PCOS

Do you find you get a huge zit on your chin in the middle of your cycle? Or maybe it’s right before your period that you notice you really breakout? So many women suffer with hormonal adult acne well beyond their teenage years. I had terrible hormonal acne in my 20s, it was the painful cystic kind that spread all over my face, chest and back. I was desperate to improve the appearance of my skin and I tried everything - antibiotics, Retinol-A cream, Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid - and not only did these common treatments do nothing to help my skin, they actually made the acne worse. As you’re here reading this post, I suspect you already know this and you’ve probably even tried a few of those hormonal acne treatments. You have the instinct that your hormonal acne needs to a more holistic approach that really gets down to the root cause of exactly why it's happening, and you’re absolutely right!

What is hormonal acne?

Hormonal acne is related to specific hormonal imbalances that are heightened at the time that you see those breakouts. Most women get their hormonal acne around the time that they ovulate (mid-cycle) and/or right before their period. These are the two points in the hormonal cycle when estrogen and testosterone are peaking. If your body is not processing your hormones correctly, eliminating the excess and detoxifying, then that extra estrogen and testosterone will cause acne. The excess estrogen will cause estrogen dominance and inflame your skin. The testosterone will play on your sebaceous glands to produce more oil. It’s interesting to note that right before your period your blood comes closer to the surface of the skin and this has many effects, including increased redness and acne. Dentists are well-aware of this phenomenon, because if you have a dental appointment when you’re premenstrual or menstruating your gums will be more likely to overly bleed! You may also notice that pre-menstrually you are more prone to unwanted hair growth or even hair loss due on the extra testosterone playing on your hair follicles.

The root cause of hormonal acne

Hormonal acne is caused by an imbalance in our hormones, but it goes deeper than that. Your skin is your biggest organ of elimination - but it works within a system that includes the liver, lymphatic system, and large intestine. These organs all act as one unit and they can’t be separated when it comes to treating the root cause of hormonal acne. What you put into your body - the food you eat, the products you use on your skin and hair, the cleaning substances you handle - must be eliminated properly, if not, then these chemicals that mimic estrogen will stay in your body circulating around. If all of your elimination organs are not working optimally, then your skin will suffer. The leftover, circulating toxins will show up on your face as acne. A buildup of toxins will cause hormonal imbalance. The excess hormones (estrogen and testosterone) will also be prevented from leaving the body properly and cause you to have all the hormonal symptoms - from acne to PMS.

How to prevent hormonal acne

The best way to prevent hormonal acne is to support the function of your elimination organs with the right foods. Your liver needs enough micronutrients to work to detoxify your body. Foods that are inflammatory cause leaky gut syndrome where microscopic holes develop in the wall of your intestine. These holes let food molecules through which then cause an inflammatory response in the body, which reads them as harmful. This is when the other elimination organ - your skin - tries to take on the workload. When your liver and large intestine are working at a subpar level, your skin steps up and tries to eliminate the toxins - resulting in skin inflammation and acne. The Flo Living protocol effectively supports your body’s elimination system, balances estrogen and testosterone, and will treat and prevent your hormonal acne. A combination of the right foods and the right supplements can help you move past hormonal acne, finally, and get the clear skin you want. It worked for me and it will work for you too. As part of the Flo Living protocol you do avoid certain types of foods that trigger hormonal imbalance issues, including hormonal acne. Although my protocol is much more about what you can eat and hormonally-supportive good foods, there are some foods that are particularly bad for women with problems like hormonal acne that I advise my clients to cleanse from their diet.

The foods to avoid if you have hormonal acne

• Dairy - aside from the fact that a lot of our dairy options include synthetic hormones that add to your body’s hormone excess, dairy is also a primary cause of leaky gut syndrome as it is an inflammatory agent.
• Peanuts - the allergens in peanuts that cause some people to react adversely in serious ways, can cause many more of us to see inflammation on our skin.
• Soy - the phytoestrogens in soy can create estrogen overload in the already hormonally-sensitive individual and this can contribute to hormonal acne. Watch out for soy in many products where you wouldn’t expect to see it - including some supplements.
• Canola, sunflower, safflower, vegetable oil - these kinds of cooking oils have more omega-6 than omega-3 and this produces inflammation on the skin during peak estrogen time.
• Caffeine - coffee and black and green teas will strip your body of essential B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc, which disrupts the skin’s immune response.
• Gluten - like dairy, gluten contributes to inflammation of the gut and leaky gut syndrome.

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

I want to hear from you!

First, do you have hormonal acne? Second, do you have any other hormonal symptoms? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

What is Vitex?

The herb Vitex is also known as Chaste Tree or Chasteberry, and it originates from a small shrub that grows in the Mediterranean. The fruits of this shrub have been used for more than 2500 years as a natural treatment for female fertility and hormonal health. Vitex is a popular herbal supplement commonly used by women to regulate their menstrual cycle and alleviate symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

As a result of the many studies that have proven its effectiveness, Vitex has now become one of the most popular herbal remedies for hormonal imbalance. If you’re seeking natural treatment for PMS, infertility, PCOS, or Endometriosis - it’s likely that you’ve come across Vitex. It is most readily available to us in an herbal supplement tablet or tincture form.

‍

Does Vitex resolve hormonal imbalance or help infertility?

Vitex supports your pituitary gland to produce progesterone and luteinizing hormone - both of which are necessary for your body to ovulate, for regular menstrual cycles, and for you to avoid symptoms of hormonal imbalance like PMS.

When a woman is progesterone deficient (or estrogen dominant, to put it another way) and has what is known as a luteal phase defect, Vitex can support her endocrine system to create more progesterone, encourage regular ovulation, and help develop a healthy cycle. This will help balance out the estrogen dominance that is at the root of many of cycle issues.

The pituitary gland is also called the “master” gland and it talks to the ovaries, letting them know how much hormones to make. Vitex works on the pituitary gland's functioning, enhancing its ability to do this work. So, Vitex can be an effective and often successful natural treatment to have at your disposal when facing cycle problems. However, Vitex is a short-term solution to some hormonal imbalance issues. It can act like jumper cables to the pituitary gland and stimulate it to make the right level of hormones again.

However, Vitex alone will not fix a hormone imbalance or issues like infertility, PMS, PCOS, or Endometriosis long-term, if you do not also change your internal hormonal ecosystem with nutrition, which includes micro and macronutrient therapy. If you don’t address your hormonal ecosystem as a whole, you may see changes within the prescribed timeframe (although Vitex is less likely to be successful), but when you come off of it (which you will eventually want to), your symptoms and problems will return.

Supporting your whole system by eating the right foods at the right times (aka The Cycle Syncing® Method), and taking the right nutrients to address the root causes of your unique hormone imbalances in the first place, will provide your body with the building blocks it needs. Take our free hormone health assessment to get a report of your current hormonal health along with a personalize care plan.

‍

When should you use Vitex?

There are certain times in a woman’s life when Vitex can be very helpful as part of a hormonally-supportive diet and lifestyle.  

‍1. After using the birth control pill, Vitex is effective at supporting the body’s return to natural hormone production and cycling. If you come off the birth control pill and find your periods do not return within a few months, Vitex is an effective natural treatment option.

‍2. When you are entering the second stage of perimenopause and find that your cycles are becoming more irregular, Vitex can help to regulate your cycles and  decrease the symptoms associated with perimenopause in your 40s. When you have PMS symptoms like acne and breast tenderness as the result of a progesterone deficiency and estrogen dominance, Vitex can boost the body’s production of progesterone and ease these issues.

3. When you’re trying to get pregnant, Vitex supports regular ovulation. If you’re experiencing frequent annovulatory cycles, you can take this natural treatment to support the return of your fertility.

‍4. When you’re suffering with the symptoms of mild Endometriosis. In some European countries, Vitex is commonly prescribed for this hormonal health issue.

5. When you want to breastfeed. For many years, Vitex has been used to increase the production of breastmilk post-partum, although you would only use it short term.

‍

How should you use Vitex?

How long does it take for Vitex to start working? Vitex is a relatively slow-acting herb, therefore you need to commit to taking it for up to 6 months to see any change in your cycles or improvement of symptoms. This is also a reason why Vitex is not an easy treatment option compared to food therapy, as you have to take this herb every day for such a long time and that can be tough to remember to do. If you do want to try this route, we advise taking Vitex for up to 6 months and then see how you feel without the Vitex. FYI, It is normal to take Vitex even when on your period.

You should not use Vitex if you are currently on hormonal birth control (it won’t have any impact on your hormones, as the synthetic hormones from birth control replaces your body’s natural hormone production and suppresses the endocrine system).

You should also not take Vitex if you’re using IVF drugs already as this can cause over-stimulation to the ovaries. It is less commonly known and important to understand that using Vitex when you have a history of depression can cause your depression symptoms to worsen. So, be cautious if your PMS commonly includes feeling really low and depressed, rather than anxiety, irritation or fatigue.

Be sure to buy Vitex from a reputable, long-standing supplement company like Gaia so you know you are getting a potent formulation, without fillers. Vitex will not be a successful natural treatment for you if it is the only thing you change about your daily habits. If you do not feed your body with hormonally-supportive foods and avoid processed products, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, dairy and gluten, then Vitex cannot work miracles! As far as how much Vitex to take, follow the instructions and guidance on the bottle and from your healthcare provider.

We recommend that you have the Flo Living protocol already in play when you start using Vitex as an additional booster. 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.

‍

How to Know if Vitex is Working 

If a woman is taking Vitex, she can tell if it is working by monitoring her menstrual cycle and PMS symptoms. Vitex typically takes a few menstrual cycles to start having an effect, so it is important to be patient and consistent with taking the supplement. If a woman notices a decrease in PMS symptoms such as bloating, breast tenderness, and mood swings, and an improvement in the regularity and length of her menstrual cycle, these may be signs that Vitex is working for her. It is always recommended to consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen.

How do you know when you’re ovulating? You were probably taught that ovulation occurs on the 14th day of your cycle - at the presumed mid-point - but for many women it’s not as simple or straight-forward as that. Although commonly we start tracking ovulation signs when we’re hoping to get pregnant, knowing if and when you’re ovulating is also useful for understanding the source of any cycle issues or symptoms you might be experiencing like missing periods, irregular cycles, or pre-menstrual problems like mood swings and depression. A lack of ovulation is a cause of infertility, of course, but it’s also a cause of many common period problems and hormonal imbalance issues. With no ovulation signs, with no ovulation, your body won’t be producing enough progesterone. Low progesterone (and the resulting estrogen dominance) is a root cause of many hormone-based health issues, from PCOS to fibroids to ovarian cysts.

