Hormones & Periods

Learn the Side Effects of Coffee on Women

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reason #3 –  Caffeine Increases Infertility Rates!  

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

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

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

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

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

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The Bulletproof Coffee Dilemma and Biohacking Your Energy as a Woman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this exciting new series for our blog, I take a look back at the month’s news - from celebrity life updates to important research studies - that put hormones in the headlines.I’ll be giving my take on what’s current, topical and trendy and asking you all to share your own thoughts and feelings about the hot topics that we cover.So, let’s get started.Tell me what you think. How do these issues impact you?It’s diet and not exercise that will help you lose weightNew research suggests that for those struggling with weight issues, it’s having a healthy diet, rather than focusing on working out, that will help them lose the pounds. The research scientists remarked that makers of processed foods and drinks have deliberately emphasized exercise for weight loss in a bid to avoid scrutiny.My thoughts: SUCH important information! I think it's quite obvious at this point that we're being misled by marketing. Foods that are packaged as healthy are actually not, and consumers are being purposefully confused so they continue to consume.I like that this science shows definitively that beating yourself up at the gym is not the way to go, and in fact diet is 90% of the weight management equation. This should be liberating news to women - your free time should be spent making yourself healthy meals and then taking brisk walks after you enjoy those meals. Great news for your skinny jeans and for your hormones!The Flo Living protocol is way ahead of this news. I have always recommend avoiding all processed foods and drinks like soda. Eating fresh, whole foods is the foundation of eating in your Flo. I also recommend exercising in-synch with your cycle and not pushing yourself to workout harder than your body needs.Our Western lifestyle is destroying our good gut bacteriaNew research suggests the Western lifestyle - both the good stuff like water sanitation and the bad stuff like overuse of antibiotics and poor diet - is depleting the diversity of our gut bacteria. Researchers compared Americans to those living in Papua New Guinea. Although life expectancy and overall health of the population is far superior in the US, this information may provide an opportunity to prevent and treat specifically Western-lifestyle related diseases.My thoughts: More information from this important ongoing investigation about our gut bacteria aka the Microbiome! It turns out these bacteria have everything to do with whether or not you develop diseases like cancer and diabetes. The bad news is that our modern lifestyle definitely leaves us without key bacteria, but the good news is dietary changes can improve the bacterial balance and help you live longer and healthier!Through Flo Living I promote the use of probiotics and avoidance of overuse of antibiotics. The protocol I developed is designed in such a way as to enhance your good gut bacteria and improve your internal ecosystem.Pesticides on fruits and vegetables are causing infertility in menMen eating fruits and vegetables with high pesticide residue have a 49% lower sperm count and a 32% lower percentage of normal sperm. The researchers suggest switching to organic produce and being careful to avoid any non-organic and high-pesticide residue produce such as strawberries and pears.My thoughts: Another example of organophosphates and their link to infertility. It's essential to spend at least a year eating completely organic prior to trying to conceive to ensure best genetic material - longer is better of course. The research linking organophosphate exposure to autism and other developmental issues is also growing.I'd also like to add a big factor for men who spend time on golf courses as well - the pesticide exposure there is huge too. I'll never understand the appeal of living on or near a golf course - I'm sure it's pretty, but from the endocrine point of view, it's toxic.I always say that the Flo Living protocol isn’t just for women - it’s good for men too. If your partner eats the same way as you then he will benefit just as much.Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney wants Congress to support testing of tamponsThe Robin Danielson Act for femcare product safety was created by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney almost two decades ago. She asks that tampons and pads be independently tested for their impact on women’s health with long term use. Maloney compares the current available research to knowing the impact of just one cigarette on a person and not a lifetime of cigarette use. She needs our support to get Congress to finally vote on this legislation and pass the Act. We deserve to know what our femcare products are made of and to be able to make informed decisions about our health.My thoughts: CAN WE PLEASE HELP THIS CONGRESSWOMAN PASS THIS LEGISLATION ON BEHALF OF OUR VAGINAS!She's trying to keep the carcinogenic chemicals out of your vagina - and frankly this is atrocious that there is not monitoring of the manufacturing practices of these big feminine hygiene brands. Personally, I use organic products like NatraCare or Maxim to be sure I'm getting the most safe version of these everyday items.Hormone expert argues that the post-menopausal Hillary Clinton is the perfect age for presidencyDr. Julie Holland argues that, because of hormonal shifts, post-menopausal women are ideal for leadership roles, particularly because they are excellent at handling stress. Estrogen levels drop and we have more consistency in our lives. Dr Holland believes female hormones are a source of power throughout life.My thoughts: YES YES YES! She is the perfect age to become president - GO Hillary!FDA to police chemicals in beauty productsThe FDA currently does nothing to regulate the production of cosmetics and ensure that they are safe for use. A new Senate bill will demand that makers of these cosmetics report potential health hazards in lipsticks, mascaras, etc. Companies would be forced to allow testing on many of the controversial and potentially dangerous ingredients in mainstream cosmetics.My thoughts: I welcome this progress. Through Flo Living I only advocate the use of cosmetics and shampoos etc that contain no endocrine-disrupting chemicals like phthalates (look for the acronyms DBP, DEHP); sodium lauryl sulfates and ether sulfates (SLS and SLES); parabens (including methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl); anolamines (DEA, TEA, MEA), petrolatum or petroleum jelly. In fact, one of the first steps of my protocol is cleansing your bathroom cabinets. Even if cosmetics are not tested, I know that research shows these chemical ingredients are potentially hazardous to our health. Click here to see what brands I recommend instead to stay safe.Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you

First, what’s your favorite piece of news from this month’s update? Second, what changes to your lifestyle will you make based on this new research? 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!

One of the pillars of the Flo Living lifestyle is eliminating dairy. The truth is that dairy is bad for our hormones - it is a root cause of PMS, PCOS, acne, endometriosis, and infertility issues. We don’t need it and we can get all of the nutrients - including calcium - perfectly well from other foods. Getting rid of dairy will only have a positive impact on your overall health. Trust me!

My dairy-free journey‍

I have been dairy free for 17 years and being strict about this was absolutely essential for me to reverse my PCOS symptoms, clear my skin, and get pregnant with my daughter. I’ve never missed or craved dairy ever, but interestingly enough when I was pregnant, my body told me that I needed to introduce some dairy back into my diet. I always listen to my body, and so I very carefully experimented with adding in some dairy.

I have to be honest, I was pretty scared to try adding this back in given how severe my reaction used to be to dairy - my skin would break out in hives and my stomach would be miserable for days. I knew that the only healthy way I could do this, however, was to choose plain goat milk-based yogurt. So, three times a week I would eat a little bit of that goat yogurt and my body thanked me for it - not one negative symptom.

Now however, as I continue with this protocol while I am breast-feeding, I’m finding that I’m starting to show clear signs of my body’s sensitivity to dairy once again - the congestion, the running nose, the sneezing. This has showed me that although I am able to use dairy medicinally short-term, soon it will be time for me to stop and go dairy-free again. And I won’t be giving cow dairy to my daughter - why set her up for hormonal chaos if I don’t have to?  She’ll get goat-milk kefir which also packs a probiotic punch when the time comes.

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The dangers of dairy

The moral of my story is: if you feel the need to have dairy - always go with goat! The majority of dairy cows in the US are injected with a genetically modified growth hormone that causes them to produce more milk than they would naturally. So when you eat or drink this milk, you too are consuming the artificial hormones. The majority of cows are also treated with antibiotics, which your body will then absorb. Plus, they’re fed GMO corn or soy. All three parts of this process combine in your body to wreck your hormonal ecosystem.

‍4 ways dairy is hurting your hormones:

1. Dairy creates inflammation in the intestinal tract which can hinder your fertility.
2. Dairy can throw off your body’s own estrogen production by introducing artificial growth hormones.
3. Dairy containing antibiotics will negatively impact your microbiome, thereby preventing estrogen metabolism.
4. Dairy depletes your magnesium stores, which throws off your pituitary gland and the rest of the adrenal glands.

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The calcium paradox  

‍I suggest you pick up a copy of Annemarie Colbin’s, Food and our Bones: The Natural Way To Prevent Osteoporosis - her work completely undermines the mythology around dairy which we’ve all grown up with. Rather than helping us to form strong bones, dairy actually leaches calcium out of our bones, making us more susceptible to osteoporosis. Cobin does not recommend calcium supplements or pills, but instead a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and greens. Cobin discovered it was those women living in dairy-dominant cultures such as the US and northern Europe that actually had the highest incidences of osteoporosis, as well as heart disease and breast cancer.

We’ve long been told milk is keeping us healthy and strong, when it’s actually doing the opposite. Studies also show that taking calcium supplements will not save us from bone fractures in our old age. In fact, too much calcium supplementation in pill form can lead to kidney stones and, potentially, a higher risk of heart disease.‍

‍The 10 best (and surprising!) sources of calcium

If you’ve been relying on dairy, then you’ve not been getting enough calcium. Here are foods to fill your plate with that are packed with calcium and other beneficial nutrient combinations.

1. Sardines (with the bones) - Click here for my personal recipe!
2. Dried figs
3. Bok choy
4. Kale
5. Almonds
6. Oranges
7. Sesame seeds
8. Oatmeal
9. Seaweed
10. Collard greens

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Tips to help eliminate dairy‍

Hopefully all of this information has helped you decide to go dairy-free! If you’ve been eating a dairy rich diet for some time, there are 3 steps you can take to speed up the elimination process and get your hormones back on track.

Step 1 - Do my 4-Day Hormone Detox - it’s free!

Step 2 -  Add 2 tsp of organic flax meal daily - to scrape out (gently) all that casein that has been accumulating in your intestinal tract and causing inflammation.

Step 3 -  Use warming spices like cinnamon, turmeric and cayenne pepper daily - to dry out the mucus that dairy produces in the body.

At one time I was very overweight at 200 lbs. Slimming down and losing those pounds was an emotional process for me as I was also, as part of that, figuring out what was wrong with my hormones and creating the protocol that has become the foundation of the Flo sisterhood.

When I got pregnant I was absolutely overjoyed that my 17-year-long investment in eating a pro-hormonal diet allowed me to beat the prognosis of infertility and naturally conceive on the third try! However, when the second trimester hit and my scales started edging higher and higher towards those bigger numbers and my previous weight, I must admit that I got triggered.

Even though I knew the science, I’ll be honest, I got really worried that my body wouldn’t bounce back.

Losing the baby weight without losing out

A few days before I gave birth I hit 210 lbs. That was more than I’d weighed at my heaviest before I changed my lifestyle and my life. By that time I had made peace with the process and I trusted my body to do what it needed to do to give me a healthy baby girl and keep me healthy too.

Post-baby girl, at the end of the fourth trimester (3 months after I’d given birth), I was 40 lbs lighter already. And now, six months after giving birth, I have lost all of the baby weight - all without having to deprive myself of good and tasty foods (or do any significant exercise!). I’ve been feeding my hormones well and the weight has just melted off.

‍The same diet that got me pregnant is the one that has helped me recover post-partum. I love the elegance and simplicity of that!

‍If you’re breastfeeding as I have done you’ll find you burn 300-500 calories a day as a consequence, which certainly supports the weight loss.

My first six months with baby were spent in the very snow and very cold New York city and so I had the best excuse to create quality time and not worry too much about working out. Cuddling and carrying your baby is really the best strength training you’ll ever need at this time!

Right after you’ve had a baby is the worst time to try and deprive yourself of food or force yourself to workout.  Why?  Because those choices spike up cortisol and program your fat cells to stick around.  Instead, you need to be nourishing your body, your baby, and enjoying your time together. By following the Flo living meal plan you can trust in the innate process of your hormones and know your body will bounce back.

‍A Pro-Hormonal Sample Meal Plan post-baby for easy and healthy weight loss

‍Remember that when you’re breastfeeding you won’t be having your period, especially if you also nurse at night, but you will still be able to ovulate and so you are fertile. So, at this time you’ll be less focused on eating for your hormonal phase and more focused on just getting in lots of super nourishing foods that are rich in amino acids, vitamins and EFAs. Everything you put together should be cooked and warming and organic.

‍Breakfast - Steel cut oats with black sesame seeds, coconut oil, goji berries

‍Snack - Hard boiled egg

‍Lunch - Salmon and quinoa with steamed kale and olive oil

‍Snack - Avocado on black rice bread

‍Dinner - Bison burger with broccoli and sweet potato baked ‘fries’

‍Snack - 2 Dates with 3 Squares Dark Chocolate with Mother’s Milk Tea

We need protein to make the amino acids that manufacture our hormones. Without protein women can’t be hormonally healthy.However, so many of the new and popular diets are either extremely protein-heavy or they ignore protein altogether. We do need protein, just not as much as you might think.A lack of protein causes us to age prematurely, both in how we look and feel and in terms of our biological age - our eggs and fertility.Different bodies need different kinds of protein and at different times of the cycle. You have to experiment to find your perfect protein prescription.The vegan dilemmaMy friend, Alex Jamieson, author of the new book Women, Food and Desirewas vegan for 13 years before she realized that, for her personally, avoiding meat and animal products entirely was doing harm to her health. Her book is all about how listening to your body can lead you to feeling great. Alex found her hormonal health issues were down to a lack of protein and her body told her to remedy this by eating meat again. She did, and she felt much better for it.If I could be vegan, personally, I would for ethical reasons. But my body just can’t absorb the amino acids in vegan protein sources very well. This is true for a lot of us. If you do choose to be vegan for ethical reasons, I totally get it. However, you shouldn’t do it to try to lose weight. There are plenty of understandable ethical reasons to be vegan that I respect and it is certainly possible to find non-animal sources of protein to fill this gap (more later!) if that’s the lifestyle you choose. However, if you have been trying to be vegan as a health experiment, excellent - you just may need to keep experimenting with protein until you find the combination that makes you look and feel amazing, vital, and gorgeous!Finding your perfect protein prescription - it’s about your hormones not dietary theories!I have tried everything! I’ve tried being vegan, raw, and I’ve also tried just eating eggs, only cutting out red meat, and eating only fish. I experimented for a long time with proteins before finding a way of eating that worked. I played around with the protein in my diet to find a good match. The thing is, different bodies absorb protein differently. But more importantly, it was my cycle that led me to understand finally how to balance the protein equation once and for all! You see, we women need to eat protein in different types and quantities at different times of the month!Women come to FLOliving.com after having tried being all sorts of the big diet theories for their PCOS, PMS, Fibroids, and Infertility. Often times they report that they may initially feel good, but then their symptoms come back and they don’t understand what they’re doing wrong.Let’s look at some common diet configurations and their protein guidelines and my personal experience with them:Ketosis Diets - high in protein, low in carbs, moderate in fats - my experience is that this feels great at first - because you feel like you’re doing the perfect ‘proper’ diet plan - and you get excited to lose weight, but then when your hormones shift mid cycle - it’s impossible to fight your carb cravings and major falling off the wagon, binge carbing ensues.Paleo - high in protein, high fat, no grains, emphasis on carb substitutes like coconut flour breads, etc - has so many great elements - eating all whole, real food - love all the gluten free baking options! Super high calorie, and all the fat and protein becomes challenging to break down in parts of the cycle where estrogen is peaking.Vegan/Macrobiotic - high grain, low protein, moderate fats, high legumes. Great for cleaning up house internally - decreasing inflammation all around. But the glycemic impact and lack of amino acids can be problematic for hormonal conditions.Fundamentally, what’s wrong here is that none of these diets fluctuate based on your hormonal patterns. You see, you’re supposed to eat their way daily without any regard for the fact that you have different nutritional, digestive, micronutrient, and hormonal needs each week of the month.FLO Diet - vegan, fish, egg proteins first half of month, poultry, bison, lamb second half of the month - based on what your body needs, when it needs it! Pause for collective sigh of relief by dieting women and their ovaries everywhere! ;)When it comes to protein, the best way that I have found is to base it on where you are in the cycle. So you get the best of all of the diet configurations but you keep your hormones at the center of your food choices.Random Fun Fact:I’m completely obsessed with wartime England and their national food program. It was developed because people got so sick left on their own during the first world war that the government wanted to ensure a healthier population and workforce for the second. They were meticulous in their research on the most appropriate balance of nutrition for everyone. During World War II, as I’m sure you know, food was rationed within the UK. The people who ate this limited diet ended up being the healthiest population to ever live in the country. That generation went on the live far longer than previous and future generations.One of the cornerstones of this diet was the small amount of protein that was available on a weekly basis. The rations included just one real egg per week, but powdered egg every morning. There would be fish, some liver, and some tongue for animal protein. Then there were highly coveted, very limited good fats in good quality lard or butter. But the bulk of the rations were made up of barley, oats and whole wheat, root vegetables of all kinds, and hearty leafy greens. It was primarily a vegetarian diet. The following generation launched into processed food consumption and precipitously suffered greatly from a diet of processed food and increasing amounts of protein.The real deal with eggsAs outlined by Blue Zonesone of the common denominators between populations with longevity around the world is the consumption of eggs. People who live good long lives tend to be eating a good lot of eggs. That’s because eggs are the most easily assimilated bio-available protein source. This means they’re a great source of protein for every body!Watch this story of Ernestine Shepard, 77, the oldest female body builder and how many eggs she eats a day!Despite the myths we hear, eggs do not cause high cholesterol. It’s actually sugar that does that. The high quality fat in an egg actually protects you from heart health problems.A two whole egg omelette or scramble a couple of times per week will give you a sufficient amount of protein. Make sure to put that good protein to work. Excess consumption of protein does eventually convert into sugars - so make sure you exercise to get the most benefit from your protein.The three best vegan protein sourcesIf you are vegan, here are my three favorites:

