to be fertile. Evolutionarily, your body “knows” when you’re anxious and can decide that it’s a bad time to make a baby. Even low level constant feelings of anxiety can potentially throw off your hormonal balance.

The 3 Supplements To (Finally) Kick Stress to the Curb

1. Magnesium: This powerful mineral calms your nervous system and prevents the creation of excess cortisol, otherwise known as the stress hormone. When your stress hormonal system is in balance your levels of progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, FSH and LH will follow suit. Magnesium also helps to control insulin production, which reduces sugar cravings and blood sugar spikes, and it helps you get a great night’s sleep.
2. B5: Also known as pantothenic acid, this vitamin is crucial to the health of your adrenals, the glands responsible for pumping out cortisol. Studies have shown that supplementing with B5 helps stimulate adrenal cells, which in turn, helps regulate your body’s stress response.
3. Omega-3s: Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids go a long way in reducing perceived stress levels and they can have a significant mood-boosting effect.

How to Help Yourself De-Stress With Supplements

If you’re ready to stop living with daily, debilitating stress, then it’s time to seek out natural solutions that will support your adrenals, balance your mood, and empower you to take on everything life throws your way. You can’t always control the external stressors around you, but you absolutely can better manage your internal responses. Why not arm yourself with the most effective, safe, and natural tools available? Stop spot-treating your symptoms and white-knuckling through your anxiety: Order the Balance Supplement Kit and get the daily dose of essential vitamins and minerals you need to kick stress to the curb, once and for all.Love and ovaries,Alisa

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

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.

It’s a taboo topic that we need to normalize: period blood. The color, consistency, and texture of your flow can reveal way more about your overall health than you realize. It’s time to de-stigmatize this essential vital sign and start decoding symptoms.

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Period blood is not something we’re taught to talk about. In fact, we’re pretty much raised to hide from it. Pay attention to any maxi pad or tampon commercial and all you’ll see is the same blue liquid over and over again.

The truth is: periods matter. They matter SO much, in fact, that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has declared menstruation a vital sign.The appearance, frequency, and consistency of your menstrual blood provides invaluable clues into your overall health, and if you want to finally banish symptoms and feel amazing, it’s time to get familiar with your flow.

Think of checking your flow every month like being able to access free lab work for your hormone levels. Knowing the color tells you which hormones are in and out of balance and if your eating is synced with your hormones. Your period provides genius (and free!) biofeedback for you.

Your Guide to Interpreting the Color of Your Period Blood

Ready to recognize what’s normal and what’s not? Check out my guide to period blood:

• The color: Bright, cranberry-red
• The consistency: Like jello mix that hasn’t set (medium viscosity: not too thin, not too thick)
• The length: 5-7 days
• The frequency: Every 28-30 days

What it means: Congratulations! This is what’s considered a normal, healthy period. If you’re already cycle-syncing and eating nutrient-rich, FLO-supportive foods, keep it up. Make sure to also incorporate all the necessary lifestyle tweaks and essential supplements to ensure your cycle stays on track.

• The color: Brown
• The consistency: Thin/streaky
• The length: Varies
• The frequency: Varies

What it means: That brown stuff is old oxidized blood that didn’t make it out of your uterus during your last cycle and it’s caused by low progesterone levels. These low levels may be at the root of your period symptoms and may also cause you to struggle with regular ovulation.

• The color: Dark, purple/blue
• The consistency: Thick with clots
• The length: Longer than a week
• The frequency: Varies

What it means: This frozen blueberry color is a sign of too much estrogen. Estrogen levels that are higher in proportion to progesterone cause a lot of the typical symptoms associated with problematic periods, and potentially lead to endometriosis, cysts, or fibroids. Over the long term, excess estrogen can lead to more serious health consequences.

• The color: Barely-there pink
• The consistency: Too light to tell
• The length: 3 days or less
• The frequency: Varies

What it means: A super-short period and extra light bleeding may indicate low estrogen levels. Your hormones are made from the food you eat, so your low estrogen is likely due to vitamin and nutrient deficiencies from improper and extreme dieting as well as from adrenal burnout.

1 in 5 women will develop fibroids in their lifetime. Fibroids are noncancerous growths in the wall of the uterus that can cause heavy bleeding, painful periods, prolonged menstruation, back pain, and much more. Fibroids are most common in women in their 30s, particularly African American women, as well as those with a relative (i.e. mom, aunt, sister) who also has fibroids. The one factor in whether you become or already are that one in five is your diet and this factor you can change today.

Fibroid growth is connected to hormonal balance, specifically the problem of estrogen dominance - this is why women who experience fibroids often find they shrink or disappear post-menopause when estrogen levels are lower. By changing what you eat you have the power to change your hormone balance and reverse an internal ecosystem currently functioning with estrogen overload.

This very common health issue is usually resolved with a prescription of the birth control pill or hysterectomy. However, the birth control may manage symptoms, it will not prevent fibroids from returning once you decide to go off, and Post Pill Syndrome can bring about worsened estrogen dominance, not to mention the myriad side effects of synthetic hormone replacement. Hysterectomy also has side effects, short and long term, for women’s health and can lead to heightened risk of the top cause of premature death for women - cardiovascular disease.