The benefits of ovulation

Ovulation is essential if you want to conceive, but you also want to be ovulating regularly even if you don’t want to get pregnant anytime soon. Consistent ovulation has many benefits including:

• Regular cycles
• Lighter periods
• Less PMS symptoms like mood swings, acne, bloating
• Boosted libido
• Less anxiety or depression
• Long term good health and longevity - avoidance of cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis

The signs your body gives you when you’re ovulating should be obvious and clear. You should know and feel your ovulation signs with every cycle. If you’re currently struggling to figure out when to time sex to conceive or whether you’re ovulating at all, then getting your cycle back on track might be the first step to understanding and getting in touch with your ovulation signs.If you’re trying to get pregnant tracking your ovulation signs should not be stressful or difficult. It shouldn’t require ovulation predictor kits, tester strips, frantic sex scheduling or months of missed opportunities due to lack of ovulation from that same stress and anxiety. Ovulation ought to be something you can really feel as a change in your body, a change in your sex drive, and a change in your energy. Once you learn to listen and observe your Flo and how your hormones move melodiously from phase to phase then trusting in this process will become much easier. If you have menstrual irregularities however, it can be difficult to figure out when you’re ovulating. Until you get back in your FLO, checking your basal body temperature is an excellent way to know when you’re ovulating - whether you want to know so you can get pregnant or so you can ensure you don’t get pregnant - while you’re building an improved relationship to your cycle.If you’re finding it really hard to know if you’re ovulating and discern your ovulation signs, then you might have trouble getting pregnant. If you are not experiencing the signs outlined below, then you’re not at your most vibrant, fertile self - primed for pregnancy.

What are the signs of ovulation?

1. Cervical fluid - your cervical mucus or cervical fluid changes throughout your cycle. Look in your panties or after you wipe! When you’re fertile cervical fluid is referred to as “egg white” in consistency - stretchy and clear. You need this for fertility - it helps the sperm to travel to meet your egg. You can see and feel cervical fluid around ovulation time. It’s a very clear indicator to me that I am fertile and that my hormones are in balance and working in harmony.
2. Basal body temperature - your resting temperature or the temperature you have when you wake up first thing in the morning can be tracked and charted so you know when you have ovulated. You can use a regular thermometer and paper charts or an app. Note - if you use anti-histamines or don’t produce much cervical fluid this is a good option.
3. Sex drive - your testosterone levels peak around ovulation, boosting your sex drive. When you’re fertile you should feel an increased interest in sex and possibly enjoy sex more than other times of the month. You may feel more attracted to your partner or generally more amourous. Your body knows this is the best time to make a baby and it just giving you a gentle reminder of your fertility.
4. Energy - when I enter my ovulation phase my energy shifts - I feel buoyant, energetic, sociable, communicative, and I have increased stamina for exercise. It’s a really fun week of my cycle for me! I look forward to my ovulation phase and see this energy shift as a sign of my vibrant fertility. I live in my Flo, so I shift how I approach my work, my social life, my workouts, my relationship, and of course my diet with my hormonal changes.
5. Symptoms - some women experience symptoms around their ovulation which are a lot like period problems, including spotting, bloating, acne, and pain (known as mittelschmerz). These are the kind of ovulation signs you really don’t want! There are ways to fix this naturally though and it’s all to do with making sure you’re producing enough progesterone and estrogen in balance.

When you don’t have the signs of ovulation

It’s possible to experience an anovulatory cycle (a cycle with no ovulation) on occasion as the result of short term illness, chronic stress, medications, traveling - your body can “read” when you probably shouldn’t be getting pregnant, or potentially getting pregnant, and it will delay or prevent ovulation accordingly. It’s pretty cool like that! Although a one-off anovulatory cycle is not ideal as you’ll likely experience the resulting symptoms from low progesterone of PMS, heavier bleeding, and cramps, it does occasionally occur.However, if you’re experiencing multiple cycles without ovulation signs you need to take a really good look at your diet and lifestyle and consider making some changes to support your body. Your body wants to ovulate, it needs to ovulate, and consistent ovulation every cycle is going to ensure you feel at your best and avoid hormonal symptoms.

Why you’re not ovulating

A lack of ovulation signs can indicate a number of root causes that can be addressed naturally and effectively with the Flo Living protocol:

• Blood sugar irregularity - your endocrine system relies on your blood sugar staying in stable stasis without any crashes or too many peaks. Your body will read mismanaged blood sugar as an internal stressor and the first thing to go when your body is under perceived pressure is ovulation.
• Sleep deprivation - sleep deprivation over even just a few days blocks the hormone melatonin and increases the production of the stress hormone, cortisol. Of course, a lack of sleep can be linked to stress or anxiety and become something of a loop of ovulation-suppressing issues.
• Adrenal fatigue - overexerted adrenal glands create cortisol and this can disrupt progesterone (your body starts to use progesterone up as a cortisol substitute when stressed). Low progesterone levels prevents ovulation and makes miscarriage more likely.
• Thyroid problems - a sluggish thyroid is a root cause of anovulatory cycles.
• PCOS - the central symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome is lack of ovulation, irregular cycles and missing periods.
• Low BMI - Having low enough body fat can not only suppress ovulation, but can also stop your period. Maintaining a healthy weight, and eating the right quantity of calories and fats is key to a healthy cycle.

If you’re not experiencing the signs of ovulation, I advise you not to wait until you want to get pregnant to figure out how to get your body to ovulate. I would recommend you start to support your body in ovulating regularly and consistently - every single cycle - from TODAY. You will see and feel immediate benefits if you do this. Ovulation is about so much more than making babies. I want you to FEEL how you shift into your verbal, social, and sexual self during your ovulation phase! Not only that, but consistent ovulation ensures a symptom-free, healthy, happy whole menstrual cycle and a perfect period. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, do you track your ovulation?Second, are you trying to get pregnant? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Are you trying to conceive?

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

If you have PCOS and have looked around for natural treatments to take care of your symptoms, like the acne, hair overgrowth, hair loss, weight gain, and mood swings, then you’ve probably come across natural progesterone cream. The idea behind using natural progesterone cream to treat your PCOS is that you will increase your progesterone levels and rebalance your estrogen levels. You make progesterone after you ovulate, if you ovulate, in the second half of your cycle. If you don’t ovulate regularly, as is common with PCOS, progesterone deficiency can cause many unwanted symptoms. Progesterone cream is one of the ways to help your body deal with this lack of progesterone, but it’s not an ideal treatment and I have some caveats about progesterone cream that I’d like to share to help you choose when and how and if to use it as a natural treatment for your PCOS.

What is progesterone cream?

There are two kinds of progesterone cream - the kind you can purchase at Whole Foods (the most popular and respected brand is Emerita Pro-Gest) that is naturally derived from plant sources, and the pharmaceutical-grade progesterone cream (there are several brands including Progestelle and ProFeme). I never recommend using the pharmaceutical-grade progesterone cream, which is synthetic hormone-based and therefore has the ability to disrupt your body’s own hormone cycles in a way that will cause many adverse effects. Plant-source natural progesterone cream is the better option, or the only option I would recommend. Phyto (plant-based) progesterone is more easily processed and assimilated by the body, and as such it has less adverse effects. However, even natural, plant-sourced progesterone cream is a powerful supplement and should be used with an educated caution.

Can natural progesterone cream “cure” PCOS?

If you’re in a place currently where all of your symptoms of PCOS are so acute that you feel you need immediate relief, then natural progesterone cream can be a short term solution. If I meet a woman in a critical state with her PCOS-related health issues who just feels really, really bad right now, then I believe that natural progesterone cream can be a good choice for her, for one to three cycles.However, using natural progesterone cream is just a way of adding plant-based phyto progesterone into your body to replace the progesterone your body is lacking. This can bring short term relief and give you some respite from difficult symptoms, but it’s not a real treatment that gets to the root cause of PCOS. Not to mention that there’s a vicious cycle here when you are estrogen dominant, as that itself over time can suppress progesterone production. So merely increasing progesterone alone will not address why your body isn’t making the right amount in the first place. This is why Cycle-Syncing™ is so effective because it balances out estrogen and boosts progesterone throughout your cycle. Adding in too much hormone of any kind to your body will have a cumulative effect and cause side effects - in the case of progesterone - it can accumulate in your fat tissue and increase your tendency toward depression. Also, over the long term, the effectiveness of the natural progesterone cream will decrease. Natural progesterone cream overrides the body’s hormone production, rather than supporting the body to produce its own progesterone. Supporting the body to balance its own hormone production with the right food choices and lifestyle choices is the best way forward for all women with PCOS.

How to use natural progesterone cream

You use natural progesterone cream only in the second half of your cycle, which is when your body would normally be producing its own progesterone. Start placing progesterone cream on the back of your elbow or knee on day 16 of your cycle (16 days after your period). Do this every day for 10 to 12 days and then stop. If you have acute symptoms of PCOS currently you can start as soon as you need to. You likely will not know where you are in your cycle and may have not seen your period for some time, so counting the days will be difficult. Follow my guide to understanding your cycle to get back on track and then use progesterone cream for half your cycle for just one to three cycles maximum.If you are in the second stage of perimenopause, this is another time when I do recommend progesterone cream as a natural supplement. If you’re already taking good care of yourself (ideally following the Flo Living protocol), but have found your period is more irregular post-45 as you head toward your very last period ever, then natural progesterone cream can act as a boost to your body, which is naturally and normally experiencing a decline in hormone production. Again, only use progesterone cream for one to three cycles to alleviate the symptoms of lowering hormones and irregular cycles. Even when you’re in perimenopause, this is not a long term solution and will not prevent perimenopause or prolong fertility.

How to increase progesterone naturally with food

As I’ve said here, progesterone cream does not support your body to make its own hormones and it’s not a long term solution for PCOS, perimenopause symptoms, irregular cycles or progesterone deficiency. The best way to support your body to produce its own progesterone (and therefore alleviate symptoms of low progesterone from mood swings to acne to weight gain) is through your diet and eating the right kinds of progesterone-boosting foods. The Flo Living protocol is designed to assist your body to produce healthy levels of progesterone and estrogen and to treat the root cause of hormonal health issues like PCOS. Giving your body the micronutrients it needs to produce its own hormones is the best choice. There are also some foods that women with PCOS should completely avoid.

The best progesterone-boosting food sources

• B6-rich foods - including walnuts, poultry and chickpeas. A low level of B6 can make estrogen dominance more pronounced, when you have too much estrogen in your blood stream and not enough progesterone.
• Vitamin E-rich foods - including almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Several studies have shown that women who take vitamin E see a significant increase in overall progesterone levels.
• Vitamin C-rich foods - including bell peppers, leafy greens, berries and citrus fruits. Vitamin C boosts both progesterone and estrogen production in the body and helps with hormone processing and elimination of excess.
• L-arginine-rich foods - found in high protein food sources like pork, beef, poultry, as well as salmon, halibut and trout.

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

I want to hear from you!

First, do you have PCOS? Second, have you tried progesterone cream? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

Boost Your Metabolism and Improve Your Period SymptomsIf you’d like to lose weight, then boosting your metabolism is a great way to drop those extra pounds. The best way to boost your metabolism is not by cutting back on food and restricting your diet, but by eating more of the kinds of foods that treat the root cause of your slowed and sluggish metabolism. The key to boosting your metabolism is about balancing your hormones! Just like knowing what your period tells you about your hormone balance, understanding where you gain weight is an important key to boosting your metabolism. Your hormone-body type reveals the reason you’re putting on the pounds (or having difficulty losing weight) and the best way for you to boost your metabolism successfully. Your body type can tell you which hormonal imbalance issue you are experiencing that is driving your weight gain. Addressing the root hormonal cause of your weight issue will have the added benefit of clearing up your period symptoms as well!