1. Pea protein - this is a complete protein that provides all of the amino acids you need. Other plant proteins do not supply the complete set of amino acids. Pea protein can keep you feeling fuller for longer and give you a boost of energy for workouts.
2. Sacha Inchi - this plant grows in the Amazon rainforests in Peru and is rich in not only protein but also Omega-3 fatty acids (important if you don’t eat fish or eggs). Also known as the mountain peanut, it can be eaten as a snack or used in oil form on salads.
3. Hemp protein - another great source of amino acids and omegas and fiber!

What about RICE,  WHEY, and SOY protein powder? I don’t recommend these ever as so many women are lactose intolerant estrogen dominant, and hypoglycemic and with these protein powder options that can make your symptoms worse.Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, what’s your favorite protein source?  Which one didn’t work for you?Second, what are your favorite ways to eat eggs? Share your recipes with us! 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!

Flo Living grad Diane shares her remarkable journey with Alisa.

At 41 years-old Diane decided she wanted to have a baby. Despite her pretty healthy lifestyle and good genes, her tests showed a natural conception would be near impossible.Feeling discouraged, Diane came across WomanCode accidentally at her local bookstore. She soon signed up for the Flo Living protocol. Within 90 days she had changed the course of her life.Diane managed to get pregnant naturally and quickly, to the shock and surprise of her medical practitioners. Not only that but she sidestepped all concerns about the usual risks of pregnancy over the age of 35.She now has a 3 month old, a new lease on life and an exciting budding career!

Click hereto watch Diane's video interview or keeping reading for the full story.Alisa: I’m joined today by Diane from California. Tell us about your remarkable journey.Diane: I was 41 years old when my husband and I started talking about having kids. He suggested I go get tests done at the gynecologist to see if everything was okay. I didn’t believe I needed to get anything tested because my grandmother had my uncle when she was 46 and I figured my eggs were fine, I’d always been totally normal my whole life, with my cycle and everything.But I go to the gynecologist and she tells me that from my age and the statistics she knows already what my hormone levels are going to be. I couldn’t believe she would know that, as I knew I was eating really well and assumed I would have perfect levels. We got the test results back and I had a FSH level of 15, which is not horrible, but it means your ovaries are barely producing good eggs and you have a 5-8% chance of conceiving naturally.This came out of nowhere for me, I didn’t even know what an FSH level was. It was all very curt and very scientific and heavy. She gave me the name and number of the local IVF guy. I couldn’t even get a word in. I was so bombarded with this news. I already felt like she didn’t know what she was talking about. I had overcome things before, I had horrible acne in my 30s and I figured that out on my own.I did some research and called her back. I asked her if I might be able to change the levels. She said that it could not be changed. I half believed it. Here’s this trained doctor telling me I’m done, I waited too long. I’m 41 and it’s over. All I had at that time was my pop culture knowledge, all these celebrities who had had children at my age or older than me. She tells me they’re all having twins and there’s a reason for that, they’re having IVF.I didn’t know anything about my cycle. I knew there was the menstrual phase and that I ovulated, that was it. I did some simple research online and found this woman who has a fertility cookbook. It tells you all of the things you can’t do, tells you to eat really plain foods, eat lots of avocados. It wasn’t very scientific. I’m an insane Virgo and I need to know why everything is happening and I need to know the facts.For a year though, I’m just going about my business. I live in an area of Southern California with great craft beers so every weekend was full of beer for me. I was eating a lot of meat and a lot of cheese. This was on the backburner. I wasn’t taking control over my diet in a real way.Around the end of August in 2013 I was at the local bookstore and I see the purple cover of WomanCode. For whatever reason, because I was supposed to buy it, I grabbed it, and I started reading the fertility section. I just decided I had to buy it right then. I burned through it.Okay, I see what I have to do. I decided to try this. I loved the testimonials inside. I knew it had to be true. It was such a friendly approach that I didn’t believe it could be real. I got rid of the sugar, the cheese, the gluten. Now I’m making amaranth pasta with no cheese. I got rid of all the wine and all the beer. By the time my birthday came around and I turned 42, I decided to do it exactly as written for 90 days.I went back to the same gynecologist after those 90 days. I decided to ask to see a midwife. I asked to get my levels checked again. She didn’t want me to get my hopes up because it was a year later then. I got that. They have people who are hopeful, but they don’t know what to do or change. I told her I was doing this diet specifically for my cycle. I told her I was eating with my cycle, I’d gotten rid of all the inflammatory foods, and I had been eating fertility boosting foods. She didn’t understand what I was talking about.She takes my blood, she calls me two days later. She says, “You need to hear this. It looks like I’m looking at the results of a completely different person. Well, your FSH is 7.5. That’s the normal level of a healthy 33 year old. You’re 42. This shouldn’t have happened. What did you do exactly? And what’s the name of the book?”Alisa: I have to ask for those of us entrenched in this story now - can you stand up and show us the results of that 7.5 FSH level….one hot, hot, hot pregnant mama. It happened! The good old fashioned way at home with your husband, right?Diane: This is what happens!It happened naturally.It wasn’t completely easy sailing, though. So now I’m arrogant, I’m calling all my friends and telling them my results. I told everyone with fertility issues to do this diet and that it works. You know it’s working. Four days into the initial cleanse, I felt significantly lighter, it was like after I had done a juice cleanse. I knew I was doing something right. It was clear that I was ovulating. I knew it was happening.Alisa: Yes, and we teach you how to track when you’re ovulating. I think it’s so valuable to know exactly what is going on with your body, how to work with it, how to use food to make it do what you want. What’s so exciting about your story is we have this belief that after a certain age women cannot conceive naturally. That’s becoming an epidemic because women are eating and living in a way that’s causing them to age prematurely. You had the ovaries of someone older than your biological age. You were able to decrease your biological age by a decade. That’s the exciting news. We’re going about thinking about fertility all wrong. We need to be thinking about how can I promote hormonal youth in my body?You played that game to success, you’re fit to burst any day now. Having recently transitioned into motherhood, I’m so excited for you to transition imminently.How does your partner feel about you living in your Flo?Diane: My husband has told his whole family. They’re from Rome, Italy. I’m sure his parents thought it was pretty hokey. He knows I’m determined though. The second I came back with my results they were floored. Four months after that I’m pregnant.But I wanted to add - back then, so I’m at 7.5 and I’m thinking I’ve got it in the bag. I wasn’t thinking that seriously about having children until I was told it would be very difficult and that I’d have to have IVF and end up with triplets. I started crying. It was real and going to happen.To show you how sensitive our bodies are, I started having some bread and one beer a week. In January, I’m not pregnant. I decided to get myself tested again. I was still eating in the phases and eating buckwheat, avocados, brazil nuts, putting cinnamon on everything and making brown rice and turmeric and loading it with vegetables and everything, but that one beer a week…well, my FSH went up to 9.8.Alisa: Women are hormonally sensitive, much more so these days. We’re in this perfect storm now and there’s been no precedent for it - we have pesticides in our food supply, we live a lifestyle that’s taxing on our endocrine system, and we’re delaying motherhood. This trifecta makes for frustrations with our fertility, sex drive, energy. You also just don’t feel good when your hormones are off. I’m sure you felt better when you were following the protocol. So I bet you were right back on track once you realized.Diane: I was right back in gear and two months later I was pregnant.But also - within 3 months I realized I had depression or rage before my period. If you cut me off I would verbally assault you at that time. Prior to this I would get so depressed I would get into a dark, dark place. I was in denial that this was PMS. I knew I needed help. The second I got on the cleanse my PMS disappeared. No more cramping. I didn’t have any bloating anymore. It was like I was 16 again. I just had my period and it was done. It was no problem. I felt so good.Alisa: That’s so important for you to share. You and I are technically in perimenopause. It technically begins at 35. You were able to improve your perimenopausal experience. We’re talking about reversing this rapid hormonal aging process that everyone’s going through. It’s not just women in their 30s and 40s, it’s also women in their 20s. It can happen to anyone at anytime and you can reverse that process in 90 days with the Flo protocol at any stage.You have this. No one can take this away from you. You know how to feel good. You can program your body for optimal health.Diane: People were asking me what I was doing. They thought I had gone vegan. Everyone was wondering why I looked so good. I was telling everyone. I’m living proof. You have to get this book! Who doesn’t want to feel their best all of the time?Alisa: In the protocol we talk about embracing your potential. You shared with me that you were keeping yourself back in terms of your career. You’re about to transition into motherhood and with your career. You are taking on your true soul’s calling and stepping into the spotlight as an Opera singer! You become such a clear channel for your own soul’s voice. The effort becomes effortless. Taking action becomes pleasurable.Diane: There’s no blockage. It’s to do with getting rid of all the inflammatory food. I’m not gluten sensitive to my knowledge. But when I was on the protocol my singing was crystal clear. My tone was clean. Because my body was clean.I got rid of all the cleaners I had. My beer wasn’t the last thing to go. I got this cream, a moisturizer, from this place in New York. I didn’t want to throw it away. It was full of sulphates. I spent $50 on this big tub. I wanted to give it away. But I knew it was an endocrine disruptor and I couldn’t give it to someone knowing what it could do.Alisa: That’s not a good regift! Luckily these days there are great natural options. You do have to start shopping in different places and making different choices, slowly, step by step. It’s not all at once.What would you say to someone who is listening to this and is thinking about doing the protocol and is maybe feeling overwhelmed like it might be too much or too difficult for them?Diane: We can do anything. We can do anything as women. If you look at the whole protocol you might panic. Get rid of the inflammatories one by one. Cut them out one by one. With cheese you’ll see what happens to your skin immediately. We’re all vain. Get rid of the cheese. See what happens to your skin. What did Valentino say... women want to be beautiful! Once you start with the cleanse, you’ll know immediately that you are on the right path. You see the results right away so you want to keep doing it.Alisa: I love that Valentino is now on our site, he does make fabulous dresses!Diane: So, they make you do all this genetic screening when you’re 42 (or from 35 up) and hear what chances you have of having a Downs Syndrome child and so on.Alisa: There’s a lot of negative and fear-based things. It’s true because we’re not taking care of our diet and the youthfulness of our eggs, those statistics do reflect women’s health. It’s scary, but good for you to see that once you took charge of your diet and lifestyle those things are no longer a concern.Diane: They’re no longer a concern at all. When we got the results back they were expecting horrible results. When we crunched the numbers this one woman who was really negative, she couldn’t believe what she saw. She said, you don’t even need an amnio with these results.Alisa: That’s great! I’m so glad.Diane: She said, a healthy 16 year old would have the same results as you! The genetic testing doesn’t factor in once you’ve done the protocol. And I’m hearing angels singing hallelujah! Now I’m this crazed woman telling everyone about it!Alisa: Me too! It’s just great, take one step at a time, I love that advice. It’s never a bad time to get started for your ovaries, your sex drive, your fertility, your moods, your soul’s passion, whatever you’re thinking about changing. It’s worth the experiment to see what it might do for you.Thank you for sharing your beautiful story! We want baby pictures! Wishing you good vibes for the birth and let’s stay connected.Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, have you been struggling with fertility issues? What have you tried?Second, have you followed the Flo Living protocol and regained your fertility? Let us know!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

Are You Trying to Conceive?

If you want to do everything in your power to improve your chances of becoming a mom—then we want to help you optimize your fertility.Whether you are just starting to think about having a baby, or have already tried naturally or have been trying with IVF, our Fertile FLO Program will help improve your chances of conception.Click here to download my FREE guide, The 5 Health Foods to Avoid to Get and Stay Pregnant.

Poorly-managed blood sugar is the root of all hormonal health issues. I have yet to meet one woman suffering with PMS, low libido, infertility, or painful periods who had her blood-sugar levels balanced out. That’s because it’s impossible to have well-controlled blood sugar without making a conscious effort.Imagine a chart with a flat horizontal line running across. My goal is to have you, and all women, see only gentle undulations from that ideal blood sugar stasis and not the dramatic peaks and troughs that most of us will experience if we don’t keep an eye on what we eat. Those peaks and troughs are what make us soar and then crash in our moods and they spell disaster for our hormones.Make friends with your sugar gremlinsThe great news is that this goal can be met without you having to take an austerity approach of cutting out all sugar entirely. Phew! That’s right - it’s just one reason the Flo Living way is better than all those elimination-based diets!The fact of the matter is that it’s normal to have sugar cravings. Our bodies need glucose to function. It’s your brain’s primary source of fuel. Without some, you’re going to feel miserable. So, I’m not here to tell you to stop eating cake, brownies or pudding completely. I promise!Even I have certain times of the month when I crave sweet treats. The difference is that when my sugar gremlins come calling, I’m ready for them with smart and healthy choices to satisfy their needs!Hidden sugars in healthy dietsDid you all see the documentary Fed Up? It’s a must-see! One really important takeaway from that movie is that even those women with the best intentions don’t realize just how much sugar they’re consuming on a daily basis. The average American diet is full of hidden sugars. One serving of many packaged foods is giving us our sugar allotment for several days. The so-called “healthy” packaged foods are the worst for this.Another crucial point made in the film is that although we may think that we’re eating well - having lots of juices and smoothies, for example - those fruit sugars without the fibre pairing are actually no different to eating a brownie or a piece of cake! Eek!So what do I give my sugar gremlins to keep them quiet? I’m going to let you in on my favorite recipes for sweet treats. I’m already working on my daughter’s first birthday cake recipe and I’ll fill you in on that when it’s perfected!