To have an impact on fibroid growth, shrink fibroids, or prevent fibroids in your future you need to focus on supporting your body is processing, eliminating, and detoxing from excess estrogen. You can do this by supporting your liver function, boosting gut health, and decreasing inflammation in the body. The first step is to remove those food that trigger fibroid growth and symptoms. The next step is to fold into your daily diet the right foods and supplements that will allow your hormones to rebalance and stay in harmony.

The worst foods for fibroids

• Dairy - much regular dairy is full of the artificial hormones including synthetic estrogen, given to dairy cows to make them grow and produce unnatural amounts of milk, which will add to your high-estrogen environment. The antibiotics in regular dairy also has a destructive effect on your microbiome, which is essential for estrogen metabolism. Dairy is also an inflammatory food leading to increase in symptoms with fibroids. Plus most cows in the US are fed with soy, a estrogenic food. A pillar of the FLO Living protocol is removing dairy from your diet and detoxing. The much safer choice if you must have dairy is organic goats’ or sheeps’ milk, cheese, and yogurts as these do not containing the problematic A1 casein.

• Processed red meat - processed red meat from factory farmed cows, injected with antibiotics and fed with soy, is another food type to avoid if you have fibroids. The one study that found consumption of processed meat increased the likelihood of fibroid growth, also showed that a high intake of fruits and vegetables can have the opposite effect. The FLO Living protocol recommends small amounts of red meat eaten during certain hormonally-specific times in your menstrual cycle, allowing for a varied diet and a controlled enjoyment of red meat, always organic and grass-fed.

• White bread, pasta, potatoes  - eating refined carbohydrates is no different to eating piles of sugar, both increase insulin causing blood sugar imbalance which is a primary factor behind imbalance hormones. On top of that, gluten is inflammatory and messes with the delicate balance of the microbiome where much of your estrogen is metabolized and processed. The FLO Living protocol is primarily gluten free and instead holds a range of whole grains as the replacement. Wheat crops are treated with the pesticide glyphosate (a hormone disrupter and estrogenic in the body) to such a high degree that it’s hard in the US to find a crop that hasn’t been contaminated. From my experience, most women who are experiencing hormonal health issues are also gluten-sensitive.

• Caffeine + alcohol - over-consumption of coffee and alcohol,  which for women means just 2 cups of coffee or  2 high caffeine drinks a day or a glass of wine every night, can overload and strain the function of your liver, hampering it in its ability to process and eliminate excess estrogen. The liver plays a vital role in hormone balancing and when it’s busy getting rid of coffee and alcohol, it cannot play its part to the fullest effect. Just a couple of glasses of wine significantly raises your estrogen levels. Coffee suppresses ovulation, thereby suppressing production of progesterone and producing an estrogen dominated hormone imbalance.

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

To your FLO,

Alisa

Uterine fibroids are one of the most common reproductive health issues. In fact, a study from the National Institute of Health discovered that the majority of women will have fibroids at some point during her life. So, what’s going on? What is causing so many women to develop fibroids? The cause of this health issue is both physical and emotional. Fibroids are a product of your internal environment, but also a consequence of the external environment we all live in. There are certain experiences, challenges, and feelings that many women share that can bring about fibroids.

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The physical root of fibroids is estrogen dominance - this is when your body is overloaded with estrogens from both an excess taken in via plastics, pesticides, and synthetic chemicals and from a liver that is not working at its optimal point to process that excess estrogen. However, chronic stress contributes to this estrogen soup. Levels of the stress hormone cortisol, plus low levels of progesterone, and elevated estrogen interplay - create an ideal environment for fibroids to develop.

The feminist psychologist

From another viewpoint - women hold a lot of emotion in their womb-space. This is why, from a Traditional Chinese Medicine angle, the uterus is known as the “second heart.” In the 1980s, feminist psychologist Marion Woodman, a student of Carl Jung, created the concept of “feminine psychology.” This described the impact of the mind-body connection on women specifically, drawing on their shared experiences as differentiated from how men move through the world, to understand female health issues. You can read more about this in my previous posts on the emotional connection with endometriosis and ovarian cysts.

When I work with women at FLO Living to address fibroids, we start by tackling diet and lifestyle to strategize around lowering estrogen levels in the body, reducing the amount of fuel available for growth and development of fibroids. Then we layer in the emotional factor and this comes quite organically in the process. Supporting women in overcoming painful, difficult health issues is intimate work and inevitably we share so much about our personal lives, our hopes, and our fears.

Fibroids and your feelings

The development of any reproductive health issue can be understand as your body talking to you, urgently and loudly, to take action. With the growth of fibroids, a specific internal environment of estrogen dominance is being flagged. But fibroids also reflect an emotional experience - specifically fibroids reflect the anger and frustration many women hold as a direct result of their day-to-day lives.

