Spring has sprung! The warmer weather and longer days mean you’re getting out of the house more, which is great...that is, if you feel like being social. Acne can make you feel anxious about skin revealing clothing. I would know. I suffered from severe cystic acne for years until I resolved it using lifestyle, nutrition, and a specific skin care routine. You don’t have to hide out this spring. You can clear your skin in as little as three months with simple lifestyle, nutrition, and supplement strategies. Here’s everything you need to know about getting glowing, radiant, ACNE-FREE skin in 2019.

Why Acne Happens in your 20s, 30s, and 40s

Your skin shouldn’t sabotage your self-esteem. By learning why acne strikes adult women—and what you can do about it—you can regain control of your beautiful face and body. You can love your skin again. Adult acne is hormonal. That’s why you’re likely to notice breakouts at certain times of the month, in particular when you’re moving from the ovulation phase (mid-way through your cycle) to the start of your period. That said, the four phases of your menstrual cycle are normal, natural, and inevitable… but breakouts aren’t. If you’re breaking out at certain times of the month, it signals a hormone imbalance. You may have too much estrogen relative to progesterone (called estrogen dominance) or high levels of androgens (male hormones). Why do sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone affect skin in the first place? Research suggests that the oil-producing glands in the skin can act as their own independent endocrine (hormone) organs, responding to messages from hormones like estrogen and testosterone. When those hormones are in balance, they send an “all clear” message to your oil glands. When they get out of balance, that clear skin message goes sideways…and you’re left with unwanted breakouts.

Natural Remedies for Hormonal Acne

Here’s are the remedies I recommend for clear skin. These are the exact steps I took to heal my severe cystic acne:Natural Remedy #1: Food. Clear, glowing skin starts with what you eat and when you eat it. That’s because hormonal healing starts on the inside. When you use the Cycle Syncing Method™ to align what you eat with your 28-day menstrual cycle, you can see changes in your skin in three months from just this step alone. Flax and cilantro are particularly good to help the liver and large intestine flush out excess hormones. Natural Remedy #2: Exercise. The same phase-based self-care strategies that work for food also work for exercise. When you line up up how and when you move with the four phases of your menstrual cycle, your skin will glow even more. Natural Remedy #3: Customize your skin care routine. Your skin goes through natural shifts in elasticity and oiliness/dryness every month, and how you take care of your skin during each phase of your cycle should reflect and support where your skin is at. Here is a week-by-week guide to skin care. This routine is a crucial step in putting an end to hormonal acne. Day 1 – Day 6 (Bleeding). During menstruation, focus on restorative, soothing skin care. Think hydrating and calming masks, and collagen masks.  Day 7-12 (follicular phase). If you get facials with extractions, schedule one during your follicular phase. This is also the time to do any hair removal.Day 13-24 (ovulation/first half of luteal). Facials are still okay during this time, but it’s best to go for masks, not extractions. Dry brushing will help the lymph offload the estrogen. You don’t need much in the way of products during this phase.Day 25-Day 28 (the second half of luteal). This a perfect time for home care with your favorite products and using oil-based serum to reduce sebum production. Clay masks are also great during this time, and you can use products with lactic acid to shrink pores. NOTE: Don’t have any extractions or hair removal during the second half of the month when skin is thinner and increased blood flow to your capillaries means more post-extraction swelling. Save facial appointments until right after your bleed is over.Natural Remedy #4: Maximize your micronutrients. Make sure you are getting the essential micronutrients you need to support healthy skin. I take Balance Supplements every day of my cycle to optimize my hormonal health. Remember, clear skin starts on the inside. You can have the healthiest skin care routine in the world, but you won’t banish acne without considering what you eat and how you supplement.…. and if you don’t have any idea where you are in your cycle, start tracking it now with the MyFLO app. You can only practice cyclical self-care when you know which phase you’re in!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!

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 Bio-Hacking Supplement Kit.

If you follow FLO Living, you know I talk ALL THE TIME about how food is key to balanced hormones. And that’s true. What you eat—and when you eat it—is the critical first step in healing your hormones and resolving period problems.One of the key reasons food is so important for hormones is because of the essential micronutrients it delivers—micronutrients like magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and vitamin D—but the sad reality is that we often don’t get enough of these micronutrients in our food… even when we’re eating perfectly.That’s because many fruits and vegetables are grown in nutrient-depleted soil, so they don’t contain enough of the good stuff to support optimal health. It’s also because a lot of environmental factors— many beyond our control—collude to rob our bodies of precious micronutrients faster than we can take them in. It’s also because of the very real limits of our busy lives. Many of us simply don’t have the time to cook, let alone eat, 9 to 11 servings of vegetables a day.Food must come first when healing your hormones and trying to resolve things like acne, bloating, PMS, severe cramps, heavy or irregular periods, and other period problems. But sometimes a micronutrient-rich diet of hormonally-supportive foods isn’t enough to achieve optimal hormone health. Sometimes your body needs an extra boost.

What’s Your Deficiency Type?

As I said above, sometimes micronutrient deficiency just happens—even when you’re doing everything right.But there are some habits and practices that might seem healthy (or at least not harmful) but that, in fact, deplete essential micronutrients and make hormone imbalances worse. Here are a few ways you might be unintentionally speeding up micronutrient loss in your body: You drink caffeine. Caffeine leaches precious micronutrients from the body. You drink alcohol regularly. Regular alcohol consumption bleeds the body of micronutrients, too. You take the pill (or you have in the past). Same problem as caffeine. The pill causes your body to jettison micronutrients faster than you can replace them.You engage in extreme diets. Maybe you only eat one or two types of food. Whether healthy or not, these foods can’t possibly give you the wide breadth of micronutrients you need for optimal hormone health. Or maybe you don’t eat enough calories each day. If you’re not getting enough calories, you’re not getting enough micronutrients. You exercise too much. Over-exercise depletes the body of essential micronutrients faster than you can replace them.You use conventional health and body care products. These products are full of toxins that tax the endocrine system and prevent optimal micronutrient levels.You use conventional house-cleaning products. Same deal as using conventional health and body care products. You experience chronic, unremitting stress.Emotional stress taxes the body and works against optimal micronutrient levels.

The Micronutrients You Need for Hormone Health

In my nearly two decades of research, I’ve discovered the micronutrients that are absolutely essential when it comes to balancing hormones and resolving symptoms like PMS, weight-loss resistance, acne, mood swings, bloating, cramping, missing periods, and painful and heavy periods. The micronutrients you need more of when it comes to hormone balance are:Vitamin D3Vitamin KB vitaminsMagnesiumMicronutrients that support liver healthCompounds and nutrients that support gut healthThese micronutrients, in the right amounts, will help you get back on track hormonally and bring relief from your symptoms.

Why Supplements Matter for Hormone Balance

In the FLO Protocol, food comes first. After that, taking high-quality, targeted supplements is the single best way to help yourself recover lost nutrients and restore hormone balance. Supplements can help undo the havoc caused by caffeine, stress, hormonal birth control, and environmental toxins. And when you’re first starting the FLO Protocol, they will help you build a stable hormone base faster. The other beautiful thing about supplements is that they don’t just expedite healing; they help support long-term maintenance. Even the most hormonally-aware among us occasionally relapse into less-than-hormonally-ideal habits (coffee happens, I get it!). By continuing to supplement your (almost always) healthy diet and lifestyle with the right nutrients, you’ll be able to replenish your depleted stores quickly.It’s easy to feel protected by a virtuous diet. And if you’ve started using The Cycle Syncing Method™ to eat in phases in accordance with your 28-day menstrual cycle, you might feel like you’ve already gone the extra mile…. and you have! You have taken the best first steps to healing your hormones. But don’t let factors beyond your control—like vegetables with fewer nutrients and ambient environmental toxins— rob you of the symptom relief you deserve. Use supplements to fill the gaps, protect your hormones, and feel your best!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!

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 Bio-Hacking Supplement Kit.

If you’ve been following FLO Living, you know that eating and exercising in sync with your cycle is the key to getting rid of period problems and achieving the body and the life you want. (If you’re new to FLO Living, I’m so excited you’re here!). But did you know that you can align your life with your cycle in ways that extend beyond food and exercise—and when you do, you will:

• Look and feel better
• Improve body composition
• Experience fewer period problems, problems like bloating, acne, PMS, cramps, and heavy or irregular periods
• Help optimize fertility
• Help ease symptoms of PCOS and endometriosis
• Enjoy greater productivity at work and in life
• Have an easier time achieving work-life balance
• Feel more connection and support in your romantic relationships
• Have more energy

I developed The Cycle Syncing® Method over a decade ago to help women live in line with their natural, 28-day hormone cycle. Practicing The Cycle Syncing® Method changes everything. I know, I know...that sounds like a fantasy. It’s not. When you work with your body and your natural 28-day hormone cycle, rather than against it, you will notice benefits in every aspect of your life.

‍If you’ve tried different eating plans, exercise routines, time management programs, and other strategies for successful living and NOT gotten the results you want, I hope you’ll try this intuitive, simple, and profoundly effective practice. Now you might be thinking, “Engaging in phase-based self care… What does that even mean?” Or, “Shift my whole life to match my cycle? That sounds like a full-time job!” But the practice is straightforward, the changes simple and intuitive, and the rewards profound.

Keep reading for a closer look at what it means to put The Cycle Syncing® Method into practice in every area of your life.

What Does it Mean to Sync With Your Cycle?

Good question. On the surface it sounds like something really technical and complicated, guaranteed to take up time and effort. In practice, however, The Cycle Syncing® Method is simple. To sync with your cycle—or, as I call it in practice, to engage in phase-based self-care—is simply to know which of the four phases of your 28-day menstrual cycle you are in at any given moment and then tailor your food, movement, relationship, work, and lifestyle choices to your unique strengths, weakness, and needs during that phase. That might sound like a lot of adapting and changing, week after week. But once you start tracking your cycle and getting an embodied sense of what each phase looks and feels like in your body, the tweaks you’ll make to your food, movement, and life will become intuitive. Once you get the hang of it, phase-based self-care feels so natural that you won’t believe that there was a time when you didn’t engage in it.

Food and movement are two key components of syncing with your cycle, but they aren’t the only ones. You can bring this practice to every area of your life and experience even greater results. Starting this week, I’m opening the doors to a program to help you do just that. It’s called Flo28 and it’s designed to revolutionize your relationship with fitness, nutrition, and time management. Flo28 will help you simplify the phase-based self care, support you in the process, and allow you to achieve optimal health and happiness. But I don’t want you to have to wait to get started. Here’s a peek at what it looks like to engage in phase-based self care in all aspects of your life—and what you can expect when you do.

These are the topics and strategies that we will focus on in Flo28:

‍Food.

‍When it comes to food, phase-based self care is all about what to eat during each week of your cycle to best support your brain and body. If you’ve ever noticed that you’re hungrier during certain weeks of the month or that you tend to buy more food (in particular more sugary food) during those times, you’ve felt your body’s shifting nutrition needs. You already know, on a deep cellular level, that your body and brain will run their best when you eat the key micronutrients and essential macronutrients you need during each phase. Start matching your food to your hormone phase right away with my four-week food challenge. Do a deep dive into eating for your cycle with Flo28. (And if even the idea of tracking your cycle is new to you, use the MyFLO app to track your natural hormone shifts.)

‍Exercise.

‍When you tailor your exercise to your 28-day hormone cycle, you will get more of the results you want with less effort. That’s because doing intense workouts in some phases of your cycle will work with your reproductive hormones—and doing high intensity workouts in other phases works against them. In other words, high-intensity training at the wrong time each month will sabotage your weight loss and body composition efforts. Stop shooting yourself in the (exercise) foot. Start syncing your exercise routine with your cycle for more results, faster, and with less effort.

‍Productivity.

‍As women, we will excel at different tasks and responsibilities at different times of the month at work (and with life logistics) because of our shifting hormones. Now let me be clear, this does NOT mean we are less capable than men. Far, FAR, from it. It simply means we are primed to be even better at certain things at specific times each month. We’ll be better at communication certain weeks, for example, and better at detail-oriented tasks other weeks. What this means is that you can use your hormone cycle to consistently bring out your strengths at work, experience greater success at work, and achieve greater work-life balance.

‍Sex Drive.

Turns out you’re not supposed to be in the mood all the time! It’s normal to feel peaks and dips with desire and that’s ok and healthy.  The challenge is that when we’re hormonally imbalanced, we can start to experience consistent lower libido. When you start to eat, move, and live according to your unique hormonal needs each week, you can experience a profound and positive shift in your hormonal symptoms, including low libido. I consider syncing with your cycle the first, best thing you can do to balance your hormones and bring your sex life back to life.

‍Relationship.

‍You can leverage your strengths during each phase of your cycle to improve communication and connection in your primary relationship. The Cycle Syncing Method™ can help you reduce relationship tension, decrease fights, and make communication easier.

‍Manifesting your dreams.

‍Yep, syncing with your cycle and engaging in phase-based self care can even help you manifest your dreams. Our bodies move rhythmically through a creation cycle 12 times each year—and, knowing that, we can harness “new year/new you” energy all year long to achieve even more of our dreams.

Many women fear perimenopause, that time in life when a woman’s reproductive hormones start to downshift.

Indeed, perimenopause has gotten a bad reputation because it can be accompanied by a raft of unpleasant symptoms, including weight gain, mood swings, severe period problems (like heavy or irregular, bloating, and PMS), feeling tired all the time, lackluster skin and hair, thyroid issues, non-existent libido, and infertility.

But here’s what most women don’t know: these symptoms aren’t inevitable. ‍

Yes, the hormonal shifts during perimenopause are real, but the symptoms are optional. When you adopt a phase-based self-care routine, you can sidestep the unpleasant symptoms of perimenopause.

And don’t stop reading if you’re in your 20s and perimenopause is the last thing on your mind! If you’re experiencing any type of period problem or hormonal imbalance right now, your symptoms are a harbinger of things to come… and not in a good way. If you feel crummy now and you don’t take steps to balance your hormones, you stand to feel even worse during perimenopause.

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What is Perimenopause?

Perimenopause means “around menopause” and it starts for most women around age 35 and lasts until menopause (your very last bleed). Symptoms can crop up during perimenopause because of the inevitable hormonal shifts that happen as the body starts to move out of its childbearing orientation. More specifically, perimenopause is characterized by uneven swings in estrogen, progesterone and androgens. These hormones follow a more or less even pattern during your 20s and early 30s, but they start to behave more erratically as you enter your late 30s and 40s and, as you get closer to menopause, they start to trend downward. Environmental Factors Make Perimenopause Symptoms WorseNow add in the fact that life in one’s late 30s and early 40s can be full of unique stressors: raising young children and teenagers, working long (often stressful) hours at the peak of one’s career, navigating busy family schedules, and caring for aging parents. This can send the stress hormone cortisol on its own frenzied roller coaster, so now in addition to shifts in reproductive hormones, a woman might be facing the symptoms of high cortisol, like feeling tired-but-wired all the time, never sleeping, intense sugar cravings, and imbalanced blood sugar. Your level of exposure to endocrine disrupting toxins also makes a difference in how well you’ll navigate perimenopause. Today there are more endocrine disruptors in the environment than ever before, and these chemicals can overwhelm the body’s detox system (which is in charge of getting rid of used-up hormones as well as toxins) and wreak a special kind of havoc on the thyroid, which is very sensitive to chemical exposure.

The Two Phases of Perimenopause

Perimenopause happens in two phases: Phase 1 and Phase 2. Today I’m going to focus on how you can ease symptoms and engage in cyclical self-care during Phase 1, but it’s important to understand both phases.Phase 1 (35 to 45 years old)This phase is when reproductive hormone production starts to shift and become less consistent. That said, if you’re in good hormonal health and you’re engaging in cyclical self-care (see my advice below) you shouldn’t feel symptoms during this phase. You should be ovulating and menstruating regularly and have good muscle tone, skin quality, energy, and sex drive. In other words, you should still be making enough hormones to feel vital and youthful. If you are experiencing symptoms like difficulty with fertility, vaginal dryness, accelerated skin aging, or dry hair (or all of the above), these are signs that your hormones need some TLC...ASAP!Phase Two (45 to 55 years old)During this phase, FSH levels rise to the point where you no longer ovulate. And while that sounds dramatic, this phase will be relatively smooth sailing if you’ve taken care of your hormonal health during Phase 1. However, many women let the symptoms they experience in Phase 1 go unaddressed and that compounds their symptoms in Phase 2.But as I said earlier, extreme symptoms aren’t inevitable during perimenopuase. You can use targeted strategies in each phase to ease symptoms and feel your best.