Alisa’s favorite sweet treat recipes

Chocolate Avocado Pudding3 ripe avocados4 soaked dates1/4 cup coconut nectar plus 2T maple syrup1/2 cup raw cacao powder1/2 cup almond milk1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp pink himalayan saltInstructions:Add all to Vitamix or food processor and puree until smoothtaste and adjust for sweetness and texture with more sweetener and milkserve on millet toast for breakfast or have in a coupe glass for dessert!!Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies1 raw medium sweet potato (purple skin/white flesh) - 2 1/2 cups when grated2 whole eggs½ cup melted coconut oil⅓ cup honey or coconut nectar2 teaspoons vanilla extract½ cup raw cacao powder1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda2½ tablespoon coconut flour¼ tsp pink himalayan saltInstructions:Preheat oven to 375 °FCombine wet: grated sweet potato, eggs, vanilla, honey and coconut oil oil in a large mixing bowl and stir together until well incorporated.Mix dry: cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and coconut flour.Combine wet into dry and mix well.Pour the mixture into a 9 inch square baking tin lined with parchment paper.Cook for 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing the brownies from the tin.Serve with raspberries or strawberries and maybe some coconut yogurt to be extra decadent.Banana Bread3 bananas1/3 cup coconut oil1 egg1 tsp vanilla1/4 cup coconut nectar1.5 cups oat flour1 tsp cinnamon1 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp saltInstructions:Mix wet into dry, pour mixture into a parchment lined loaf pan, bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min and let cool completely.Fruit cobbler4 pears, cored, sliced½ bag of frozen blueberriesjuice of ½ lemon½ tsp cinnamon, pinch of salt2 T coconut oil1 tsp arrowrootInstructions:Combine all the ingredients in a 14 inch casserole baking dish.Sprinkle gluten free/sugar free plain granola on top (Udi’s or Elizabeth’s).Cover with aluminum foil.Bake at 350 for 30 min covered.Let sit 15 minutes uncovered and cool.Serve with fresh mint and coconut yogurt or a drizzle of honey.

The secret to sweetening

Now I’ve made you hungry with all of those yummy recipes, I want to share the secret to using alternative sweeteners. Anything that isn’t the white (or brown) stuff, as in pure sugar, is a better choice, but not all sweeteners are equal.Here’s the SWEET TRUTH: When it comes down to it, sugar is sugar is sugar. And a paleo/vegan/gluten-free cupcake is still a cupcake!It’s key to approach everything sweet with moderation in mind. None of my recipes contain much in the way of sweetener and that’s because your body doesn’t need much to feel satisfied. They certainly contain less than even the healthiest recipes you’ll find in most books or online. Aim instead to only use ¼ of cup or 4 tablespoons for any recipe you come across.Regardless of which sweetener I use, my body reacts to it. Remember that flat line on the chart I mentioned earlier? Well, all the alternative sweeteners out there will make that line move up and down somewhat and change how you feel in the hours after. All of them will impact your hormonal health. So let’s keep things moderate and balanced!The best sweetenersThe two sweeteners that do the least to disturb my blood sugar stasis are honey and coconut nectar. Both of which happen to be great for baking!I also recommend date sugar as it’s very natural - it’s literally just crushed-up dates! Date sugar is also a great substitute that actually acts and works like sugar, if you’re into baking cakes and other serious confections.Molasses has excellent medicinal properties, you just have to keep in mind it’s specific and strong flavor (like that found in gingerbread).If you’re looking to use a sweetener outside of baking, say to sweeten your tea, then agave and honey are better than stevia (which, by the way, has pregnancy-prevention properties) but Stevia is great if you’re not trying to get pregnant.Lose the processed white flour and dairy too!It’s actually really easy to also avoid processed white flour and dairy when baking sweet treats along with the sugar. Give it a try, you might be surprised about what you don’t need!My baking tipsOat, brown rice or buckwheat flour are the best alternatives to the white processed kind.Coconut oil is a great butter substitute.Almond milk will replace any dairy requirements in recipes.A substitute egg can be created simply with water and flax seeds - it’s called a ‘Flax Egg’So, yes, you can eat cake! Just not every day…;)Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, what do your sugar gremlins crave? When do they appear? Second, which one of my recipes are you going to try? I’d love to know how it works out and share your photos with me!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!

In this exciting new series for our blog, I’ll take a look back at the month’s news - from celebrity life updates to important research studies - that put hormones in the headlines.I’ll be giving my take on what’s current, topical and trendy and asking you all to share your own thoughts and feelings about the hot topics that we cover.So, let’s get started.Tell me what you think. How do these issues impact you?1.) Angelina Jolie has her ovaries removed to avoid cancer.I just wanted to think through her choice here and I find myself left with some big questions for all of us.I really feel for Angelina and I think she is courageous in taking these steps for her own health and for the sake of her children. The BRCA gene, as with any gene, can be impacted by diet and lifestyle. A carrier of this gene who eats and lives in a healthy way will decrease the likelihood that the gene will be triggered or turned on and, therefore, become harmful. I think we can assume that Angelina eats well and lives a healthy lifestyle, taking in few, if any, inflammatory foods. And yet her tests showed inflammatory markers, regardless. That’s a testament to the genetic card she has been dealt. Despite her best efforts she can not turn this gene off.Removing your breasts is one thing, but removing your ovaries has a far more dramatic health impact. By removing the ovaries, Angelina has entered menopause and will experience a huge hormonal shift as a result. Without the estrogen patch (synthetic or not) and the progestin-secreting IUD she is currently using, she would otherwise age dramatically within the first year after surgery. The change would be obvious in her appearance - her skin, her weight, all of this would change. The hormone supplementation will keep her looking, and feeling, more youthful, although it will come with other side effects.Angelina’s double mastectomy may have helped her avoid using the estrogen suppressing medications most women with breast cancer have to take post-treatment, which also have an aging effect on the body. Yet now she must opt for the patch and the IUD to maintain her hormone levels. She is navigating a very complex situation and making choices as best she can with the information she is provided.She knows she’s not out of the woods. Removing estrogen sensitive organs and tissues does not ensure that the gene will not express itself in another area - the uterus, cervix, or other estrogen sensitive tissues. If she is not avoiding inflammatory foods, now would be the time to do so if she is to avoid hysterectomy and further surgeries.What I find incredibly brave about Angelina’s choice is that essentially she has given her body over as a science experiment. What I find frustrating is that neither she nor her medical practitioners have any way of knowing whether this will work as hoped. What’s probably more scary for the rest of us is knowing that she has access to the best medical care money can buy and yet this drastic surgery is her only option and she has little assurance that it will help her avoid cancer entirely.I’m left a bit curious and concerned - we’ve been wearing pink ribbons for breast cancer research for decades and yet here’s Angelina stabbing around in the dark for a solution. In the end I feel like this makes me wonder how we can have not come up with better options for women facing cancer. Why do the medical advances in this area fall short? Why must she depend on such drastic invasive surgeries?2.) Kim Kardashian struggles with infertility.I happened to catch a glimpse of this segment where she was a platinum blonde and when asked why she went there, her answer had to do with her fertility and not fashion - so of course my ears perked up.Kim feels like she has been doing everything “right” to have baby number two with Kanye - including not coloring her hair. It hasn’t worked yet, and so she is giving up being good, and the hair color was her way to “let go” of the process. Kim is right - “going with the flow” (or Flo ;) ) is a good idea if you have been getting stressed about conceiving. Stress can prevent ovulation. However Kim has admitted she has similar fertility issues to her sister Khloe who revealed that she “does not ovulate.” I would speculate that Khloe has PCOS, which is one of the easiest hormone conditions to treat with diet and lifestyle changes. Many women have turned a PCOS diagnosis around by following the Flo protocol and I only wish I could get this information to the sisters. Interestingly enough, Kourtney has a grasp of healthy diet and lifestyle and she now has three babies, though her genetics would have her be equally disposed to the same fertility challenges as her sisters.My concern, however, is that women watching this story unfold will feel discouraged. They will think - if these women with all the money in the world and the best fertility doctors at their disposal can’t get pregnant naturally or with IVF, then what hope is there for them here? It suggests that women without the access to this kind of medical care might as well give up and get IVF or a surrogate, and how many people can afford either? Khloe and Kim are incredibly privileged and yet they still aren’t getting the right information on what to do to heal their bodies and have the babies they want. Options like IVF and egg freezing give us a false sense of control and they do not work often enough to be the default action. What we ought to be doing is figuring out how to make our bodies work how we want and need them to work. It’s not Khloe and Kim’s fault, it’s just that we don’t have the right kind of healthcare for women yet.3.) The birth control is linked to increased risk of Crohn’s Disease.This is huge news!Taking synthetic hormone replacement of any kind is health-altering and here's one more study that shows us yet a new way the Pill can wreak havoc on your health. If you have digestive issues or a history of issues in your family, you want to read this and then seriously consider ditching your birth control pills ASAP.4.) Are women biologically superior to men? Would the world be better if run by women?Umm...OF COURSE we are!! Why else would our gender be exclusively encoded with the ability to make new tiny humans? Our double X chromosomes are actually heartier, our immune system, absorption system, conservation system, and cross hemisphere brain communication are all more robust. As far as how the world would be if it were run by more women, well of course I think that’s a no brainer, but thank goodness there’s now research to solidly back this up. I was introduced to this research at my first TEDXWomen in DC when the author of The Athena Doctrine (one of two men speaking that day) shared his extraordinary and long overdue research about how countries that leverage women, feminine values, and the female brain are the ones that have the most economic and social stability in our present day. Again, I say - OBVI!!! I am eager to see our first female president in the US - like next election!!5.) Are there benefits to being a Moody Bitch?I love this! You are being overmedicated and now there's a book detailing all the studies and science about what is normal for your moods as women and why you don't need all of this unnecessary medication! Could this book be one of the sequels to the Feminine Mystique? I cannot wait to interview the author and share more of her findings with you!!Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, have you been affected by any of these issues in the hormone headlines? Second, what’s your take? Share your opinion with me in the comments and on social media. 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!

Having libido issues is common. Low sex drive can come with anxiety and a feeling that you are missing out on an important part of life. Are you in the mood to get in the mood? 

Read on to learn about our approach - with healthy & sustainable ways to improve your sex drive.

Find out the scientific reason for low libido and your personal Flo-Fix

At Flo Living, we believe that food is the best medicine, but we also know that vitamins & supplements, when taken in addition to hormone-friendly meals, can have superpowers, like the ability to boost your sex drive and increase libido.

Often when we start to look outside of mainstream medicine for alternative protocols to heal our health issues, we replace one pill-taking protocol with another. The prescription drugs are replaced with a long list of supplements. Supplements alone, without any other lifestyle changes, will have some impact, but it will be nowhere near what they can achieve when working in a body supported with a healthy way of life.

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Here are a few reasons your sex drive might be stalled:

• You’re beyond stressed. Don’t discount the profound physical effects psychological factors can have, especially on your libido. Everything from stress, anxiety, and depression to poor body image, low self-esteem, and history of abuse can significantly impact your sex drive.
• You’ve been on birth control for any length of time. A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine revealed that women who have taken the birth control pill may find that, as well as having had low sex drive when on the pill, that this side effect persists even when they stop taking it. The researchers discovered that the impact the birth control pill has on women’s testosterone levels can cause them to have a permanently suppressed sex drive when compared to women who have never used the birth control pill.
• You’re over 35. Perimenopause has a profound effect on your entire endocrine system, and can spin your sex drive out of whack. Before 35, your desire is driven primarily by the biological impetus to reproduce and your libido peaks around ovulation each month. After 35, as your hormone levels start to shift, your body just isn’t not as strongly driven by that natural instinct and it will require external direction in the form of nutritional and physical cues.
• You have an endocrine issue like PCOS. Women with PCOS typically either experience low libido as a result of low testosterone levels and high sex hormone binding globulin levels (SHBG) or a high libido (along with acne and hair loss/unwanted hair growth). Either imbalance of masculine and femininity can create a disconnect between your emotions and your libido, making sex a struggle, even if the desire is there.

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A pill for every ill

Science is always on the search for the magic bullet for our sexual health problems - that female Viagra. Most women, however, experience poor sexual desire alongside other issues like PMS and fatigue. The solution requires a holistic approach.

We want women to start by feeling good every day, in everything they do, as it’s then that you will find you have the ability to feel great about sex.

Below are some of the reasons why you might have low libido, and the best supplement for each particular problem. There is a pill here for every ill, but remember, to truly activate the benefits you need to put living in your Flo first, and get your hormonal ecosystem straightened out with food.

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The 5 best supplements to boost your sexual health

There is not just one singular reason for having a low sex drive. In addition to what you eat and anything else going on with your health, you might be able to find nutritional supplements that can help tip the scales in your favor in regard to waking up your libido. For each of the natural remedies below, you can guage how you are feeling compared with what they can help with and decide if it is a supplement that you want to experiment with adding into your regimen.

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1. Rev your Energy Fast with Rhodiola

Take Rhodiola if you: have symptoms of adrenal fatigue with moodiness, PMS and low-level depression.

‍How it works: Rhodiola works to support our adrenal glands by preventing the breakdown of too much dopamine and serotonin during stressful times, leaving enough for us to remain buoyant and energized. What’s extra fun about Rhodiola is that it works fast - in 30 minutes - to change your energy levels and focus - so pop one before you think you want to get frisky.

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2. Look and Feel your Sexiest Self with Zinc

Take Zinc if you: are estrogen dominant with low testosterone, which will show itself in period problems and weight gain.

‍How it works: Zinc helps to boost your testosterone production and prevents testosterone being turned into estrogen by blocking the enzyme responsible.

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3. Have Bigger Orgasms with Evening Primrose Oil

Take Primrose Oil if you: sometimes feel sexual desire, but the sex itself doesn’t feel as good as it used to and you’re not getting those really big Os like before.

‍How it works: Evening primrose oil will balance out your progesterone and estrogen levels, which in turn will increase dopamine, which will in turn help you produce more nitric oxide. This is absolutely essential for the dilation of blood vessels and tumescence that leads to bigger and better orgasms.

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4. Get Back in the Mood with Magnesium

Take Magnesium if you feel: symptoms such as muscle cramping, facial ticks, migraines, poor sleep, fatigue and PMS. You can ask your doctor for a test for your magnesium levels.

‍How it works: Magnesium makes it harder for your testosterone to bind onto proteins and allows for more of it to remain “free” in your bloodstream - which is exactly how you want it to be for a higher sex drive. Higher levels of free testosterone make for more desire. Magnesium also combats anxiety and prevents depressive feelings, helping you enjoy yourself more. If your magnesium levels show to be very low, take 360g a day in the form of a supplement, but if your levels are average, keep them up with a daily serving of dark chocolate and greens.

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5. Dial Up the Dopamine with Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Take Omega-3's if you feel: like you aren't getting that same pleasure and satisfaction, and you aren't having those big o's like you used to.