To give you an example, I once presented at the health fair for a large, successful law firm on Wall Street here in NYC. Almost every woman that came to talk to me at this event was dealing with fibroids that were causing serious health problems - pain, bleeding, discomfort. These women were making their way in a workplace populated in the majority by men, and heavily influenced by masculine energy. They were coming against roadblocks, obstacles, and the glass ceiling as they forged their careers, overcoming them but still taking on much frustration and stress. They were having to bend and change their core selves to fit the male expectations and compete in the only way that was encouraged and rewarded. They were working in this “bear cave” of men and while they were doing very well, it was coming at a personal cost. Why? Because patriarchy demands we live like men in this man’s world, and not honor our female nature, instead suppressing this part of ourselves as though it were a weakness.

That said, it’s not just lawyers who are susceptible to fibroids - it makes sense that this is one of the most common menstrual issues.  Many women, of many different races and ethnicities beyond career type are fibroid sufferers due to experiencing the patriarchy and experiencing racism simultaneously. Many women feel a daily sense of anger, frustration, and emotional exhaustion in struggling against their own tides. All women are constantly working to overcome aggressions large and small that undermine their worth, value, and abilities.

An opportunity for change

Understanding this aspect of your reproductive health can be eye-opening and life-changing. It may not feel like it to you today, but consider this viewpoint - your uterus is offering you an opportunity to reflect on your feelings, how you process them, and what you will do about them in the future. You are not alone in this experience, there are women in circles around you, near and far, who are experiencing this alongside you - whether they have fibroids, ovarian cysts, or endometriosis. Your reproductive organs are pointing you in the right direction for your life as a woman and for the lives of all women.

This is why cycle-syncing™- living according to your cyclical patterns - is so healing. This is the 4th step of the MonthlyFLO Protocol and has been at the core of my work for over 15 years.  Practically - it will help address the functional causes of your fibroids.  Psychologically, it will give you the structure and practice to help you step out of a masculine paradigm and into your own feminine energy - allowing you to reduce the sense of friction and frustration that underpins fibroids.

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

To your FLO,

Alisa

There is not just one kind of PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), in fact that are several types and knowing which PCOS type you have is key to knowing the right treatment protocol for you. Every type of PCOS is given the same name, even though the root causes are actually quite different. Of course, in mainstream medicine, every type of PCOS is also managed with the same suggested treatments, even though these treatments only work for some women, some of the time. Different types of PCOS also have different symptoms - not all women with PCOS are overweight, or have acne, or have excess hair growth - and this confusion can delay diagnosis, and therefore delay proper treatment and support. I personally had the type of PCOS that is rooted in insulin and food sensitivity. I’ve been able to put my PCOS into remission with the FLO Living protocol for almost 20 years now. It has meant I no longer struggle with my weight, my skin, my hair, or any of the other symptoms I used to have. However, it’s ongoing, I am mindful of my PCOS every day and I’ve created a lifestyle around what helps me to feel good despite this diagnosis. There are a few types of PCOS, and different causes behind them, as well as varied symptoms. The way you’ll know which you have is by looking at symptoms, and following up with blood tests or an ultrasound to look for cysts on the ovaries. The first sign for all women is irregular cycles and missing periods. If you know you’re not ovulating and your cycles are messed up, the next step is to figure out which PCOS you’re dealing with exactly.

The 3 types of PCOS on the spectrum

• Insulin-resistant PCOS - this is the most typical and common PCOS type. High insulin levels stop ovulation in its tracks, causing irregular cycles and symptoms. The insulin resistance is brought about by diet. The symptoms are weight gain or obesity, acne, hirsutism, mood swings, and lack of periods. Women with this kind of PCOS are usually considered borderline diabetic.
• Inflammation-based PCOS - this is the kind of PCOS that can be seen in women who are not overweight, but normal weight or even underweight, and don’t feel they have any of the classic symptoms of PCOS. The inflammatory response that stops ovulation and causes irregular cycles comes from the body’s response to foods like gluten, dairy, sugar, soy, or from overexposure to endocrine disruptive chemicals whether it be from chemical lawn spraying or frequent use of the dry cleaner. There are multiple influencers that can cause suppressed ovulation and irregular cycles. It could be an over-reliance on artificial sweeteners (I’m talking too much Diet Coke or Stevia-based products). It could be due to poor diet, especially if you’re eating very little, only vegan, only raw, or no carbs whatsoever. The lack of ovulation will cause symptoms, but it won’t necessarily look or feel the same as common, insulin-resistant PCOS.
• Synthetic Hormone-Induced PCOS - this kind of PCOS is common for women who have been on the pill or other hormonal birth control like the implant, shot, or ring, for a long time. They will come off and see their periods do not return. The synthetic hormones shut down communication between the pituitary gland and the ovaries in order to prevent pregnancy and often times this can be challenging to bring back online.

It’s also possible to have a combination of these types of PCOS, as I did, or for the root cause of your PCOS to change and develop over time. This is why the FLO protocol is uniquely supportive for the PCOS “spectrum” that exists as it addresses all the root causes.