Phase 1 Perimenopause: Symptoms & Solutions

I recommend that all women follow the same core food, supplement, and cyclical self-care strategies in Phase 1 to minimize perimenopause symptoms. Then, if you still don’t feel your best, you can customize the protocol by taking specific steps to address your unique symptoms. Here are my three core strategies for every woman in perimenopause, followed by steps you can take to address specific, lingering symptoms.

The 3 Core Strategies for a Symptom-Free Perimenopause

Strategy #1: Practice Phase-based eating. The first essential strategy for having a symptom-free perimenopause is to eat specific foods each week of your cycle, changing what you eat in each phase to support optimal hormone balance and metabolism. This phase-based approach to eating provides the most variety of micronutrients to support overall hormonal balance. It also ensures that you’re getting key foods at critical times to break down the excess levels of estrogen that can cause breakouts and PMS. Not to mention that this approach will improve the quality of your bleed, support fertility, and boost sex drive, energy, and mood. You’ll enjoy a wide variety of cuisines when you start eating cyclically – macrobiotic, raw, ketogenic, Mediterranean, some intermittent fasting and not ever get stuck doing one day in and day out. Phase-based eating is the true differentiator for the FLO protocol. Everything about your diet and lifestyle should be relevant to your female biochemistry, and the FLO protocol ensures that. ‍

Strategy #2: Engage in phase-based exercise. The cyclical nature of your 28-day menstrual cycle provides the perfect architecture for planning how to work out and when to work out. During each phase of your menstrual cycle your body is primed for different kinds of exercise. At certain times—during the luteal phase and during menstruation, for example—the nutrients and hormones in your body are directed toward building up the lining up of your uterus, so you won’t have all the internal resources you need to work out at full capacity. During the other phases, however, your body can channel all its resources into a really strong workout.By engaging in phase-based exercise, you will save yourself from exhaustion, burn-out, and unpleasant perimenopause symptoms. Get my recommendations for what type of movement to engage in and when right here.

‍Strategy #3: Maximize Your Micronutrients With Perimenopause Supplements. If you’re eating a whole-food, phase-based diet and you’re exercising in sync with your cycle, do you need to take supplements to have a symptom-free perimenopause? Yes!Supplements are non-negotiable for keeping hormones balanced and stable as you enter Phase 1 perimenopause. Food should always be your first strategy. To heal your hormones, you have to feed your body a micronutrient-rich diet of hormonally-supportive foods in a cycle-syncing pattern. There’s no single supplement that can make up for bad or inconsistent food choices. But supplementing with specific micronutrients gives the body the extra support it needs during times of hormonal transition. This is why we created the EASE supplement kit—to help you prolong youth with healthier hormones. Here are the micronutrients you'll find in EASE, and how they will support your perimenopause journey:

• Melatonin: Supports slow hormonal aging by increasing egg quality and chances of conception and promoting deeper sleep and rest. Also helps support a healthy sex drive and may support healthier bones.
• B vitamins, Saffron, and Scelectium: This combination supports healthier, more regular ovulation, boosts energy and clears stress, increases mental focus, reduces hot flashes and stress, and supports moods.

In addition to EASE, you may want to consider a probiotic. A healthy microbiome is essential for managing hormonal conditions—and this is especially true as you enter perimenopause. Women aged 35 to 45 need optimal gut health in order to absorb the key micronutrients they get in their food and supplement. Good gut health also means a healthy estrobolome, or the community of bugs in the gut that help metabolize excess estrogen.

Specific Strategies for Lingering Perimenopause Symptoms

Once you’ve put my 3 core strategies in place, you will start to feel better. But you may still need additional support in certain areas. That’s normal. Here are some of the common symptoms unique to perimenopause and additional steps you can take to help ease them:

‍Irregular, heavy, or painful periods.

Try taking Vitex, also called chasteberry. It has been shown to support regular ovulation and healthy progesterone levels. But proceed with caution if you have PCOS. In some women with PCOS, certain reproductive hormones are already high and Vitex may raise those hormones even further, which you don’t want.

‍PMS/PMDD.Studies also suggest that Vitex, also called Chasteberry, may help improve symptoms of PMS and PMDD. One study even found that Vitex outperformed fluoxetine (generic name for Prozac) for easing symptoms of PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder).

‍Fertility struggles. By supporting regular ovulation and healthy hormone levels, Vitex can be a great choice for fertility support during perimenopause. Research that looked at a proprietary blend of herbs that included Vitex found that the supplement supported fertility without negative side effects. (Don’t combine Vitex with fertility drugs, however, because that can lead to over stimulation of the ovaries) CoQ10 has also been shown to help improve egg quality. Depression and irritability. Try taking maca powder, which studies suggest may help improve symptoms of depression. Some animal research also suggests that maca may help with cognitive function and concentration.

‍Weight gain. Try alpha lipoic acid, which helps support healthy blood sugar and insulin balance and, in turn, healthy weight loss and healthy weight maintenance. The compound may also guard against bone loss. ALA also helps support and nourish the liver and optimal liver function is essential for getting rid of excess estrogen and keeping reproductive hormones balanced. Alpha lipoic acid is one the key ingredients in the my Balance Detox supplement. Dull skin and hair. A high-quality omega-3 supplement will help nourish dry skin and hair. Also, an obvious tip, but one that often gets overlooked and under-appreciated: stay hydrated! This works wonders for skin and hair.

‍Low sex drive.Studies suggest that maca may help boost sex drive in menopausal women, and other research found that maca may act as a “toner of hormonal processes” in early post-menopausal women. Additional research has shown that maca may help with low libido as a side effect of taking SSRI antidepressant medications in menopausal women. The adaptogenic herb ashwagandhamay also help support sexual function in women.

‍Stress and anxiety. Taming stress requires a multipronged approach, one that includes lifestyle modifications, exercise, and more. But adaptogenic herbs can be a powerful part of your stress-reduction arsenal. I recommend ashwagandha, which research suggests is a safe and effective way to build up resistance to stress and improve self-reported quality of life. Holy Basil is another great choice for stress and anxiety support, according to research.

‍Coming Off Birth Control to Conceive. If you’re coming off birth control after many years on the pill, I recommend several important steps for hormone healing and fertility support. But one of the best things you can do is prioritize eating leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. These foods help support estrogen metabolism in the liver and bring your hormones back into balance after years of hormonal birth control.

‍Thyroid issues. With thyroid concerns, your first best bet is always to consult a trusted healthcare practitioner. You’ll want to run thyroid lab tests and discuss next steps with a licensed professional. But you’ll also want to make it a top priority to avoid endocrine-disrupting chemicals as much as possible. The thyroid is uniquely sensitive to endocrine disruptors. I recommend ALL women take steps to protect themselves from these environmental chemicals, but it is especially critical if your are working to heal your thyroid.

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

You have a new baby and you’re ecstatic! You’re also….. exhausted. Sure, you’re tired from waking up multiple times a night to nurse or bottle feed, but you can feel in your body that something more is going on. You feel depleted in a different and deeper way. And that is perfectly normal. YOU are exactly where you should be. Don’t let the culture tell you otherwise. I wanted to share my personal strategy and game plan for recovery with you for this special postpartum time - the first 9 months after you give birth is an important opportunity for you to heal short term and set yourself up for long term hormonal health. As self care can be confusing and overwhelming, I always like to project plan out what to do and what I should expect. It makes me feel centered and calm when big transitions are happening.New moms are barraged with messages about getting their body back after baby. We’re fed advice on reclaiming our energetic, happy, and in-the-mood selves ASAP after delivery. But the truth is that being pregnant and nurturing another life for nine months is a full-time, energy-and-nutrient-consuming job for the body. And the body’s work isn’t over after giving birth. You’re caring for a newborn around-the-clock and, if you’re breastfeeding, your body is very likely still losing essential micronutrients faster than you can replenish them.So if you’re experiencing low energy, low mood, and low libido after pregnancy, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you, especially if you’ve given birth in the last three months. In fact, I like to think about the nine months after giving birth as having its own trimesters—just like during the nine months of pregnancy—and each three-month period of time postpartum comes with its own experiences, expectations, and self-care rituals.I’ve written before about self-care and nutrient support when you’re trying to optimize fertility, when you’re pregnant, and when you’re postpartum. Today I want to dig deeper into the specific steps you can take during each of the “postpartum trimesters” to support your body and take care of yourself during this unique time in your life.

Your Month-By-Month Guide to Postpartum Healing

In the West, we’ve been trained to think of delivering a baby as the end of the process. The hard work is done, we’re told, and now everything can return to normal. We’re encouraged to get back to our busy lives, running errands, hitting the gym, cleaning the house—in other words, overextending ourselves—while we’re simultaneously not getting enough sleep and, potentially, letting our nutrition needs slide.In Chinese culture, the time period right after birth is considered special and unique. Women follow a traditional “cocoon” protocol, where they stay tucked inside with baby for 30 days and eat specific foods to keep their bodies balanced and healthy.I think this Eastern perspective gets a few things right, namely the need to treat the period of time right after birth as special for both mom and baby—a time when it’s important to nourish your body, practice deep self-care, and connect with the new human in your life. I encourage new moms to continue tailoring their self care to their unique needs after the 30-day mark.Here’s what I recommend for nourishing your body, balancing your hormones, and reclaiming your energy in each “postpartum trimester.”

The First Three Months Postpartum

Your goals during this three-month window are to use food and supplements to replenish the micronutrients your body used during pregnancy; keep pace with your increased micronutrient needs during breastfeeding (or if not breastfeeding, recovery in general); and guard your precious time and energy—saying yes only to the things that feel supportive and good for your body. First Postpartum Trimester (Months 1 to 3 After Giving Birth)Food: During pregnancy, your body’s primary task is to supply nutrients to your growing baby. In fact, your body’s nutrient demands are so great during this time that it can be hard for even the most conscientious eaters to get optimal nutrients during pregnancy. This can leave you with a low-level nutrient deficiency when the baby is born. Then, if you opt to breastfeed, you will continue to share nutrients with your newborn—and further deplete your own nutrient stores. The worst culprit however is the pressure to “get your body back” after baby. Dieting and overexercising are hormonally disruptive during this time and can make you feel worse. If you’ve just had a baby, you need to heal and recover and food can help you do that. I advise women who have just given birth to set have three primary nutrition goals:

1. To use food to keep blood sugar balanced. Blood sugar balance is essential for steady, consistent energy and for restoring your body’s delicate hormone balance. You’ll want to prioritize healthy, whole foods that keep your blood sugar steady during this time. These include healthy sources of fat, like olive oil and avocados; nourishing sources of protein, like pastured meats (if you eat meat), and beans and lentils; and whole-food sources of complex carbohydrates, like brown rice and sweet potatoes.
2. To use food to replenish lost nutrients. Micronutrient deficiencies—like being low in B vitamins, magnesium, vitamin D, and omega 3 fatty acids—deprive the endocrine system of the essential support it needs to stay balanced and healthy. When your body is in a micronutrient deficit, you can experience low energy, low mood, low libido, and the symptoms of hormone imbalances, including bloating, skin issues, irritability, and brain fog.
4. To eat enough food. Finally, women who are postpartum and breastfeeding need to eat enough food. This is what I ate after the birth of my daughter, and it might seem like a lot, but you cannot shy away from food during this time. Your body needs the calories because your baby needs the calories. When I adopted this protocol during breastfeeding, I lost all my baby weight (50 lbs. of it) within six months. Within just three months, I’d already lost 30 lbs. So you don’t need to deprive yourself after baby is born. In fact, if you do, you’ll only suffer more.

There’s a great cookbook for new moms. It’s called The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nurturing the New Mother and I strongly recommend it for the first month postpartum. If you are breastfeeding, eat this way until you stop breastfeeding. If you aren’t breastfeeding, eat this way for the first month postpartum and then transition back to your regular hormone-supportive diet. You may also need fewer snacks during this time period than new moms who breastfeed.Supplements: I recommend taking key supplements during this window of time—no matter how well you are eating and how much you are eating. If you are breastfeeding, continue taking your prenatal vitamins, and add (or continue with) a fish oil supplement and a probiotic. Taking supplements is key to help rebalance your hormones and replenish key micronutrients.Your exercise goals in the first postpartum trimester: None. In the first month, sleep when the baby sleeps. In months two and three, listen to your body. Very short walks with baby are okay, but enlist the support of a postpartum physical therapist to help you work out your abs, lower back, and hips. This will help stabilize your body for the long term. When it comes to mood, energy, andsex drive in these first three months, know that this is a period of major hormonal downshifting from all the estrogen and progesterone that was coursing through your body during pregnancy—and your mood, energy, and sex drive are along for that (downshifted) ride. If your mood, energy, and libido are lower than normal, that’s perfectly normal. During this time you’re also going through a process called matrescence, a profound rewiring in the brain that happens during the transition to motherhood. It is a lot like adolescence, only experts believe the chemical shifts during matrescence are even more profound than the changes during puberty. So, in many ways, you are becoming a new person—and you are getting to know yourself as a new person. This is a process, so don’t judge. Just observe yourself with a loving eye. And make sure you have a trusted health practitioner to call on if you experience any postpartum anxiety or depression. It is also normal for vaginal births to lead to some vaginal trauma, which can make penetration less appealing during this time. If you’ve had a C-section, you will need even more time for recovery. If you or your partner are interested in sex during this time, it is absolutely okay for your vagina not to be involved. You and your partner can find other ways to be intimate. Be clear and direct with your partner about what will work for you during this time, and what is off the table for now.

Second Postpartum Trimester (Months 3 to 6 After Giving Birth)

Food: If you are breastfeeding, I recommend keeping up with your first trimester eating routine. If you’re not breastfeeding, you can eat more normally. And if your period has come back, you can begin to eat cyclically again, making sure you don’t skip meals (or you will dig yourself into an energy deficit).Supplements: If you’re still breastfeeding, it’s critical to continue with your prenatal supplements, including probiotics, fish oil, and prenatal vitamins, if you’re not breastfeeding continue with the Balance Supplements, (or to start them if you didn’t take them during the first three months after giving birth!). Your body is still working hard to provide for you and your baby and you can use all the extra support you can get.Exercise: Now is the time to think about adding more movement back into your daily life. More walking, more yoga, some strength training. Your body should be able to handle a bit more now, and during this time exercise should feel more energizing than depleting. Mood/Energy/Sex drive: As I mentioned, giving birth can sidetrack your sex drive for a while. Even if your baby is sleeping through the night during this phase, you probably still have a sleep deficit from the first postpartum trimester.Or you’re in the unlucky (albeit temporary) position of having a baby who is experiencing sleep regression. This is when baby starts waking up multiple times a night or refuses to fall asleep after previously sleeping well… and there is nothing like this special torture to raise your cortisol, throw a wrench in your melatonin production, and make you feel edgy, irritable, tired, and, oh yeah, not in the mood for sex.But if you’re feeling ready to support your libido during this phase, I recommend a couple strategies:

1. First, be aware that sex drive is complex and can be affected by many physical, emotional, and relationship factors. Be gentle with yourself if you’re not feeling as libidinous as you did before giving birth. This remains a unique time, and it is normal for it to take time to feel interested in sex again.
2. Second, feel empowered to ask your partner for more foreplay and more direct clitorial stimulation. You may need more time to get in the mood; that’s normal. And if your vagina is still healing after giving birth, stick to clitoral stimulation and save penetration for a later time. And due to the shift in your hormones, especially if you’re breastfeeding, ALWAYS assume you need to add lubricant before you start any activity.
3. Third, be realistic about your expectations. You’re likely to get interrupted by your baby at some point, so count any sexy-time activities you engage in—whether a quick cuddle or a full-blown roll in the hay—as a win. Don’t have an all-or-nothing approach during this time. The more little bits you get in the habit of doing, the more it will continue to prime your desire and physical response for more activity.