How To Use Food to Boost Your Metabolism

Eliminating foods from your diet - especially carbs and fats - will prevent your body from producing the hormones it needs to keep your metabolism humming along and burning effectively. You need to feed your metabolism the right kinds of foods to fuel its functioning. It does not help to punish yourself with a starvation regime or crash dieting or even too much heavy exercise - many of the actions we have come to believe will help us lose weight are actually going against our fat-burning system. Not eating enough and over-exercising plays havoc with your blood sugar levels and stresses out your adrenals. This means the fat doesn’t get converted into useful, functional glucose, and instead goes straight into your cells - padding out your figure.Which Diet Boosts Metabolism Best?Many of the on-trend, current diets you hear a lot about (think Paleo, Ketogenic, Macrobiotic, Vegan…) rob your body and brain of the micronutrients that you need to create balanced appetite control-neurotransmitters and balanced metabolism-boosting hormone levels. In comparison, the Flo Living protocol supports appetite control and boosts your metabolism, because it increases essential micronutrients and balances your hormones.Boosting your metabolism isn't about revving up the body to work harder, it's about balancing hormones to help your body work smarter! AND the effects are not just being slimmer, it's about being your most vital self. When I was obese, I used to think losing weight was the goal, but then as I started to understand how my hormones ruled everything, my goal changed from weight loss, to hormonal optimization.

The 4 Hormone-Body types and How to Boost Your Metabolism

What I mean here by your “body type” is how and where you gain the most pounds and store your fat. This information indicates the root biological cause of your weight gain or inability to lose weight. Knowing where you hold the majority of your weight can help you unlock the secret to losing pounds all over. A combination of the right food and supplements can boost your metabolism and help you to burn fat in the best way that works perfectly for you. Where you hold your weight and how to boost your metabolism:

• Estrogen Type - Hips & Thighs & Butt - storing your fat in your thighs reveals an estrogen dominance in you body. Your progesterone is low and your estrogen is too high. Period Symptoms: heavy bleeding, irregular periods, moodiness, PMS. What to eat: Focus on adding more cruciferous vegetables into your diet (like kale, collards, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts) - try to get a serving in at every meal. What to take: The supplement DIM (Di-Indolyl-Methane) extracted from cruciferous vegetables, helps the body to metabolize and process excess estrogen.
• Cortisol Type - Belly - packing on the pounds in your gut tends to point to stress and the production of too much of the stress hormone cortisol. Period Symptoms: anxiety, insomnia, PMS, skipped periods. What to eat: Bell peppers for the vitamin C - more than in oranges! Vitamin C is very effective at helping the body manage stress. What to take: The adaptogen Ashwagandha will soothe your adrenals to the point that they program your cells to burn fat.
• Insulin Type - Muffin top - love handles are a sign of a poor efficiency of insulin use in your body. Unstable blood sugar will make your body store more fat. Skipping meals and eating junky diet foods can cause high insulin levels that send the pounds straight to your middle. Period Symptoms: PCOS, skipped periods, fatigue. What to eat: Instead of bingeing on sugary snacks and white bread, rice, and pasta after a day of little-to-no real food, pick good fat-burning carbs like sweet potatoes, quinoa, buckwheat and brown rice. These foods will improve your insulin resistance. What to take: The supplement Cinnamon Force from New Chapter is great for stabilizing blood sugar. At study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics revealed the potential of cinnamon supplementation to help those who are overweight and obese.
• Testosterone Type - Upper arms - storing fat in your upper arms/shoulder area suggests you have a sensitivity to testosterone or too low testosterone levels. You need testosterone to burn fat and build muscle mass. Period Symptoms: PCOS, irregular cycles, hair issues, irritability, low sex drive. What to eat: Good fats like avocados, which are also a great source of bioidentical testosterone. What to take: Add Maca root powder to your routine, which gently and safely boosts testosterone.

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

I want to hear from you!

First, do you want to lose weight? Second, have you tried all the trendy diets? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

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

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

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

‍

The symptoms of functional ovarian cysts

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

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

‍

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

‍

Types of ovarian cysts

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

Other kinds of ovarian cysts include:

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

‍

Treatment for ovarian cysts

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

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

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

‍

The cause of ovarian cysts

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

‍

The best natural treatment for ovarian cysts

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

‍

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

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

‍

A Flo Living Success Story: Ovarian Cysts

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

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

What is Maca?

‍Maca root powder might seem like just another "trending" superfood, but the benefits of maca root have been long known. This ancient natural remedy happens to be very well researched, and that research has revealed its hormone-balancing, hormonal symptom-soothing properties.

Maca root (most usually found as maca powder) is an adaptogen, which means it supports your whole endocrine system to produce the right amounts of hormones you need. Maca can help your body “adapt” to stressful life situations that might otherwise deplete your body’s hormone production and cause symptoms.

Maca root powder is a wonderful resource to have at hand, especially at certain critical times in your life when its properties can be the most beneficial. That said, maca is not for everyone and anyone, all of the time. Digging deeper and knowing more about this powerful supplement will help you to get the most out of it.‍

‍

Does Maca “cure” hormone imbalance?

While Maca can certainly be beneficial, we don't recommend seeing it as a miracle cure for all hormonal ills. There is no one product that can or will resolve a woman’s PMS, PCOS, cramps, acne, irrregular cycles or infertility issues on its own. Just adding in a supplement or one food, however “super,” unfortunately rarely works to help a woman overcome hormonal symptoms alone. Resolving hormonal imbalances requires a whole-systems approach - macro and micronutrient support, along with lifestyle changes.

‍

‍When To Take Maca

There are 3 times in a woman’s life when she could really benefit from using maca root powder on a regular basis as part of a wider hormonally-supportive diet. Those times are:

• After you hit 35, enter perimenopause and then post-menopause
• After you come off the birth control pill
• After you have a baby (and have stopped breastfeeding)

‍

During these windows, maca root powder could help your body produce more hormones, at a time when your own endocrine system may be flagging due to the effects of perimenopause, hormone suppression from the Pill, or lack of sleep after baby. As an adaptogen, maca root powder helps your endocrine system do its job in sub-optimal conditions. These three life stages can be a stress on your endocrine system.

Remember: maca has some wonderful benefits, but it is not a cure-all. However, using it alongside food can make maca a very effective supplement. After you reach 35, after using the Pill, after baby, you may be experiencing several hormone-based issues that maca can treat, including:

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

‍

Who shouldn’t take Maca?

‍Maca root powder is a great tool for these critical moments when our bodies need the additional support to get back on track. However, when you’re between 15 and 35, eating a hormonally-supportive diet should be enough to balance your hormones, resolve your period problems and regulate your cycles. You should NOT take maca if you have an allergy to iodine, Hashimoto’s, or experience any kind of thyroid nodules or growths, as it contains significant amounts of iodine. Lastly, any time you are trying out new changes to your wellness regimen, remember to note any side effects you experience and keep in touch with your providers about what you experience.

‍What’s the best kind of Maca root to take?

‍The most important thing to know about maca root powder is that there are different kinds you can buy. Keep in mind that it’s the glucosinolate component that you need, to experience maca’s hormone-balancing properties.

Look for brands containing over 1% of glucosinolate  as a standardized extract. Our favorite way to take maca is in a smoothie. Just a spoonful is enough at first, but you can build up to more if you feel it’s working well for you.

There are red, black and yellow maca powders - yellow is the most commonly available and usually the least expensive - it packs a similar nutritional punch of minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and micronutrients as the other two kinds. However, red and black maca powders have some specific researched properties that make them stand out - red has shown to be most helpful for treating acne, infertility and low energy, for example.

Raw maca powder is better than gelatinized or cooked because the enzymes and nutrients remain at their peak levels in the raw state (although if you have a sensitive digestive system, cooked may be easier on your stomach). You may also find maca powders that blend of all 3 kinds of maca, which allow you to get their individual and combined benefits.

If you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a while, I know the process can feel so frustrating. You’ve probably spent years carefully avoiding pregnancy and now you’re ready you can’t believe it hasn’t happened yet. After all, I know you’re doing everything exactly as you’ve been told. You’re tracking your ovulation signs, you’re using all the tools at your disposal (from OPKs to tester strips to apps), you’re timing sex as best you can - but each month passes by and it’s not happening. When we decide to get pregnant, most of us want to get pregnant fast. We take on the task at hand like any other goal in our life - with tenacity, determination, and focus. However, this can be a very “masculine” or “linear” way to approach what is actually a process that belongs to the “feminine” sphere. Changing up your approach to embrace a different, more feminine, energy and outlook can help you to get pregnant faster. This is not just a nice idea, from a biochemical standpoint, reducing your cortisol (aka stress) levels absolutely improves fertility.

How I got pregnant fast

Before I got back in my FLO, I never knew where I was in my cycle, I missed more periods than I could count, and I wasn’t ovulating regularly - this lasted a full decade. After putting myself through the FLO protocol, I have been enjoying regular periods and my ovulation comes around when I expect it to. That said, I knew that conception was more than just well timed ovulation and cycles. I see this first hand when working with so many women through the FertileFLO program. Certainly, it’s not just the hormone numbers that dictate conception. In fact many women have idiopathic infertility - meaning on paper, everything looks as it should, but still conception is not happening. Alternatively, you have a known diagnosis that could affect your ability to conceive (like my own PCOS diagnosis). In both scenarios it’s critical that you take a holistic, full picture view of your fertility beyond “the numbers”. By doing this you can optimize all aspects of your fertility and boost your chance of getting pregnant when you want.

3 Keys to Getting Pregnant Faster

1 - Improve your ovulation with lifestyle changes One thing to remember is that approaching getting pregnant too much like it’s merely a mathematical equation or science experiment (what I mean when I say a “masculine” or “linear” approach) is not enough. It’s not as simple as temperature tracking or timing = conception. It’s easy to look to this approach to help solve what might seem like a mystery when you’ve been trying to conceive for a while. The overthinking, the methods, the materials, this can become stressful - and we all know stress is so bad for ovulation. You might be doing everything in a way that is technically correct and exacting, but you are likely missing a major component. That component is the relationship you have to your cycle, to your body, to your fertility. Practically speaking that means making sure you are eating consistently, sleeping optimally, and exercising in a way that improves your overall fertility, not, as we do in most cases, put a drain on it. Learn more here.2 - Supercharge your whole body from a micronutrient level to optimize egg quality and hormone levelsBefore I wanted to get pregnant, I had taken steps for an entire year before conceiving to make sure that my fertile factors were as optimal as possible. This was on top of everything I had been doing for over a decade by using the FLO protocol. This was about much more than timing, much more than knowing the right day to have sex (although of course that played its part). I spent a year supercharging my body in preparation for the conception. If you’re currently trying to get pregnant, or know you’d like to by next year or the next, you too can start now to prepare for pregnancy and, even if you have symptoms of PCOS, you will be in a much better position to conceive naturally and have a healthy pregnancy than if you continue as you are now. I upped my food and supplement game in specific ways to make sure my hormones, ovulation, microbiome and more were all where they needed to be. You can learn more about that here.3 - Engage your Maternal Energy now to reduce stress levels and set your body to conception-ready modeI embraced some of the responsibilities of motherhood way ahead of being a mother. I shifted my priorities and goals. I said no to things that were a drain on my energy and vitality. I was dedicated to my self care practices. Doing this was about being at my healthiest, my most fertile, my most able to get pregnant - but it was also about being really, truly, utterly ready for pregnancy and motherhood. Now that I am a mother, I’m still doing all of the above even more intensely. This is admittedly, not an easy thing to do. A few months before I knew I wanted to conceive, I cancelled a work trip. It was a big deal to change at the last minute, but I had an intuitive feeling that this trip was going to be a strain on my adrenals and undo my hard work to prep my body. I knew that if I did want to get pregnant I couldn’t afford to get stressed out like that. I had to prioritize that goal ahead of my other obligations. I had to cut down on extra commitments that were not absolutely necessary. I decided I was unwilling to deal with the potential consequences to my cycle and my fertility. I made the call to cancel the trip and do what was optimal for my fertility and my future child. Often times what can hold us back has a lot to do with the anxiety about the constraints of motherhood, when in fact “nesting” starts so much sooner than shopping for baby gear.