Common treatments for PCOS

Once you’ve got to grips with your PCOS type, the next step is to consider your treatment options. I’ve explained previously why the two most commonly prescribed PCOS treatments - Metformin and the birth control pill - are not very effective. Metformin is only effective for women with insulin-resistant PCOS, and even then I recommend only short term use paired with changes to diet and lifestyle (https://www.floliving.com/metformin-for-pcos/). I have assisted many women for whom Metformin did not work to manage and control their PCOS symptoms using the FLO Living protocol. The birth control pill just acts to mask the problems with PCOS. It may suppress symptoms short term, but they will return when you stop using it and they could be even worse than when you started. The pill happens to exacerbate many of the root causes of PCOS, including insulin-resistance and inflammation.

Natural treatments for PCOS

Vitex is not a good option for all women with PCOS, even if you are looking for a more natural treatment. Women with inflammation-based PCOS may find Vitex helps them, but if you have a different type, Vitex will worsen your symptoms.The FLO Living protocol works for all the types of PCOS I’ve mentioned here to address the root causes. For all PCOS types I recommend this 3 stage strategy for natural treatment:

1. Stabilize blood sugar
2. Eliminate endocrine disruptors
3. Improve estrogen metabolism

Women with all types of PCOS can benefit from:

• Magnesium supplementation
• Good quality sleep
• Eliminating sugar
• A focus on strength training

Other thoughts for your type of PCOS:

• Insulin-resistant PCOS - Focus on your blood sugar stability -  lots of cinnamon for blood sugar regulation, in supplement form and/or sprinkled on your meals, plus brisk exercise after eating to prevent an insulin spike, like a walk after dinner.
• Other types of PCOS - if you don’t have the common symptoms of insulin-resistant PCOS, because you’re normal weight or even underweight, with clear skin - then you need to look carefully at whether you’re feeding your body enough and the right kinds of nutrients for it to make hormones. The communication between the pituitary gland and the ovaries has broken down and needs to be reestablished. Whether you came off the pill last month or last year you can follow my protocol for that transition to help jumpstart your ovaries. You can also realign with what would be a regular cycle by syncing your diet and lifestyle to the moon phases. This heightened awareness coupled with a gentle progression towards living in your FLO can bring back your period.

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 know what kind of PCOS you have? Second, have you tried the pill, Metformin, or Vitex already?Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Is Your Period Healthy?

How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign - your period. The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future. Click here to take The V-SIGN TYPE™ Quiz NOW

We ladies need protein! It’s funny how protein is most often associated with male health and fitness, when it’s actually essential for female health too. I have created a range of go-to high protein snacks for myself that I keep on hand every day. Protein in our food is used to make the amino acids that then go on to manufacture our hormones. So we need protein to make hormones. We need protein to be hormonally balanced and healthy - avoiding estrogen dominance and progesterone deficiency. I’m a big fan of snacking, as someone with insulin-resistant PCOS I know the importance of keeping my blood sugar levels in check and preventing insulin spikes. Regularly eating, including snacks, is vital for me to feel, and look good, and avoid all the potential symptoms of PCOS from depression to weight gain. Yes, even weight gain. Often when we’re looking to drop some pounds, we stop snacking, and this can have the opposite effect. Nearly every women I work with through FLO Living has blood sugar issues that need addressing. High protein snacks are a super easy, simple way to make sure you’re getting enough protein for your hormones, and for keeping those hormones happy.We all need to use our food to stabilize our blood sugar throughout the day. Doing this will give you boosted energy, even moods, better focus and concentration, improved sleep, and bring down your stress levels! Importantly, eating the right kind of high protein snacks between your meals supports your body in making, processing and eliminating excess hormones - this biological effort and energy that might otherwise be routed to dealing with blood sugar mayhem.

The best high protein snacks

• I recently came up with a fantastic protein smoothie recipe. I love this smoothie for after my workouts. It includes: sacha inchi powder, moringa powder, spirulina, ginger, mangosteen, cinnamon, flax seed, a splash of almond milk, frozen blueberries and a drop of maple syrup or a date for sweetness. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
• Nut-based, raw, vegan desserts are so popular these days and there are some great recipes out there. My favorite is a raw, vegan, lemon tartlet - you can make smaller versions of this recipe for a snack. With desserts, always use the kind of sweetener that won’t spike your blood sugar, like coconut nectar or honey or a tiny amount of maple syrup. You never need as much sweetener as the recipe suggests either, I find.
• My new favorite protein bars are Amrita Health Bars which comes in flavors from chocolate maca to apple cinnamon. They are free of soy and gluten, non-GMO, and organic. The protein comes from brown rice, sunflower and sesame seeds - and added ingredients to the base, like maca.
• Eggs are the perfect protein for women. Despite the myths we’ve all heard, eggs do not cause high cholesterol - sugar does that. The high quality fat (you must eat both the yolk and the whites) in an egg actually protects you from heart health problems and makes it the most bio-available, easily convertible source of protein around. I love to make hard boiled eggs for an on-the-go snack.
• Sunflower butter is packed full of protein. Spread sunflower butter on apple slices or gluten free bread or crackers. I’ll often have sunflower seed butter on gluten free toast with my afternoon tea.
• If you’re working out at a gym or taking classes and on the run, you can always fill a water bottle half with almond milk and half with water, then add a good protein powder like sacha inchi to the mix. This will give you a quick source of easy protein.  