Third Postpartum ‘Trimester’ (Months 6 to 9 After Giving Birth)

Food: It’s likely that your period has returned by this point. If so, you can begin to eat cyclically again. If you’re breastfeeding, continue to make sure you are getting enough calories each day to nourish yourself and baby.Supplement: If you’re no longer breastfeeding, stay on the Balance Supplements. If you’re breastfeeding, it’s imperative that you continue the prenatal trifecta - prenatal, probiotic, fish oil, regime, both for yourself and your breast milk quality. Taking herbs that help with breast milk supply is great as well. Exercise: Exercise cyclically and focus on getting strong and flexible. Any extra weight you are carrying will take care of itself.Mood/Energy/Sex Drive: This is a great time to check in and evaluate how you’re doing with your health overall. Schedule a session with a FLO coach or take stock of energy, mood, libido, and other concerns with your OB/GYN to see if anything clinical is needed. If you’ve taken good care of yourself with nutrition, supplements, and targeted exercise in the first two postpartum trimesters, you’re apt to feel more like your sexy self again. In fact, you should feel your sex drive roaring around ovulation. Continue to ask for the type of physical intimacy that suits your needs, and if a penis is involved make sure you use condoms. You can absolutely get pregnant even if your period hasn’t returned.If your sex drive hasn’t returned, there is no reason to think that anything is wrong with you. Instead, use this time to evaluate any physical, emotional, or relationship factors might be cropping up for you and continue to be gentle with yourself. Consult a doctor, therapist, or physical therapist if you feel you need more support.I also recommend prioritizing self pleasure. I recommend one session per week of self pleasuring (no vibrators!). Give yourself 20 minutes of pleasurable touch. This will boost oxytocin and nitric oxide levels, both which can help you recover your libido. Try my 5Cs of self-pleasure to get yourself there.Your mood and energy should feel more cyclical as you return to your non-pregnancy hormonal patterns. One final note: synthetic hormones, like the birth control pill or Depo shot, are often prescribed postpartum to prevent pregnancy and “cure” symptoms of hormone imbalance, like low energy and low libido. But these drugs don’t cure anything, they just mask symptoms and prevent your body from doing the underlying repair and healing that needs to happen to ultimately feel your best. So if you’re on the pill or other hormonal birth control and you’re not feeling great, consider alternative birth control methods and remember to return to food as a first-line strategy for reclaiming your energy and sex drive postpartum.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!

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 Bio-Hacking Supplement Kit.

The start of a new year is an exciting time, filled with promise and possibility. It's the only time, all year long when it is acceptable to really dream about the future and set intentions, to manifest our hopes and desires, and to create newness out of nothingness. Women (and men) are allowed to bring the feminine energy of creation to the masculine energy of endless to-do lists, and it is the combination of these energies that makes the time so magical. But as women, we have a superpower when it comes to manifesting our dreams: we get the opportunity to dream big, to create something out of nothing, to manifest our hopes and desires, 12 times a year. That’s because our menstrual cycle brings us new year/new you energy once a month. I know this might sound woo woo, but it’s true: our bodies move rhythmically through a creation cycle 12 times each year — and with that knowledge, we can harness new year/new you energy all year long. All we have to do is tune into our cycle, follow our rhythms, and not be afraid to manifest our wildest dreams. You might be thinking: That sounds lovely, but extremely vague. How would I even do that?The secret is that tapping into this natural cycle is easy, and the steps to get there are straightforward and concrete. I’m going to walk you through them right now.

Manifest Your Dreams Every Month

In almost two decades of helping women achieve hormonal balance, I’ve seen one thing over-and-over: manifestation has a mind-body component. When my clients tune in to their cycles—when they understand the unique strengths that come along with each of the four phases of the 28-day cycle—they start to experience changes. Big things start happening in their home lives, in their careers, and within themselves. Here’s a step-by-step guide to tuning in:Step 1: Know your period. If the idea of tracking your cycle is brand new, the first step is to identify where you are in your cycle and learn how each phase feels both physically and emotionally. In the beginning, it can help to track your symptoms with the MyFLO app. I recommend continuing to track your period indefinitely, but after some time you will begin to intuitively feel where you are in your cycle. Step 2: Engage in phase-based self care. What does it mean to practice phase-based self care? It means feeding your body what it needs during each phase of your cycle and nourishing your endocrine system with the right micronutrients. It also means aligning your exercise with your unique, ever-shifting hormonal needs each month. Step 3: Address your specific period problems. Hormone imbalances in the body often have similar (and connected) root causes, but you can tweak your approach to easing your period problems based on your specific symptoms. You can eat to help ease acne or tailor your meals to ease endometriosis. You can take specific steps to address bloating and work to treat fibroids naturally. You can even modify your meals to tame terrible PMS. Step 4: Embrace your feminine energy. The idea of “feminine energy” might seem far out, or it might seem like something exterior and irrelevant (like how you dress or style your hair). But feminine energy is something far deeper and more intrinsic. Embracing your feminine energy is about embracing the incredible strengths you have during each phase of your monthly cycle and learning to harness them in a way that allows you to achieve your personal, professional, romantic, and spiritual intentions and manifest your dreams. Step 5: Treat the beginning of every cycle as the beginning of a new year. Remember how I mentioned that we get the chance to embark on a journey toward a new self not once a year but 12 times a year? That’s thanks to the new year/new you energy that every menstrual cycle brings.

Here’s how approach each phase to manifest your dreams each month:

1. Your next period – Feel into the main areas of your life (your relationship, work, interests, plans). How do you feel about them and how do they make you feel? What do you desire as a result of this investigation? What do you want to transform? This is a good opportunity to journal about those feelings and desires that you wish to create. This stage is all about intuitive feelings and emotions.
2. During your follicular phase – This is when you can plan out the specific goals you want to work toward this month. During this phase, planning and strategizing are your super powers. You’ll have boundless energy and feel very hopeful and optimistic (and ambitious!) about the month ahead.
3. During your ovulatory phase – This is the best time to communicate to everyone (your partner, your work colleagues, your boss) what you are working on this month. You’ll have great speaking skills right now and can be very clear and concise in your explanations. You’ll also be convincing and persuasive, while keeping a helpful level of empathy and understanding of other’s perspectives and needs.
4. During your luteal phase – This is the time to take action to bring your goals to completion. This is a great time to bring projects to fruition. You’re creatively minded, but also happy to put in the necessary heavy-lifting to get things done.
5. Your next period – Now you’re back where you began. Evaluate the past month’s progress and really feel into the problems you may have faced and what you have achieved. You might consider changing course or starting again with a new approach. How has this month made you feel? What things do you want to transform in the coming month? It’s a new opportunity, your own personal “new year” every single month.

Imagine what having 12 opportunities to make forward progress would do in your upcoming year? This new year, I hope you join me in taking advantage of the powerful momentum that your body brings to manifesting your dreams.Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making healthy choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!

Is Your Period Healthy?

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

Click here to take The V-SIGN TYPE™ Quiz NOW

The simple act of giving gifts releases positive emotions and energy, but when you're pressed for time (and these days who isn’t?) finding that perfect gift can become stressful. It's about balance and we all know that you best serve others when you take care of yourself. Here to support you, I've decided to put together a list that will assist in your shopping efforts this holiday season! These are some of my favorite, go-to items that are great as gifts for any occasion as well as staples to have in your own home:

Womancode

Your best-selling, must have women’s hormonal health resource. You'll find you make extra space in that suitcase for any traveling with this paper companion. This book makes a great gift to give to a friend.

Balance Supplements

Looking to get off birth control or trying to resolve period symptoms? Balance is the first and only hormone biohacking supplement subscription box for women. Crafted with 5 formulations containing all the micronutrients your body needs to keep your hormones balanced.

Felix Gray Blue Glasses

I love this brand of glasses that helps filter blue light while working. It’s so important to take care of your eyes - something that doesn’t always resonate when you think of your health. These glasses are stylish and unisex.

Pique Tea Crystals

This tea brand is changing the way we enjoy tea and really, how we consume antioxidants. Improving gut health and digestion, reducing stress and sustaining energy, this is definitely a nice idea to gift anyone needing a boost in their daily routine.

Maude

Making sex better for everyone, one 100% natural product at a time. I highly recommend this personal lubricant that is completely natural and organic. No more guessing what ingredients are in personal products with this company. It’s sex made simple.

MyFLO app

Newly improved, this ultimate functional medicine period tracker helps keep hormones balanced. Women's Health Magazine's FemTech Awards named MyFLO as one of the 4 best period apps on the market.

Moon Calendar

Still my favorite calendar and produced using a hand-pulled silk-screen technique on 100% PCW recycled paper. It's a wonderful reference for your day-to-day activities and an affordable and thoughtful gift..

THINX

This team reinvents the way we wear periods, literally. Risk-free trial underwear AND you can tailor a set based on your cycle. How smart is that?

Kali Boxes

Kali takes the worrying out of finding the best products to aid you through your menstrual cycle. You can customize boxes based on product and frequency.

Vitner’s Daughter

Vitner’s Daughter doesn’t believe in creating shortcuts when it comes to producing some of the finest skin care on the market today. This active botanical serum is a game changer with my skin care. A smart and essential stocking stuffer.

Rahua

This control cream creates lift for my hair; finally products for curly hair that don't contain chemicals or liquid plastic that actually work!

RMS

Less is always more and as a mom on the go, if I can make any product useful in more than one way, that’s a bonus. RMS products are unrefined and organic. You better believe this lip-to-cheek stain is in my beauty arsenal.

Juice Beauty

Antioxidants are key for us as we age. I personally love a tried and true serum that not only minimizes fine lines but hydrates and soothes my skin. Another all natural and organic brand that is a staple in my skincare regimen.

Living Libations

I can’t get enough of this all-in-one body oil, face oil, cleanser and exfoliator.A little goes a long way and you only need a few drops to leave your body feeling completely moisturized. Made from all natural, wild crafted and organic oils and ingredients, Living Libations is another affordable favorite of mine

Moon Cycle Bakery

I have a special place in my heart for a brownie that is pretty much guilt-free AND one that satisfies my sweet tooth! Moon Cycle Bakery does just that. Birthed with a strong focus on women’s health and empowerment, this bakery serves up some of the finest vegan, gluten free, dairy free and overall cycle-conscious treats.

Innersense

Struggling to find products that work with my curly hair is an understatement, but Innersense’s I Create Lift lotion has transformed my hair care regimen. Perfect for any hair type and 100% Organic.

JETSWEAT

JETSWEAT is made for any woman who is interested in syncing her workout according to her hormonal cycle. Meet JETSWEAT, an on-demand, customizable fitness platform that provides exclusive access to premium boutique studio classes and structured programming personalized to fit individual goals. That coupled with real-time performance tracking empowers an active lifestyle wherever, whenever.Sign up for JETSWEAT here and use promo code JETSWEATVIP at checkout for 50% off of your first month (that's only $5 this month!)

For many women, the new year means one thing: changing how we eat. After the indulgences of the holidays, we often feel pressure to clean up what’s on our dinner plates and reset our health with food. So we jump on whatever food fad is trending this month, whether it is a “hot” new diet, a detox regimen, or eliminating a whole group of macronutrients (“No more carbs!”).

We’re determined to undo holiday damage. But do any of these approaches actually work?

Every diet that crosses your social media feed this month will promise to transform your life, but the only approach that will actually give you results is the approach that matches your unique hormonal needs during each week of your 28-day cycle.

If you struggle with any hormone-related symptoms, including weight loss resistance, severe PMS, irregular or heavy periods, PCOS, fibroids, hormonal acne, or impaired fertility, it’s imperative that you understand your hormone cycle and how to match what you eat to your shifting hormone needs throughout the month.

Why THESE Popular Diets Don’t Work for Women with Hormone Imbalances

Let’s take a close-up look at why some of today’s most popular eating plans don’t work for most women.

The Ketogenic Diet & Women

This low-carb plan is intended to put your body into ketosis, which occurs when you restrict glucose and start burning fat as a fuel source. People on this diet get 85 percent of their calories each day from fat, 10 percent of their calories from protein, and 5 percent from carbohydrates. The diet is used as a medical intervention for children with epilepsy and it is being studied as an adjuvant therapy for certain cancer patients. While studies suggest that the diet may have health-promoting potential, the protocol restricts carbohydrates so severely that most experts recommend doing it only with medical supervision. No one, whether you wrestle with hormone imbalances or not, should undertake a ketogenic diet lightly or without trusted medical support.

• The potential upside: People who follow a ketogenic diet tend to feel full for a long time after each meal (because fat is so satiating) and this can lead to eating fewer calories overall. It also means most junk food is jettisoned from your diet because almost all packaged foods have more than the allowed limit of net carbohydrates.
• The hormonal downside: There is conflicting information on how the ketogenic diet affects of thyroid health, with studies suggesting that it might negatively affect T3 production. The thyroid is one of the master glands of the endocrine system and for optimal hormone health women need optimal thyroid health. The very low number of carbs on the ketogenic diet can also put stress on the adrenal system. Adrenal fatigue is, by definition, a hormone imbalance. And it is best to avoid any diet has the potential to contribute to an existing hormone imbalance.

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Eating Raw Vegan & Women

Eating an abundance of rainbow colored vegetables and fruits, whether cooked or raw (or a combo of both, is a major win for health and hormone balance. But a true raw diet consists only of plant-based foods that haven’t been heated over 104-118 degrees F, and that can come with some drawbacks. The diet also dictates that nothing you eat is pasteurized, refined, or processed. Advocates of raw veganism believe cooking food destroys important enzymes and reduces their nutritional content.

• The potential upside: Loading up on organic, fiber-rich vegetables and fruits is always a good idea. An abundance of these phytonutrient-rich foods can improve digestion, enhance heart health, reduce inflammation, support cellular health, and have anti-aging benefits. 
• The hormonal downside: Studies have linked strict raw food diet to amenorrhea. If your gut microbiome is out of whack (perhaps because you have a history of taking synthetic birth control), your body will not be able to absorb the important nutrients in raw foods. As many functional medicine practitioners say, “We aren’t what we eat. We are what we can digest and absorb.” Nutrient deficiencies can compromise your entire hormonal system and show up as a host of symptoms, from missing periods to mood issues to weight gain.

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Eating Grain-free & Women

Gluten, which is the main protein in wheat, has gotten a particularly bad rap in recent years, and for good reason: it’s not good for your hormonal health, which is why I recommend removing it from your diet when you follow the FLO Living protocol. But many diets advocate removing all grains as a way to lose weight and optimize health.

• The potential upside: If you cut all grains and replace them with healthy fats, proteins, and complex, phytonutrient-rich carbohydrates, you may lose weight in the short-term. Some people also report a reduction in brain fog. 
• The hormonal downside: If you struggle with cravings and binge eating, going grain free can set you up for major cravings and make you vulnerable to moments of binging carbs, which can lead to blood sugar and insulin spikes—and turbulent blood sugar and insulin can interfere with ovulation and wreak havoc on metabolism and fat loss.  

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Intermittent Fasting (IF) & Women

Intermittent fasting is going for short or intermediate periods of time without food. This “not eating” window can be as short as 12 hours and include sleep time—for example, you could stop eating at 8:00pm one night and not eat again until 8:00am the next morning and call it a fast—or as long as 16, 20, or 24 hours.People fast in different ways. Some people try to go 12 or more hours without eating everyday. Others try to go 12 or 16 hours without food a couple days a week. Some people don’t eat for a full 24 hours one day each week.

• The potential upside: Studies suggest that intermittent fasting may help stabilize blood sugar and promote weight loss. 
• The hormonal downside: Intermittent fasting has been linked to hormone disruption in women. Specifically,  intermittent fasting can disrupt estrogen balance and estrogen imbalance may show up as:
• Low energy
• Poor glucose control
• Weight gain
• Impaired cognitive function
• Decreased bone density
• Poor muscle tone
• Reduced skin and hair health
• Poorer cardiovascular health
• Infertility

A disruption in one hormone system in the body can trigger other hormone imbalances. The other major hormone considerations for women when it comes to intermittent fasting are cortisol, the stress hormone, and thyroid hormone. When cortisol is imbalanced, symptoms include:

• Anxiety
• Low energy
• Insomnia
• Feeling wired-but-tired
• Sugar cravings

When thyroid hormones are imbalanced, symptoms include:

• Weight gain
• Brain fog
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Dry skin
• Dry hair
• Irregular periods
• Trouble regulating body temperature

So while intermittent fasting may have some benefits, this cascade of negative health effects for women may outweigh any benefit.

The Best Way for Women to Eat

These disparate diets do have some benefits, but none of them fully support a woman’s hormonal health. The cyclical nature of female biochemistry isn’t supported by eating the same way day in and day out. We must shift what we eat each week to support our unique micronutrient needs that specific week...which is something that none of these plans take into account. Your body isn’t the same every day and your diet shouldn’t be either! I created my phase-based eating concept 15 years ago to support each stage of a woman’s cycle.