What does optimal fertility feel like?

In that year before I knew exactly when I wanted to conceive, I was so fully prepared for pregnancy - physically through my diet and lifestyle, and mentally and emotionally by optimizing my FertileFLO - that people would comment regularly about how I was glowing, and ask if I was pregnant, loooonnng before I actually conceived! Many of the women who have done the FertileFLO program and have gotten pregnant report that this was exactly the feeling that they had not had prior to the program - they looked and felt younger, more energized, happy, and vibrant. Of course, that’s what being fertile is about - being so ripe with health and vitality on all levels that your whole body is ready to receive and nurture a new person. It’s about being in so much abundant health, that there’s plenty to share to 3-D print a tiny human. Redefine the conception process to include your head, your heart...and your uterusI know we live in a culture that makes us think children are not supposed to change our lives one bit, let alone change them a whole year before they’re even conceived! But if you’re struggling to get pregnant, or because of a diagnosis or health issue you think you might struggle to get pregnant in the future, then you need to start thinking differently today about your life. Getting ready to be a mother is not about “missing out” like we’re taught, it’s about making different decisions based on your primary goals and desires. If you’ve been trying to get pregnant using thermometers, gadgets, calendars and equations for a while and it isn’t working for you, you might need to start thinking about how you relate to your cycle and the big changes that motherhood brings. Optimizing your Fertile FLO can get you in tune with your cycle phases and hormonal shifts. It can make you feel like your most vibrant, fertile self - ready for creation.Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, are you trying to conceive?Second, do you feel there are issues bigger than “the numbers” at play for you?Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Are you trying to conceive?

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

Having hormonal acne as an adult can be miserable. We all expect hormonal acne to stop happening once we reach our 20s, but this isn’t always the case. Believe me, I know. Before I created, and then lived, the Flo Living protocol it took me 1.5 hours just to leave the house - my face and back were covered in cystic hormonal acne that I would have to cover with heavy makeup just to feel confident enough to carry on with my life. Hormonal acne can come with a shift in our cycle - like going from our ovulation phase to pre-menstruation phase, or it can come with a shift in our age as our hormonal patterns change from our 20s to our 30s. If you’re suffering with hormonal acne right now - I sympathize - and I have some great news. Hormonal acne is very responsive to treatment, healing (and then prevention) using natural supplements. The right choice and the right use of natural supplements can see your acne gone in just a couple of months.

My own experience with hormonal acne

Now, when I had acne I tried everything my doctor would give me. I was desperate to improve the way my skin looked, and the way I felt about myself. I imagine you’ve also gone through a list of potions and pills, hoping each would work for you. I personally tried a long course of antibiotics to stop the acne, which permanently stained my teeth slightly yellow (to this day!) and destroyed my gut microbiome so badly that I spent my entire freshman year of college with viruses, yeast infections and flu-like symptoms. I tried Retinol-A cream and Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide thinking I could heal my skin from the outside and just fix the surface of the issue. Needless to say, they didn’t work.The problem with all of the treatments for acne that you’ve probably been offered, or tried already, is that they don’t solve the most common cause of an adult woman’s acne issues - her hormones. In fact, antibiotics and the birth control pill only worsen the hormonal imbalance that is triggering the hormonal acne. A combination of two health problems underpins the development of hormonal acne - a damaged and depleted gut microbiome and a deficiency in key miconutrients for skin health. These lead to hormonal imbalance and the development of acne as a result. Once I figured out how to eat and live to support my hormones with the Flo Living protocol my skin cleared up, and it’s been beautifully clear ever since.

How to use natural supplements to stop hormonal acne

It’s important to remember with natural supplements that they are great if you want to speed up the process of healing and recovery because you’re at a critical point with your acne. With hormonal acne, using natural supplements every day can get you to where you want to be much more quickly than food alone. However, your body holds a delicate balance of nutrients and minerals. Taking in too much of one via supplements can cause an imbalance in another. Food is a gentler, more natural, and more sensitive way of giving your body what it needs. But, if you’re reading this right now with raging hormonal acne and you want it gone ASAP, supplements are here to help that happen more quickly. Once you get back your clear skin, you can lower the amount of supplements you take, and allow your diet - food - to support your skin health. Hormonally-supportive foods and fewer supplements can then help you maintain the skin you love.

My top 5 natural supplements for preventing hormonal acne

1. Magnesium. A lack of magnesium causes skin inflammation. Taking magnesium with calcium combined in supplement form can lower the amount of C-reactive proteins in your body which cause this inflammation. Calcium is part of our tissue matrix - bones, cells, and skin - and very important for skin cell renewal.
2. Omega-3s. Getting your omega-3 fatty acids in fish or flax oil will give you almost instant results. Clearer, softer, smoother skin as well as stronger hair and nails - you can see it happen in days. They have a big picture, whole body affect, as well as results in the short term. Take a good fish oil or flaxseed oil brand.
3. Zinc. Zinc deficiency is a very common issue for many women. When we are deficient in zinc our pores become easily irritated by bacteria and show redness. A large-scale scientific study actually concluded that zinc supplementation is very effective even when compared to commonly prescribed antibiotics. Try Thorne’s high potency zinc capsules. I also recommend having a little bit of grass-fed liver every week as part of a meal or as a snack. It’s full of copper and vitamin A. The copper will balance out the zinc in your body and the vitamin A is what your liver needs to detoxify from excess hormones. A well-functioning liver boosts your absorption of all vitamins and minerals and prevent deficiencies developing in the first place.
4. Probiotics. We need probiotics for a healthy gut. A common symptom of a damaged and depleted microbiome is acne and other skin issues like rosacea. It’s particularly important with hormonal acne as your microbiome assists your body in processing and eliminating excess estrogen. If you’ve been on the Pill or antibiotics for any length of time, probiotics could be key to getting your skin back on track. I like Jarrow’s Stable-Dophilus formula.
5. B Vitamins. Your skin needs B-vitamins to regenerate and renew as they provide the energy all of your cells need for fuel. Taking a good B-complex every day that includes a high level of B6 will target hormonal or pre-menstrual acne. B6 prevents skin inflammation and over-production of sebum (the oil your skin produces at can create acne issues).

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

I want to hear from you!

First, do you have hormonal acne? Second, have you used the Pill or antibiotics to treat hormonal acne? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

There are ads everywhere online showcasing miracle weight loss supplements sourced from natural ingredients like green coffee and raspberry ketone. Companies make claims that sound fantastic, inspiring, and oh so tempting to believe. But, of course, if any of these supplements they’re selling actually worked in the way they say then it would be front page news, not back page advertorial, and we would all be taking them!Sure, most of these naturally derived supplements won’t do you any harm. But if you’re diet is endocrine disruptive - if the foods you choose to eat work against rather than with your hormonal patterns - then your body is going to gain and retain fat out of sheer confusion and biological panic. Your body will start acting in opposition to how you’re feeding yourself in order to retain what it needs to keep your brain, heart and muscles functioning. We need fat to function, but excess fat is a sign that your body is in this panic mode and hedging its bets that you will not be making the best decisions for your health.Adding one supplement into that mix isn’t going to make any difference, I’m afraid.I remember what it was like to be obese and, believe me, losing that weight wasn’t as simple and easy as taking one miracle supplement from a magazine. You know that, I know that. However, within the Flo Living protocol, which I developed as a result of my own personal struggles with PCOS, weight gain, acne, and other hormonal imbalance symptoms, there are certainly supplements you can take to speed up and support sustained, healthy weight loss.I have lost 60 lbs twice in my life - the first time in my early ‘20s when I got to grips with my hormonal health problems and then after I had my daughter. I did it without the use of any alleged miracle supplements, but also without starving myself, over-exercising or feeling miserable and deprived.So, which supplements do work? Which products should you be spending your money on?Here is what I used as a part of the Flo Living protocol when I was trying to drop the pounds both those times. These work because they support your endocrine system and the needs of your adrenals, liver and thyroid. Of course, supplements without making the food based dietary changes that are the bedrock of the FLO protocol, will not be as effective as they could be when you use them with the powerful endocrine supportive diet I recommend.

The 3 best weight loss supplements that actually work

1. Cinnamon helps balance blood sugar to keep weight off long term: I like Cinnamon Force from New Chapter - I’m a huge fan of cinnamon for blood sugar stabilization. I put it in smoothies, on eggs, in my oatmeal. But this super strength supplement makes it very easy to get the daily dose you need. You want stable blood sugar so you can avoid the crashes that can cause binge eating or cause your body to feel panicked and retain excess fat. A significant study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics revealed the potential of cinnamon supplementation to help those who are overweight and obese.
2. Adaptogens make your adrenals happy so they program your fat cells to release fat: Ashwangandha or Oatstraw (I like the HerbPharm liquid tinctures) - these are adrenal-supportive supplements. If you have anxiety take Oatstraw tincture, otherwise use a good Ashwagandha supplement daily. These will decrease your levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which will help you to lose weight. In a study from Ohio State University, the researchers actually found that women who experienced high levels of stress burned more than 100 fewer calories than women who had not experienced stress, during the period directly after they had eaten a high-fat meal. This disruption to the metabolic process, caused by stress, builds up to the equivalent of 11 pounds potentially gained every year!
3. Feed your thyroid the micronutrients it needs to do its job of revving your metabolic fire: I like Gaia Thyroid Support - this seaweed-based iodine source supports thyroid function. Of course you can’t use this if you have an iodine allergy or have Hashimoto’s. Your thyroid regulates your metabolism, so in order to create a humming metabolism you need to support your thyroid. Thyroid problems are very common in women and often go undiagnosed for years. These problems can be the root cause of weight gain and your inability to shed pounds.

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

I want to hear from you!

First, do you struggle with your weight?Second, have you tried weight loss supplements and they’ve not worked for you? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

Period Cycles & Lunar Cycles

Have you ever been around female friends and had the topic of menstrual cycles and the moon come up? This happens more than you might think! 