How is works: Omega-3's help balance out your progesterone and estrogen levels, which in turn will increase dopamine, which will, in turn, help you produce more nitric oxide. Omega-3's are absolutely essential for the dilation of blood vessels and tumescence that leads to bigger and better orgasms.

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Can these supplements help with men's libido? 

Share the love! What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Literally! Men benefit just as much from all of these supplements as women do, especially magnesium and evening primrose oil. In fact, they can also help with male-centric issues like premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction.

As our founder Alisa Vitti shares, "When I first started dating my husband he had a very different diet than mine. Over time he adopted my way of eating and he too has seen and felt the benefits in his digestion, mood, and energy. We both have endocrine systems that need similar kinds of support, even if the end goal of my protocol is all about restoring your feminine hormonal FLO.  He now knows how to support his own optimized sex drive.  Start feeding your self and your man this sex supportive diet now and thank me later ;)I recommend that if you want to have a great sex life with your partner you eat the same nutritious meals and make food part of your extended foreplay. There’s nothing sexier than truly caring for the one you love every day."

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What to remove to help your sex drive

• For Women: Canola Oil! Because it’s in everything, it raises your levels of Omega 6 fatty acids, which then dysregulates your uptake of Omega 3 fatty acids. Studies have shown that boosting Omega 3s increases sexual desire and response in women in as little at 6 weeks.  So, stick to clean fats:  quality olive oil, avocado oil and coconut oil and you’ll feel sexier pronto!
• For Men: Soy is terrible for the male sex drive as the phytoestrogens build up to unnatural levels much too quickly. Processed soy, which is often found in a lot of vegan or plant based products can be even worse. It's important to keep an eye out for where soy is hiding.

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How to Have Better Orgasms to Improve Your Health and Balance Your Hormones

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Watch as Alisa shares how to bio-hack your orgasms for better health!

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

Take out those toxins

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

The harm to your health

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

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

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

Making the switch

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

I want to hear from you!

First, what femcare products do you use? Second, will you be making the switch to natural #Flofriendly products? Third: You know every one you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social by clicking the buttons below

Need more Hormone Help?

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

I absolutely know for a fact that if I had not started eating and living in sync with my hormones back in my twenties I would not have this gorgeous baby here on my lap today. I was so far down the road with my PCOS that it would have been impossible for me to conceive naturally at the age of 37 if I had not changed my lifestyle long before I even thought I wanted to have a child.1 in 8 couples will come up against fertility problems. These days if you are not actively engaging in protecting and preserving your fertility it’s all too likely that you too will become a statistic. Sadly everything in our environment, the way we organize our days, what we put in and on our bodies, conspires to disrupt our endocrine system and prevent us from conceiving.FLO Tweetable: Get into your #fertileFlo now to make a baby whenever you’re ready!FLO Tweetable: The same #FLOfoods that get you pregnant, also keep you pregnant, and restore you post-partum!We live busy lives, we have 5 year plans, we have 10 year plans, and then when we decide we want a baby, usually we want it right now! But if we’ve not put in the work beforehand of removing the obstacles that are put in the way of what our bodies are designed to do so well, then we find ourselves stuck, needing help like IVF that is costly to both our health and our bank account.I don’t want you (or anyone) to be that 1 in 8. The amazing news is that you are reading this and therefore you’ve already made that necessary, conscious decision to choose juicy, vibrant fertility for yourself.You can change your fertile factors with food!I once had a woman come to me at the age of 43, desperate. Her doctor had told her that her FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) levels - a key fertile factor- indicated there was no way she was having a baby naturally. Within three months of living in her Flo, with my support, her FSH levels were in the super-fertile range. She got pregnant naturally and gave birth to her baby just recently. FSH levels are extremely responsive to the changes in diet and lifestyle that we encourage here at Flo Living.

Steps to take Now to Protect your Fertility

But, even if you’re 23 instead of 43, I’m here to tell you that starting now will not only give you a better baby-free life of higher energy, happier moods, hot sex drive, and pleasant periods, but will also mean that if and when you do want a baby, he or she will arrive right on schedule.I’m going to give you a few simple ways you can invest in your health today to make a big difference to your future.And Baby Makes 3 - 3 Surprising Fertility Boosting Foods

1. Chickpeas - high in natural estrogen, the best way to get more chickpeas into your diet is to make your own hummus. Keep a batch in your fridge to eat with credité. Here’s a quick recipe: 1 can chickpeas, 1 T tahini, 1 T lemon juice, 1 T olive oil, pinch salt - puree add water to get to desired consistency.
2. Cinnamon - excellent for stabilizing your blood sugar and supporting regular ovulation, you can get more of this spice into your day by sprinkling it on your oatmeal at breakfast, adding fresh cinnamon sticks to hot water for a refreshing drink, or trying my favorite herbal tea - Tazo Organic Baked Cinnamon Apple Infusion.
3. Salmon and all omega 3-rich fatty fish - my mom was visiting me and the baby recently and she emerged from my kitchen with this small bowl of fish pate she had mashed together from sardines mixed with tahini and lemon juice. I did not think this was going to taste good, but it is absolutely delicious! Not only do you get the omega-3 boost, but you also get a ton of calcium here too! It’s the perfect snack that’s so satisfying and tasty, I promise. Here's the recipe: open 1 can sardines packed in water, add 2 T organic tahini, 2 tsp lemon juice, salt to taste and mash up with a fork - spread on celery or gluten free toast.

As a bonus I also want to tell you about the 3 things you really need to avoid or reconsider when seeking to preserve your fertility. Because you can add all you like to your present diet, but some obstacles to staying fertile are too big to ignore.

3 Hidden Fertility Dangers

1. Canola oil - never use it in cooking, check for it in ingredients lists, and ask to have it come nowhere near you meal at a restaurant. It is high in Omega-9’s, disrupts your Omega-3 levels, causing inflammation that contributes to long term fertility issues. If you’re not supplementing with Omega-3’s, even just a little exposure to this oil can do real harm.
2. Pesticides - studies show that eliminating the pesticides found on food from your diet for just 7 days has a hugely positive impact on your body. There are certain foods you must only buy as organic - such as celery, peppers and tomatoes, all greens, berries, melons, pears and peaches (see my book WomanCode for the full rundown). Once you’re eating 80% of the time or more in your Flo then a slip here or there will be much easier to withstand.
3. The birth control pill - I recommend that, with the support of your doctor, you take a 3 month break from the Pill. Consider it a check-in with your fertility. You’ll soon discover whether your period comes back right away or not at all. Follow my directions here on how to come off without a hitch. If being off the pill you discover your cycle is out of whack, then the good news is you caught it well in advance of when you would want to try to conceive, giving you plenty of stress-free time to work on balacing your hormones naturally and optimizing your fertility.

2 Tests that can give you a snapshot of your fertility todayAnd, as promised, the two tests I want you to schedule with your doctor today so that you have a fair advantage when fixing your fertility. Your doctor likely won’t suggest these to you until there is a problem, so you will need to take the initiative. Whatever news you receive, you have a clear path forward - change your diet now to change your fertile factors! This information is empowering and gives you the motivation you need to make the necessary changes.

1. Ovarian reserve - if you find you only have a few eggs left and you’re in your 20s or 30s, maybe even some time before you’d consider getting pregnant, then you can decide whether freezing your eggs might be the best choice.
2. FSH levels (follicle stimulating hormone) - if you find your FSH is too high, don’t get anxious, instead take action by eating the Flo Living way so this number can be lowered in a matter of months.

Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First: Are you concerned about your fertility? Are you thinking about doing things differently now to protect your fertility in the future?Second: Share your #fertileFlo experiments - what are you going to try from my recommendations? What’s your favorite hummus recipe? Did you like my sardine snack? 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

Are You Trying to Conceive?

If you want to do everything in your power to improve your chances of becoming a mom—then we want to help you optimize your fertility.Whether you are just starting to think about having a baby, or have already tried naturally or have been trying with IVF, our Fertile FLO Program will help improve your chances of conception.Click here to download my FREE guide, The 5 Health Foods to Avoid to Get and Stay Pregnant.

When we think about testosterone we often think of it as a “male hormone” with negative associations like aggression and anger. We may only hear about testosterone in terms of our own bodies when we’re told that we have too much, with a PCOS diagnosis, because we are developing problem “male” characteristics like excess hair growth.The benefits of testosterone for womenThe truth is that women have testosterone too (just less than men) and low testosterone (or low-T as it’s often called) can also have a significant impact on your health and well-being.For the fertile, healthy woman testosterone will be at its peak when you’re ovulating, but our bodies produce a steady stream between the ovaries and the adrenal glands. Good testosterone levels are important for building muscle mass, maintaining a healthy weight, and retaining bone density. You also need testosterone to get a decent night’s sleep, to have a strong libido, and to be able to tap into your creativity. That’s right - for women, studies show that robust testosterone levels promote creative divergent thinking as well as musical talent!Stay away from those syntheticsYou may have seen those TV commercials for synthetic testosterone therapy gels lately - the ones that say men and women can benefit from this treatment, reverse signs of aging and so on, with that rushed admission of heart attack and stroke risks at the very end. It’s possible your partner has been offered this, so you should know too that transference of the male gel to the skin of a woman or child can have rapid, scary consequences.Playing with your hormones from a synthetic standpoint will always be risky. So, I’m here to tell you that, yes, low-T is important, but as always, taking the natural route is more effective and safer. You don’t want the potential side effects of the synthetic hormone replacement and you don’t need it in your life. There is a better way.How to know if you have low-TOur testosterone levels naturally dip as we age, but if you’ve recently gone through a big health transition like an experience of post-partum depression, the removal of your ovaries or uterus, the start of perimenopause or if you’ve come off the Pill, you might consider asking your doctor to check your levels of what is called “free testosterone” with a blood serum test as it is likely that those scenarios involve a dip in your levels.Some of the symptoms you would be experiencing with low-T are:fatiguelack of sex drivevaginal drynessinsomniagaining weight around your middleproblems retaining muscle mass

Natural testosterone therapy

Instead of looking for that quick-fix from the pharmacist it is much better to start from a place that assumes, and knows, that your body wants to be healthy and wants you to live a full and happy life. You body can and will produce all the testosterone you need at this time in your life. So, start by asking yourself this question:What am I doing that’s suppressing my body's natural productivity of testosterone?Then all you need to do is stop doing the things that are preventing your body from functioning at its optimal level. You never have to beat your body into submission to make it work as you want, what you have to do is submit yourself to your body’s pattern and work with how it is designed.I like to call that living in your Flo! Pay attention to the Flo-blockers in your life.With that in mind, here are five Low T factors to evaluate right now and the natural testosterone balancing solution, FLO-T Fix, to get started with now:Q: Are you getting enough saturated fats into your diet?FLO-T Fix: avocados are a great source of natural bioidentical testosterone!Q: Are you getting a good amount of zinc in your daily diet?FLO-T Fix: Zinc is bountiful in beans and seeds, however you can also supplement with 50mg a day.Q: Are you getting enough exercise?FLO-T Fix: Strength training and body resistance-based workouts naturally increase testosterone levels.Q: Are you pushing yourself too hard?FLO-T Fix: Low testosterone in your 30s or 40s can be a reflection of a life burning the candle at both ends without giving yourself adequate rest and relaxation time. Stress is an enemy of testosterone. Lay down for 5 minutes 2x/day in Savasana pose and breathe with your eyes closed - let all your stress melt into your yoga mat. (Click here to read more about the direct link between stress and your fertility!)Q: Are you having regular, healthy periods?FLO-T Fix: If you’re on the Pill your testosterone levels will take a kicking and even when you come off you’ll need to make a choice to nurture your hormones back to health. If your cycle is wacky or non-existent then you might be having progesterone problems that will have a knock-on impact on your testosterone levels and overall health and well-being. Try coming off the pill.Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First: Do you suspect you have some of the symptoms of testosterone levels? Which ones do you have?Second: What are you going to try to boost your testosterone from the natural #FLO-T Fixes?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!

Ashley is 31 years-old and living in Austin, Texas. She runs a gluten-free baking company, Bona Dea, with a team of women, providing baking mixes to restaurants and hotels and sold in grocery stores and online. They will soon launch a range of ready-to-eat buns, hoagies and sandwich loaves. (Make sure to check out Ashley &Bona Dea's special cycle-synced recipes below - YUM!)After coming off the NuvaRing, Ashley hadn’t had a period in three whole years. Her face was breaking out for the first time. Plus she was finding it very hard to relax and take time to herself in her busy schedule.Within six months of following the Flo Living protocol and with the support of our counselors, Ashley saw her period return, got her clear skin back, and dramatically lowered her stress levels.

How was your health when you discovered Flo Living?

When I first discovered Flo Living I was living in Asia and in a really, really busy work situation. I had a lot of stress and I wasn’t sleeping a lot, as I didn’t have a lot of hours available to sleep. I was on this tired and wired cycle. I have a lot of energy, that’s just the kind of person I am, and sometimes I don’t know what propels me, but my adrenals were in overdrive. My health in mainstream medical terms was good – I had low blood pressure, I worked out, I ate healthily – but I had not had a period in three years since coming off the NuvaRing. I also had recently had an abnormal pap smear. I always had clear skin and about midday through that three year period my face started breaking out in the areas that indicate hormonal health.

How did you come across Flo Living?

At some point I was surfing the net looking for answers when I came across Alisa and I listened to every single one of her talks that I could find on You Tube. That made me book a consultation.

How did your health improve and your lifestyle change as a result of the protocol?

It took six months from the time I started the Flo Living program to when I had my first period. A lot of how the program helped me during that time was about reducing my stress level and yin balancing. It was a big challenge as all through the program my schedule was only giving me five hours to sleep at night. I was teaching English, but as I started that my business took off and I ended up working double time. It became about how I approached things, about having a lot more capacity and space. Instead of being contractive about everything, I needed to be expansive. I learned deep breathing exercises. I made a rule about not eating my meals while at the computer. I loved the hot water pack on my adrenals. I enjoyed taking half an hour a day to just do nothing or do whatever I wanted.I worked with the counselors on the online forum and because I didn’t have a period it was hard to follow the cycle as such, so what they suggested was that I follow the moon phases with my eating plan. I did that and my period came back on the new moon, which was awesome! I was like, this works! I’ve had two periods now and I’m supposed to have my next on the next new moon. My acne cleared up during that time too.Even though I was working so much, and it seemed like it would be impossible to clear up my adrenal issues at that time, even then, with the tactics I was given I felt I was in a really good place. I got back to a place of body balance.

How do you feel now in each phase of your cycle?

Before the Flo protocol I never paid attention to my body. I bought tampons, and that was the extent of it. I never had very extreme periods before so I didn’t think about it. I had a very much mind-over-matter, almost athletic mentality to my health and work life, which led to a few burnouts. Now I am really paying a lot more attention. I’m in the luteal phase right now and I feel a little less sociable. I know I can take a few minutes of silence for myself. I am careful not to eat sugar. In my follicular and ovulatory phases I am really energetic and it’s awesome to know why. It’s really cool to recognize what’s going on inside.

Before you decided to try the Flo protocol what were your expectations?

Before doing Flo I had tried homeopathy, vitamin therapy, I already ate really healthy. I looked at this as another possible solution or remedy. What got me though was the mind-body connection and how much beyond the food and supplements that it went.

What did you find difficult at first? How did you overcome this obstacle with the help of your counselor?