Women are the biggest consumers of health-industry products and protocols—and we’re especially susceptible this time of year, when New Year’s fitness routines promise to burn off pounds and build lean muscle in no time.But here’s the dirty secret that no one is talking about this time of year (or ANY time of year): most of the research on optimal health and wellness is done on men, and because women’s bodies work differently—and because these differences are something most experts in the health space rarely talk about (I’m here to change that!)—we are left to try everything, be disappointed, and then try some more. It’s a cycle that costs us stress, energy, money, heartache, and sanity.If you’re tried any of these fitness routines, you already know on some level that they don’t work. Maybe you made progress for a while, but then it stalled. Maybe you never made progress or, worse, your symptoms got more severe when you started a new health and fitness routine. This phenomenon is all too common. I’ve worked with so many women who started a new health protocol—like eating Paleo and doing short, intense workouts—and seen their symptoms get worse. The thing to remember is that women are biochemically different than men and we need to adopt health-promoting strategies that work for our unique female biochemistry.In other words, we need to biohack like a girl. So what does that look like? The first step is to understand your 28-day cycle and then match your food and exercise to your natural hormonal shifts during those 28 days. When you sync your cycle to your food and movement routines, you’ll experience easier periods, less PMS, reduced bloating, clearer skin, and improvements in weight and body composition. By acknowledging your hormonal reality, you’ll finally be able to look and feel your best.

Your Exercise Needs Change With Your Cycle

Here’s an interesting catch-22: historically women have been excluded from nutrition and exercise research because of how our 28-day menstrual cycle affects our metabolism. (Researchers assume it will mess up the data and so instead of designing tests for us, they just leave us out.) But it is precisely because of those hormone changes that we need research into how we should eat and move.So the research on menstruation and exercise is limited, but not completely non-existent. We know a few things! First, research suggests that women in the luteal phase (the second half of the 28-day cycle) fatigue faster during workouts and need more time to recover. This is one reason to do higher intensity workouts during your follicular phase (the first half of your cycle) and save gentler movement practices, like yoga, for the luteal phase. We know from another study that a woman’s resting metabolic rate (also known as our basal metabolic rate) decreases during the follicular phase, hitting its lowest point one week before ovulation. So doing high intensity workouts during this phase serves as a counterbalance to a slower metabolism. … which brings us to a key biohacking takeaway for women: since your metabolism is naturally slower during the first half of your cycle, you have the power to speed it up — and lose weight and gain muscle! — by doing high intensity exercise during this time.Other research has found that insulin sensitivity is higher during the follicular phase and lower during the luteal phase. A separate study found that the body uses carbohydrates more efficiently during the follicular phase. What does this mean when it comes to exercise? It means that during the first half of your cycle you need less insulin to keep blood sugar stable and keep your body supplied with energy… and that makes it the ideal time to high intensity workouts like strength training and HIIT workouts. As estrogen and testosterone drop during the luteal phase, your energy for doing high intensity workouts will wane, too. And while a woman’s calorie needs go up during the luteal phase, her resting metabolic rate also rises. In other words, you will eat more in the last half of your cycle, but you will burn more, too. As your energy slows in the luteal phase, allow your workouts to slow down, too. Shift from high intensity bouts of exercise to activities like yoga, walking, and easy bike rides. Not only will these types of movements match your energy level (and you won’t be fighting your natural hormonal rhythms, which is counterproductive and unhealthy) but you will get better results, too. If you experience estrogen dominance (and almost every woman with period problems does), exercising hard all the time can backfire (I wrote more about why that happens here). In the end, the biggest takeaway is that a woman can’t exercise the same way every day and expect to see results. When you align your exercise with your menstrual cycle, you can finally look and feel your best.

What You’ll Get When You Start Exercising With Your Cycle

You can expect to lose weight and gain muscle more easily and sustainably, as well as prevent injury by varying your movement consistently. When you sync your exercise with your cycle, you’ll experience remarkable results. You’ll will also deepen your intuitive sense of what type of movement your body wants and needs every day—and at every phase of your cycle. 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!

Secrets of Cycle Syncing™

Did you know that you have optimal times each month for exercise, going on a date, asking for a raise, starting a creative project, and for tapping into your intuition? The secret is coded in your monthly cycle! Let me show you how to leverage your cycle to optimize your energy, productivity and happiness! In this masterclass you’ll discover:

• How your hormones shift and their effects on your mood, energy, and cravings
• Using your cycle to optimize your energy for your work and social schedule
• And how to cycle sync™ for better relationships and more love

Download "Secrets of Cycle Syncing™

The simple act of giving gifts releases positive emotions and energy, but when you're pressed for time (and these days who isn’t?)

finding that perfect gift can become stressful. It's about balance and we all know that you best serve others when you take care of yourself. Here to support you, I've decided to put together a list that will assist in your shopping efforts this holiday season! These are some of my favorite, go-to items that are great as gifts for any occasion as well as staples to have in your own home:

Womancode

Your best-selling, must have women’s hormonal health resource. You'll find you make extra space in that suitcase for any traveling with this paper companion. This book makes a great gift to give to a friend.

Balance Supplements

Looking to get off birth control or trying to resolve period symptoms? Balance is the first and only hormone biohacking supplement subscription box for women. Crafted with 5 formulations containing all the micronutrients your body needs to keep your hormones balanced.

Felix Gray Blue Glasses

I love this brand of glasses that helps filter blue light while working. It’s so important to take care of your eyes - something that doesn’t always resonate when you think of your health. These glasses are stylish and unisex.

Pique Tea Crystals

This tea brand is changing the way we enjoy tea and really, how we consume antioxidants. Improving gut health and digestion, reducing stress and sustaining energy, this is definitely a nice idea to gift anyone needing a boost in their daily routine.

Maude

Making sex better for everyone, one 100% natural product at a time. I highly recommend this personal lubricant that is completely natural and organic. No more guessing what ingredients are in personal products with this company. It’s sex made simple.

MyFLO app

Newly improved, this ultimate functional medicine period tracker helps keep hormones balanced. Women's Health Magazine's FemTech Awards named MyFLO as one of the 4 best period apps on the market.

Moon Calendar

Still my favorite calendar and produced using a hand-pulled silk-screen technique on 100% PCW recycled paper. It's a wonderful reference for your day-to-day activities and an affordable and thoughtful gift..

THINX

This team reinvents the way we wear periods, literally. Risk-free trial underwear AND you can tailor a set based on your cycle. How smart is that?

Kali Boxes

Kali takes the worrying out of finding the best products to aid you through your menstrual cycle. You can customize boxes based on product and frequency.

Vitner’s Daughter

Vitner’s Daughter doesn’t believe in creating shortcuts when it comes to producing some of the finest skin care on the market today. This active botanical serum is a game changer with my skin care. A smart and essential stocking stuffer.

Rahua

This control cream creates lift for my hair; finally products for curly hair that don't contain chemicals or liquid plastic that actually work!

RMS

Less is always more and as a mom on the go, if I can make any product useful in more than one way, that’s a bonus. RMS products are unrefined and organic. You better believe this lip-to-cheek stain is in my beauty arsenal.

Juice Beauty

Antioxidants are key for us as we age. I personally love a tried and true serum that not only minimizes fine lines but hydrates and soothes my skin. Another all natural and organic brand that is a staple in my skincare regimen.

Living Libations

I can’t get enough of this all-in-one body oil, face oil, cleanser and exfoliator.A little goes a long way and you only need a few drops to leave your body feeling completely moisturized. Made from all natural, wild crafted and organic oils and ingredients, Living Libations is another affordable favorite of mine

Moon Cycle Bakery

I have a special place in my heart for a brownie that is pretty much guilt-free AND one that satisfies my sweet tooth! Moon Cycle Bakery does just that. Birthed with a strong focus on women’s health and empowerment, this bakery serves up some of the finest vegan, gluten free, dairy free and overall cycle-conscious treats.

JETSWEAT

JETSWEAT is made for any woman who is interested in syncing her workout according to her hormonal cycle. Meet JETSWEAT, an on-demand, customizable fitness platform that provides exclusive access to premium boutique studio classes and structured programming personalized to fit individual goals. That coupled with real-time performance tracking empowers an active lifestyle wherever, whenever.Sign up for JETSWEAT here and use promo code JETSWEATVIP at checkout for 50% off of your first month (that's only $5 this month!)

Innersense

Struggling to find products that work with my curly hair is an understatement, but Innersense’s I Create Lift lotion has transformed my hair care regimen. Perfect for any hair type and 100% Organic.

I’ve made this prediction before and I’m going to make it again this year: You’re likely to have a really rotten period in January (and probably in February and March, too).If you’ve already gotten your period and you’re thinking How did she know?!?!, well, I can’t see the future. But I CAN see the past, and if your holiday was anything like mine it was full of joy, connection, and good memories, but yours may also have been crammed with stress, travel, disrupted sleep, and more sugary foods and alcoholic beverages than usual. Oh, and it probably left you with very little time for your normal self-care routines, like regular workouts and getting the essential micronutrients that keep your hormones happy. All that travel, stress, and sugar increases the chances that your body won’t make enough progesterone during the luteal phase of your cycle in the coming month(s). Less progesterone means more estrogen in the body relative to progesterone and it is that imbalance — more estrogen with less progesterone to balance it — that strands you with all the stereotypical symptoms of PMS. The same holiday trio of travel, stress, and sugar can delay ovulation in the new year, too. A lot of women worry they’re pregnant after the holidays because their period arrives days late!

Why Hormone Health is EXTRA Important in January

You can’t go back and redo the holidays. But you can take steps now to get your period back on track. And now is the time of year when you really want to optimize your hormonal health. If a hormonal imbalance has you feeling less-than-stellar, you won’t have the energy or interest in reaching any other health and wellness goals you’ve set for the new year. In other words, if your PMS is worse than ever in the first quarter of 2019, you’re more likely to rely on old, comfortable, and unhealthy habits to get you through. And any health and wellness resolutions you made for 2019 are less likely to happen!That’s why addressing hormonal imbalances and solving your PMS is the most important step you can take right now when it comes to living healthier in the new year. Being in optimal hormonal health now means that you are more likely, and more able, to reach your other health and wellness goals all year long.

How to Have a Pleasant Period This Month

Ready to escape a horrible January (and February and March) period? Here’s what I recommend:Make sure you’re getting the right micronutrients. I’ve been researching the menstrual cycle and hormones for close to two decades and I’ve learned that there are specific micronutrients women need to optimize hormone health. Holiday stress and high doses of sugar and alcohol during November and December can deplete these nutrients. These micronutrients are magnesium, vitamin D3, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids and if you aren’t getting enough of these micronutrients in your diet, I recommend taking a supplement. Micronutrient support is one of the best lines of defense against a terrible January period. Do a healthy, short detox. I also recommend doing a four-day hormone detox after the holidays. It’s a quick food program to help clear your system of all the holiday treats that tasted so good going in but are causing hormonal trouble now. I recommend doing this detox right after your last period. Get my complete four-day detox plan for free here. Curb sugar cravings with your food choices. When you finish the detox, prioritize eating complex carbohydrates, cruciferous vegetables, clean sources of protein, and healthy fats to help you with sugar cravings that may have developed over the holidays. If you’ve noticed that your sugar cravings really spiked during the holidays, consider making one or two days each week grain free this month. On those days, emphasize healthy fats like coconut oil, pastured eggs, and avocados, and drink bone broth. Take a fiber supplement to help sweep out the last of the processed flour and sugar. Add a healing juice to your daily routine. I’m not a fan of juice-only cleanses, but adding one healing juice to your daily food plan can turbo-charge your hormone-recovery efforts. Combine a handful of spinach, 1 carrot, 2 stalks of celery, half a bunch of cilantro, one-third a bunch of parsley, half a lemon with rind, half a green apple in a blender or juicer.Prioritize sleep. Try to get back on a regular sleep schedule, where you go to bed around the same time and wake up around the same time each day. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!

Need more Hormone Help?

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

Whether you’re a FLO Living veteran (thank you! we love you!) or brand new to our group of empowered and hormonally savvy women (welcome! we love you!), we hope you’ve had a wonderful, happy, and hormone healthy 2018. We’re so grateful to have been part of your journey, wherever you are on the path, and we plan to bring you SO MUCH MORE in 2019. We have a lot of wonderful new content in store. We’ll be covering topics that will help you speed up your hormonal recovery and feel better, faster. Meanwhile, we’ve gathered together our most-read articles of 2018. These are the posts that women found most valuable over the course of the year and that they returned to again and again. We hope you’ll take advantage of this list as a go-to resource that you can refer to whenever you need support. And if FLO Living has made a difference in your life this year, or ever, please spread the love and share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from our blog and programs! And please, please, PLEASE leave a comment below (or over on Instagram) to tell me what kinds of hormonal health topics you’d like me to cover in 2018.

Our Top 10 Must-Read Articles of 2018

1. How To Get Clearer Skin and a Flatter Tummy in Time for Summer (May 22, 2018)

When summer hits, it seems like every magazine, blog, and social media post is trying to sell you a fad diet or new fitness craze to get you ready for swimsuit season. But buying into deprivation diets or crazy workout plans that ignore the importance of cycle syncing your exercise will only hurt your chances of true hormonal healing and the benefits that come with it: clearer skin, less bloating, and steady, sustainable weight loss. Looking and feeling your best is all about biohacking.

2. Why Your Hardcore New Year's Workout Plan is Failing You—And What To Do Instead (January 25, 2018)

Have you ever launched enthusiastically into a high-intensity regimen only to find yourself feeling drained, depleted, and somehow up a pant size? What gives? The key to making exercise work for you instead of against you is to understand your hormones and tailor the intensity and the timing of your workouts to your shifting hormonal needs each week.

3. The Connection Between Women's Hormones and Intermittent Fasting (October 23, 2018)

Intermittent fasting is all the rage. But fasting isn’t the same for men and women. If women try fasting but don’t do it properly, it can cause more harm than good. At the same time, when you know how to use intermittent fasting in a way that is safe for your unique female biochemistry—that is, when you know how to biohack intermittent fasting to improve hormone health instead of harm it—you can reap some amazing benefits.

4. Five Acne Cures That Actually Make Your Skin Worse (July 23, 2018)

I suffered from severe cystic acne for many years and I went to my doctor desperate for answers. Not only did their “solutions” not work, they made my acne — and my other symptoms — even worse. Don’t make the mistakes I made: address the real root cause of your acne and get the clear skin you deserve.

5. The Real Reason Behind Your Period Problems (April 5, 2018)

Have you ever wondered about the cause of your hormonal problems? The underlying issue affecting your weight, skin, fertility, health, and happiness? What if I told you that no matter what kind of hormonal dysfunction you’re dealing with — be it endometriosis, PCOS, PMS, or something else — you’re almost certainly struggling with one single cause? And that all it takes to overcome your issues once and for all is to understand how to outsmart the problem?

6. The 5 Supplements You MUST Have To Boost Your Sex Drive (February 7, 2018)

When it comes to healing hormonal dysfunction, food is always your best ally. But supplements can add critical extra support. Think of them as tools that will fasttrack your healing so you feel motivated, empowered, and in the mood.

7. Suffering From Adult Acne? The 5 Secret Fixes You Need (April 25, 2018)

Hormonal acne can accompany natural shifts in the menstrual cycle—for example, when you’re moving from your ovulation phase into your pre-menstruation phase. It can also be triggered by high levels of androgens (male hormones), chronically high insulin levels, and stress. But there are powerful lifestyle strategies you can use to address these root causes and heal your skin.

8. The 5 Ways Stress Affects Your Period (March 3, 2018)

Stress wreaks havoc on hormonal health. Here’s what’s happening to your hormones when you’re chronically stressed, and how you can take steps to address it.

9. Three Secret Reasons Women Shouldn't Drink Coffee (March 28, 2018)

If you have PMS, are trying to conceive, or have a diagnosed menstrual issue, you shouldn’t be drinking coffee or caffeine in general. Here’s the inside scoop on coffee’s corrosive effect on female reproductive hormones.

10. The 5 Healthy Foods That Are Secretly Sabotaging Your Hormones (April 11, 2018)

Before I made it my mission to fix my hormones and help other women do the same, I had no idea that some of the foods I believed to be “healthy” were actually making my problems worse. Now I see how shocked my clients are when I tell them that some of the hyped-up health foods in their grocery carts might be hindering their progress in reversing symptoms.Please leave me a note below and tell me what hormonal health topics you’d like me to cover in 2018. What would you like to know more? What symptoms are you experiencing? 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!