As women, we’re curious about our bodies, the origins of our cycles, and how they might be connected to the phases of the moon. We may notice that many, though not all of us experience cycles (all four phases of one's cycle) that last approximately a lunar month - 28-30 days. It can feel exciting to sync up with the phases of the moon!

‍

Why we connect the menstrual cycle with the moon phases

First, let’s consider the traditions and history behind this phenomenon. Which cycles of the moon are related to menstrual cycles?

• The new moon is traditionally associated with menstruation, and if you find you get your period with the new moon this is known as a White Moon Cycle.
• The full moon is traditionally associated with ovulation, but some women do get their period on the full moon and this is called a Red Moon Cycle.
• The White Moon Cycle is the kind that is more commonly experienced. Historically this is down to the impact of light on the Earth and our bodies  - the full moon is the Earth’s most fertile time because of the additional light received by plants when there is bright moonlight as well as sunlight, and this is why it is traditionally associated with the ovulation phase.
• Although the White Moon cycle is more common - that’s getting your period on the new moon and ovulating on the full moon - a Red Moon cycle has interesting traditional connotations. Women who experience a Red Moon cycle have historically been thought to be healers, wise women, or medicine women. These women could take care of the other women who were on their period at the time that they themselves were ovulating. It’s also associated with creation in realms other than getting pregnant and having children - when the woman’s focus is on creating art, a business, or a new way of life for herself and others.

‍

‍Does it matter if my period does not sync with the moon?

‍Although there are these historical and traditional links, it’s not important that you get your period on the full moon or the new moon - although it can be pretty cool when it does happen! As long as you’re having a healthy cycle that is consistent for YOU - this is what matters. That means that your cycles are regular and last a similar amount of days each time.

If your cycles are wildly fluctuating, then it is an indicator of health issues like PCOS, fibroids, or endometriosis. A consistent, regular cycle is much more likely to be symptom-free, although it is still possible to experience PMS, cramps, or bloating with a regular cycle. Ideally, your period’s arrival is predictable, but not necessarily predicated on what the moon is doing!

‍

How to Sync Your Cycle to the Moon

1. Spend time in Nature

‍If your cycle is fluctuating in length hugely from period to period, then it may also be the result of your environment - it could be because you’re not getting enough good sleep due to a bright or noisy setting and it could be down to your disconnect from stress-relieving, calming Nature as a whole.

More and more research is revealing that we need to be in Nature frequently - in the way of a park, a hike, the beach - for the good of our health, our mental health, especially. And stress can really screw up your cycles and cause them to become irregular. So, rather than focusing on the moon alone, look at your relationship to Nature in general and make a point of re-connecting with Mother Earth by getting into green spaces as much as you can.

You can do this in your backyard, your local playground, or on a walk through your neighborhood - the key is to direct your attention to those natural elements, breathe them in, and feel the well-being that comes from spending time outside.  ‍

2. Improve your relationship to light and dark

‍Part of how our cycles can sync to the moon is through our exposure to light and dark as it changes throughout the lunar month - at the New Moon we’re meant to be sleeping in darkness, and at the Full Moon, the night sky should be lit up with moonlight. However, many of us live in towns and cities now that give out light pollution. It can be hard to see the moon clearly and the moonlight is competing with office  lighting, street lamps, house lights, illuminated signs and more.

We are not as exposed to the direct light and darkness of the moon phases as we once were. Of course light (and noise) pollution can also be disruptive to our sleep patterns and make for a fitful sleep and frequent waking up during the night. This throws off the hormone melatonin, which happens to be linked directly to ovulation regulation and therefore cycle regulation.

If you want to sync with the moon, but you struggle to connect with the moonlight in a busy, 24-hour town or city, then take steps to ensure you experience good sleep by using black out blinds and a white noise machine, and employing a sleep-supportive bedtime routine. To become more aware of the moon’s phases and have the best chance of reconnecting and syncing your cycle to its changes, download a lunar phase calendar or use an app like MyMoontime - take a look every evening to see where the moon is that night in its cycle and then try to spend some time in view of the moon either meditating, reading, or just resting. More and more places now also have Full Moon hikes where women can connect with the moon and each other. If you can’t find a group, practice a ritual at home in view of the moon or start your own group!

‍3. Fix your period problems

‍To repeat - as long as you’re having a healthy cycle that is consistent for YOU - this is what matters. Monitoring your period and cycle for length with a period tracker app, looking at the color and consistency of your bleeding, and logging any symptoms you experience - from PMS to bloating to acne - is more important to your health than syncing with the moon. It’s from this place that you can start to solve and move past your period problems.

Your period should and can be regular and predictable - if it’s not, there’s a way to change that. Once you’ve got a healthy cycle that feels good for you, then you’re in a better place to start working on syncing with the moon and you’ll be better positioned to reap the benefits of this experience.  Your body is a mirror, whether or not your period comes with the full moon or the new moon. You don’t need to be bleeding with the new moon to reconnect with Nature, but connecting with the natural environment will have a positive impact on your health - including getting your cycle to be more regular, predictable and symptom-free.

Your cycle is magical, regardless of any cool moon connection you might experience. Your cycle can work magic for you, if you support it with hormone-friendly foods and a hormonally-supportive way of living. Get in touch with your own, personal, unique cycle and that’s the first step to living in your Flo with all of its benefits. ‍

I know what you’re thinking - “prevent PMS? There’s no way to do that!” We grow into womanhood believing that PMS is an inevitable part of being female. Then so many of us experience it, we believe that must be true. We just accept that once a month for a few days, a week, longer maybe, we feel crabby, angry, low, anxious, lacking in confidence, frustrated, as well as bloated, ravenously hungry, craving sugar, and covered in acne! Pah! How is that okay? Well, actually, it’s not okay. No woman should suffer with PMS. No woman has to suffer with PMS. If I have one message I want to communicate full blast - it’s this: PMS is not normal. You can prevent PMS completely naturally. PMS is a symptom of a hormonal imbalance and that imbalance can be fixed. Usually this imbalance is a case of too much estrogen, or estrogen dominance, coupled with low progesterone levels. You can combat your PMS with the right morning routine, by getting good sleep, by increasing the pleasure in your life, and by changing your diet to support your hormonal shifts and help your body to create, process and eliminate hormones in the way that’s best and most healthy for you. I make choices about what I eat based on where I am in my cycle. I have managed to get to a point that is long passed PMS by doing this. The FLO Living protocol didn’t just heal my PCOS, help me to lose weight, and banish my acne, it also got rid of my PMS for me. I’m not kidding, in fact when my husband goes out for a guy’s night with his friends, they will sometimes end up talking about their relationships, their girlfriends and wives, and often his friends will share that their partners suffer with PMS and during “that time of the month” they get into fights and feel like they have to stay out of the way. My husband loves being able to say that his wife doesn’t experience PMS. These men, they cannot believe that is possible - but it is.

The best foods you can eat to prevent PMS

1. Chickpeas - these are a great source of B6 which helps with progesterone production. If your progesterone levels are low in the second half of your cycle you will experience both stress and period issues. A low level of B6 can make estrogen dominance more pronounced, when you have too much estrogen in your blood stream and not enough progesterone.
2. Kale and leafy greens - all of the brassica family greens, but especially kale, contain indole-3 carbinol, which is a powerful hormone balancer. This compound promotes estrogen metabolism, which allows us to eliminate excess estrogen and prevent estrogen dominance.
3. Coconut yogurt - my favorite kind of coconut yogurt is Anita’s Creamline Coconut Yogurt, it is utterly delicious. This yogurt contains probiotics in the form of live cultures and lots of good fats, which are both mood stabilizing and prevent PMS food cravings.
4. Sweet potatoes - not only should they satisfy your sweet cravings - consider drizzling roasted sweet potatoes with some honey and top with pecans - but because they are rich in vitamin A, they will also help your liver break down excess estrogen, balance out your blood sugar levels, and balance your mood.
5. Bone broth - a fantastic source of the electrolytes magnesium and calcium which will prevent the headaches, migraines and fuzzy headedness that can come with PMS. Have a cup before bed to also benefit from its sleep enhancing properties!

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

I want to hear from you!

First, do you suffer with PMS?Second, which PMS symptoms do you get each month? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

If you’re reading this post I’m almost certain you are aware of the impact your diet can have on your hormonal imbalance symptoms - from PMS to PCOS, from cramps to endometriosis, from low libido to weight gain. You know that some foods make these health issues worse and some can make them so much better. However, if you’re eating healthily and even following the Flo Living diet protocol, you might still be missing an essential ingredient of creating the kind of hormone-safe lifestyle that will protect you from these symptoms. That missing essential ingredient is in your cleaning supply closet. Because we don’t spend more than perhaps a few hours a week handling these products, we may not think they can possibly have an impact on our health. Yet, cumulatively the hours stack up that we are using, touching, and making skin contact with these chemicals, especially those that can linger on the items we are close to every day - like our clothes. We think picking our cleaning products, especially our laundry detergent, really should be just a matter of what works. And that’s true. We do need products that get our clothes clean and don’t mean spending hours washing and rewashing items to get the desired result. We also need to prioritize our own health. Top selling brand name detergents have been found to contain high levels of petrochemicals which are endocrine disruptors - they disrupt your body’s creation of its own hormones, use of those hormones and elimination of excess hormones. They introduce estrogen-mimicking synthetic hormones into your blood stream through skin contact that can undo all of your best efforts with your diet. These synthetic estrogens create estrogen dominance in the body - a root cause of all of the hormonal imbalance symptoms I mentioned above. An independent research group, Women’s Voices for the Earth, discovered that twenty of the most popular products we use to keep our homes and clothes clean contain reproductive toxins such as toluene and phthalates as well as a hormone disrupting synthetic musk, amongst other toxic chemicals. Many of these substances are not even listed on the product labels, because there is no law requiring that the company do this, keeping even the most informed of us in the dark. Anything that has been shown to cause “pregnancy complications” or “cancer” will also cause hormone disruption. Research shows that many of the chemicals found in everyday house-cleaning products are bio-accumulative and very toxic, which means that once in your system, they actually stay in your system and allow for increased free radical damage, which makes you more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases and cancers.As you can imagine, as a consequence of this research, I am very picky about my cleaning products. Especially my laundry detergent, as the residue of this can stay on clothes that then stay next to my skin, and my daughter’s skin, all day long. Despite the labels claiming that detergent will leave your clothes with a “clean, fresh scent” and “2X cleaner,” the truth is that many conventional detergents contain carcinogens, toxic chemicals, and harsh additives. Don’t sacrifice your family’s health for a clean home any more—instead, opt for natural products that really work, like Molly’s Suds Laundry Powder.Unlike other brands, Molly’s Suds is made from just five all­-natural ingredients that really get your clothes clean. Plus, it’s free from artificial fragrances and dyes, preservatives, toxic chemicals, and genetically modified ingredients, making it gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin, like that of my daughter. Not to mention, this laundry powder received an A rating from the Environmental Working Group—that means it’s just as safe for the environment as it is for your family. There’s another huge upside to this laundry soap: Molly’s Suds is super­concentrated, and just one tablespoon will get each load sparkling clean.Plus, for a limited time, my favorite place to buy all my groceries - Thrive Market - is offering all new customers a FREE package of Molly’s Suds laundry powder. And existing customers won’t miss out on the fun—they can nab a free package with their next order over $50. I’ve been using Thrive Market for months to stock my pantry and my cleaning closet and I love it, it’s so very easy, affordable and convenient.Just go here to claim your free gift!Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, are you chemical sensitive?Second, have you switched to green cleaning products?Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 5 foods you should eat if you have fibroids

1. Flax seeds

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

2. Soy

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

3. Beans

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

4. Whole grains

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

5. Pears and apples

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

‍

The best supplements for fibroids

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

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

Lena Dunham has made the news again this week with her hormone issues. First of all, I think her willingness to share about her issues with her hormones is game-changing for women. Only by taking these issues out of our individual hiding places, can we find a better way forward. Her story is unfortunately all too common. So many women with one condition can quickly develop a secondary one – in her case, endometriosis and then an ovarian cyst. It's all caused by the same root causes.