Eating within the first 90 minutes of the day was really hard. In the past I would work out first thing in the morning on no food, then I would have fruit, then I would have coffee, then I would have food probably five or six hours after waking up. It was a total mind shift for me. Now it makes sense and I stuck with it, it makes a huge difference. The counselors were very patient with my resistance and had great ideas. They suggested I have a snack before my morning run and finish my breakfast when I came back.Not drinking coffee was also an issue as I love my coffee. I’m from the Pacific Northwest, I think coffee is delicious. Not just for the caffeine, more the taste and there is no real substitute. I’ve had to let go of that. When my body is in balance it can handle it, so that was another mental shift. I drink chai tea and a lot of herbal teas.

What would you say to a friend who read about Flo and felt it might be too much for them to handle, but could really benefit from the protocol?

Being forgiving with yourself is a really good thing. Getting started hardcore on a program, some people set the bar too high and then give up. Having accountability and support and being open about it is so important. You can talk to a trusted friend. The more you are open, the more people keep you accountable and then you want to stay on track. Also you need to set reasonable goals for yourself, which depends on whether you are already a healthy eater or not. You need to figure out your baseline and then make choices that make sense for you.

How have you personalized the protocol?

The workouts by cycle phase have been a big shift for me. Prior to the program I was obsessive about working out, like two to three hours a day. The program has helped me recognize to treat my body with love and tone down the workouts in my menstruation phase. It helps me notice if I am actually tired today and should do some yoga instead of going running. Even switching up the kinds of yoga I do in each phase has made a big difference.I used to also overload my schedule, so it’s really helpful for me to put the phases onto my calendar. I check these when I’m making meetings for work or social engagements with friends. I plan certain things for certain phases. I keep the second half of my cycle more clear and add more to the first half. I take on more socially in the first half and work it through my system.

How have you made shopping and cooking simple and easy? Do you have any tips you might share with others?

I wrote down on a piece of paper the different phases and then I divided it up into food, cooking style, exercise, social and then hormones. So I have my notes for each of those categories so I can glance at that paper and see what I need to eat that week. It helps me shopping and cooking. It helps me figure out whether I should roast, sauté or have a raw salad too. I love to go to the farmer’s market so it’s fun to know what to look out for and maybe try something new on the list. I tend to do weekend prep when I chop up fresh vegetables with my husband. I collect my favorite recipes that work well for each phase. I make big batches and put that in the freezer – curries, chili, etc I also use that for lunches-to-go.

What are some of your favorite ready-to-eat items that you grab on the go? What do you do for snacks?

I cook my own snacks and quick lunches mostly, but I do get Kind bars and I stick nuts in my bag. Lately I have been into making chia pudding with chia seeds and almond milk or coconut milk with berries on top. I also eat hummus and carrots a lot. As a treat I might have blue corn chips, the Food for Life brand.

What did you eat yesterday for breakfast/lunch/dinner?

I’m in my luteal phase right now and it’s cold outside, so I am focusing on warming foods and the phase foods together. I had egg with mushroom and kale on teff bread (my company’s creation made of brown rice and millet) for breakfast. Then for lunch I had some baked squash from the night before with beet greens and hummus. I’m looking to eat more red meat right now, and my husband’s family hunts, so we had venison from them in the evening. I had a big roasted vegetable stew on the side too with broccoli, zucchini, onions, beans, and tomatoes. A big bowl of that.

What's your favorite restaurant and what do you order?

I love Indian curries. I love the korma with cashews and coconuts, which I think is really good during the ovulatory phase. I have saag, which is a spinach based curry that you can get without the cream and add chicken or lamb, depending on which phase you are in. I love Thai stirfrys, which are good for the follicular phase. During the menstrual phase I love Pho, the Vietnamese soup, with a really good bone broth base and mushrooms and seaweed.In terms of national chains I really like Chipotle. They use meat that is hormone-free, from nicely raised animals. You can get good taco bowls and you get to choose your meat and veggies according to the time of month you are in.

Have you recommend Flo Living to a friend or family member?

I’ve told every female I know (if there’s not a TMI issue)! Everyone I work with at my company is reading the book, we’re all girls together. We are going to actually get together once a month to discuss WomanCode and share our ideas. My business partner and I are even doing meal sharing following the protocol. I’ve been shouting it from the rooftops! Support from friends is a huge thing for me. When you go through the cleanse phase, it’s so much easier when you have friends doing that with you. You can more easily get through it, share recipes, and talk about it.

What does your husband think about Flo?

He is excited my hormones are back to functioning order. He’s super supportive. And with the whole moon thing, he’s like, there’s definitely something to it! Plus he loves all the meals we’re creating for each phase.

BONUS: Ashley’s FLO friendly Recipes

Follicular

Zesty Zucchini BreadAvocado Ginger MuffinsAlmond Butter Oat CookiesCrispy Chicken Tenders

Ovulatory

Shrimp Gumbo with Skillet CornbreadAmazing Fried Veggies Raspberry Pecan SconesStrawberry Pistachio Muffins

Luteal

Apple & Raisin Nut MuffinsSweet Potato Pancakes with Apple Molasses SauceCinnamon Date Muffins

Menstrual Phase

Crispy Beet ChipsBlueberry Lemon Muffins

Now, we want to hear from you!

First: Have you experienced long stretches of time where your period disappears? What happened?Second: Have you gotten back in your FLO? We'd love to hear you story and feature you!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 quiz 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 quiz!

During my first Facebook Chat on Yahoo Health 2 weeks ago, although the topic was sex and libido, everyone was asking me why they were so tired and what they could do about it. So I wanted to bring my thoughts and functional nutrition know-how here to you! It's so nice to do this healthy living stuff together.Ideally, you would fall asleep easily around 10pm, wake up refreshed around 6am and you not wake up at all in the middle of the night.Why is this ideal? Not because your mom wants you to do it, but because it syncs perfectly with your adrenal output of cortisol. Cortisol in the right concentration is actually a big part of what wakes you up in the morning without an alarm clock.Tweetable: FLOsleep means I don’t even need an alarm to wake up!I too struggled with sleep and fatigue for years due to my hormonal issues. In addition to being overloaded with estrogen, deficient in good gut bacteria, chronically sick, overweight, hypoglycemic, not to mention missing periods - I couldn't fall asleep until 1 or 2 am and I couldn't drag myself out of bed in the morning - and that grog-fog would not lift until after lunch.So I've lived this situation like you might be experiencing it now, and I'm here to tell you, you can fix this with food and some lifestyle changes!By the way, I don't use an alarm anymore because I fixed my cortisol issues. Frankly I hate that jarring noise first thing in the morning, it’s definitely not good for the adrenals.

Disconnected Sleep Cues

The biggest issue we face is that we somehow get it in our heads that we should push past our fatigue. We learn this at an early age and we lose the ability to feel the cues for sleep that our body is sharing with us. I see this with my daughter now. She gets tired, rubs her eyes, wants a little sip off the nip, a cuddle, and then she's out. There's no fighting it, it's a routine and she sleeps often!We on the other hand, push, push, push, and get so wired and chronically fatigued-feeling, that we can't discern our bodies system shutdown signals for immediate sleep.

What's your sleep story?

1 - can't fall asleep until super late = you're getting a surge of cortisol too late in the evening and it's keeping you awake2 - wake up around 3am = toxic liver3 - super light sleeper, any little thing wakes you up = vitamin K deficient4 - wake up super groggy = hypoglycemia5 - wake up to urinate = magnesium deficiencyThe long term solution here of course are the first 3 steps of the FLO protocol - stabilize your blood sugar, heal your adrenals, and detox from estrogen. However, I want to put you on a path to better sleep THIS WEEK so I've also got some quick fixes for you to try.

FLO Fix:

1 - late night cortisol surge - take oat straw tincture at 5pm and 8pm2 - toxic liver - take milk thistle at 3pm and 6pm3 - light sleeper - calcium w/vit K4 - foggy wake up - no carbs at dinner5 - chronic urination - take magnesium glycinate dailyEat this today to sleep better tonight!Of course supplements alone won’t fix your sleep issues, so I wanted to make sure you had a better sleep meal plan - each of these meals have been curated with foods that address all 5 Sleep Pattern Problems!B: Steel cut oatmeal with bananas, blueberries, and flaxL: Buckwheat brussels sprout salad with sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and a dressing of mustard, lemon juice, coconut oilD: 4 oz turkey tenderloin, spaghetti squash primavera with zucchini, peas, broccoli florets,and shitake mushroomsOther Sleep Promoting Essentials:For those of you who are really needing support, add these lifestyle changes to the food and supplements listed above:1 - No Caffeine - try Kukicha Twig Tea by Choice Organics or Organic Rooibos Chai2 - Install an App - Use a blue light filter on your laptop to decrease the stimulating light you receive from your devices3 - Move - 20 minutes - anything you can do - walking, stairs, yoga4 - Orgasm - But, not with your vibrator! Get in bed, spend some time, and fall asleep right after!

Now, we want to hear from you!

First: What's your sleep story?Second: Which #FLOsleep fix are you going to try tonight?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!

Are you in a Kale and Broccoli rut? Do you keep meaning to try new greens but you don’t know where to start? Do you struggle with the symptoms of excess estrogen: acne, bloating, irritability, fatigue, insomnia, low libido, infertility, and period problems?

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If your answer is yes, it’s time to take the 4 week FLO Food challenge!

‍One of the great things about the WomanCode diet is that it truly simplifies your food shopping experience. By cutting down on waste and streamlining your weekly meal plan, eating in your Flo will also shrink your spending dramatically.

Most people expect any major lifestyle change to be both costly and time-consuming. Flo Living is the opposite, especially when it comes to my diet protocol. I created this for women just like me who are busy building businesses, families, and having fun.  

Give yourself time to get used to this new way of thinking, eating, and shopping. It won’t be second nature right away, but it won’t take long.

‍Click here to check out how other successful women organize their pantries and shopping lists.

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Here’s how it works:

Each phase of your hormone cycle (a phase is usually one week in length give or take, so it's perfect for scheduling your regular weekly grocery run) correlates to a new set of meats, grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and seafood for your menu. I want you to start with just ONE change. And I want this one change to make a BIG difference in your health!  

So, the 4 week FLO Food challenge was born! It’s totally easy - pick a few veggies from the lists below based on where you are in your cycle and eat them that week. Change the veggies for each of the 4 weeks. That’s it!I created a handy reference for you to shop the produce aisle or farmer’s market so you get more GREENS in during the right times of your cycle! Most symptoms that occur from hormonal imbalance issues are the result of excess estrogen. These foods here support the metabolization of estrogen through your elimination organs and the removal of that unwanted excess from your body.  By incorporating these greens at these specific times, you enhance your body’s ability to metabolize estrogen and your symptoms will disappear.

‍The big question: Do I always have to eat with my cycle? Actually, no.(I bet you weren’t expecting that answer!)I just want to get you started eating in your FLO or Cycle-Syncing as I call it. I know how powerful it is, and even trying just the veggie piece of this will change your health for the better! So, take this guide with you to the supermarket or farmer’s market and as long as you make sure the majority of what you buy is in alignment with your cycle phase you’ll be feeling great in no time! You can add in foods from the other phases depending on what you want and what’s in season. All of these foods are healthy and hormonally supportive.

‍What if my Cycle is Off? The majority of women have a cycle that is too long or too short.  All the more reason to start cycle-syncing your diet to get back into proper FLO time!However, if you don’t know where to start because you are not sure where you are in your cycle right now for whatever reason, you have 2 options:Beginner - just start this week as your follicular week and continue on from there.Advanced - google the moon phases for this month and follow accordingly (the full moon indicates the ovulatory phase, new moon is menstrual, waning moon is luteal, waxing moon is follicular).

Your 4 Week FLO Food Challenge Shopping Guide

Follicular phase (before you ovulate, after your period) Artichoke, broccoli, carrot, parsley, green peas, string beans and zucchini

‍Ovulatory phase (when you’re ovulating) Asparagus, brussels sprouts, chard, escarole, scallion, spinach

‍Luteal phase (before you have your period) Cauliflower, collard greens, daikon, onion, parsnip, radish, squash, sweet potato

‍Menstrual phase (your period) Beet, kale, kelp, mushrooms

So, you’ve decided to stop taking the Pill? You’ve just made a huge step towards getting in your Flo and embracing all the benefits of hormonal health!

I’ve supported thousands of women in coming off the Pill successfully and I’m going to share with you the steps they take to make this a smooth transition.

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Coming off cold-turkey, as it were, can be tough. Your body suddenly has to manage and balance it’s own hormones plus any symptoms of hormonal imbalance the Pill was suppressing can, and usually will, come flooding back.

However, I’ve developed a tried-and-tested strategy.

‍Jen is one of those women I’ve helped. Here’s her story:“

After coming off the Pill, I was not getting my period and experiencing cystic acne.  I was put on the Pill by my gynecologist years before, when I was told I had PCOS and was not ovulating.  I knew that prescription didn't feel right, but I was young and had no other options at the time.It was within the first 2 months of following the Flo Living protocol that I actually got a period.  So, that certainly was a positive change! Other smaller changes started happening sooner.  It was great having the support while coming off. I had tried other times to do so before this experience and when it got difficult, I resorted back to the Pill. So, having that support and encouragement to continue was helpful immediately.Learning things like the benefits of honoring my body through it's changes were important keys to my personal balance.  I am coming up on my 3rd anniversary next month and I’m happy to report that I am getting my period regularly!”Why is the Pill harmful to your health? Let me give you a rundown here.

The best way to tackle this transition

First thing of course, is talk to your doctor!  Let him or her know that you want to come off the pill.  Then before you actually stop taking the pill, start following the Flo Living protocol. Cycle-synching your diet and exercise while you’re actually still taking the Pill can make this transition so much gentler on your endocrine system and save you a lot of the post-Pill side effects women report like acne, insomnia, mood swings and irregular cycles.

Your body can begin the process of detoxification and recalibration, readying for a Pill-free lifestyle. The Pill depletes your body of vital vitamins and minerals, eating in a hormonally-supportive way will help correct this.

While on the Pill, you don’t have a follicular phase and you don’t ovulate. Get in your Flo anyway by assuming your “period” (or withdrawal bleed when on those sugar pills) is your menstrual phase, the next week is your follicular, then ovulatory, then luteal and so on.

I hope you’ll see how much better you feel and be excited rather than nervous to take the next step when you will reap the opportunities your natural hormones can give!Once you’ve been in your Flo for a few months it’s time to trash those Pill packets:

Step one: Track your periodIf your periods return quickly and they become regular, great! If not, then it’s likely that there is an underlying health problem that I recommend you address naturally with food changes. Many women do find it takes months for their period to show up and then it is sporadic. Getting in your Flo before you stop the Pill and using my eating plan during the transition will help you avoid this.

Step two: Re-establish gut flora!The Pill has ravaged your internal microbial eco-system. The longer you’ve been taking it the worse the impact on your body. When you’re on the Pill eating good, clean, healthy foods is the best way to start the healing process. Continue nourishing your body in this way as you come off and you’ll heal quickly. Supplements alone won’t help enough as they’re not as easy to absorb when you’re suffering with the intestinal inflammation the Pill creates.  But there are two that really can help improve gut flora and reduce inflammation.The first is a good probiotic - I like Jarrow.The second is a combo of NAC and L-Glutamine. This will help to heal your intestines and so improve absorption of all the great nutrients you’ll be getting from eating in your Flo.