Is Your Period Healthy?

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

I love New Year’s. It’s the time of year when the feminine energy of creativity and creation takes center stage. It’s when we step back—when the culture expects us to step back—and envision what we want for ourselves in the next 12 months. We tap into our desires to create something out of nothing, to tap into the void, and aspire to new possibilities, opportunities, and connections.

New Year’s is so different than the rest of the year, when the expectation is that we just keep plugging along at our to-do lists without reflection. January 1st is our chance to think about what we really want, how we want to feel, and what we most want to do in the new year.

I’m not always comfortable calling the big-picture planning that happens at New Year “making resolutions.” To “resolve” to do something can feel heavy and uninspiring. Also, most resolutions don’t stick. The vast majority are abandoned by the end of January.

As you look ahead, I encourage you to envision a new reality in which your body is your compass—a reality in which your own innate feminine wisdom guides you (and you listen!). It can help to think of these more as “intentions” or “aspirations” than “resolutions,” (which feels more self-loving and inspirational). I like to list out my aspirations in the present tense, as if they are already happening. Words are so powerful that acting “as if” goes a long way to helping manifest what we want to happen.

Here are some of the aspirations I have for myself and for the whole FLO Living community in the new year:

• We're eating cyclically
• We're exercising based on what's best for our hormonal changes
• We're fully aware that the latest studies in nutrition and fitness didn't include women in their reproductive years, so we keep coming back to doing what's right for our own hormonal reality (instead of blindly following the recommendations set for men)
• We're honoring our need for rest
• We're fully engaging our creativity
• We're being compassionate with our bodies
• We're exploring how to amplify our feminine energy and balance it with our masculine
• We're having more orgasms
• We're planning our work life so we can be productive with less stress
• We're on our phone less and IRL more
• We're spending lots of time with girlfriends
• We're getting into our bodies with dance and fun and raw cacao and CBD
• We're dedicating some of our time and talents to solving some of the world's problems (environmental issues, child trafficking, women's rights, eliminating racism/sexism, dismantling the patriarchy)

What are you aspiring to in the new year? What energy do you want to invite into your life? How do you want to feel? Please tell me in the comments below or leave me a comment on Instagram (or both!).  

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!

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a confusing name for a complicated condition. First of all, you can have PCOS and not have cysts on your ovaries. At the same time, studies show that healthy women have cysts on their ovaries 25 percent of the time. So you can be in perfect hormonal health and have ovarian cysts and/or you can be cyst-free and have PCOS. It’s, well….confusing.Another common misperception about PCOS? That it’s an ovarian disease, or a problem with the ovaries. In fact, the ovaries are simply responding to a system-wide hormone imbalance. In other words, your ovaries aren’t causing the problem. They’re victims of the wider hormone imbalance happening in your body.You might be thinking, Well, that’s all fine and good, but what I really care about is healing my PCOS symptoms. How does knowing about what PCOS is and isn’t help me? Here’s how: When you know that ovaries aren’t the cause of your problem—and what you’re experiencing is a larger hormonal imbalance—healing your PCOS and erasing your symptoms becomes much easier. The root cause of your symptoms—hormone imbalance—can be addressed with nutrition and lifestyle. (Whereas it is significantly harder, if not impossible, to address a clinical ovarian problem with nutrition and lifestyle modifications alone.) And if you have PCOS, that’s good news! It means you can heal your PCOS and erase your symptoms with what’s on your plate, how and when you move your body, and other lifestyle choices. The best treatment plan for PCOS is the one you already have the power to do at home. Plus, lifestyle modifications cost no extra money and they have absolutely no side effects. Best of all? They really work.

PCOS Symptoms & The Importance of Food as Medicine

PCOS affects as many as five million women in the United States and it is one of the most common causes of infertility among women of childbearing age. PCOS symptoms—including weight gain, weight loss resistance, acne, missing or irregular periods, thinning hair on the top of the head and excess hair on the face and chest—can be annoying at best and debilitating at worst. As if that weren’t enough, PCOS can come with long-term consequences. The condition can set the stage for other chronic conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and stroke. PCOS has also been associated with increased risk of anxiety and depression. This is why addressing PCOS with lifestyle choices is so important, both for your health and fertility now AND in the future. Whenever I’m working with a client who has been diagnosed with PCOS, the first changes I recommend are food and nutrition. Food is medicine when it comes to PCOS. One of the biggest pieces of the nutrition puzzle for PCOS is blood sugar stability and insulin sensitivity. That’s because high insulin levels interfere with ovulation. And while a lot of factors affect blood sugar and insulin, including genetics and the health of your microbiome, the single biggest factor is what you eat. A diet high in processed carbs and simple sugars will send your blood sugar and insulin surging. A diet high in healthy fats, phytonutrient-rich vegetables and other complex carbohydrates, and high-quality protein will keep blood sugar stable. When you eat certain foods also makes a difference. I call the concept of matching your nutrition with your unique hormonal needs each week “Cycle Syncing®,” and it is one of the most important parts of any diet plan for women with hormone imbalances. If you don’t currently track your cycle and match your food with your shifting hormonal needs, get the MyFlo app and start tracking your 28-day cycle and aligning your food with your hormones.

Natural Strategies for PCOS

PCOS is best addressed with food and lifestyle modifications. Here are my top recommendations for healing the hormone imbalances associated with PCOS and erasing your symptoms:Have healthy protein and healthy fat at breakfast. Try to eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up to help keep blood sugar steady and keep you feeling full until lunch. Eggs and avocado make a good combo. Consider adding some leafy greens or other veggies so your plate is brimming with inflammation-fighting phytonutrients....But don’t overdo animal protein. A Harvard study showed that women improved their chances of fertility when they got more of their protein from vegetable sources than animal sources. For the absolute best sources of protein for your hormones, click here. (Spoiler alert: eggs are okay! They appear to be the exception to the rule when it comes to animal protein.)Embrace the RIGHT kind of carbs. Not all carbs are created equal. While some carbs are notoriously bad for health—think baked goods, white bread, pasta—others are important for hormonal harmony. Most women with PCOS struggle on a low-carb diet, like Atkins or Paleo. I recommend making rice, quinoa, buckwheat and millet part of your regular diet. Ditch caffeine. Caffeine is a catastrophe for your hormones. Numerous studies link caffeine with impaired fertility (which is a hallmark of PCOS) and general hormonal discord that it’s hard to keep up with them all. Here’s just a few: research shows that drinking 3 cups of coffee a day (consumed by either men or women) increases the risk of miscarriage by 74%. Coffee is considered equal to drinking alcohol and smoking in terms of impairing fertility. And coffee depletes the B vitamins that are so necessary for healthy ovulation and hormone balance. If you suspect you’re low on B vitamins, you can find the formula I recommend in my Balance Supplement Kit. Tiptoe around toxins (and try to avoid them altogether!). Many of the everyday chemicals we’re exposed to through cleaning products, conventional health and body care products, lawn care products and household pesticides are endocrine disruptors and are known to to have negative reproductive, neurological, and immune system effects. The Environmental Working Group lists 12 of the worst endocrine offenders. Read labels on cleaning products carefully or, better yet, make your own products with vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils. A study commissioned by the independent research group, Women’s Voices for the Earth, found that a large number of popular cleaning products contained toxic chemicals that weren’t listed on the labels.Sync your life to your cycle. When you live your life in accordance with your natural hormonal rhythms, your hormones are happier—and so are you. It’s as simple as that. Sync your life with the MyFLO tracker, the first ever hormone balancing app. Tend your microbiome. A healthy microbiome, the group of bacteria that lives in your gut, means a healthy estrobolome, the colony of bacteria in the microbiome that help metabolize estrogen. Hormonal healing is impossible if your gut is out of balance. The best way to bring your microbiome into balance is to supplement with probiotics. Patch up nutrient deficiencies. Micronutrient support is critical for women with PCOS. Our bodies need the B vitamins that can help with mood and progesterone production; the liver support that helps detox estrogen; the magnesium that helps balance the production of progesterone, estrogen and testosterone; the probiotics that help heal the gut; and vitamins D, K1, and K2 to support healthy immune function and regular ovulation. You can find all these supplements together in the Balance Supplement Kit I created specifically to bring hormones back into balance. Focus on strength training. Some studies suggest that resistance training may have a therapeutic effect for women with PCOS. Get some sleep. Sleep helps pretty much everything, including hormone regulation. Make getting more sleep a priority!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!

COACH CONSULT

Get Actionable Advice in a FLO Coach ConsultationWe believe that no woman should suffer simply because she has a period. And we also know that it’s not always possible to get access to functional and holistic healthcare solutions — sometimes they’re too far away and most of the time they are way too expensive. That’s why we offer phone and Skype consultation sessions with our FLO coaches. In your consultation session, your coach will go over your health history and symptoms, get feedback on any health changes you’ve implemented from our resource library, review your hormone test analysis if applicable, and help you develop a plan of action to solve your symptoms. [BOOK YOUR SESSION NOW]

It’s a taboo topic that we need to normalize: period blood. The color, consistency, and texture of your flow can reveal way more about your overall health than you realize. It’s time to destigmatize this essential vital sign and start decoding symptoms. Period blood is not something we’re taught to talk about. In fact, we’re pretty much raised to hide from it. Pay attention to any maxi pad or tampon commercial and all you’ll see is the same blue liquid over and over again.The truth is: periods matter. They matter SO much, in fact, that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has declared menstruation a vital sign. the appearance, frequency, and consistency of your menstrual blood provides invaluable clues into your overall health, and if you want to finally banish symptoms and feel amazing, it’s time to get familiar with your flow. Think of checking your flow every month like being able to access free lab work for your hormone levels. Knowing the color tells you which hormones are in and out of balance and if your eating is synced with your hormones. Your period provides genius (and free!) biofeedback for you.

Your Guide to Interpreting the Color of Your Period Blood

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So now what?

Whether your period is the perfect shade of cranberry-red or a different less-than-ideal color of the rainbow, it’s crucial to know which foods, supplements, and lifestyle habits will support your menstrual health and your overall well-being. Start small: take my free V-Sign Quiz to confirm your period type and get a lot more information about what the color, consistency, and more mean for you. Then be sure to download the MyFLO app to immediately start troubleshooting your issues today. And when you’re ready to kick your healing into high gear, stock up on the supplements every woman needs to keep her hormones balanced, and find the FLO Living program that will help you squash your symptoms, reclaim your sex drive, and optimize your fertility. Menstruation matters, so let’s stop the secrecy and get real about periods! By paying attention to the clues that your brilliant, beautiful body is giving you, you’ll have all the clues to overcome hormonal issues once and for all and look and feel your best.

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

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

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

Click here to learn more about the brand-new BALANCE Supplement Kit.

If you rarely feel in the mood, you’re not the only one. Studies overwhelming show that Americans, and especially young people, are having less sex than they were even a decade ago. Experts say we’re in the middle of a sex recession.

That’s right, we’re in the middle of a full-blown, nationwide slowdown in doing it.

Now, I’m the first to admit there are likely many (many, many) reasons why we’re having less sex, from the screens that go with us everywhere (including bed) to emotional problems in our intimate relationships that pave over our desire to be intimate. There are even very, very positive reasons we might be having less sex: young women (and men) are feeling more empowered to say no or to set better boundaries around what they want—and what they don’t—in the boudoir.

But, for many women, low libido is directly related to imbalanced hormones—a fact that this recent article on the sex recession completely ignores. Hormone dysfunction is at epidemic levels, thanks to common environmental triggers and lifestyle choices. And if we don’t address these underlying hormone issues by adjusting our environment and lifestyle, we will never be able to reclaim our libidos.

So if you’re having less sex than you would like to—if you’re never feeling “in the mood”—the fix starts on the inside. Yes, a whole bunch of factors might be at play, and they all need to be addressed, but the starting place for women with low libido is hormones—and the very first step every woman should take to balance her hormones is by changing what is on her dinner plate.

From the Kitchen to the Bedroom

Sex is often the first thing to get de-prioritized in our busy lives. I think that’s a shame because not only is sex fun, it’s also great for your health. Sex and orgasm play important roles in regulating your cycle and sustaining your fertility.

You’re not always going to feel like tearing your partner’s clothes off, of course, because sex drive and desire ebb and flow with your natural 28-day hormone cycle. When you are tracking your cycle and paying attention to the changes you notice each week, you’ll find that you have natural shifts in how you feel about your partner, how interested you are in sex, and how much energy you have for gettin’ it on. This is to be expected! You’re likely to notice more desire during the first half of your cycle. That usually peaks at ovulation. Then during the second half of your period, desire slowly wanes until you find yourself less interested during your period.

But if you’re interest in sex during the first half of your cycle has disappeared, or if your desire during this time is lackluster at best, you can reclaim your sex drive by cycle syncing what you eat and when you eat it.  Matching your food to your unique needs during each phase of your cycle will support hormone health and boost sex drive.

Click here to find out which foods to eat (and when) to help reclaim your sex drive, and for more help with cycle syncing your diet in general click here. New moms who are struggling to reclaim their libido can find support here.

Although a new, so-called “female Viagra” was released a couple years ago (with much fanfare), prescription numbers have stayed low—and thank goodness. That’s because we know women’s sexuality is not as simple as taking a pill—and that any kind of pill that wants to mess with our libido is going to have a lot of unwanted side effects. What women need doesn’t come in a bottle. We need to be nourished from the inside out, and that starts with what’s on your dinner plate.  

Food is the single best way to reset your hormones and rediscover your sex drive. Make hormone-friendly eating your first step on the path to a more libidinous life.

The Best Supplements for Boosting Sex Drive

Supplements offer fantastic support for hormone balance and overall hormonal health, but supplements alone, without any other lifestyle changes, will have limited impact. That’s why I never recommend supplements in isolation. Food first, and then if you need more support, you can look to herbs, adaptogens, and essential micronutrients.

Here are the supplements I recommend if you are looking for more support in addition to your nutrition changes:

‍The 4 best supplements to boost your sexual health

(1) Rhodiola

• How you feel now: You have symptoms of adrenal fatigue with moodiness, PMS, and low-level depression.
• How rhodiola helps: Rhodiola supports the adrenal glands by preventing the breakdown of too much dopamine and serotonin during stressful times, leaving enough for us to remain buoyant and energized. A bonus benefit of rhodiola? It can work fast to change your energy levels (in as little as 30 minutes), so take one if you sense a romantic interlude in your near future!

(2) Zinc

• How you feel now: You are experiencing symptoms of estrogen dominance, which include weight gain, severe PMS, cramps, bloating, acne, infertility, fibroids, cysts, and irregular or heavy periods.
• How zinc helps: Zinc helps to boost your testosterone production and blocks the enzyme that turns testosterone into estrogen.

(3) Evening Primrose Oil

• How you feel now: You may feel sexual desire, but the sex itself doesn’t feel as good as it used to and you’re not getting big orgasms like you did before.
• How evening primrose oil helps: Evening primrose oil will balance out your progesterone and estrogen levels, increase dopamine, and 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.

(4) Magnesium

• How you feel now: Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include muscle cramping, facial tics, restless legs, migraines, poor sleep, fatigue, and PMS. You can ask your doctor for a test for your magnesium levels.
• How magnesium helps: Magnesium makes it harder for your testosterone to bind to 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 promotes a positive mood, helping you enjoy yourself more. Magnesium promotes good sleep, too, and studies show that getting enough high quality sleep is essential for healthy sexual desire and genital response.If your magnesium levels are very low, I recommend taking 360g a day in the form of a supplement. If your levels are within the optimal range, keep them there with a daily serving of dark chocolate (!) and greens.

Share this Sex-Boosting Advice With the Men in Your Life

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Literally! Men can benefit just as much from these supplements as women do, especially magnesium and evening primrose oil. In fact, these two supplements can help men with issues like premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction.

‍Bonus! What Food to Remove From Your Diet for Better Sex

‍All this talk of what to add to your nutrition and supplement routine brings me to the opposite: what you should remove from your diet right away.

‍For Women:

Canola Oil. It’s in everything and it raises your levels of omega 6 fatty acids, which crowds out room in your cells for health-promoting omega 3 fatty acids.  Studies suggest that boosting omega 3s can increase sexual desire and response in women. So stick to clean fats like olive oil and coconut oil and you’ll feel sexier pronto!

‍For Men:

‍Soy. Soy is full of phytoestrogens, which can dampen male sex drive. An ex-boyfriend and I experimented with this when he decided to become vegan. He ate and drank soy products for a month and by the end of that time he had zero libido. Within two weeks of stopping all soy, he was back to normal.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!