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 trying to lose weight?  Second, do you suffer from mood swings? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good period karma and share this article on social ;)

Is Your Period Healthy?

How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign - your period. The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future. Click here to take The V-SIGN TYPE™ Quiz NOW

We take a look at the types of ovarian cysts, their cause, and effective natural treatments.

In this post we'll be discussing functional ovarian cysts, as opposed to the ovarian cysts associated with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) or the ovarian cysts associated with endometriosis. Functional ovarian cysts are fluid filled sacs the size of almonds that grow and develop on the ovaries, often cyclically as related to your monthly hormonal shifts. Ovarian cysts like this can come and go, get larger and smaller, and are very responsive to natural treatments.

Your body is designed to deal with ovarian cysts, if it is working at an optimal level of health. However, if you are experiencing hormonal imbalance, this can prevent ovarian cysts from shrinking, cause them to grow larger, and then potentially rupture with a lot of pain and complication involved. ‍

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The symptoms of functional ovarian cysts

Many women don’t realize they have ovarian cysts until they start experiencing symptoms. Once you have symptoms like those detailed below, you may want to ask your OB/GYN for an ultrasound exam to confirm that ovarian cysts are the cause. The common signs of ovarian cysts are:

• Lower abdominal pain
• Pain during sex
• Pressure on the bladder/need to urinate more frequently
• Bloating
• Indigestion
• Irregular cycles and anovulatory cycles (when ovulation does not occur)

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A ruptured ovarian cyst will cause you high fever and pain. Often women who experience this will go to the ER and will often be checked for appendicitis first. It’s best to be aware that a ruptured ovarian cyst could also be the cause of such pain, if you have experienced the above symptoms prior to this happening.

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Types of ovarian cysts

There are several kinds of ovarian cysts, but functional cysts, as described above, are the most common. There are just two kinds of functional ovarian cysts - follicle cysts and corpus luteum cysts. Follicle cysts happen when the ovary follicle does not open to release an egg and instead stays closed, filled with liquid. Corpus luteum cysts are when the follicle does release an egg, but then does not seal and close off afterwards.

Other kinds of ovarian cysts include:

• Endometriomas - tissue that normally would grow and develop inside the uterus can migrate outside the uterus and attach to the ovaries. These cysts are associated with an Endometriosis diagnosis. They can grow large and rupture just like functional cysts.
• PCOS - with a diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome a woman has multiple cysts on her ovary or ovaries (sometimes said to look like “a string of pearls”). PCOS can cause infertility by producing extremely long, irregular cycles without ovulation. This lack of ovulation, the hormonal imbalance, and the enlarged cyst-covered ovary has its own set of symptoms that vary from woman to woman, but can include weight gain, acne, hair overgrowth and hair loss, anxiety, and depression.
• Dermoid cysts - these cysts grow on the ovaries and contain hair, teeth and other substances.

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Treatment for ovarian cysts

Most commonly women are offered the birth control pill to “treat” ovarian cysts. The Pill replaces your natural hormonal changes and cycle with a synthetic hormone stasis. Considering the side effects while using the Pill, and the fact that once you come off the ovarian cysts will probably return and may be worse as a result, we never recommend this as a method for combatting cysts. The birth control pill can make the root causes of ovarian cysts much, much worse.

The Pill is a band-aid for all women’s health issues and in the case of ovarian cysts when natural treatment can be very effective it is completely unnecessary. Natural treatment alone can shrink and resolve cysts, as well as prevent their return relatively quickly.

If you find you have a proclivity for cysts we recommend following our natural treatment protocol and then returning to your doctor every 6 months to monitor them.

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The cause of ovarian cysts

The central cause of ovarian cysts is estrogen dominance. This means your body holds too much estrogen and not enough progesterone to create balance. The estrogen your body is creating is not being processed and eliminated correctly. Plus, you are taking in excess estrogens from outside of your body via synthetic estrogen-filled shampoos, cosmetics, nail polishes, household cleaners, femcare products, plastics and pesticides. This creates an estrogen overload situation. If your body is not functioning optimally then it won’t be able to get rid of the excess estrogen as it needs to, efficiently and quickly. The Flo Living protocol is designed to reverse and prevent estrogen dominance and all of the symptoms that come with this hormonal imbalance.

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The best natural treatment for ovarian cysts

Cycle Syncing® your diet is the best way to manage ovarian cysts. Eating the right foods for the right phase of your hormonal cycle will keep your hormones in check and prevent excess estrogen or low progesterone. There are also certain foods you can frontload in your daily diet to make this protocol even more effective for shrinking, managing, and preventing ovarian cysts long-term. We at Flo Living firmly believe that fibroids and ovarian cysts are best treated naturally.