Step three: Make more of your own hormones!

1. Start taking a really good B vitamin complex right now. It’s the one vitamin that will make a difference in a large dose even when you’re still on the Pill. When you come off it will smooth out the inevitable mood changes that follow. You can also mix a lot more buckwheat, quinoa and oats into your daily meals.

2. Eat lots of good quality fats and amino acids - this is what hormones are made from and what your body needs to start making more of its own and fast. If you can and do eat animal protein have fish and organic poultry as well as pasture-fed eggs (including their yolks). Olive oil and avocados too!  You must eat fats in order to stabilize hormones.

Here’s a tip: there are more amino acids in bee pollen than steak!

3. A lot of women deal with estrogen dominance after the Pill. Leafy greens are the absolute best way to combat this problem. Tuck into kale, chard, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and more (and at every meal if you can!).

Don’t forget! Unless you’re trying to get pregnant, for contraception you’ll need to combine an intimate knowledge of your cycle with using one or two barrier methods (and maybe add in a natural spermicide) every time you have sex. I love L-condoms!!

A big part of FLO Living is learning to embrace cooking simple, tasty, healthy meals at home and to have fun experimenting with recipes using your cycle-synched food plan.But I know that it’s also fun to have someone else cook for you sometimes.I also know how important it is for you to be able to enjoy birthday dinners and date nights at restaurants without having anxiety about what you should eat.More than that, eating out done properly does not have to set you back in terms of your hormonal health goals. You can use each dining experience to help you continue your work to restore your period health, improve your fertility, and boost your sex drive, energy and mood.

Tweet: I no longer look at eating out as an opportunity to “indulge” in unhealthy ways, but instead support my FLO when I’m out. @Floliving

I wanted to share my best strategies with you - this is exactly what I do when I go out to eat to stay on protocol and in the FLO!

Eating out Strategy 1: My Magic Menu Formula

I love this! I build my meal from the appetizers and side dishes (this is where all the good grains and veggies tend to be). What I love about this is that I can get a few of each thing, share with whoever I’m eating with and I get to experience more of the menu. A bunch of small dishes will make the meal more enjoyable, entertaining and more filling.

Eating out Strategy 2: Enlist the Support of your Server

I find that just being transparent with the server at the beginning BEFORE ordering always makes my experience so much better. Don’t wait until your food comes out to tell the server that you wanted specific healthy changes made. Let him or her know you are a sensitive eater and ask for low sodium, low fat, dairy free prep.

Eating out Strategy 3: Pick the Right Cuisines

Let’s face it, some cuisines are healthier in nature. You’ve gotta pick the right restaurant to make it easier on yourself. So for example, even though my heritage is Italian, I almost NEVER eat out at Italian restaurants. Why? Because it’s a GLUTEN and DAIRY nightmare for someone who can’t eat those things. I don’t like to feel limited. So I’ve learned to find cuisines that are much easier to work with and give me TONS of options on the menu - I love to feel abundant when I eat out!My favorite go to’s are French, Japanese, and Greek.French - they have the lock down on the fluffiest omelettes and I love eggs as a meal ANY time of day ;)Japanese - I opt for the yakitori (grilled small plates) style and unusual veggies like lotus root and seaweed.Greek - Try the horta - I am obsessed with these! They are some magical greek leafy green kind of like kale and swiss chard had a baby with kick. This and grilled fish and hummus - done!

Eating out Strategy 4: Don’t distinguish between Lunch and Dinner

It goes against tradition - but just don’t have the sandwich. It’s very unlikely you’ll find somewhere that uses organic grain for the bread, which means you’ll be eating grain soaked in RoundUp pesticide, which is an endocrine disrupting chemical. A salad for lunch is not my favorite as it typically doesn’t give you the hormone stabilizing nutrition you need. If you do take the salad, of course leave out those creamy dressings, the bacon and the blue cheese. I am just looking for my lunch to be as nourishing as my dinner. So I want protein, grains, greens. If I’m eating out, and there’s nothing suitable on the lunch menu, I’ll order more dinner style again from the appetizers and side dish sections.

Eating out Strategy 5: Eat Baby Food

Here’s the deal...Tweet: I pack smart to snack smart.I KNOW for certain that when I’m out and about, when my blood sugar needs a boost, I will not be anywhere near food that’s good for my FLO - so I just don’t leave it up to chance.I keep 3 things in my day bag at all times.1 - My own organic caffeine free teas - I am a tea afficionado, so I find the choices at most coffee shops and restaurants are really boring - I mean can we have other choices besides mint and chamomile?

2 - Pure Organic Bars - the BEST organic fruit nut bar on the market - any flavor - any time!3 - BABY FOOD!!! - I know this seems crazy, but you MUST try this - it’s going to change your life! Several years ago, Happy Family Baby Food came out with these ingenious BPA free squeeze pouches full of their delicious organic baby food blends. Pumpkin, Apple, Peach, Cinnamon and Apple, Beet, Banana are two of my favorites. There’s nothing in there that’s bad, it’s portion controlled AND if it’s good for baby, it’s totally good for you!Bonus - When I fly, I also pack some travel size bags of Purely Elizabeth granola, a satisfying mix of chia, ancient grains and seeds with no refined sugars. I mix some of this with a Happy Baby pouch and I’m all set!

Now, I want to hear from you!

First: Tell me which strategy you’re going to try from my list and why. Second: Tell me YOUR best eating out strategy! #FLOonthego The best tips will be featured here. 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 quiz 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.Sign up here to get your quiz![gravityform id="1" name="Sign up here to get your quiz!" title="false" description="false"]

Get my guide - The 5 C’s of Self-Pleasure

Fifty Shades of Grey the movie is about to drop. It’s gonna be interesting! Regardless of the quality of the film, anything that helps women get in touch with their pleasure and turns them on is fantastic.

If you find yourself hormonally imbalanced plus busy, and therefore relying on your vibrator to get the job done fast, so to speak, you may be robbing your body of a key hormone balancing opportunity.

Doing self-pleasure correctly, however, will restore regular cycles, clear your skin and create an overall healthier hormonal balance.

‍Tweet: Orgasm balances hormones!

‍Here’s the deal - the problem with vibrators is that they bypass the plateau phase of orgasm.

The plateau or orgasmic phase is the continuation of your initial arousal, before you climax. The longer the plateau the more nitric oxide and oxytocin your body produces. This has healing benefits for the whole endocrine system and advantages include a more regular cycle, clearer skin and increased immunity. Here I share more about how getting hot and heavy is good for your health.

A vibrator sends you quickly to climax, sure, but you’re missing out on a lot of the goodness of a full orgasmic experience. You also might find you have that “fried” feeling afterwards, meaning you can’t hope for multiple orgasms, and who doesn’t hope for those?!‍

Sexy Brain

‍It can seem daunting to give up the buzz.  You turn the device on and then immediately turn yourself on. When you commit to going device free, you have got to use your brain a bit to get the party started.

Reading erotica is a wonderful way for women to get in the mood and warm themselves up to receiving accessory-free pleasure.  Take a wander around Literotica.com where you can find free fantasy tales of all different genres.  You may even find your new Fifty Shades-style favorite there!

Feeding your Orgasm

If you’ve been having trouble reaching climax or wanting to even try, you’ll first need to rebalance your progesterone, estrogen and testosterone levels. This will help to get all the neurochemicals involved in your arousal buzzing.The best way to do this is with food - healthy fats like avocados, nuts and seeds especially - plus a daily supplement of vitamin C with bioflavonoids and ashwagandha. Read more about my eating strategies for improving your sex drive here.Tweet: Avocados make me hot ;)

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‍Pleasure Research

‍Investigate some new strategies from some sexperts! Three favorites on my bookshelf:

‍The Emergence of the Sensual WomanMama Gena’s School of Womanly ArtsThe Illustrated Guide to Extended Massive Orgasm

The 5 C’s of self-pleasure:

Getting handy gives you way more hormonal bang for your pleasure! Start with 30 minutes once a week and build from there.

1. Center - Do what you need to do to feel calm and centered - light candles, draw a hot bath, change to fresh sheets on the bed, play music...whatever you like.
2. Circle - avoid your nipples, areolae and clitoris for the first fifteen minutes. Stimulate your inner thighs, hips, innerarms, abdomen and upper chest with your hands.
3. Clitoris -  Use Aloecadabra on your clitoris. Take time to experience the plateau phase and create a building orgasmic sensation instead of focusing on the climax. Stimulate your inner labia and areas around clitoris to see what works for you.
4. Climax -  When you feel you’re ready to climax, use your hands, or, this is the time to take out the vibrator and set it to the very lowest setting.
5. Calm -  Be sure to allow yourself a proper resolution phase. This means staying still and quiet for a few minutes after climax. Relax and put one hand on your heart and the other on your belly. Breathe and just be with yourself for a while to soak in all those sensations.

Many of the women I’ve worked with over the years have struggled to maintain their otherwise healthy eating habits when they’re in their pre-menstrual or luteal phase. It’s then that their resolve is weakest. I get it - the intense cravings that PMS brings can derail the best of us.But I’ve also met with many women too for whom a day that doesn’t start with coffee and end with a big bowl of pasta is rare. Their cravings become the crutches that get them through the work week.Maintaining a nourishing, nurturing diet to balance your hormones throughout your cycle will go a long way towards lessening the urge to reach for unhealthy foods.Tweetable: The cure for PMS cravings is food!I help women tackle the root cause of why they feel that they just have to have something that they really shouldn’t. I also know that sometimes having a healthy, tasty alternative on hand can work wonders in curbing an urgent appetite.

Gotta have it...

Coffee - why do I feel like I need it? Your coffee habit is the result adrenal fatigue. Your body is lacking cortisol and desperately desires a boost to get you through the day.What’s the alternative?You don’t need to go cold turkey, a step down method will be much more effective and long-lasting. Try a yerba mate tea instead. This will still provide the caffeine you crave, but most women find it has less of the unpleasant side effects associated with coffee, like the anxiety and jitters. Transition after a few weeks to kukicha tea, which has a nutty, non-herbal flavor profile as it’s made from roasting the twigs that grow right below tea leaves. Kukicha still contains some caffeine, but not enough to negatively impact your health. Mixing kukicha with Oatstraw and Holy Basil tea will help support your adrenals and bring them back in balance.Chocolate - why do I have to have it NOW?Your fixation on chocolate comes down to one of two health issues - a magnesiumdeficiency or an overgrowth of bad bacteria and yeast in your gut, which makes you crave sugar. If this craving really gets you when your pre-menstrual, start taking magnesium supplements daily.What’s the alternative?The GREAT news here is that chocolate is a superfood and I eat a little chocolate most days myself, BUT it’s all about what kind of chocolate you have. Chocolate with dairy and sugar is a no-go, but good quality, organic, dark chocolate with minimal or, even better, no sugar or dairy at all is not only a great alternative, but actually good for you. Try my favorite brand Endangered Species.You can actually get a lot of chocolate into your diet by getting creative with raw cacao powder. Add that to smoothies, sprinkle on fruit salad, or try out this recipe for delicious Chocolate Buckwheat Pancakes.Tweetable: Chocolate is good for my PMSPasta - why do I dream about it?When only white carbs will do - be that a big pile of spaghetti or a loaf of white bread - typically it’s blood sugar instability and vitamin B deficiency that’s the problem behind-the-scenes. Your hormones are finding it hard to help you gage real hunger pangs and forcing you into a frenzy. Often a routine of eating very little or sporadically during the day leads to a huge white carb-heavy dinner.What’s the alternative?Instead of feeling like you need to eliminate this food group altogether, it’s better to incorporate healthy carbs into your daily meals. That’s oatmeal for breakfast, buckwheat at lunch, quinoa for dinner - these will all fill you up quicker than white bread and white pasta, keep your blood sugar stable, boost B vitamin stores, plus they will curb the cravings. Eating well and regularly will also help you avoid that end of day crash and the resulting carbo-load. Soda - what’s my problem?Your taste for soda is springing from dehydration. The salt (yes, salt!) in soda makes you crave it all the more. That addictive sweet/salty profile pushes you to need more liquid to quench the thirst it itself has caused, and so you drink yet more soda. Clever, right?What’s the alternative?Increasing electrolytes is the best way to combat dehydration. Coconut water has a similarly sweet taste to soda, as well as that appealing salty twang. But it’s also hydrating and will heal the damage done to your body by a soda habit. Then there’s always carbonated water with a little fruit juice mixed in.If you find you’re craving saltiness in general try swapping out the table salt and sea salt in your pantry for the nutrient-rich Himalayan pink salt (now in most supermarkets) to satisfy that need.Steak - what’s the reason?If this is an overwhelming urge you likely have an iron deficiency. By all means, have some steak when you’re in your pre-menstrual or luteal phase! I’d prefer you to have bison or lamb organic/grassfed in this situation rather than a greasy diner burger. If you don’t like or want to eat red meat, or if you just can’t seem to get enough ever, then you might need to supplement your diet to up those iron levels.What’s the alternative?Take liquid chlorophyll. It’s only one molecule different from hemoglobin and instead of iron has magnesium at its center, which is essential for alleviating symptoms of hormonal imbalance. It’s a much better healer of anemia than iron supplements (or steak!) for women.Good things come in threes:

Now, I want to hear from you!

First: Tell me what you are craving! If it's not mentioned here, I'll cover it next time. Second: We can #cutcravings together! What do you reach for instead of the cookie jar? 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!

Many women come to me believing that eating right and eating well is too expensive for their budget and way too time-consuming. We have been seduced into thinking stocking up on pre-packaged foods and frozen dinners or eating fast food actually saves us money as well as time.But here at FLO Living we cook once on Sunday and maybe once if needed on Thursday.And what we cook can cut your grocery bill in half.How does that work?I KEEP IT SIMPLE.I would LOVE to get all cheffy in the kitchen more often - I’m a great cook, BUT, I’ve got a 3 month old, a business to run, and a body to care for - so for me, I don’t go nuts with recipes.I just boil, bake, or saute and that’s that! I find that taking the pressure of perfection off makes it much more enjoyable for me to cook and ensures that I do in fact get the cooking handled for the week.Here’s what fed me and my family this week (well, the baby got breastmilk, and that’s free!):Quinoa - I cooked enough (2 cups dry) at the weekend to last through the week.Tuscan kale, swiss chard, cilantro saute - two heads of the kale and chard and one of cilanto lasted us the whole week.

Chicken soup - I took one organic whole chicken and cooked it up with carrots, celery and onions at the start of the week and we had it every day.Salmon fillets with sweet potatoes - I roasted these together and made several meals at once.I always keep a dozen eggs in the fridge for making scramble for breakfast.I also always have oatmeal on hand, which I mix with cinnamon, sunflower seeds and apple sauce.Plus avocados and Garden of Life Black Rice Bread for my favorite Avo Toast snack.And OF COURSE, dark chocolate - my favorite (and though it’s probably not true, it feels like I’ve sampled ALL the chocolate brands out there) is Endangered Species 72% dark chocolate.