You’re young, you’re active, and you have no plans to get pregnant soon, so when your period stopped coming, you weren’t too worried. Maybe you even thought, Well, this is kinda great... no messy period to deal with! But no period means no ovulation—and ovulation is part of a healthy hormone cycle. A missing period is a sign of a hormonal imbalance, or trouble brewing beneath the surface. It’s a problem that you need to take seriously, whether you ever plan to get pregnant or not.Ovulation is a key indicator of a woman’s overall health and not ovulating can bring a host of unpleasant symptoms, including acne, weight loss resistance, bloating, headaches, and mood swings. The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists considers the menstrual cycle a vital sign, like blood pressure and temperature.And if you do hope to have kids one day, getting your period back is absolutely essential. The longer you go without one, the more you put your future fertility in danger.

Where did your period go?

There are some well-known, “textbook” reasons that periods disappear, like pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause. There’s also engaging in too much exercise. Many women think a hard workout everyday is healthy, but there can be too much of a good thing. Extreme exercise can tip you into hormonal imbalance. So can eating too little and/or being underweight. Finally, a condition called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), in which cysts grow on your ovaries, can stop ovulation in young women.One of the top triggers for missing periods is coming off hormonal birth control. And stopping the pill doesn’t guarantee that your period will come right back. In fact, without making a concentrated effort through food and lifestyle modifications, many women who quit the pill do not start bleeding again for months or years.

What If Your Period is Missing, but You Don’t Have One of the Main “Causes”?

There are less talked about (but no less real) causes of missing or irregular periods, including stress. Chronic stress raises cortisol and messes up blood sugar, which disrupts ovulation. Studies also show that women with stressful jobs are at double the risk for anovulation (not ovulating) and menstrual cycle variability. Other research shows that women with high levels of stress around the time of ovulation have a harder time getting pregnant.The blood sugar roller coaster, when your blood sugar is constantly going up and down thanks to eating high-sugar and refined carbohydrate foods, can also fuel missing or irregular periods. Imbalanced blood sugar is linked to infertility, and diabetes drugs like Metformin are often prescribed to women with PCOS to trigger ovulation. If you are considering taking Metformin for PCOS or infertility, I strongly recommend regulating your blood sugar levels with the FLO protocol and prepping your body for a healthy pregnancy ahead of time. You may discover you don’t need the drugs. (It’s also worth noting that, for many of the women I’ve worked with, Metformin hasn’t worked at all.)

Here’s How to Get Your Period Back

Bringing your period back online is something you can do with nutrition and lifestyle modifications. I’ve seen women who haven’t had periods in years engage the FLO Protocol and start bleeding in three to four months. With the right lifestyle and nutrition changes, this could become your story, too!Your journey to reclaim your period should always start with what’s on your dinner plate, and for more on how to eat to balance your hormones and get your back your period, go here, here, and here. I also recommend these three key strategies:

1. Take self-care seriously. The more stressed you are (and who isn’t?), the harder you need to work to manage and mitigate stress. If you’ve been meaning to get back to your Yoga or Pilates class, do it today. Make sure you schedule dedicated non-work time—write it into your planner if you have to!—and engage in leisure activities you love. Some stresses in life aren’t modifiable (sick children or caring for elderly parents), but some are—perhaps certain friendships are no longer serving you and you can let them go or maybe the time is right to make a job switch? Scan your life for stressors you can change, and then do so!
2. Get off the blood sugar roller coaster. The single best (and side effect-free!) way to address blood sugar problems is with food. Emphasize healthy complex (and non-gluten) carbs, eat enough healthy, high-quality fats and proteins, and make sure you front-load non-starchy vegetables in all colors of the rainbow. One great tip for keeping blood sugar steady all day is to eat a low-glycemic breakfast within 90 minutes of waking up. And remember: sugar hides out in a lot of processed foods—even ones you wouldn’t expect. So read labels carefully, and stick to whole foods when you can.
3. Go to bed earlier! Hormones are hugely affected by sleep—or, more specifically, by lack thereof. The 24-hour circadian cycle has a direct influence on, and is directly influenced by, our bodies master hormones. When we’re short on sleep, it’s almost impossible to get our hormones balanced. So make sleep a priority tonight (and every night!).

If you are someone struggling with your period, now you know that change is possible! We’d love to hear what you’re struggling with and we’d love to help. Email us at support@floliving.com to connect with us for a consultation. You’ll get symptom analysis and feedback and direct, actionable tips to take your hormonal healing into your own hands.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!

Is Your Period Healthy?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Need more Hormone Help?

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

If you pay attention to the health headlines, you’ve probably heard about intermittent fasting - it has been linked with several important health benefits.

But fasting isn’t the same for men and women. If women try fasting but don’t do it properly, it can cause more harm than good. Why? Because women’s bodies are biologically built for fertility and reproduction. Extended periods without food tell the body that now isn’t a good time for reproduction.

You might be thinking, so what? I don’t want to get pregnant now or maybe ever. But fertility isn’t the only concern. Women need to consider that estrogen and progesterone do more in the body than simply get us pregnant. Estrogen helps us with metabolism, weight loss, mood, anxiety and stress, energy, bone density, and cognitive function, to name just a few. If you’re a woman, intermittent fasting can disrupt estrogen balance and throw a wrench in all these essential physiological processes.

But when you know how to use intermittent fasting in a way that is safe for your unique female biochemistry—that is, when you know how to bio-hack intermittent fasting to improve hormone health instead of harm it—you can reap some amazing benefits.

Keep reading. We'll walk you through the benefits, dangers, and how-to of intermittent fasting for women below.

‍Women’s Hormones & Intermittent Fasting

‍Intermittent fasting has been associated with numerous health benefits (more on that below), but it is also linked to hormone disruption in women. Here’s a close-up look at the cascade of hormone imbalances that can start with intermittent fasting.

First, intermittent fasting can disrupt estrogen balance. Estrogen imbalance may show up as:

• Low energy
• Poor glucose control
• Weight gain
• Impaired cognitive function
• Decreased bone density
• Poor muscle tone
• Reduced skin and hair health
• Poorer cardiovascular health
• Infertility

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A disruption in one hormone system in the body can trigger other hormone imbalances. The other major hormone considerations for women when it comes to intermittent fasting are cortisol, the stress hormone, and thyroid hormone. When cortisol is imbalanced, symptoms include:

• Anxiety
• Low energy
• Insomnia
• Feeling wired-but-tired
• Sugar cravings

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When thyroid hormones are imbalanced, symptoms include:

• Weight gain
• Brain fog
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Dry skin
• Dry hair
• Irregular periods
• Trouble regulating body temperature

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So while intermittent fasting may have some benefits, this cascade of negative health effects for women may outweigh any benefit.

‍What is Intermittent Fasting?

‍Simply put, intermittent fasting is going for short or intermediate periods of time without food. This “not eating” window can be as short as 12 hours and include sleep time—for example, you could stop eating at 8:00pm one night and not eat again until 8:00am the next morning and call it a fast—or as long as 16, 20, or 24 hours.

People fast in different ways. Some people try to go 12 or more hours without eating everyday. Others try to go 12 or 16 hours without food a couple days a week. Some people don’t eat for a full 24 hours one day each week.

Why Intermittent Fasting is So Popular

Studies have shown that intermittent fasting may help improve certain health conditions, including:

• Intermittent fasting is associated with improved insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity is an important factor in hormone balance and in overall health
• Intermittent fasting has been linked to reduced body fat
• Meta-analysis also suggests that those to adhere to intermittent fasting regimens don’t compensate by overeating during their designated eating windows. In fact, studies suggest that there is a “carry over effect” of calorie reduction by as much as 20 percent on eating days
• Intermittent fasting may improve health biomarkers associated with Type 2 diabetes
• Intermittent fasting may improve cognitive function and quiet neuroinflammation in the brain
• Intermittent fasting may help dampen stress hormone production in certain situations
• Intermittent fasting may help lower the risk of chronic health conditions

‍

What Makes Intermittent Fasting Trickier For Women?

‍A woman’s reproductive function is intricately connected to her metabolic function, and vice versa. So anytime a woman’s body gets a “starvation signal” from her environment (like not eating for a stretch of time), it goes into preserve and protect mode, where it holds onto weight (to survive the famine), increases production of the hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin (so that you feel famished and rush to get food ASAP), and slows down non-essential functions like reproduction (so you can keep yourself alive and not waste energy on growing a baby).

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Animal studies bear this out: in one study, female rats who engaged in intermittent fasting for 12 weeks had smaller ovaries and experienced more insomnia than male mice. But the researchers found that these changes started in as soon as two weeks after the female mice started intermittent fasting.

‍‍

How Women Can Use Intermittent Fasting Safely

‍This doesn’t mean women have to miss out on the benefits of intermittent fasting. Instead, we recommend that women follow some simple rules when it comes to intermittent fasting. This will help you tap into the many benefits associated with intermittent fasting while sidestepping the risks.

• Don’t fast on consecutive days
• Instead, pick no more than two or three non-consecutive days in a week to practice intermittent fasting
• Don’t fast for more than 12 or 13 hours at a time. Going any longer can trigger a negative hormonal cascade
• Don’t do intense workouts on fasting days
• Don’t fast when you’re bleeding
• During your eating window, choose the best diet for your hormonal health
• If you give this slow and steady approach to intermittent fasting a try for a couple months and feel great, you can consider going for a longer window of time each day without eating (up to 16 hours), but pay close attention to how you feel and drop back to a smaller window—or stop intermittent fasting all together—if you start experiencing symptoms of hormone imbalance.

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If you start to experience symptoms of hormone imbalance while intermittent fasting, or if the hormone imbalance symptoms you already experience get worse, stop fasting right away.

‍These symptoms include:

• Your period becomes irregular or stops
• You start having problems sleeping or falling asleep
• You notice changes in metabolism and digestion
• You feel moody or experience brain fog
• You notice negative changes in how your hair and skin looks
• You’re always cold

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Do NOT Try Intermittent Fasting If...

• You have a history of eating disorders
• You’re pregnant or are trying to conceive
• You have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or trouble waking up in the morning
• You have adrenal fatigue
• You are currently dealing with PMS, PCOS, Fibroids, Endometriosis or other diagnosed hormonal issues

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

You may have come to believe that hot flashes, weight gain, and a nonexistent libido are inevitable parts of getting older. Same with with regular ovulation, easy periods, and balanced hormones. But these extreme symptoms are not the norm—and they are NOT what you should expect at this age.

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‍Forget what you’ve seen, heard, and believed up until this point about entering your mid-30s and beyond. Your body does not have a set-in-stone expiration date for producing sex hormones, in fact recent New York Times reported research shows we can delay menopause with food!

‍You don’t need to fear perimenopause. But you do need to understand what your body is biologically programmed to do during perimenopause and how you can take care of yourself NOW to make this hormonal transition as seamless as possible. (You’ll also want to pay attention to the hormonal transitions happening during this phase if you want to get pregnant in your mid or late 30s or beyond.)

‍How to Have Easy Perimenopause

‍The first thing to know? Perimenopause begins much earlier than many women realize: around age 35 and lasts for the next decade or more. And how you experience perimenopause—whether it’s easy for you or riddled with devastating symptoms—is largely determined by the hormonal health you’re in when you hit your mid-30s.That is, if you’re experiencing period problems now—symptoms like severe PMS, painful periods, irregular periods, bloating, acne, fibroids, and heavy bleeding—your hormonal health is compromised and it doesn’t bode well for your next 10 or 15 years. I don’t mean to scare you, but you might be facing some of the horror stories you’ve heard about perimenopause.

‍On the other hand, if you’re taking care of your hormonal health right now—if you’re engaging cyclical self-care and the key biohacks for balancing and healing your unique female physiology —your transition into perimenopause can be smooth sailing.

‍So what can you do right now to reclaim your hormonal health and transform perimenopause from a transition to be feared to a milestone that should be celebrated—and barely noticed, at least symptom-wise?Let’s start by taking a close look at what happens during perimenopause.

‍Perimenopause 101

‍Let’s clearly define “perimenopause.” It’s a term that refers to the time between your reproductive years and your very last period.  It takes a long time, and even though it sets off old-age alarms for many women—when, as I mentioned above, this phase starts much earlier than most women think it does AND there is nothing shocking, abnormal, or bad about going through this hormonal transition (or about aging in general, but that is for another blog post a different day).

What’s more, so many women are getting pregnant naturally and having children in their late 30s and early 40s. The word “perimenopause” conjures up images of old maids, when in fact many women are waiting until perimenopause to start a family.

Natural hormonal changes DO happen during this time, so it’s important to know what’s going on.

In a nutshell, perimenopause is when a woman’s ovaries begin to move from ovulating like clockwork to not ovulating anymore. This is accomplished by the slow and steady rise of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and fluctuating estrogen levels. Over time, these fluctuating hormone levels become waning hormone levels and they stop signaling the process of ovulation all together (menopause). Think of this as a kind of reverse-puberty.

This era of shifting hormone signaling in the body is why good hormonal health is so important when you’re about to enter this phase of life. If your hormones are out of balance and causing difficult symptoms before you’re in perimenopause (when they should be be having), the addition of the natural hormone fluctuations that occur during perimenopause will not make symptoms any better. Far from it. Your symptoms are likely to get way worse.

‍Perimenopause can be divided into two phases:

Phase 1 (35 to 45 years old)

This phase is when reproductive hormone production starts to shift and become less consistent. That said, you shouldn’t feel symptoms during this phase if you’re in good hormonal health. You should be ovulating and menstruating regularly and have good muscle tone, skin quality, energy, and sex drive. In other words, you should  still be making enough hormones to feel vital and youthful. If you are experiencing symptoms like difficulty with fertility, vaginal dryness, accelerated skin aging, or dry hair (or all of the above), these are huge messages that your hormones need some TLC. To add insult to injury, these are symptoms that women don’t expect to experience until much later. Dealing with them as young as your mid-30s can put a major dent in your quality of life and indicates you are aging biologically faster than your chronological years.

Phase Two (45 to 55 years old)

During this phase, FSH levels rise to the point where you no longer ovulate. And while that sounds dramatic, this phase will be relatively smooth sailing if you’re taking care of your hormonal health. However, many women let the symptoms they experience in Phase 1 go unaddressed and that compounds their symptoms in Phase 2.

You can use targeted strategies in each phase—before perimenopause, during perimenopause Phase 1, and during perimenopause Phase 2—to heal your hormones and erase pesky perimenopausal symptoms.

‍If you’re NOT in perimenopause yet… Begin cyclical self-care, stat! The first step is to track your period.The next step is to eat, exercise, and make lifestyle choices in line with your cycle. This is especially important if you’re experiencing any period problems like severe PMS, irregular periods, heavy periods, bloating, acne, fibroids or hormonal migraines. You’ll also want to make sure your liver and detoxification system are in tip-top shape. One of the best ways you can support detox everyday is by eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, and Brussel sprouts. If you’re on hormonal birth control, you may want to consider other options. A history of being on the Pill can make perimenopause worse.

‍If you’re in Perimenopause Phase 1… You’ll want to stick to your cyclical self-care routine, and liver health becomes even more important during this phase. Continue to emphasize phytonutrient-rich vegetables and drink warm water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice in the mornings. Tending your adrenal health is critical in this stage of life, so you will want to prioritize rest and relaxing activities, but you might also consider taking adaptogens, including:

Maca powder. I recommend maca powder as part of a wider hormonally-supportive diet when you’re age 35 or over and experiencing symptoms of perimenopause. Maca can help with:

• Low energy levels
• Low sex drive
• Brain fog and poor focus or concentration
• Mood swings and depression
• PMS symptoms

Ashwagandha. This well-researched herb has been shown to reduce oxidative stress (the internal process that contributes to cell damage and accelerated aging) and support a healthy stress response. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, ashwagandha was shown to improve stress resistance and participants’ self-assessed quality of life. When it comes to hormones, ashwagandha has been shown to safely improve sexual function and low libido for some women (perhaps because it supports healthy testosterone production). I recommend ashwagandha if you struggle with anxiety and/or if you’re wrestling with low libido.

Holy Basil. This herb supports a healthy adrenal response as well as helping stabilize blood sugar, which is essential for healthy hormone balance. Research also suggests that holy basil can help protect the liver and support liver function. I recommend holy basil if stress and anxiety are an issue and/or if you wrestle with imbalanced blood sugar. If you have a history of taking over-the-counter or prescription medications, you may consider taking holy basil for liver and detox support.