What happened to Lena

Here’s what happened to Lena – she developed what is known as an Endometriomas. Endometriosis causes endometrial tissue to migrate around the body and attach to other organs and sometimes this tissue will attach to the ovaries and form a growth which becomes a Endometriomas cyst. A cyst like this on the ovary can grow to be very large and cause the ovary to twist, causing a lot of pain. When a large Endometriomas cyst ruptures, as we heard happened to Lena, it can cause internal bleeding – this is why she was rushed to hospital for surgery. She may have experienced symptoms prior to the rupture like pelvic pain and a sense of pressure in her abdomen, but she would also have recognized these symptoms as related to her long-standing Endometriosis.There are other kinds of ovarian cysts beyond those caused by endometriosis. When ovarian cysts are suspected to be growing women are usually told to either wait to see if symptoms arise or if the cyst goes away on its own, to take birth control pills to prevent more cysts developing, or to have surgery as Lena did. It’s possible Lena had a ovarian cystectomy which means the surgeon left her ovary intact. However, sometimes this is not possible, which means she may have undergone an oophorectomy - removal of the affected ovary. From my knowledge, experience and expertise, conventional treatments like the Pill are not effective enough. How do we know this? Lena is still dealing with her endometriosis symptoms, enough to cancel her promo tour of Girls, and using the Pill did not prevent her from getting an ovarian cyst that grew large enough to rupture. Frequent pelvic exams can catch signs of ovarian cysts early, but they will not prevent them from happening. I have helped many women prevent cysts from growing to the point of rupturing, and I have helped women make their cysts disappear all together! This is just all so unnecessary if we learn how to care for our bodies in a pro-period, female hormone-centric way.

What can we learn from Lena’s experience and What should you do next?

The Pill is not the magic bullet to our hormonal issues. We have to address the underlying causes of our estrogen overload with food. We have to get in action around partnering with our hormones to do all that we can to avoid surgery.In order to truly manage our hormones, we can't rely only on pills. We have to deal with the root cause food and lifestyle issues that are creating our hormonal chaos. And we have to take consistent action to minimize their effect. Here’s what you need to be aware of and what steps you should take next:

1. Estrogen overload of the body from chemical exposure - When estrogen is too high, it can promote the formation of these cysts. Read more here about where these chemicals may be coming from in your life and start making swaps to natural products.
2. Not the right micronutrients available in our diet to break down estrogen - Without these nutrients, estrogen continues to build up in the system and stimulate a cyst to grow. Read more here about how to start supporting the liver long term to keep estrogen moving out of you successfully.
3. Not eating the right foods at the right time for each phase of our cycle to optimize the hormonal ratio each week to eliminate symptoms - This is such a critical step. For example, during your 2 peak estrogen surges during your period, the Cycle-Sync™ method makes sure you’re eating foods at those exact times that maximize estrogen metabolism. You’ve got to get in sync with your body’s hormonal patterns with food and that’s exactly what the WomanCode Online program teaches you to do.

What’s possible instead when you take the natural approach?

Just read the story of one woman, Heidi, who found Flo Living just in time to prevent having Lena’s experience. She worked with me and made her cysts dissappear. “So as I lay on the table, with no expectations, the technician tells me, “The cyst on the left ovary is gone” and then “Oh! The one on the right is gone, too!” I’m in shock. I’m elated. And as a tear rolls down my cheek, I’m in awe of the power…the power this body has to heal itself. How amazing is that! If I treat it right (if I treat ME right), then amazing things will happen.”Don't wait and get caught off guard by a ruptured cyst. You can prevent this from happening - please take a moment now to check in with you body on 2 questions:What is your period experience?As I said, when your hormonal system is not working properly, it can cause a domino effect, producing more period problems and even autoimmune issues from the same hormonal imbalance. Lena had endometriosis, but I’m sure she did not expect to deal with a ruptured ovarian cyst. However, this is all connected and has the same set of root causes. Take a good look at your current period problems and examine the severity of your symptoms. If you are dealing with bad PMS or PMDD, major cramps, wacky bleeding, and you have a diagnosed condition like PCOS, Endometriosis, or Fibroids AND you haven't done anything beyond taking the Pill to help yourself and avoid symptoms, then you might be at a higher risk of developing an ovarian cyst than you realized.Are you eating an endocrine disruptive diet?Ultimately, look at your diet, is it full of dairy, gluten, animal fats, alcohol, and sugar? This will continue to set you up for estrogen imbalance and make you much more susceptible to symptoms and developing secondary conditions like ovarian cysts.This is why I created the FLO Living protocol to help every woman maintain the optimal healthy balance of hormones that keep us symptom free and able to make our body our happy place again.If you think you're at risk - the best place to start is with the FLO Living 4-Day Hormone Detox - to immediately bring down toxic estrogen levels.Sending Love and FLO to Lena's ovaries and yours.Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, have you had an ovarian cyst? Second, did you have a prior period problem before developing the cyst? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma, share this article on social and support Lena!

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!

Ovulation can come with a lot of fabulous side effects like a boosted sex drive, abundant energy, heightened senses, and an overall feeling of optimism and well-being. However, for some women, the ovulatory phase can also bring unwanted and uncomfortable symptoms like bloating, cramping or pain in one side, spotting, breast tenderness and uneven moods. The good news is you can treat the symptoms of ovulation naturally!

Identify the Ovulation Phase Based on Symptoms

If you have symptoms during ovulation, then chances are excellent that you also experience symptoms during your premenstrual week as well as difficulty with menstruation. This is because the root causes of symptomatic ovulation will also create problems throughout your cycle - like PMS symptoms or a crampy period. If you get these symptoms around ovulation or if they start then, only to stay with you until your period arrives, then you are experiencing a hormonal imbalance. And, just as I believe all women deserve the perfect period, I believe all women should feel wonderful when they’re ovulating and get to bask in all of the benefits this time of your cycle can and wants to give.  

Looking at your cycle as a whole and shifting your eating patterns and lifestyle choices to live more in harmony with your hormonal Flo during every cycle stage is vitally important. Each phase is connected to the others and there’s really no such thing as spot-treating an individual phase. However, there are effective, natural treatments that specifically target the sorts of issues that can arise in the ovulatory phase.

If you are worried that you might not be ovulating or you’re having trouble tracking your cycle, go straight to my simple guide for knowing where you’re at.

‍

How to treat your ovulation symptoms naturally

The source of your symptoms can be found in estrogen dominance - your body has too much estrogen swimming around your blood stream and you are not processing the excess efficiently. This leaves you with too high levels of this one hormone, which causes an imbalance in your progesterone production, leaving you with low progesterone levels. Solving your ovulation symptoms, therefore, is all about supporting your body in generating, processing, and eliminating estrogen. Read the following list of ovulation symptoms and see what you can do to address them:‍

‍

Bloating During Ovulation

The Flo-facts - Magnesium deficiency causes your body to retain water and salt, leading to that bloated feeling. Another culprit might be stress, as heightened cortisol has the same impact.  

‍The Flo-fix - I recommend you dose yourself with a daily supply of good dark chocolate (you’ll want 70% dark and organic). A 100 gram serving has half of your day’s need of magnesium. Drink coconut water to help with the water retention. Then, whizz up my “Anti-Bloat-ini” juice that combines 1 beet, 4 celery stalks, ½ a cucumber, 2 stalks of kale, ½ bunch cilantro, and 1 lemon. It’s full of natural diuretics, tissue salts, and liver detoxifiers.

‍

‍Spotting During Ovulation

The Flo-facts - Spotting is always something you should pay serious attention to. A little blood in your cervical fluid around the day of ovulation is not anything to be too concerned about (it’s actually the result of the egg breaking free). However, if the spotting continues, it could indicate a cervical polyp. You want to have any non-menstrual week bleeding assessed by your gynecologist immediately.  

‍The Flo-fix - Roll back your exposure to synthetic estrogens in cosmetics and beauty products, which can lead to excess estrogen levels in your body. Nourishing your liver will support the balance between your estrogen and progesterone levels - you can do this with a weekly “Liver Lover” smoothie of ½ cup mango, ½ a green apple, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple, 1/2 cup coconut water and 1 cup of cilantro.

‍

‍Pain/Cramping During Ovulation

The FLO - facts:  Pain during ovulation has an actual name - it’s called Mittelschmerz - German for ‘pain in the middle’.  Cramps are caused by an improper balance of prostaglandins and excess estrogen. Often times, it can be indicative of other conditions. For example, if the pain is severe you may be dealing with endometriosis or ovarian cysts, either on their own or due to PCOS.

‍The FLO- fix As with period cramps, reducing the amount of caffeine, alcohol, and dairy you take in throughout your cycle is going to make a significant and positive difference to ovulation pain. But getting more omega 3 fatty acids in your diet is key to ridding yourself of the mid-cycle pain.

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!

In a recent column for the New York Times, Nicolas Kristof asked, shockingly, “Are you a toxic waste disposal site?” In this article he writes, “Even if you’re not in Flint, Mich., there are toxic chemicals in your home. For that matter, in you. Scientists have identified more than 200 industrial chemicals — from pesticides, flame retardants, jet fuel — as well as neurotoxins like lead in the blood or breast milk of Americans.”Kristof goes on to talk about the “pre-pollution” of babies in the womb and the “toxic stress” in our bodies from being exposed to dangerous chemicals each and every day of our lives. Then, just last week, the Food and Drug Administration announced they would be testing our food for the presence of a herbicide called glyphosate, which is the main component of the most commonly used weed killer or pesticide worldwide. Consumer groups have claimed that glyphosate residue can be found in both breast milk and commonly eaten foods. Independent research suggests glyphosate can have serious health implications.A recent meta-analysis study revealed that organic meat and dairy products are actually more nutritious, with 50% more omega 3 fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are important for women’s hormonal health- whether from meat or from vegetarian sources like flax seed. Although I avoid dairy products (aside from eggs), I do eat meat and this research has bolstered my long established decision to buy organic, grass-fed meat only.For many years I have advocated buying organic food and using organic beauty products and cosmetics, as well as avoiding toxin-laden cleaning products for your home. I have followed the growing body of research and known that being vigilant in these areas is vitally important for our health. Many hormonal health issues are worsened by the introduction of outside endocrine-disrupting chemicals like pesticides.