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These three types of foods can help shrink and even get rid of ovarian cysts:

• Cruciferous vegetables and DIM - Vegetables like Brussels sprouts, kale, collards, broccoli, and cabbage contain DIM (Di-Indolyl Methane) which is very effective at helping the body process and eliminate excess estrogen. Increase your intake of these veggies and supplement with DIM itself in pill form daily.
• Fermented foods - Sauerkraut, kimchi and pickles will help your body deal with and manage estrogen. A certain set of gut bacteria, and more specifically certain bacterial genes called the estrobolome, produce an essential enzyme that helps metabolize estrogen. Your gut is part of the elimination system that is vital in ushering hormones out of the body. Fermented foods are wonderful for gut health.
• Fiber-filled foods - Fiber helps your liver and digestive system move and eliminate excess estrogen from your body. The best fiber-filled foods for preventing estrogen dominance are pears and flax seeds. Flax seeds contain lignan which prevents the body from absorbing excess estrogen.

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A Flo Living Success Story: Ovarian Cysts

Flo Living graduate Heidi Braun came to us with functional ovarian cysts. Within two months of following the Flo Living protocol, she saw her cysts disappear from her ovaries.

“Mid-April and time to go back for another sonogram. Alisa and I spoke prior to my visit and she told me not to expect any changes…that it was too soon. I was fine with that. I knew I was doing all I could and they were great things for my health nonetheless. So as I lay on the table, with no expectations, the technician tells me, “The cyst on the left ovary is gone” and then “Oh! The one on the right is gone, too!” I’m in shock. I’m elated. And as a tear rolls down my cheek, I’m in awe of the power…the power this body has to heal itself. How amazing is that! If I treat it right (if I treat ME right), then amazing things will happen.”

If you have been diagnosed with fibroids, you may already be aware of what to avoid (dairy, red meat, all the white starchy stuff). You may also know that the birth control pill can only manage your symptoms and might make them worse when you come off of it. You'll want to get a handle on the pain, discomfort, and heavy bleeding long-term, and you'll want to see some positive change soon. Maybe you also want to try for a baby or you’re just looking to get your old self back again.

We're here to help you reach those goals with a diet for fibroids.

If you know what to avoid as a fibroid sufferer, then you’re already tapped into the idea of food as potential medicine. Some foods make hormonally-sourced conditions worse, and some make them better. Food can alleviate symptoms and even shrink fibroids back to a manageable size.

According to Western medicine, no one knows for sure what causes fibroids, and you may have heard this from your doctor. However, we do know this one very important fact: they are affected by excess estrogen in the body, which makes them grow. This means they will often decrease in size after menopause (when overall body estrogen is lower). So, you need an approach to your diet which allows you to process and eliminate this excess estrogen as efficiently and rapidly as possible, and to create a low estrogen environment in your body.

This is why you may have heard that women with fibroids should specifically avoid certain products from animals treated with synthetic hormones—these are unnecessary and powerful estrogens that can create estrogen dominance and make fibroids grow.  If you think of dairy, red meat, and all the white stuff as stimulating and inflaming the fibroids, then the foods and supplements we'll list here do the opposite: they will calm your internal eco-system and create the right environment for your body to balance itself.

The 5 foods you should eat if you have fibroids

1. Flax seeds

Flax seeds are part of a food group called “selective estrogen receptor modulators.” This means they impact the effect estrogen has on different parts of the body. Flax seeds inhibit estrogen sensitivity in the uterus, which is beneficial when you have fibroids. They are also a fantastic source of fiber, which is needed to move excess estrogen out of your bowel as quickly as possible and to eliminate it from your body. Finally, flax seeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids (which reduce the insulin resistance that can suppress liver function) and lignans (which bind to estrogen receptors and prevent absorption of excess estrogen).

2. Soy

In general, we do not recommend soy for women in their reproductive years. But in the case of fibroids, certain forms of soy can be beneficial. Specifically seek out non-processed, organic soy in the form of tempeh and miso to add to your diet. This kind of soy has an anti-estrogenic affect on the uterus. Avoid all processed soy like soy cheese, soy meat, and other meat and dairy replacements. Moderation is key here and we don't recommend having soy every day, but unprocessed and organic soy is a useful dietary tool for managing fibroids.

3. Beans

Legumes are an excellent source of fiber and protein, plus they have a low glycemic impact, which reduces the kind inflammation that can increase fibroid growth. Focus on kidney beans, lentils, and mung beans. As you reduce your intake of meat, beans and legumes can be a healthy protein replacement.

4. Whole grains

As you stay away from white processed stuff like bread, pasta, and noodles, you’ll want to look for a healthy replacement in your diet. Whole grains help with insulin stabilization. High insulin levels from white starchy stuff (which acts like sugar in the body) are a factor in making fibroids grow. Whole grains are also a great source of fiber and will help to speed up the process and elimination of excess estrogen.

5. Pears and apples

These are liver-supporting foods. A well-functioning liver is key to preventing estrogen dominance from developing in your body, and its symptoms like fibroids. Pears and apples contain a flavonoid named phloretin which impairs tumor growth, along with lots of fiber. This flavonoid actual blocks the production of estrogen.