Reishi mushroom. Reishi is a powerful adaptogen that is also full of antioxidants. The antioxidant benefits of reishi are well-studied, and when it comes to hormones studies show that reishi (and other cordyceps mushrooms) may help ease hormone-related symptoms by exerting an anti-androgenic effect in the body.

If you’re in Perimenopause Phase 2…Phase 2 is when FSH levels rise to the point where you no longer ovulate. Because many women experience accelerated hormone aging in Phase 1, they have a rough time in Phase 2. But when hormones are balanced entering this phase, your body should adapt relatively seamlessly by manufacturing slightly less, but a balanced amount, of estrogen and progesterone and testosterone. If you’re having hot flashes, night sweats, no libido, etc., then you likely have unbalanced levels of these hormones.

Take D3 and Evening Primrose Oil. These two supplements are especially helpful in the second phase of perimenopause. Evening primrose oil is a source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid that influences prostaglandin synthesis and calms perimenopausal symptoms. Vitamin D is foundational for hormone balance and overall health at every stage of life. You can read more about D3 here.

Increase your Zinc intake. Zinc is critical for the production of testosterone production. Having enough testosterone eases the perimenopausal transition. Zinc is bountiful in beans and seeds. You can also supplement with 50mg a day.

Eat enough healthy fat. Cholesterol (yes, the very substance that has been demonized for many years) is what our body uses to make our hormones. You need enough healthy fat in your diet to have enough cholesterol to support adequate hormone production. Your body is slowing down hormone production at this stage, so it’s critical to make sure you have enough of this key building block.

Getting Pregnant in PerimenopauseIf you’re planning to get pregnant after age 35, you have nothing to fear. Even though you’ve entered this new hormonal phase, with the right hormone support can increase your chances of getting pregnant easily and naturally. For my definitive guide on getting pregnant after 35, click here. And if you are in your mid-30s and thinking of starting a family or already trying, consider adding the following supplements:

Vitex. This herb, also called Chasteberry, supports regular ovulation, healthy progesterone levels and robust levels of FSH.

CoQ10. This has been shown to improve egg quality.

The secret to clear skin isn’t just in what you eat and what products you use, it’s also when you do it. That’s right, clear skin all month long is all in the timing.

Yes, other factors matter. Significantly so. Clear skin all month long depends on nutrition, skin care practices, skin care products, lifestyle choices, hydration, sleep and other factors that influence hormone balance.

But one of the key pieces is cyclical skin care, and it is a piece of the clear-skin equation that very few people, including other hormone experts, factor into their advice. As someone who struggled with serious cystic acne all over my face, chest, and back for almost a decade—and who cleared my skin by using nutrition, lifestyle, biohacking, and cyclical self-care to balance my hormones—I love sharing with women how you can balance your hormones to help your skin perform better.

The first step is understanding the skin’s changing needs during the course of your 28-day cycle. Let’s dive in!‍

Meet your 28-Day Cycle
‍During your 28-day menstrual cycle, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels naturally rise and fall. When your system is healthy and you’re cycling normally, these fluctuations occur in familiar patterns: during the follicular phase (which is the first days of your cycle up until ovulation) estrogen levels are naturally higher, during the ovulation phase (mid-cycle) estrogen and testosterone rise until they peak, during the luteal phase (which occurs right after ovulation and up until you start bleeding) estrogen and testosterone start to fall and progesterone rises), and just before menstruation and during menstruation phase, progesterone falls again.

‍How Fluctuating Hormones Affect Skin

‍Estrogen and progesterone levels affect the thickness of the skin differently each phase of your cycle.  During the follicular phase and especially during ovulation, high levels of estrogen boost collagen, make the skin thicker, and improve elasticity. You can thank the estrogen during this phase for that famed ‘ovulation glow’.  

Testosterone levels also rise during the luteal phase and that helps keep skin thick. But testosterone is a double-edged sword when it comes to skin. Studies show a link between spikes in this hormone and acne.

So this is the crucial point in your cycle when you either become vulnerable to breakouts or go through the second half of your cycle with clear skin. What causes some women to break out and others to barely notice a blemish? The difference is in the body’s ability to efficiently process and eliminate the excess estrogen and testosterone in the system as levels rise.

If your body isn’t processing hormones properly during your luteal phase and eliminating the excess, excess estrogen and excess testosterone accumulate and fuel acne.

This happens in two ways: the excess estrogen causes estrogen dominance and skin inflammation, and the extra testosterone triggers the sebaceous glands to produce more oil.

For women with optimally functioning endocrine systems, these hormonal peaks don’t cause a lot of problems. But for women who can’t process hormones correctly, acne is often the unwanted result.

Premenstrually and during your period, estrogen drops and your skin gets thinner, retains less moisture, and produces less collagen.  

Progesterone rising and falling in the luteal phase can worsen skin conditions if present.

This is why The Cycle Syncing Method® is so effective in addressing these fluctuations, as you'll be eating in ways that improve estrogen and progesterone imbalances.

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‍Signs that Acne is Hormonal

‍One sign, of course, is when you breakout during the luteal (premenstrual) phase. Hormonal acne can also be diagnosed by where it appears. Breakouts along the chin and jaw lines are a sign of hormonal acne.

Pimples on the temple are another common sign of a hormonal imbalance that stems from liver congestion due to excess estrogen. If you’ve got pimples on your forehead, it’s usually a sign of a gut imbalance.

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‍Your Skin Care Schedule During Your 28-Day Cycle

‍Here’s how to time your skin care routine to match your hormonal needs throughout the month:

‍Day 7-12 (follicular phase).If you get a facial with extractions, schedule it during your follicular phase. This is also the time to do any hair removal.

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‍Day 13-24 (ovulation/first half of luteal). Facials are still okay during this time, but it’s best to go for masks, not extractions. Dry brushing is a great way to help the lymph offload the estrogen. You don’t need much in the way of products during this phase.

Day 25-Day 28 (the second half of luteal). This a perfect time for home care with your favorite  products and using oil-based serum to reduce sebum production. Clay masks are also great during this time, and you can use products with lactic acid to shrink pores.

Day 1 - Day 6 (Bleeding). During menstruation, focus on restorative, soothing skin care. Think hydrating and calming masks, and collagen masks.  

NOTE: Don’t have any extractions or hair removal during the second half of the month when skin is thinner and increased blood flow to your capillaries means more post-extraction swelling. Save facial appointments until right after your bleed is over.

Everyday of your cycle. I take Balance Supplements every day of my cycle to make sure my hormones and skin can be at their best throughout the month. Whatever you do to optimize your micronutrients, don’t skip this step! Clear skin starts on the inside and with what we eat and how we supplement.

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!

When I was doing my undergrad at Johns Hopkins, I planned to become a gynecologist. But my plans changed when I was diagnosed with PCOS and I threw myself into researching nutrition, supplement, and lifestyle biohacks to ease my symptoms. Western medicine didn’t have the tools that would address the root causes of a chronic condition like PCOS, so I struck out on my own.However Western medicine still has important things to offer. Gynecologists bring a set of skills to the table, which are very valuable indeed. I recommend that every woman has a gynecologist and gets an annual checkup. I do.No, you won’t likely hear nutrition and lifestyle advice that is foundational for healing your hormones in the gynecologist’s office (unless you find a very unique integrative practitioner), but you will gain other incredibly valuable things, like access to (and advice on) biometric testing, regular screenings for serious gynecological conditions, and have someone you know, trust, and can get in to see ASAP if a serious problem ever crops up. .To get the most out of your annual visits, however, there are some key things to know before you go.Here’s a step-by-step guide to maximizing your gynecology visits:Step 1: Take the “annual” part of “annual visit” seriouslyIf you’ve decided that a visit once every two or three years is fine enough, think again! Yes, some experts have said that a pap smear might not be necessary every year (and whether you need one annually or not is a decision for you and your doc to make together ), but that is not the only testing that MDs can run, and it is some of the other key tests that make your annual trip worthwhile. (More on those tests in a minute.) So if you’ve been skipping your annual appointment, it’s time to get back on your doctor’s schedule.Step 2: Find the right gynecologist for youThis might be the most important step in this whole list. That’s because the degree of benefit you get from your annual visit is directly related to the relationship you have with your doctor. When it comes to compatibility, it’s essential to raise your expectation on what you deserve. Your doctor might be the smartest person you’ve ever met and also the nicest, but if you have different values when it comes to how you approach health care, don’t hesitate to look for a new practitionerThe first question you want to ask when looking for the right gynecologist for you is: Does this person value what I value? What’s her personal self care practice? For example, some docs are drug-forward. If you also believe in meds as a first approach, this could be a good fit. But if you’re not keen to use pills to address hormonal health issues (and there are good reasons to be skeptical of using pharmaceuticals when addressing hormone issues), you’ll want to look for someone else. In a professional relationship, you are looking first and foremost for someone who shares your values and is interested in taking an approach that you agree with in reaching your health goals.And if you’ve been looking for a doc who is open to non-drug choices but haven’t found one yet, don’t give up. You can find gynecologists who believe that it is your body and your choice, so if you don’t want pills, that’s great. There are docs who will support your desire to work on your symptoms naturally.Step 3: Run some key testsHaving some key tests run every year is one of benefits of your annual visit to the gynecologist. Here are my tips for effective testing:

• Ask your OBGYN for a hormone panel test that includes estrogen, progesterone, FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH and (lutenizing hormone).
• Get the hormone panel test taken during the first few days of your cycle (day 3), if possible.
• Female hormone testing is not reliable if you are taking hormonal birth control! You must be off the pill for at least three months before getting this test
• Have your doctor run a thyroid panel, including TSH, T3, T4, and reverse T3. Most doctors will just test TSH unless you press them to do a more complete panel.
• Get a fasting glucose test and HbA1c, both of which measure how your body handles sugar. Knowing your blood sugar status is critical for healing your hormones.
• Test vitamin D3. Robust levels of vitamin D in the body are required for optimal hormonal health
• Ask for a complete blood panel (the kind you often get an annual physical). This will look at key biomarkers like iron saturation, anemia, red blood cell status, and more.
• Get a C-Reactive Protein test, which indicates levels of inflammation in the body.

It’s important to note that the reference ranges you will see on your test results are often wider than the optimal ranges. So you will want your numbers to be in the quadrant closest to the ideal numbers for that test. For example, many standard HbA1c test results indicate that a number under 5.7 is fine, but many functional and integrative practitioners consider that number prediabetic or diabetic. So if your number is 5.5, for example, that is okay, but if it is 5.1 that is better, and if it is 4.8, you’re a balanced blood sugar superstar.You may also be curious about newer types of tests—for example, stool tests that measure the different types of bugs in your gut or breath tests for small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)—and these tests can be really helpful if you are having specific gut problems or issues where your microbiome might be affecting your hormones. But be aware that these tests must typically be ordered by doctors, but you are on the hook for conducting them at home and paying for them.Step 4: Use tests to track your progressIf you have an active hormone imbalance, I recommend running these key tests every six months so you can track your progress and monitor how the nutrition, supplement, and lifestyle changes you’ve made are moving the needle on your numbers. If your hormone health is stable, I recommend getting tested every year for maintenance. If your doctor balks at running these tests every year, you can order many of them from direct-to-consumer lab services like Quest labs.Step 5: Don’t become obsessed with the numbersYes, data is good—especially when you have a hunch that something is off in your system and you’re being dismissed), but it can be easy to get fixated on the numbers—and before long they are more a source of anxiety than a helpful measure and tool for guidance. My advice is to treat the numbers more as a guide in helping you become an active listener to your own body. Remember that you are getting the data so you can begin to make diet and lifestyle changes so you can see those numbers change!Think of testing as a helpful guide and a great way to validate and affirm the progress you’re making by using the Cycle Syncing method.Step 6: Let testing become less important over time, as you learn to listen to your bodyIf you keep listening to your body, you may need to rely less on testing over time. At the same time, you may want to continue annual testing even if your numbers have been stable for a long time. This allows you to take action right away if your numbers start to trend in an unhealthy direction.For example, when you first start running tests, you might discover that something is off with your system because the test said so. But, over time, you’ll be able to tell that something is off in your system because you are in tune with your body. You can feel that something off. Then you validate your feelings with testing.Sometimes the changes you’ll see in the numbers will be small, but they give you a warning sign to take action now before things become a crisis. When you see the numbers in black and white, you can take action right away by cycle syncing your food, supplements, and lifestyle. You can get in front of the 8 ball.Simply put, regular testing allows you to better understand how your body works and to respond sooner.Step 7: If you experience a sudden or dramatic change in hormonal health status, call your gynecologist ASAPFood and lifestyle biohacks can be used to address most hormonal health imbalances, but if you suddenly experience shooting pains, or if you feel a mass in your abdomen or have other dramatic symptoms, this isn’t a time for magnesium supplement! It’s time to schedule an appointment with your trusted gynecologist. My greatest hope is that trouble like this never strikes, but if it does, it can make a huge difference to have someone you already know and trust in your corner.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!

Monthly FLO: The Cycle Syncing System™

Put your period symptoms into remission. Discover how to live in your FLO and get it all done with embodied time management.MonthlyFLO is the first-ever woman-centric health system that syncs with your unique rhythm. It gives you the foundation for solving any hormonal issues you may have over your lifetime.Using the principles of functional nutrition, MonthlyFLO is a specially-sequenced food therapy program that recalibrates your endocrine function. Over three months, you will be guided step-by-step to make simple, cumulative food and lifestyle changes that balance your hormones naturally.Click here to learn more about the life-changing Monthly FLO Program

Getting pregnant right now might be the last thing on your mind. Or maybe you’ve started to think about having a baby in the next couple years. Or maybe you’re ready!No matter where you are on your journey, it’s important to make nutrition and lifestyle choices to protect your future fertility. One in ten women in the United States have trouble getting or staying pregnant — and while some factors are beyond your control, research shows that you can improve your chances of getting pregnant in the future by making the right food, supplement, and lifestyle choices now.If you start researching today’s escalating infertility rates, you’ll learn that many doctors consider the causes “unknown.” But there are some real and modifiable lifestyle components to the fertility puzzle—components that are especially important to consider if you suffer from period problems like irregular periods, heavy bleeding, severe PMS, cramps, or hormonal acne. These symptoms are signs that your hormones are out of balance and that getting pregnant (whenever you’re ready) might be more difficult.Maybe you’re thinking Why wouldn’t I believe the doctors? If the causes are unknown and there is nothing I can do….I understand how you feel. I was told I would never get pregnant naturally—or even with IVF— when I was 20 years old. My PCOS was that severe. But I got pregnant naturally at age 37, after only three tries at home. I know that if I hadn’t been eating, supplementing, and living in a hormone-supportive for the past 15 years, I wouldn’t have gotten pregnant so easily.Today I want to share some of the fertility-enhancing strategies I used to get pregnant naturally at an ‘advanced maternal age.’ My story can be your story. Here’s what you can do today and tomorrow to preserve your fertility for next month, next year, or in 10 years!

Foods for Fertility

Here are some specific food choices you can make to optimize your fertility:Emphasize healthy, high-quality sources of fat. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat—the kind of fat found in foods like avocados, nuts, seeds, and small, oily fish (like anchovies and sardines)—help reduce inflammation and stabilize blood sugar, two conditions that are important for fertility. And if you haven’t done so already, say no to all trans fats! These sneaky little devils drive up inflammation.Opt for complex carbs (but DON’T go no carb). High or mismanaged blood sugar has been associated in the scientific literature with ovulatory infertility. So fertility-focused eating should emphasize complex carbs that take time to be digested (which keeps blood sugar more stable). Think non-starchy vegetables, whole fruits, and beans. But don’t cut out carbs all together. Very low or no carb diets can make the body think that not enough food is available in the environment and trigger survival mode. When the body is in survival mode, it de-prioritizes non-essential functions, like getting pregnant. After all, how would you care for a child on the ancient savannah if there isn’t even enough food for yourself!Eat your iron. Getting enough iron in your diet, either through food or supplements, has been shown to enhance fertility. High-iron foods include beans, beets, pumpkin, spinach, and tomatoes.Skip the skim. If you’ve read the FLO blog before, you probably know that I don’t recommend dairy products when you’re trying to achieve hormonal harmony, but if you’re interested in protecting and enhancing your fertility, you should be especially wary of low-fat options, like skim milk. Studies have linked consumption of low-fat dairy with reduced fertility. If you tolerate dairy and you allow yourself a bit here and there, make sure it is of the full-fat variety.Skip the soda. Studies show that soda drinkers have reduced fecundity.Skip the coffee. Whether or not caffeine and/or coffee inhibits your chance of getting pregnant (this is widely debated in the scientific community, with some research suggesting it does and other research suggesting it has no effect), research does show a link between coffee consumption and not being able to carry a child to full term. Don’t risk it!