Here’s how pesticides impact your hormonal balance. Pesticides...

• add synthetic hormones to your body (like xenoestrogens)
• congest your liver, making it harder for your body to process and eliminate excess hormones
• confuse the hormonal conversation your body needs to have to create balance and avoid symptoms and diseases
• can increase infertility
• can make the growth of fibroids worse
• can impair ovulation
• can damage thyroid function
• just to name a few…..

Studies show that eliminating the pesticides found on food from your diet by going all-organic for just two weeks has a hugely positive impact on your body. There are certain foods you must only and always buy as organic – such as celery, peppers and tomatoes, all greens, berries, melons, pears and peaches (see my book WomanCode for the full rundown). Other produce you can be a little more relaxed about, but personally as a hormonally-sensitive person, I prefer to make my whole grocery list organic-only. I encourage all women to follow an organic protocol in every area of their life at least 80% of the time. If you do this, the other 20% of the time your body will be much better prepared and primed to cope with the additional disruption. If you’re not doing this now, but otherwise eating healthily and exercising regularly, you may still be suffering with PMS, cramps, PCOS, fibroids, endometriosis or other hormonal imbalance symptoms. If you needed more convincing, the fact that this growing body of research has now got the New York Times and the FDA sitting up and taking notice should be enough of a push for you to make the change your body needs.It is my view that buying organic produce, although certainly more expensive than buying non-organic, pesticide-laden produce, is an investment in your health long term and will save you money on medical expenses down the line. Local farmers markets can be a way to pick up organic fruits and vegetables at more affordable prices, as well as signing up for a local CSA delivery from a farm in your area. If you’re looking to heal hormonal health issues or get pregnant in the near future, going organic is a decision that will reward you for years to come. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, do you eat organic only?Second, do you have symptoms of estrogen overload? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

This month writer, actress and all-round bad-ass Lena Dunham announced she would be taking some time out and stepping back from promoting the fifth season of her television series “Girls,” stating ““As many of you know I have endometriosis, a chronic condition that affects approximately 1 in 10 women’s reproductive health. I am currently going through a rough patch with the illness and my body let me know, in no uncertain terms, that it’s time to rest.”Although Lena has long held my admiration and respect, with this decision she has become, to my mind, a real role model for women everywhere and an honorary Flo-sister! I am a long-time advocate of listening to your body and it is wonderful to hear someone in the public eye highlight the importance of taking time to rest, recuperate and heal. On top of that, she is also drawing much-needed attention to endometriosis and the suffering it can cause women. Lena shows us all that we can live our dream life and honor what our bodies need, as well as ask that those around us understand and support this choice. That said, it is distressing to hear that she is experiencing so much suffering from her endometriosis that she simply cannot carry on with her work when she might actually need to. It’s particularly distressing to me, because I know that you can do something about endometriosis, the pain and everything that comes along with this health issue.

Why I can relate to Lena’s experience

The thing is, I do know how she feels - although I have not experienced endometriosis myself, my PCOS came with chronic fatigue and depression that forced me to put my life on hold. When your hormones are out of whack it can have profound effects. When it was happening to me, I just knew that it should not be happening. I knew that it was not my “natural” state and instead a result of endocrine disruption from my diet and lifestyle. I knew I could change this for myself. The great news for Lena here is that like PCOS, Endometriosis is very treatable from a functional medicine standpoint. However, it does need a targeted approach that gets to the root of the autoimmune nature of this condition in order to alleviate the suffering long term. From this perspective I’d like to outline what I would love to tell Lena Dunham, if ever I got the chance to take care of her ovaries! Wouldn’t that be amazing? Here’s a very distilled version of my Flo Living protocol for endometriosis. For advice on how to talk to your doctor about your endometriosis diagnosis go here. For advice on specific food strategies to help with endometriosis go here.

The 3 things I’d like to tell Lena Dunham about Endometriosis

With access to some of the best healthcare there is available, I am certain Lena has already undertaken some necessary fundamental changes to her diet and lifestyle in order to heal her endometriosis - this includes cutting out all inflammatory foods sources such as sugar, alcohol, red meat and dairy. As well as looking at all the food she is eating as potential medicine and therapy for her health issue, Lena needs to also be hyper-vigilant about the products she uses on body (shampoos, cosmetics, moisturizers) and in her home (cleaning products, laundry detergent). We are often unaware of the amount of external estrogens (xenoestrogens) we are exposed to on a day-to-day basis, keeping this as a low as possible helps the body process and eliminate excess estrogen more efficiently, which is vital to endometriosis sufferers.

1. Endometriosis and your microbiome - the best way for Lena to get her immune system functioning the way it should be is to focus first on healing her microbiome. Probiotics are essential to rebalance the good gut bacteria. A certain set of gut bacteria and more specifically certain bacterial genes, called the estrobolome, produce an essential enzyme that helps metabolize estrogen. Your gut therefore is part of the elimination system that is vital in ushering hormones out of the body. You’ve got to feed your internal ecosystem in the way that promotes the growth of these good bacteria that are there to help take care of you. I would suggest a daily tablespoon or two of fermented foods rich in good bacteria like kimchi and sauerkraut plus a probiotic supplement such as the Stable-Dophilus formula from Jarrow.
2. Endometriosis and your liver - the other agent in metabolizing excess estrogen is your liver. Lena’s liver needs to efficiently break down estrogen that is produced by her body and the estrogen she takes in from the outside. It’s important to eat lots of liver-supporting foods that help with your body’s effort to cleanse your system of estrogen-overload. Broccoli contains the phytochemicals sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol and D-glucarate which are critical liver detoxifiers. Beets contain pectin, which is a fiber that removes the toxins processed by the liver so they can be flushed out of the system instead of reabsorbed into the body. Dandelion greens are a diuretic that restore the mineral balance after detoxing our elimination organs. Lemon juice helps the stomach break down food, which leaves less for your liver to do, allowing more energy for estrogen elimination.
3. Endometriosis and pain - although pain killers can provide short term relief for some endometriosis sufferers, a long term effective solution can be found in essential fatty acids. Using high amounts of painkillers can put a strain on your liver that feeds the underlying causes of endometriosis. A chemical series called Prostaglandins are what stimulate your uterine muscles to contract and create discomfort. There are 3 types – PgE1,2, and 3. PgE2 is the one that causes uterine contractions and pain. Leave it to the genius design of your body to have only one that does that and two that counteract it – PgE1 and 3 are antispasmodic – natural pain killers! The essential fatty acids found in evening primrose oil and flax seeds increase the production of the two prostaglandins that can prevent contractions that cause the pain.

Help me to help Lena by sharing this post and tagging Ms. Dunham! She is an honorary Flo-sister and I would love to help her get back in her FLO. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, do you have endometriosis? Second, have you already cut out red meat, sugar, alcohol and dairy from your diet? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

When it comes to libido, women with PCOS have one of two experiences - there are those who have a relatively high sex drive and those who experience a very low sex drive. If you want to enjoy a healthy, pleasurable sex life you need to work with the PCOS libido you have to make sure you’re getting what you need. As a result of working with so many PCOS sufferers, and being a former PCOS sufferer myself, I have developed strategies that allow women with high or low libido to reinvigorate and reinvent their sex life and relationship from a basis of cycle awareness and hormonal understanding. Here at Flo Living I often hear women with PCOS say that they just “don’t feel like a woman” - is this a feeling you connect with too? The source of this unease is your testosterone levels and how high testosterone can push you to stay in your masculine energy all of the time. Or, alternatively, it can be sourced in how low testosterone can make you feel disinterested in sex and the person you love, in either case making you feel unfeminine. As a former PCOS sufferer myself, I personally had the high testosterone/high libido experience. In this post I’ll talk you through how this made me develop a unique approach to my relationship. Those two types of PCOS in regards to sex drive look like this:

• Low libido - due to low testosterone levels and high sex hormone binding globulin levels (SHBG). Women experiencing this do not usually have other symptoms like acne and hair loss/unwanted hair growth.
• High libido - due to high testosterone levels and low sex hormone binding globulin levels (SHBG). Women with this kind of PCOS will normally have issues with acne and hair loss/unwanted hair growth.

My own high testosterone levels had an impact on every area of my life - energetically it led me towards living predominantly in my masculine energy. I began to consciously balance this out by practicing ways of connecting to and nurturing my feminine energy. I found this much more satisfying in my romantic relationships, so I could feel like I was receiving more from my partner in and out of the bedroom. So, how do you know if you’re experiencing a masculine/feminine energy imbalance personally and in your relationship due to high testosterone levels?

• You feel disconnected from your emotions.
• You find it difficult to receive focused touch from your partner.
• You find it hard to verbalize your feelings to your partner.
• You feel like you have to take the lead in your relationship in general

If you have low sex drive as a result of low testosterone levels then you may also be experiencing these symptoms:

• fatigue
• vaginal dryness
• insomnia
• gaining weight around your middle
• problems retaining muscle mass

For more on low testosterone or “low T” visit my previous post.Now, to stay balanced in my relationship, I just let my cycle take the lead so I’m always dancing in a balanced way between my masculine and feminine energies. I find I like to take charge in the bedroom when I’m in my ovulation phase and my testosterone levels are at their peak. During this time I get the most pleasure out of being in charge and being proactive about my desires. During the rest of the month, however, I prefer to be the one who is pursued! Here are the strategies I use in my own life and those I recommend to my Flo Living clients:

Low libido with PCOS

Leverage your Peak Testosterone TimeUse what’s happening with your body to your advantage. If you have low testosterone levels, your testosterone production will still find its peak when you’re in the ovulation phase. So start by tracking your cycle so that you know when you’re ovulating and can plan ahead! Make the most of that time. Clear your calendar! Plan a few date nights with your partner and let him in on the secret! Then make sure you focus on the foreplay, because it might take you a little longer to feel ready, especially when you are not in your ovulation phase. Spend some time getting to know what feels good for you and then teach your partner what you need. Make more testosterone naturallyTo increase your testosterone levels and lower SHBG maximize zinc and saturated fats in your diet. Avocados are a wonderful source of bioidentical testosterone and beans and seeds are packed full of Zinc (although you could also supplement with 50mg daily).

High libido with PCOS

Practice Receiving PleasureConnect with your feminine energy. It’s not fun or pleasurable to always be the one who is leading, initiating, and dominating in a relationship. It can bring about resentment if you’re never in “receiving” mode in your relationship - being pursued, wooed and adored by your partner! Getting into the mode of receiving pleasure from your partner can boost your mood and health. There are many ways you can practice connecting with your feminine energy.Lower Your Sensitivity to TestosteroneTo lower testosterone levels and increase SHBG try saw palmetto extract daily which is anti-androgen (androgens are “male” hormones) and also anti-inflammatory. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that women who ate walnuts increased their levels of SHBG and those who ate almonds decreased their free androgen levels. In study published in the Iran Journal of Reproductive Medicine, women who were given omega-3 supplements saw their testosterone levels decrease. Instead of supplements you can increase salmon in your diet. Women with both types of PCOS libido will certainly benefit from cycle-syncing their relationship, alongside their diet and wider lifestyle choices. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, has PCOS affected your sex life? Second, which do you experience - a high or low libido? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Feeling Frazzled, Bloated, and Unsexy?