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The best supplements for fibroids

In addition to dietary tweaks, we've created a supplement kit specifically for fibroids. You don’t have to keep suffering through super-heavy periods or excessive pain. The FLO Living RELEASE Kit offers targeted nutrients that help support healthy estrogen and metabolism for easier, healthier periods. RELEASE includes:

• Sulforaphane - detoxifies and clears out excess estrogen from the body to shrink fibroids. It also provides protection against fibroid growth, as well as supporting a healthy inflammatory response.
• NAC - supports detoxification in the liver. NAC can reduce the size of ovarian cysts as well as provide antioxidant support against inflammation.
• DIM - assists the body in removing excess estrogen. DIM also helps balance hormones and weight, and may reduce long periods.
• Calcium-D-Glucarate - detoxifies excess hormones and supports the liver in breaking down and removing xenoestrogens.

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

I’ll be honest with you; although I’ve run my own business for years, I have been humbled by motherhood and the sheer amount things I have to do each day! My time just seems to evaporate! My baby is in a totally beautiful zen place with her schedule, but I do a lot to keep it that way. BUT, I have cycle-syncing in my back pocket. I greeted the return of my period two months ago with a cheer, I knew that I could start properly cycle-syncing my lifestyle again. I feel reconnected to the best way there is for me to organize my time and my daily routine. Fall is a busy time for many of us, what with school back in session, work schedules picking up after the summer break, holidays around the corner, and everyone wanting to do their best before the year’s close. As women we hold this belief that we can and ought to serve everybody and often we then forget to serve ourselves. With the return of my cycle I have decided to make some changes to my schedule to accommodate the new priorities in my life. I need MORE time for self-care in fact than before. Making high quality breast milk is serious business! The secret to my success in managing my time is two fold - first I decide what daily activities are non-negotiables for my self-care and my daughter’s and then I layer the cycle syncing over that. So here’s what my new general daily schedule looks like right now:6:30 - me, my baby, and hubby get up and have eggs together7 - meditate and write8 - workout and breastfeed9 - baby nap, shower, breakfast #29:30 - work OR 10-11:30: Out with baby, meet with friends11:45 - make my baby’s lunch12:15 - lunch break with my baby girl12:45 - baby nap1 - work (breastfeeding break) OR 1:30 - 3:30: Out with baby or meetings4:30 - cook dinner5 - dinner5:30 - bath, breastfeed, and baby bed6 - email/social media OR 6-9: Out, date night with hubby, or events 7 - yoga7:30 - tv8:30 - read9:30 - floss and gratitudes10 - bedAt first, I worried about not being able to just “work all day”, but the idea of working all day long, every single day is not realistic or in my best interest at this time in my life or really anytime. And then I worried about not being able to be “spontaneous” to take advantage of all that happens here in the city. The reality is however, that everyone’s time, including yours and mine, is super valuable, and the whole concept of being spontaneous means that you fundamentally don’t value your own time. That you would rather value the timing of others and go with the schedule that works best for them. That one was a big realization for me in wrangling this time management beast - that scheduling is actually a way of honoring time and creation - deep. Even Julia Cameron, in the essential-read “The Artist’s Way” mandates that one should schedule time to be creative, or schedule time to walk around agendaless for inspiration. That those activities are so sacred that they must be scheduled or they’ll never happen. In 6.5 hours I can do SO MUCH more than I thought possible and the truth is I was constantly distracted even when I didn’t have a child, so being “interrupted” from work for breastfeeding or cooking is no big deal. Now when I sit down now I am much more efficient. I just do what needs to be done and prioritize. These seeming “constraints” actually make me super efficient.I think we need to rethink being busy. I’m constantly on the move, more so than ever now that I’m a mother, but doing only what feels good to me in each week of my cycle during my activity blocks of the day totally keeps me in my A game and allows me to be present for my child. It’s a practice of prioritizing pleasure, self-care, love, and creativity actually - an opportunity for focusing on making the right priorities at the right time and mapping these decisions onto your cycle.Is it perfect everyday? No way. Does sh*t hit the proverbial fan? You bet. Is motherhood a constantly changing landscape and are children unpredictable? Absolutely. But just like with my diet, I live by the 80/20 rule. If 80% of the time I’m on track, the 20% of the time life happens, I don’t have to worry about feeling like I’m never going to find my groove again, and again, I can stay present and be open to the moment.