Supplements for Fertility

There are some baseline support supplements that every women who is trying to conceive (or who wants to conceive one day) should consider taking. Here are the fertility supplement basics that I recommend. Every women who hopes to become pregnant one day, whether next week or in the next decade, should consider taking these supplements:

1. Vitamin D3. Vitamin D is critical for healthy endocrine function and, more specifically, it has been associated with improved success rates for women going through IVF. Optimal vitamin D levels might also help with PCOS and endometriosis, two conditions that can increase infertility.
2. Fish oil. The omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil drive down inflammation and promote healthy hormone balance. Also, once pregnant, adequate consumption of fish oil is vitally important for normal fetal development.
3. Probiotic. The importance of a healthy gut can’t be overstated, both for overall health and enhanced fertility.

If you’re experiencing specific hormone-related symptoms, you’ll want to consider additional supplements. Hormone symptoms act as warning signals that your body might not have all the nutrients it needs to conceive and sustain a healthy pregnancy. Here’s what I recommend:Symptom: Low progesterone (irregular cycles, weight gain, hormonal acne, hormonal migraines)Supplement: vitamin B6Function: Helps the ovary make more progesteroneSymptom: Elevated estrogen (severe PMS, swollen breasts, fibrocystic breasts, heavy menstrual bleeding)Supplement: Calcium D-glucarateFunction: Helps the liver metabolize estrogenSymptom: High Cortisol (unremitting stress, excessive thirst, increased urination, changes in libido, accelerated skin aging, high blood pressure)Supplement: B5Function: Gets your adrenals making the right ratio of cortisol to DHEASymptom: Irregular Ovulation, PCOSSupplement: InositolFunction: improves ovulation regularitySymptom: Insomnia, Fatigue, Bloating, ConstipationSupplement: MagnesiumFunction: Miracle micronutrient, essential for over 300 reactions in the bodySymptom: Poor Egg QualitySupplement: CoQ10Function: improves egg qualityAlways 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!Supporting your Fertile FLO, Alisa

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

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

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

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

Do you often feel anxious (even when there isn’t all that much to worry about)? Does your anxiety feel bigger than it used to? More pronounced? Or do you feel relatively calm some weeks and unbearably anxious during others? It could be your hormones.We tend to think of anxiety as ‘all in our head,’ but many factors fuel this painful feeling, including external circumstances, imbalanced brain chemicals, nutrient deficiencies, and one often overlooked—though very significant—root cause: hormone imbalances and how they affect the cyclical female brain throughout our 28-day hormone cycle. Just like our bodies and brains shift in how they feel and function during the 24-hour night-day cycle, our hormones shift during our 28-day hormone cycle. And our naturally fluctuating hormones have a profound impact on our bodies, minds, and emotions—including our susceptibility to anxiety— throughout the month.

Your 28-Day Cycle: Why it Matters For Anxiety

We don’t expect to have the same needs and self-care routines at every moment during the 24-hour night-day cycle. For example, it would be weird to eat a 4-course dinner at 2:00am or to consider it normal or to go to bed at 1:00pm in the afternoon (unless we work an overnight shift). Yet we expect our bodies and brains to function the same—and to need the same support day in and day out—over the course of our 28-day cycle. Our hormones are fluctuating during each phase of the cycle, but we don’t modify how we eat, move, or live to tend to those shifting needs. When we don’t live in accordance with our fluctuating hormone needs, we experience period problems like bloating, PMS, and acne. We may also experience symptoms we don’t typically associate with hormones, like depressed mood, brain fog, and increased anxiety. To add insult to injury, hormone-related anxiety can show up in a variety of different ways and at different times (or all the time!). Sometimes, hormone-related anxiety presents itself as fatigue or insomnia during certain phases of our cycle. Sometimes we feel calm during some phases, crazed with anxiety during others.Easing anxiety often requires multiple healing strategies (just like many other health conditions), but one of the best first steps you can take is living in a way that supports your natural hormone shifts. It’s all about eating, exercising, and making self-care choices that line up with your hormonal needs during each phase of the 28-day cycle. Think of it as the 28-day equivalent of making the healthy choices you normally do every 24-hours (many of which you do without thinking because your body just knows it’s right), like going to bed when it’s dark and waking up when it’s light. In this post, I walk you through how to start caring for your fluctuating hormones in ways that help reduce anxiety.

Hormone Imbalances and Anxiety

First, let’s take a look at the hormone-anxiety connection and how imbalanced hormones can contribute to feeling anxious. Here are three key ways hormones affect mood and anxiety:

1. Your monthly flow is too heavy. Extremely heavy flow during your period—especially when you have heavy flow every month—can lead to anemia (iron deficiency in the blood) and one of the symptoms of anemia is, you guessed it, anxiety. And heavy bleeding is almost caused by estrogen dominance, a condition in which we have more estrogen in our bodies relative to progesterone. (Estrogen dominance is a very common condition, thanks to perfect storm of environmental factors, and you can learn more about it here.) Addressing estrogen dominance can help correct anemia—and reduce anxiety.
2. You’re low on progesterone. Progesterone is produced by the corpus luteum, which is a hormone-secreting structure that develops in the ovary in between ovulation and the start of your period. Studies have found that progesterone helps improve cognitive function and plays a role in the synthesis of GABA, a calming chemical produced in the brain. Not enough progesterone can mean not enough GABA—and that can translate into more anxiety. Several factors can contribute to low levels of progesterone, including not ovulating (which happens for women with PCOS) or having a luteal phase defect, which is when stress or other hormone imbalances interfere with sufficient progesterone production.
3. You’re on the insulin and blood sugar roller coaster. Insulin is one of the body’s master hormones and when it gets out of balance—thanks to eating too many sugary carbs— mood can go out of balance with it. Observational evidence links high-glycemic diets with depressed mood and increased anxiety. And animal studies suggest that insulin resistance, which is what happens when the body stops responding to the health-sustaining message that insulin sends to cells, is associated with mood and behavior disorders. But you likely already know this, not from the research but from your own life: if you’ve ever eaten something sugary, or gone too long without eating anything, and quickly plunged from feeling great to feeling sad, irritated, and panicky, you’ve experienced the up and down of the blood sugar and insulin roller coaster—and the anxiety that can come along with it.

Fix Your Hormones, Fix Your Anxiety

Reclaim your sense of calm by reclaiming your hormone balance. Here are my top tips for getting started:

1. Eat the right carbs at the right time. Your first goal is to stabilize your blood sugar, and the best way to do that is to eat the right carbs at the right time. Start each day with a protein- and healthy fat-rich breakfast within 90 minutes of waking up. A hearty breakfast can help normalize blood sugar throughout the day and promote healthy hormone balance. A 2013 study found that women with PCOS who ate the majority of their calories at breakfast, and fewer calories at each meal throughout the day, had better hormone balance. At lunch, incorporate healthy fats with complex carbs (like black beans) and do the same at dinner. Eating some complex carbohydrates, (like sweet potato) at your evening meal can reduce cortisol spikes at night and promote healthy sleep. You’ll also want to match all the healthy whole foods you choose—whether they are protein, fat, or carbs—with each phase of your cycle. Eating cyclically allows you to biohack your unique female biochemistry and ease hormone-related symptoms like anxiety.
2. Don’t move harder, move cyclically. Maximizing your hormonal health means modifying your workout routine to fit each unique phase of your cycle. It’s the opposite of always trying to workout harder and faster. It means really paying attention to your body and your cycle and matching your movement to your unique hormonal needs. Different types of movement, and different intensity levels, are appropriate for the different phases of your cycle. (Figure out how to move and how much to move here).) If the idea of tracking your cycle is brand new to you, the MyFLO app makes learning about your cycle easy.
3. Cut out coffee. I harp and harp and harp on this because ditching caffeine is critically important for hormone balance. And when it comes to giving up caffeine to reduce anxiety, you don’t need to take my word for it. You’ve likely experienced the manic heartracing that comes after too much coffee—and the less frantic feeling that follows a cup of herbal tea. If anxiety is a problem for you, don’t make it worse by ratcheting up your heart rate with a cup (or three) of joe.
4. Consider ditching the pill. While research on the link between hormonal birth control and mood and anxiety has been inconclusive over the past half century, enough research (and anecdotal evidence) has linked the pill with depression and other mood disorders. The pill has also been shown to deplete mood-supporting vitamins and minerals like vitamin B6, zinc, and magnesium One of magnesium’s super powers is promoting relaxation and calm.
5. Boost progesterone naturally. The body makes progesterone from a precursor compound called pregnenolone—and pregnenolone is derived from cholesterol. So to produce enough progesterone, we need to have enough cholesterol.

There are ways to boost cholesterol that are healthy and ways that aren’t, and you want to stick to the healthy route. That involves incorporating sources of healthy fat in your diet like avocados, olives, olive oil, nuts, seeds, and small oily fish. Raising your levels of progesterone will also help bring estrogen and progesterone into better balance (though doing a hormone detox to eliminate excess estrogen and fight estrogen dominance is important, too).Bonus! Incorporating more healthy fats at each meal is a great way to promote better blood sugar balance. It’s a two-in-one tip that goes a long way in bringing down anxiety. 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

We believe that no woman should suffer simply because she has a period.

And we also know that it’s not always possible to get access to functional and holistic healthcare solutions — sometimes they’re too far away and most of the time they are way too expensive.That’s why we offer phone and Skype consultation sessions with our FLO coaches.All of our expert FLO coaches have been trained by Alisa on top of being certified health coaches and licensed acupuncturists. And they are all qualified to help you find the right next step for you in getting out of hormonal chaos and into your FLO. Work with a FLO Coach and find your customized plan to solve your period symptoms.

Click here to book your counselor consultation

Ready to be let in on a completely world-changing secret? Healthy periods aren’t painful. Know what else healthy periods don’t have? Heavy or irregular bleeding, big mood swings, acne, and bloating. If you’re 28-day cycle comes with any of these symptoms, here’s the good news: you can biohack your way to a better period in as quickly as a month and a pain-free period in as little as three months. The most effective hack that will solve your period problems quickly is eating, exercising, and living in sync with your 28-day menstrual cycle. (More on that below.)But the first step is to understand why you have period pain (and other PMS problems like acne, bloating, mood swings, and migraines) in the first place.

Here’s are 7 reasons you have period pain:

1. You’re inflamed. Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances (technically called “lipid autacoids”) that control the body’s inflammatory response. This is a good thing when you need a quick hit of inflammation to trigger the uterine contractions that cause you to shed the uterine lining (bleeding) because you didn’t get pregnant that month. But when too many prostaglandins flood the system, you get too much inflammation—and all the quality-of-life-eroding symptoms that come with it. (Prostaglandin overproduction is why some women get relief by taking NSAIDs like ibuprofen. NSAIDs block the synthesis of prostaglandins.)
2. Your endocrine system is out of whack. The endocrine system is your body’s hormone system—and it is easily thrown off balance by, well, just about everything: high-sugar diets, environmental toxins, stress, lack of sleep, and medications (including the birth control pill), to name just a few. If your hormones are out of balance, your period will be riddled with symptoms.
3. You’re drinking coffee. Drinking coffee increases your risk of forming cysts and fibroids, and fibroids increase your risk of period pain and other period problems.
4. You’re still drinking coffee. Caffeine is broken down by the liver using the enzyme CYP1A2 and it turns out that only 10 percent of the population makes robust levels of this enzyme. Why does that matter for your period? CYP1A2 is also involved in the metabolism of estrogen, so if you struggle with PMS or an estrogen-dominant condition like PCOS, fibroids, or endometriosis, you have reason to suspect that you are one of the 9 in 10 people who don’t make enough of this enzyme. So if you drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages, you’re using up your precious CY1A2 resources on getting rid of coffee and not on getting rid of estrogen.
5. You have a hidden weight problem. Overweight and obesity are associated with a three-fold risk in experiencing PMS. So for women who struggle with weight loss resistance, adopting a healthy, sustainable approach to weight loss [read: NOT crash diets] can help with hormonal chaos and unwanted symptoms. But in the past two decades, research has shown that some people who present as a “normal” weight when they step on the scale actually have the insides of someone who is overweight or obese. The official term for this is “medically obese, normal-weight individual,” though a lot of practitioners refer this condition as being “skinny fat.” So you can’t just look in the mirror or step on the scale to know what’s happening on the inside. Your painful period might be telling you that you need address internal obesity (and when you do, your period symptoms will get better).
6. You don’t take stress reduction seriously. We live in a society that places a high value on always being busy. If you ask someone how they’re doing or what’s new and they reply, “I’ve been SO busy,” it often sounds as much like a point of pride as it does a complaint. But we need to reverse our stance on stress. Research shows that the higher the level of our perceived stress, the worse our PMS—and that stress reduction techniques might be effective non-pharmaceutical interventions for easing PMS. So grab your yoga mat, download that meditation app, or make more time for the leisure activity that relaxes you.
7. You’re not living in sync with your cycle. (This is the biggest factor in painful periods!) You’ve probably read about the importance of the 24-hour circadian cycle—how important it is to get high-quality, consecutive hours of sleep during the night, for example, and to get some safe sun exposure during the day, etc. But you probably haven’t heard about the importance of living in sync with your 28-day cycle—and, for women, that cycle is just as important to tend to as the circadian cycle. Research shows that our 28-day menstrual cycle affects our brain function, emotions, mood, sensory processing, appetite, and even our perception of pain. If you’re not supporting your body’s unique hormonal needs during each of the four phases of the 28-day cycle, you won’t have healthy, pain-free periods.

So what’s a girl to do? The answers are easy, straightforward, and doable right away today. And if you start right now, you can have a better period by next month—and a pain-free period within three months.

Here’s Your Period Rx:

1. Stomp out inflammation. Eat low inflammatory foods, like cruciferous vegetables, pastured eggs and pastured animal proteins, and nuts and seeds. Reduce the amount of sugar you eat or eliminate it all together. A high-sugar diet drives up the production of advanced-glycation end products, which contributes to inflammation. Two foods that have been shown to help specifically with prostaglandin reduction are the pomegranate the small, oily fish that contain high levels of inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids.
2. Make “organic” and “clean” a main part of your life. When you’re standing in the grocery aisle or at the makeup counter and the clean products and organic foods are more expensive than the conventional option, it can be easy to make the wallet-friendly choice. But what you need to keep in mind in these moments is the true cost of the choice you’re making. The toxins in these foods and products come into direct contact with the body and alter endocrine function. You may save at check-out, but you are ultimately paying with your health.
3. Give up coffee. This piece of advice is self-explanatory and, after the first week of withdrawal, not nearly as hard as you think. Within a month you won’t even miss it. Skip caffeinated tea, too.
4. In case you’re tempted to skip tip #3, allow me to repeat myself: no more caffeine!
5. Improve your health from the inside out. You might look lean in the mirror, but if you don’t exercise (hence, you don’t have much lean muscle mass) and if you eat a high-sugar diet (and have wonky blood sugar), if you’re chronically stressed out and undernourished (that is, there aren’t enough phytonutrient-rich vegetables on your plate) you might have the blood work profile of someone with overweight or obesity. Looking lean is no guarantee that you will reap the benefits associated with leanness! When you start correcting what’s going on internally, you can see a reduction in symptoms
6. Find what relaxes you… and make it a regular part of your life. The time for stress reduction is now, not when you finish this big project or after that big presentation. Because guess what? When you finish those things there will just be more to do. The time is now. Your health depends on it.
7. Start Cycle Syncing. All of the biohacks I just mentioned will only get you so far if you don’t start to live in accordance with your cycle. Eating and exercising for each week-long phase of your 28-day cycle is the foundation of feeling better and having a symptom-free period. For too long, we’ve been living the same way day in and day out. This works for men, but not for women. Syncing your cycle will not only fix your period problems, it will help you find more happiness, energy, and success in life. Simply put, tending to your 28-day cycle is as important as tending to your 24-hour circadian cycle. If the idea of syncing with your cycle is new to you, I have an app and a treasure trove of articles on the blog to help you get started.

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

Is Your Period Healthy?

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