Invest in you

The dollars invested in my weekly diet are a deductible against my long term health costs.Think back to last year and how many days you had to take off for doctor’s visits and cramps due on your hormone imbalances. Not to mention the decreased immunity that comes with adrenal fatigue creating regular sick days.Having spent a long time suffering with poor health myself, I know this all too well.You might now be seeing your mother struggling with health issues, medical bills piling up - health issues that are rooted in a lifetime of unhealthy eating and unresolved hormone imbalances.Thanks to the findings of the BioCycle Study from the NIH, we know that unresolved PMS and other period issues in your 20s and 30s, increase your risk for serious illnesses like heart disease and cancer post-menopausally.

If we’re not spending money on what we’re eating, we’re definitely spending the money with the doctor and specialists, on drugs and surgeries.Or we’re spending money on products that promise to cure or hide our acne and expensive monthly facials.We’re hoarding products we hope will make our hair thicker and glossier or shelling out on waxing treatments to get rid of the excess hair we don’t want.We’re shelling out thousands of dollars to make our cramps go away, get our sex drive back, lose weight, or get pregnant.And then chronic colds and flu are keeping us out of work and making us fall behind with our career plan.I know all this because I’ve been there, done that.If I’d continued another decade that way, there is no way I could have hoped to give birth at 38 without the help of IVF, which is extremely expensive and entirely unhealthy.

How do I do it?

I’m not only a functional nutritionist, I’m also a coach and I can tell you that the secret to staying in the FLO comes from a key mindset shift.In fact, this shift has been researched by major universities and they have found that this is the one key to having your life turn out optimally.

Here’s the secret shift:

If you can overcome your tendency to focus on present, immediate pleasures (like having those cupcakes) and instead delay your gratification and in fact find pleasure in new healthy behaviors (like eating dark chocolate squares instead), you will be setting yourself up, ironically enough, for more short term AND long term good health!Once you make this change and concentrate on overall quality of life, your whole future will be better for it, as will your family’s.It will save you money, save you time AND save your present and future health and that of everyone that you care for - budgeting for hormonal health never looked so good!And, good things come in threes, so:

I want to hear from you!

First: Tell me what you’re going to try from my prescription above and why.Second: Join us online to share how you #flothrifty with your recipes and ideas for keeping cooking simple and inexpensive. The best meals and tips will be featured there.Third: You know every one you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and click our social button below to share this article!

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 quiz 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 quiz!

"I got a regular period back!"Read how Flo Living helped Allie get a regular period back, cure her PMS symptoms, and balance her blood sugar after getting off the pill. Allie is 26 years-old and from Indianapolis, Indiana. She is Head Chef and Kitchen Manager at Ezra’s Enlightened Cafe in her hometown - Indiana’s first organic and vegan cafe!After quitting the Pill, Allie’s periods went MIA. Her busy days at the restaurant were marred by the highs and crashes of imbalanced blood sugar. Even though she was surrounded by healthy food, she wasn’t feeling well and happy.Then a good friend introduced her to WomanCode.Within two months of following the Flo protocol with the support of Flo Living’s expert counselors Allie got her period back and regulated. Plus she got her blood sugar in balance, which meant no PMS symptoms or cramps for her and all the energy she needed.We chatted with Allie to find out more about how Flo Living transformed her life.How was your health when you found Flo Living?There were two health concerns I was experiencing before I found Flo Living.I had been trying to figure out a good routine for my diet, but was not succeeding. I was experiencing blood sugar crashes and working on cutting out foods that created this. I tried to create a routine by eating the same thing for breakfast every day, etc. It was challenging to find one meal that always made me feel great. I finally thought I had found the perfect breakfast meal. But one day, my blood sugar crashed a couple hours after and I experienced shakiness and hunger which was very confusing. I realized I also needed flexibility in my diet to support my changing daily life experiences.After telling a good friend of mine my frustrations, she told me about the ‘WomanCode.’ She let me borrow her book and my eyes were opened to a new possible way of eating where I could have both routine and flexibility. I learned about a way of eating that honored my femininity and was compatible with my body’s hormonal needs. I was so intrigued that I found the online program and enrolled.I have been searching for ways to completely get my period back on a regular cycle since getting off birth control pills the summer of 2012. In 2012, I read the book ‘The Red Tent,’ which changed my life by empowering me to quit taking the pill and get in touch with my own Sacred Feminine and moon cycle connection. After quitting the pill, I didn’t get my period for 7 months, then 4 months, then 7 months again. My periods were very slow to start and there was brown spotting for at least 5-7 days before the red blood actually came.After I started the Flo protocol it took only about one month or two to get my period back to arriving every 28 days. I now experience less days of brown before the red blood, and less cramping and more balanced energy during my menstrual phase. I feel more emotions of love and happiness that I want to express.How else did your health improve as a result of following the Flo Living protocol?

The biggest accomplish I have made in my health as a result of the protocol is learning how to regulate my blood sugar. Most days, I ate balanced meals, but when I became stressed and busy, I turned to sweets & chocolate for energy. This caused my blood sugar to drop, and I felt hungry, weak and shaky. So I would snack more and often times eat even more chocolate, to give me instant energy.Through the program, I learned that I was causing my blood sugar to spike and drop from the foods I was eating when stressed. I learned my body was experiencing an up and down default pattern with my blood sugar levels, which was affecting my adrenals and making me feel exhausted. Now, when I am stressed, I go to foods with more protein, I sit and breathe while I eat, and I keep a grateful attitude in my mind while I eat, trusting that the meal choices that I made are going to sustain me and nourish me. I have found a new trust in food and I am seeing the results when I follow this practice because I maintain energy longer with little cravings for sweets. This empowers me and makes me feel connected to my body in knowing I can take care and support it. Any time I feel tired and think of chocolate and sweets as a quick fix, I remind myself of the knowledge I received through the program and I remember that the key to having energy is to nourish my body-temple with foods that are supportive of my hormonal cycle and blood sugar. I find strength in that thought and this is enough to prevent me from returning to the chocolate, sugar, caffeine path because it only leads to more exhaustion.When I am eating balanced meals with enough protein, abstaining from chocolate and sugar as a means for energy, and getting enough sleep and water, my luteal phase is much more pleasant. I have less breast tenderness, less bloating, and more emotional happiness. Even the discomfort I feel in my lower abdomen feels more like a buzzing, singing sensation, rather than cramps. Also, the days I experience brown spotting before having red blood are fewer.How do you now feel when you are in each phase of your menstrual cycle?I have been keeping track of my monthly cycle since July, when I discovered the ‘WomanCode.’ I tracked how I felt emotionally, what I ate and foods I craved, how the moisture felt down in my lady parts, what was going on in my sex life, and what activities I felt inclined to participate in. I learned a lot about myself and my menstrual cycle.I know when I have entered follicular phase because suddenly I feel energized to take on new projects and make plans with friends or exercise. I feel lighter and feel like dressing in something cuter, rather than wearing comfy sweats as I do during my menstrual phase. Lighter foods like salads and juices seem to give me long sustained energy.I know when I am getting close to Ovulation because I am juicer down there and moisture is dropping down. The energy that I was feeling in my follicular phase is now a drive to really focus on executing my goals by putting more physical energy into whatever it is I started initiating during follicular such as working out, activities with friends and phone chats, or work goals. Ovulation is the time I feel most in touch with the physical movements of my body and how to operate it well.I continue to feel this way in the beginning half of Luteal and then suddenly, I want to focus my energies more on organizing, taking care of the cleanliness of my house, and sustaining my goals rather than delivering them at a high energy. When my menstrual cycle comes, I feel emotionally happy and grateful with the desire to express this. I find meaning in everything and I feel connected to all beings.What did you find difficult about the Flo Living protocol at first? How did you overcome this obstacle with the help of the counselors?

The most difficult process was the first process: Stabilizing my blood sugar. It seemed easy while watching the video and taking notes. But then actually incorporating this into my lifestyle was challenging. I have deep rooted patterns of using caffeine, sugar, or chocolate to give me a boost in energy which were very challenging to break.I started off going to bed earlier more routinely so I could have enough rest. I also decided to take a break from eating chocolate and sweets. Any time I felt a craving for chocolate or sweets, I reminded myself of how exhausted I feel when my blood sugar spikes. I mentally affirmed myself: “I am choosing to eat nourishing foods rather than chocolate because those foods add to my energy store box and support my adrenals rather than releasing that energy and crashing my system.” I found power in this thought pattern.My biggest test was when I had to work several long days in a row with little sleep. I didn’t think I would be able to make it through the last day without chocolate, sugar, or caffeine. That morning, I wrote on the Flo Living message Forums my dilemma and I received support and encouragement back from a Flo Living expert and another person going through the program. I felt supported in my choices and I ended up making it through the whole day without chocolate, sugar, or caffeine. I allowed myself more time to eat slowly during my breaks and breathe. I had steady energy the whole day and I was able to stay mentally and physically engaged at work. I was overjoyed with this experience because this was the first time in my life I was empowered enough to follow through with my goal. The Flo Living Expert checked up on me in an email later and it felt great to be supported. I shared my excitement with her.What would you say to a friend suffering with hormonal imbalance symptoms who had read about Flo Living, but felt it might be too difficult for them to follow?I would let them know that it is about one step at a time. I would share my personal experience and explain that this program actually helped make my life easier because it feels simpler to synch my life with my natural circadian rhythm. This new understanding helped me become compassionate with myself knowing how to work with my body to accomplish my goals rather than pushing myself when I needed rest.How have you personalized the protocol to suit your lifestyle?

Cooking is my greatest passion. I have had a delightful time creating new recipes for each phase. I have been taking pictures and posting them on my Instagram with little tidbits of info about the ingredients for women who are looking for foods to help regulate their cycle. I feel empowered by helping others. I believe that food is one aspect of many that Flo Living teaches.I have always felt a closeness with my feminine, goddess divine energy and I am always looking for ways to explore this further. Flo Living was truly a blessing to find because it encompasses both the food aspect and the Divine Feminine. It has been my longtime dream to write a cookbook for women to empower them, and I am highly motivated by everything I have learned through Flo Living to follow this dream.How have you made shopping and cooking simple and easy? Any tips you might like to share with others?Right as I feel like I am transitioning into the next phase (I keep track of my days in my planner as well), I create a list of foods to get from the grocery store with the Food Chart provided by Flo Living. I have been creating recipes each month so I now have a good amount as a base to use each month. I type up the recipes I create and I save them in a folder on my computer called “Eating in the Flo.” There are four folders within that folder: Follicular, Ovulatory, Luteal, and Menstrual. I look through these each month, or create new recipes. Sometimes I will see a couple items on the list that sound good to me and I will Google search these items in recipes.Plan out recipes before you go to the store and plan times to make them. I like to cook recipes in big batches all at once and eat off of them for the next 3-4 days. Sometimes I will make a big serving of soup and freeze it for next month during that phase. Or I will make big batches of energy bars or granola to store.My cabinets have jars with nuts/seeds for each phase and the phase is labeled on the jar. Because everything is categorized, I can look at it during the phase I am in and choose. It makes things simple.When I eat out I choose menu items that have an item on the Flo Living chart for the phase I am in (I have a lot of the chart memorized.) Sometimes I will just choose what sounds nourishing and supportive and I will focus on eating in the Flo at my house for my other meals. My focus (as promoted in Flo) is to operate out of Pleasure! So when I am out and there is nothing to eat in my protocol, I focus more on my environment, my friends, how I am feeling- excited to be out and having fun.

What are some of your favorite ready-to-eat items that you grab on the go? What do you take to work for lunch and a snack?Smoothie with Sunwarrior Protein Powder, greens and berries or fruit (greens & fruit change depending on the phase I am in)Carrot Oat MuffinEnergy Bites made with almonds or walnuts, dates and hemp seed (I make these ahead of time and store in freezer)½ avocadoAlmond butter + celeryFlax crackers & hummusI work at a healthy organic restaurant, so I usually make something at work that has something that will support the phase I am in.What did you eat yesterday for breakfast/lunch/dinner?Breakfast: Carrot Muffin with Oat flourLunch: Salad with greens, sauerkraut, avocado, pinto beans, cashew cheese, sproutsSnack: Juice with carrots and orangesDinner: Lentil Soup with zucchini & carrots and a small salad with balsamic & olive oil

What's your favorite restaurant and what do you order?My favorite restaurant is the one I work at, Ezra’s Enlightened Café! I have two favorite items. The first item is the Buddha Bowl which is a big salad and it has marinated kale, spring mix greens, sauerkraut, shredded beets & carrots, sprouts, avocado, lemon tahini dressing, falafel balls made from almonds and flax. I really like this dish because my body feels full after I eat it and it is fun to eat because it is so colorful.The second item I really like is the Nacho Mama’s Bean Bowl. This is made with slow cooked pinto beans, quinoa, greens, dairy free cashew cheez, avocado and sauerkraut. I like this item because it is heartier that the Buddha Bowl, and the pinto beans regulate my blood sugar.Have you recommend Flo Living to a friend or family member?Yes! I am always talking about it at work with my coworkers (most are female). Many ask me which foods they should choose for lunch to support the phase they are in. We have the book in our employee room. I met a friend in my community who also took the program and we chat regularly about it. My close friends and I gather during the new and full moon and set intentions and hold space for each other to share our life experiences. We often refer to and talk about ‘WomanCode.’ It is such a huge part of my life and is a popular topic in my community.What does your partner think about Flo?My fiancé says: “I am glad you are learning the science behind your Womanhood.” We plan to have children one day and by taking care of my body right now, I will have created a healthy and fertile system.Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First: Have you shared WomanCode with your friends?Second: Do you have a WomanCode discussion group? Let us know and we could feature you and your friends here!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 help getting your period back?

If you are struggling to get your period back on schedule like Allie did, I want to help you! Check out my article on Missing Periods that may shed some light on why you aren't getting your period back. If you've tried everything and still haven't gotten your period back you may want to consider fixing your symptoms with the Flo Protocol.

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 quiz 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 quiz!

If you or a loved one suffers from endometriosis, you don’t need me to tell you how painful and debilitating the condition can be.You also probably don’t need me to tell you that conventional medical interventions for endometriosis are limited—and far from ideal. There are some things science knows for sure about endometriosis—for example, that the condition involves inflammation, estrogen excess, and an abnormal immune response—but one of the things science doesn’t know about endometriosis is the best way to treat it. To date, Western medicine’s best tools for dealing with endometriosis are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or surgery. Both strategies are for pain control; neither one addresses root causes of the condition. But no woman with endometriosis needs to live without hope. Lifestyle strategies for reducing inflammation, strengthening the immune system, supporting the liver, and balancing hormones can make a huge difference in reducing symptoms and improving quality of life.

What is Endometriosis?

It is a painful, sometimes debilitating, condition that affects as many as one in 15 percent of women ages 15 to 44 in the United States. Endometriosis happens when endometrial tissue, which is normally found in the uterus, grows in places outside the uterus—places where it shouldn’t be. Most of the time this misplaced endometrial tissue lands on the ovaries or fallopian tubes or, painfully, on the abdomen. Because endometrial tissue responds to the same hormonal shifts that trigger the menstrual cycle, the pain associated with endometriosis will follow the same 28-day cycle as your period.Astonishingly, and sadly, many women with endometriosis aren’t diagnosed right away. The average delay in diagnosis is almost seven years. Seven years! This means many women suffer with terrible, sometimes crippling, endometriosis-related pain for the better part of a decade, thinking that it is just severe period problems. Endometriosis can happen to any menstruating women. But why the condition strikes some women and not others is not entirely clear. Some women may be genetically predisposed. Two other factors are: (1) a faulty immune system response—in women with endometriosis, the immune system fails to destroy the endometrial tissue that lands outside the uterus—and (2) excess estrogen in the body. Unfortunately, and simply by virtue of the world we live in today, excess estrogen in women (and many men) is more the norm than the exception. Inflammation also plays a role. And inflammation, like estrogen excess, is driven by lifestyle. What we eat and the toxins we are exposed to (and how well our bodies can detox them) drive inflammation and hormone imbalances.