Cross-training your day-to-day - from your career to your social life

What I choose to work on during my work and what I eat and how I exercise vary week over week in my cycle. This structure gives me so the ability to get to everything, but not at the same time, and to have variety in my life despite having to stick to a pretty tight daily schedule at the moment for the sake of my daughter’s wellbeing. The four hormonal phases of your menstrual cycle are a blueprint for how you can better organize your life. Following this blueprint provides an alternative to constantly feeling stressed, too busy, and overstretched. I feel like we’re in the middle of a busyness epidemic and too many women are getting crushed under the weight of trying to do it all at once, all of the time. For years I’ve been teaching clients at Flo Living to not only eat and exercise in accordance with their cycle, but also to plan their other activities, work, and social life around their hormonal phases. I find it usually takes just three months before it becomes habit. Flo Living isn’t just a diet, you see, it’s a lifestyle change, and that means transformations across the board that will help you feel better and allow you to enjoy life to the fullest. For more on cycle-syncing your work outs and diet see here and here.Our energy levels, perspective, mood, talents, and desires change and flow throughout our cycle and if we tune in to this we can get much more out of what we love as well as better tackle and conquer what we find trying. Of course, all of this depends on balanced hormones - if you’re hormones are off-kilter you won’t reap the benefits of their potential and vice versa, if you don’t consciously cycle-sync your lifestyle you may find your hormonal health suffers.

How-to guide to cycle-syncing your lifestyle

If you want to dive deeper with me and learn my cycle syncing embodied time management secrets - take my master class: Secrets of Cycle Syncing - download here.Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, how do you feel about more structure opening up more freedom in your life? Second, are you aware of your 4 hormonal phases and how to use them for your benefit?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!

Heavy period bleeding can be one of the most debilitating symptoms you can experience. The pain, the inconvenience, and the boxes of pads and tampons to go through each month - ahh! Some women suffer from heavy periods all their lives, others get it more intensely after pregnancy or develop it during perimenopause.

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There are a few ways it might show up for you:‍

1. A normal (5-7 day) length bleed with a super heavy flow that causes you to bleed through everything

2. Extended bleeding for 2-3 weeks out of the month or more

3. Frequent bleeding - 4 or more days at a time, twice per month

4. Heavy clotting

Often times these are associated with anemia and fatigue, which can make it feel like a drag to get through the day.

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What’s the underlying cause?

There are 3 main reasons heavy bleeding can develop:

1. Estrogen overload. When your estrogen levels are high, the lining of your uterus can become thicker. Estrogen can also be much higher relative to progesterone, which is the hormone that will keep your uterine lining intact for a longer period of time. Excess estrogen occurs when diet contains estrogen-rich foods, and when your liver is not able to keep up with detoxification.

2. Lack of uterine tone. Both a sedentary lifestyle and pregnancy can cause the uterus to lose its tone. While this is a physical issue, it is also influenced by the quality of nutrients you are getting through your diet.

3. Hypothyroidism. One of the signs that your thyroid might be slow is excess bleeding. If you also notice you have a lack of appetite, are gaining weight, feel cold most of the time, and are fatigued easily, there’s a good chance your thyroid function is below the normal range.

With any of these causes, there is an essential, proactive approach you must take if you want a lasting solution.

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‍What you can do:

To eliminate heavy bleeding for good, you must look at the larger picture of balancing hormones. Your diet and lifestyle are the most essential factors in this picture, since how you eat and how you live have a direct effect on your hormonal balance. In each of the 3 underlying causes listed above, you can see how there is a direct influence from food and daily practices.

Our 5-step protocol is designed to help you create a solid foundation with your diet and lifestyle, so that you can eliminate excess estrogen, restore proper thyroid function, and rebuild uterine health, thereby banishing frustrating symptoms like heavy bleeding.

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Where do supplements come in?

Taking supplements means exactly what the word implies: a supplemental addition to a healthy diet and lifestyle.

If you’re experiencing heavy periods, here are supplements you can start taking that will help heal the issue alongside other dietary changes:

• ‍Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids - 2,000-4,000 mg/day - has an anti-estrogenic effect on the uterus.  A study showed that vitamin C was able to reduce heavy bleeding in 87% of women who participated. Bioflavonoids were also shown to strengthen the vessel walls of the capillaries, further reducing the bleeding. *‍
• Sulforaphane - detoxifies and clears out excess estrogen from the body. It also provides protection against fibroid growth, as well as supporting a healthy inflammatory response. ‍
• NAC - supports detoxification in the liver, and provides antioxidant support against inflammation. ‍
• DIM - assists the body in removing excess estrogen. DIM also helps balance hormones and weight, and may reduce long periods.‍
• Calcium-D-Glucarate - detoxifies excess hormones and supports the liver in breaking down and removing xenoestrogens.

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Our RELEASE Fibroids and Heavy Bleeding Supplement Kit contains all of the essential nutrients needed to help get to the root cause of heavy bleeding to get rid of it for good.

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Of course any supplement is only a part of the bigger picture of diet and lifestyle. To create sustained healing and a balanced period, you need to address several factors including estrogen overload, progesterone levels, cortisol levels, elimination and blood sugar stability.

In our webinar, Troubleshoot Your Period Problems, we'll break it all down for you into easy-to-apply action steps that will get you from feeling weighed down by your period to flo-ing freely all month long! This webinar covers:

• The most common period problems and how to self-diagnose: PMS, heavy bleeding, irregular or missing periods, etc.
• Exactly what signs and symptoms to be aware of – and which ones indicate something more serious
• The steps to take to address them all from the underlying causes

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