Your 14-Step Guide to Addressing Endometriosis with Lifestyle & Diet

You can work to reduce inflammation, balance hormones, and support your immune system with food and lifestyle. Here’s what I recommend for helping ease endometriosis symptoms.

1. Start by limiting—and eventually eliminating—exposure to toxic forms of estrogen found in household cleaners, cosmetics, and bathroom products. Go through your house with a fine tooth comb and:
2. Replace cosmetic and body care products with natural alternatives, this includes, soap, shampoo, hair styling products, deodorant, lotions, cosmetics, and perfumes
3. Replace standard laundry soap with green alternatives. You can now find many clean alternatives on the shelves of big box stores, sitting side by side with the old (toxic) standbys. Clean alternatives are comparable in price and work just as well. You can opt for unscented products or products that have been scented with natural fragrance.
5. Replace household cleaning products with clean alternatives. You can buy effective products at almost all big box stores or you can make your own, which is cheaper and healthier. The main ingredients in most DIY cleaning products are vinegar and baking soda.
7. Take off your shoes at the door (and ask your guests to do the same). A lot of pesticides and other hormone-disrupting chemicals are tracked in on the bottom of shoes. Stopping those chemicals in their tracks is a great way to protect yourself!
8. Just say no to pesticides and other chemicals in your food. Shop organic exclusively if you can. If you are on a budget, avoid the dirty dozen (or buy them organic) and feel okay about buying the clean 15 even when not organic.
9. Emphasize dark leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, low-glycemic fruits like berries and other high-fiber foods to support gut health and help your liver carry out important detox functions. The liver is responsible for breaking down and eliminating excess estrogen, and cruciferous vegetables directly support that detox process.
10. Eat more healthy fats like those found in olive oil, coconut oil, and avocados. Healthy fats help support healthy hormone ratios in the body.
11. Emphasize lean animal protein over other kinds of meat. They are less inflammatory.
12. Limit red meat. Studies have linked red meat consumption with increased risk for endometriosis.
13. Help kick your immune system into high gear with immune-supportive foods like carrots, kale, cabbage, broccoli, beets, artichokes, lemons, onions, garlic, and leeks.
14. Limit sugar. Sugar fuels inflammation.
15. Use targeted herbal support to further support liver detox and speed up estrogen metabolism. Think milk thistle, flax seeds, and dandelion root.
16. Take evening primrose oil to decrease inflammation.
17. Reduce or eliminate dairy, wheat, alcohol, and caffeine to improve your immune response.
18. Take a probiotic to rebalance gut flora and support estrogen metabolism.
19. Use Vitex and a B6 supplement daily to balance out excess estrogen.
20. If you consult a doctor for your endometriosis, ask some key questions.

If you’re reading this article because your friend, sister, or family member is struggling with this condition, share this article with her!Too many women believe the myth that endometriosis has to ruin your life every month.And 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

BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

Because you've asked for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, I 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 by FLO Living Supplement Kit

I talk a lot about cycle syncing your eating habits here at the Flo blog, but what about that other essential part of healthy living - exercise?I have been an avid exerciser for the past 18 years - in fact the longest I’ve gone without daily exercise was during my third trimester when I developed pretty intense sciatica from my pregnancy - had to walk with a cane and everything ;) Other than that long break, I have been walking, running, hiking, biking, dancing, taking group fitness, yoga and pilates for years. Of course, I don’t do the same workout day in and day out. In fact it’s one of my secrets to having lost 60 lbs. so effortlessly - was that not only did I sync up my eating to my hormones, but I also synced up my workouts to my cycle! It works like nothing else you’ve tried because it’s working with the flow of your hormones, not against them which is so often why weight becomes “stubborn".Tweet: “It’s not the fat, it’s the way you’re working out against your hormonal patterns!” @flolivingTo really get the most out of optimizing your hormones and health, you should change up your workout routine to fit your cycle phase in much the same way as you do your diet. Your body is primed for different kinds of activity across your cycle, just as its looking for different kinds of nutrition through the four phases. You’ll lose more weight and feel fitter if you tune to what feels most natural.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s best for your body in each phase:

Follicular phase: This is a great time to start a new class. You’ll have the energy and the motivation to take on a different style of workout and give it your all.Ovulatory phase: Your body can take on strenuous exercise now like running and weight lifting. You’ll also be yearning to socialize and meet new people, which means group classes for spinning or dancing will be fun and enjoyable.Luteal phase: When you’re heading towards your menstrual phase you might feel like scaling back on intense exercise. Pick up on some walking, vinyasa yoga and pilates to go easier on your body.Menstrual phase: A time for rest and recovery with no guilt! Stretch a little, walk, do some light yoga to keep moving, but let your body take a few days to repair and reset. You’ll have more to give mentally and physically in your next cycle if you allow for this short break.Fitness and yoga instructor and FLO Living fan, Emily Sonnenberg, created some special cycle synched routines just for FLO Living, which we are sharing with you all today.Her four workouts make it easy for you to keep moving and stay in your FLO from the comfort of your own living room. She also is sharing her story of how she got off the pill, found her soul mate, lost 25 lbs, cleared up her cystic acne by changing her diet and workouts according to the FLO protocol .

Emily’s Story

When did you begin living in your FLO?I signed up for the Flo Living program for 2 months from August to October 2014 and registered for the forum portion of the program. I had already come a long way at that point from reading Woman Code and from reading the Flo Living blog. I wanted to take my progress to the next level and I wanted to have access to the forums to see what was working for the other women in the program.What health issues brought you to FLO Living?I had come off of the birth control pill in November 2011, then I broke up with my boyfriend of four years that I lived with (funnily enough I also couldn’t stand the way he smelled or anything about him after coming off of the Pill, just like studies suggest!). Between November and early March 2012 I moved in with a new roommate, started taking on way more at work and started dating a new guy (who is unbelievable and we’re getting married in June!). I was feeling so high on life that I kicked up my workouts and wasn’t eating nearly enough.By early February I had gained 10 lbs (which would later increase to 25lbs) I was swollen (none of my clothes fit) and my previously flawless skin broke out with painful cystic acne. My cycle had also become irregular most of the time, lasting for 45 daysNothing had changed by August and I was depressed, exhausted, and felt horrible and hopeless.I had come across Woman Code and Alisa Vitti online. I bought her book and in September I did the FLO Living 4 Day Detox. I lost 10 lbs and 12 inches off of my body in 4 days!! That month my cycle went back to 29 days. Over the next year my weight stayed down and my skin slowly cleared up. But then I felt like I hit my plateau.I still would get annoying pimples on my cheek and sometimes my cycle would jump back to being 45 days long.So I emailed FLO Living asking a question regarding that and it was recommended that I sign up for the FLO Living MonthlyFLO Program.How did MonthlyFLO & the FLO protocol help you?MonthlyFLO helped me TREMENDOUSLY! Having the support and hearing from all of these different women and what they were going through made me feel like I was no longer alone in my hormonal suffering.I asked about how to shorten my follicular phase - (it would go on forever and I would have false peaks) and it was recommended to me that I change my foods for the phase that I’m supposed to be in. What do you know? It worked again. That month my cycle was a perfectly painless 29 days long.How did you make it work for your lifestyle?My method was juicing. I would buy the vegetables that I was instructed to eat for that phase and juice primarily those to have along with my breakfast in the morning and switch to the next list of vegetables to juice on the first day that my cycle was supposed to shift to the next phase. I became more selective and disciplined with what foods I put in my body and when.Along with changing my diet I scaled back at work, my living situation changed to a less stressful one, I spent more time outside, turned my phone off a lot more and went to bed earlier in a blacked out room. As a result my body quickly slipped back into its pre-hormonal meltdown state.How did you incorporate cycle syncing with your workout regime?I’m a fitness and yoga teacher. I teach about 20 classes a week. So I was always really into fitness. My problem was probably too much so to the point where I would over do it. I would push through period pains and times when I was tired and avoided listening to my stressed out body out of fear that cutting back I would not be able to maintain my current lifestyle.So I was forced to make some changes in the Spring/Summer of 2014.I had learned from Flo Living that if I wanted to keep my cycle regular I would need to honor my body, and workout in a way that would support my cycle, not work against it.It started out by me taking the first day of my menstrual phase off from teaching classes. This day I would do gentle stretching and very restorative poses. Then I started to pay more attention to how I felt while I was moving during my classes and my own workouts. I noticed that my body craved different movement styles, speeds and intensities based on where I was in my cycle.It was a combination of my intuitive wisdom regarding my own body and the amount of trainings I’ve done in a variety of different fields of fitness that I was able to pull together different movements or exercises that would leave me feeling awesome after.I found that when I worked out for my strengths based on my cycle, I became stronger, more body aware, had greater range of motion and felt energized instead of totally deflated after exercising.I’ve come to a place where I feel balanced and like I’ve stepped right into the FLO (great sleep, great skin, strong and toned body, shiny hair, energetic, positive outlook on life). I don’t weigh myself ever because I can feel when I’m out of alignment with my FLO - things just don’t fit right, my skin isn’t as luminous and I feel a bit testier.Movement is medicine. For me it was more about scaling back on my workouts, but I feel that very similar problems can show up for women that are not moving enough. It’s about finding a balance between effort and ease, strength and flexibility, movement and stillness.Follicular Phase WorkoutOvulatory Phase WorkoutLuteal Phase WorkoutMenstrual Phase Workout

Inspired by Emily's Story?

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 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 take the 4 Day Detox for FREE!

Ready to Dive In Deeper and Take Back Your Health?

Monthly FLO is the most widely used digital hormone recovery program worldwide, helping women take back their health and resolve their toughest hormone symptoms stemming from conditions like PCOS, Endometriosis, Fibroids, Infertility and PMS/Period Issues. Learn more about MonthlyFLO here.

FLO Tweetable: I’m a woman - I don’t do the same routine day in and day out - I change with my body’s changes - it’s only logical. @flolivingI wanted to put together for you some of the home workouts I do for each phase of my cycle.If you still believe you should be able to do the same intense workout every day of the month and perform at the same optimal level, you are ignoring your hormonal biochemistry which drives your fitness from within.Do you find yourself exhausted after a spinning session some days when at other times the same sweaty workout gives you a great boost of energy?Do you feel you’re dragging yourself to kickboxing some weeks and skipping there the next?Do you feel impatient with your yoga instructor some mornings but others you revel in this quiet, slow time of the day?

Yes! Why is that?

You do feel differently at different times during your cycle and in ways you may not have noticed. Your body is primed and ready for certain kinds of exercise - like intense cardio versus yoga - depending on where your hormones are at.During the first part of your cycle your energy will naturally be higher and optimized for high intensity exercise. During the second part of your cycle your hormonal ratio of estrogen and progesterone shifts again making more restorative physical activities more ideal. You can still fit everything in, in fact cross training your workouts this way just over the course of the month gives your body more variety and decreases potential for injury.It pays to workout with your hormones!

How to workout with your body

Cycle-synching your exercise plans in accordance with your hormonal blueprint will not only make working out more fun and fulfilling, but will also help you get better resultsWe’ve scoured the web for great (and free!) work outs you can do at home in this phase by phase guide to cycle-synched exercise:Of course you might see some of my favorite fit friends here - big Ovary love to Liz DiAlto, BexLife, Jillian Michaels, Beyonce, Rochelle Schieck, & Danny J of the Sweaty Betties!Follicular (that’s just after your period)CardioDance workoutQoyaToningOvulatory (in the middle of your cycle)Ten minute workoutIntense workoutBody weight workoutLuteal (after you’ve ovulated)Pilates8 minute workoutYoga for stress release & weightlossMenstrual (your period)Walking is my favorite!YogaQigongWhat happens in your day-to-day thoughts and activities has everything to do with how your physical health is working. Balanced hormones require balanced energy all around, and we want to help you get there!

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 affects at least one in ten women. Many fight for years to get their debilitating pain acknowledged and for their doctor to provide a diagnosis from which they can get treatment.For the majority the treatment offered is either long-term use of hormonal birth control and painkillers, which hold side effects, or surgery, the success of which is generally short term. Endometriosis is highly recurring and women can struggle for their entire reproductive life with the disease.However, there is hope!

Flo Living offers an alternative means to manage and relieve symptoms by empowering Endo Warriors. The Flo Living protocol embodies the message of endometriosis awareness – “Fight like a girl!” – with a diet and lifestyle pattern that syncs with your cycle.If you feel you have endometriosis be sure to insist that your doctor provide you with a pelvic examination followed by an ultrasound and laparoscopic procedure, including a biopsy of the endometrial material. Ideally you would have the procedure done by a surgeon who specializes in endometriosis.It’s all about advocating for what you want and helping your doctor treat you the way you want to be treated. You can set the tone and pace of treatment, simply share your desires with your physician. The best doctors work with their patients! You can speed up the process of diagnosis and recovery by participating in your own health care.

When you return to receive the results ask your doctor these three questions:

1) What is the severity of the endometriosis?

This will help you determine if you need to go the route of surgery or if you have time to work on your diet.

2) Where is the endometriosis mainly overgrowing?

Important to know especially if you are trying to conceive and again will determine how quickly you might need to take surgical measures.

3) What other blood tests can we do to look more closely at my immune response? How about my level of inflammation and prostaglandins?

In my next blog post this week I’ll be sharing the underlying causes of endometriosis and the natural way to work yourself back to health. Knowing if you have elevated levels of C reactive protein, elevated levels of PgE2, low levels of D3, and changes in your blood chemistry can point to how systemic this issue truly is and how focusing solely on your uterus is not the right solution. You’ve got to feed your immune system to beat endo!As well as the drugs and surgery your doctor will then offer you as treatment, there is a natural approach that addresses the underlying reasons you have the endometriosis in the first place.As you well know by now reading my blog, drugs will only mask the issue for as long as you are willing to take them and your condition will return when you come off. Research has shown that using the birth control pill for a problem like endometriosis can actually exacerbate the condition long term due to the effects it generates on the body from disturbing the gut microbiome, depleting the body of B and other key vitamins crucial to hormonal health and fertility, and compromising the liver's ability to metabolize toxic estrogen efficiently. The surgical procedure offered does not guarantee the endometriosis will not return in time and the impact can be only short-term without further support in healing the body.Women are prescribed these treatments because the majority of gynecologists are not trained in functional medicine. So expect them to suggest either of those two options as a course of treatment.Since optimizing your hormonal function through food is a relatively new option, most doctors have little faith that patients can handle this in their daily lives. Even if they know about this new research, they might not suggest it.But FLO Living knows Endo Warriors fight like girls!The more natural approach I’m describing takes three to six months to address the root causes of your endometriosis with dietary and lifestyle changes. We at FLO know you can handle this.After that time you can return for further blood tests with your doctor and an evaluation of your success. Neither drugs nor surgery will prevent or cure endometriosis, but the empowering FLO protocol offers a long-term solution.