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

A new large-scale study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests a diet high in the fiber found in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of breast cancer in women. Breast cancer risk was 12%-19% lower for those women who ate adequate fiber during their early 20s. Eating a high level of fiber during adolescence was associated with 24% lower risk of developing breast cancer before menopause.The research authors summarized: “Sex steroid hormone levels are strongly related to breast cancer development and a diet high in fiber has been hypothesized to reduce breast cancer incidence by inhibiting reabsorption of estrogen, thus decreasing circulating levels.”What does this mean? Essentially - estrogen levels in your blood stream impact the development of certain cancers, including breast cancer. Eating fiber lowers the amount of estrogen in the blood by allowing your body to process and eliminate the excess efficiently, leaving you less susceptible to cancer. There are 4 important points I believe we can all learn from this new research and start acting on today:

1. Estrogen dominance is a primary cause of female reproductive cancers. It is also one of the root causes of PCOS, endometriosis, PMS, cramps, heavy periods, depression, and more. If you have any of these mentioned hormonal imbalance-related health issues, even if it’s just a week of bad PMS symptoms each month, then you are very likely to be at a higher risk of developing breast cancer according to the NIH’s Biocycle Study. Increasing your fiber intake as the research suggests will heal your hormones and reduce this risk. PMS in the form of mood swings, depression, anxiety, and bloating is not and never has been “normal” - it’s actually one of your body’s very loud ways of telling you something is wrong.
2. Eating enough fiber in your teen years can decrease your breast cancer risk by 24%. How we eat throughout our lives has an impact on our risk of disease in the future. Making the right choices now will ensure a smooth transition through perimenopause, menopause and into a healthy, happy old age. This study suggests what young women consume during adolescence is an important factor in their long term health. I would go one step further and say our lifetime health begins to be mapped out while we are still in the womb. I know that soon there will be more research that points to this. Preparing for pregnancy, eating well during pregnancy, and supporting our daughters in establishing good dietary habits will go a long way to helping us roll back the progress of cancers in next generations. As women we are all part of this continuum; more and more research shows that how our mothers ate, and how we eat, will affect our daughters and their daughters.
3. Show your teenager what you do to keep your period healthy and hormones balanced. A 24% lower risk of breast cancer in these times is a big deal. If you have a teen daughter, niece, sister, or goddaughter start teaching them about the importance of nurturing their hormones and living in awareness of their cycles. Many teens are now put on the Pill, which destroys the microbiome, making fiber absorption difficult and hampering the benefits of increased fiber intake (and that’s just one side effect). The Flo Living protocol works just as well for curing teenager’s heavy periods, irregular periods or cramps as it does for adult women’s cycle issues.
4. Eliminate all sources of xenoestrogens to further reduce your risk. We all require fiber to successfully eliminate excess estrogen from our blood. We can gain this excess estrogen from many sources - including the syntethic estrogens that can be absorbed through cleaning products, cosmetics, shampoos, and plastics. It takes a conscious effort these days to avoid letting your body build up a toxic level of estrogen. The first step is to not load your body with more estrogen than it needs to begin with. The second is supporting your liver with your food choices so it can work to detoxify your blood. The third is eating fiber so those excess hormones can bind in your large intestine and be eliminated quickly (ie. you do not experience constipation, storing the hormones for longer than is beneficial and increasing your exposure to the risks of estrogen dominance). Fiber works like an internal Swiffer to clear out your large intestine. Aim to include 25 grams of fiber as part of your meals, per day.

Which brings me to telling you about the best sources of fiber that you should be eating every day to lower your risk of breast cancer. These 3 foods contain a good amount of fiber as well as the other vital vitamins and minerals - such as glutathione, B vitamins, and C vitamins - you need to help your liver process the excess estrogen so that it can be transported to the large intestine and then eliminated quickly. The research study shows that the best way to get cancer-preventing fiber is through fruits and vegetables, rather than grains and beans (although these are also an important part of a healthy diet). There are other foods with higher levels of fiber per serving, but these 3 are both fiber-rich and liver-supporting and therefore work as a double, or even triple, threat to hormone-related cancers. Pro tip - all of these can be part of a delicious smoothie!

1. Broccoli (approx 5 grams per cup, cooked) - this green also contains the phytochemicals sulphorophanes, indole-3-carbinol and D-glucarate which are critical liver detoxifiers.
2. Flax seeds (approx 4 grams per 2 tablespoons) - a great source of omega-3 fatty acids (which reduce the insulin resistance that can suppress liver function) and lignans (which bind to estrogen receptors and prevent absorption of excess estrogen), as well as fiber.
3. Pears (approx 5 grams per medium fruit) - pears, and apples, contain the flavonoid phloretin which impairs cancel cell growth, along with lots of fiber.

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

I want to hear from you!

First, do you have a family history of breast cancer?Second, do you suffer with PMS or the other estrogen related conditions mentioned?Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

If you’re dealing with a hormonal condition like PCOS, you’ve probably tried every health trend on the planet. Juicing, fasting, low-carb, , vegan diets — sound familiar?

Your instincts are spot on. When it comes to restoring hormonal balance, food IS medicine. But the truth is that many of today’s health food fads only make hormonal symptoms worse.  If you’re “eating healthy” but still experiencing symptoms of endocrine chaos, one of the culprits might be on your plate.

In the past few years, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) has been in the public eye like never before. Thanks to celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Daisy Ridley, women around the world who are coping with the condition finally feel less alone.

As a former PCOS sufferer, I couldn’t be happier to see PCOS making headlines. I experienced everything from agonizing acne and weight gain to sleeplessness, depression, and more. It was only after years of trial, error, and frustration that I was able to successfully reverse my hormonal imbalance with one powerful tool that’s too often overlooked in conventional medicine: Food.

Why Cutting Out Dairy and Sugar May Not Be Enough to Heal Your PCOS

If you’ve been diagnosed with PCOS, you’ve probably heard over and over about the dangers of sugar and dairy. And, it’s true: these two foods are unparalleled in their ability to wreak hormonal havoc (caffeine is another nutritional villain when it comes to hormones, so it’s best avoided, too).  

To get your period back, clear your acne, stop hair loss, and lose weight  you’re wise to keep sugar, dairy, and caffeine out of your diet. But you’ll also want to take a close look at the other foods and beverages that might be sabotaging your success.  

When you’re willing to dig deeper and root out the hidden “healthy” foods that undermine hormone balance, you’ll make leaps and bounds in easing symptoms.  

Some  “Healthy” Foods May Make Your  PCOS worse

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.

For women with PCOS, it’s important to know which “healthy” foods to avoid. If you’re hormonally-sensitive like I am, these foods—foods that can be healthy for others—have a stronger effect on you can make the symptoms you desperately want to be rid of even worse.

The 5 “Healthy” Foods You Have to Quit ASAP To Beat PCOS

So what are the 5 foods to avoid if you have PCOS? Allow me to play mythbuster and highlight the foods you probably never thought could have an impact on your ovaries:

1. Artificial sweeteners. The quest to give up sugar—and get off the blood-sugar roller coaster— is so important. In all the years I’ve worked with clients, I’ve rarely met a woman who is struggling with hormone issues who isn’t also struggling with blood sugar issues. But in the quest to ditch the sweet stuff, we often turn to sugar substitutes, which come with their own problems.

One cause for concern is the intensely sweet flavor of these synthetic substitutes. When we rely on them heavily, they can hijack of our taste buds and make more complex flavors, like those found in vegetables and low-glycemic fruits like berries, less appealing—and the fewer whole, real vegetables and low-glycemic fruits we eat, the more we deprive the liver of the phytonutrients it needs to function optimally. The liver processes and eliminates used hormones from the body; when it doesn’t get the phytonutrient support it needs, it struggles to eliminate estrogen and other hormones from the body, contributing to hormonal imbalance.

For some women, I include stevia in this category. It’s not artificial, but, in some traditional societies, folk wisdom holds that regular intake of stevia is a form of birth control. For women who aren’t hormonally-sensitive, small amounts of stevia probably won’t have a profound effect on their fertility or cycles. But for those of us who are hormonally-sensitive PCOS sufferers, it’s best to err on the side of caution and choose a different sweetener, especially if you’re currently heaping spoonfuls into your herbal teas throughout the day.

2. Red meat. Paleo diets have become as trendy as intense boot camp classes (exercise is a whole other important part of the equation...) in recent years. And all too often, women with PCOS are advised to eat like cavemen, subsisting mostly on lots and lots of protein-packed meat to lose weight and counteract the damaging effects of sugar. But here’s the deal: In my experience, if you have PCOS, following a Paleo diet will not bring about weight loss and it certainly won’t bring back your period.  A high protein diet causes a decrease in the production of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which is vital to reducing testosterone levels — something that’s critical in PCOS recovery.

Plus, many women with PCOS have a specific genetic problem known as the methyl-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene mutation. Eating Paleo when you have the MTHFR gene mutation can create too much of an amino acid called homocysteine, which can cause an increase in PCOS symptoms.

Upping meat intake is also often coupled with decreasing carbohydrates and this is a real issue for PCOS sufferers. Recent research suggests that PCOS may be connected to autoimmune thyroid disease (poor thyroid function) and your thyroid needs the glucose from good carbohydrates (like quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat rather than glutento function optimally.

3. Raw kale. When eaten raw, all cruciferous vegetables contain substances called goitrogens that suppress thyroid function (or cause hypothyroidism) which contributes to PCOS. As a rule of thumb, it’s always a good idea to cook kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, bok choy and cabbage before eating. One easy way technique is to saute them in a pan with a little coconut oil.Don’t worry about celery, romaine lettuce, beet leaves, and chard — you can eat those in their raw form to your heart’s content;they don’t contain this goitrogen chemical.

4. Soy. It’s pretty common for women to swap in soy for dairy when they ditch milk, but this exchange isn’t a good one. Soy isn’t your ally if you have PCOS because it contains "phyto" or plant estrogen that acts like estrogen in the body—and eating too much of it confuses your body into thinking it has enough of the real deal in supply. This sends a signal your endocrine system to slow down estrogen production, subsequently slowing the production of luteinizing hormone (LH), and effectively shutting down ovulation.

5. Cooking oils like canola, sunflower, and vegetable oils (and synthetic spreads, like margarine). Unhealthy fats are bad news for hormonal harmony. For one, eating too many unhealthy fats crowds out our consumption of healthy fats, which are important for maintaining healthy levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Cholesterol is a precursor to all the body’s steroid hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and FSH. Simply put, and contrary to media reports about cholesterol in recent decades, we need cholesterol to make some of our most important hormones.

Vegetable oils and other cooking oils, like sunflower oil, are high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids. We need to consume both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids through diet (the body can’t produce them and we need them to live), but the problem is that the Western diet is flooded with omega-6 fatty acids—and tragically short on omega-3 fatty acids. When omega-6s are disproportionately high in the body relative to omega-3s, its a recipe for inflammation, which is the archenemy of hormonal health and overall health.

Canola oil presents its own set of problems. It’s higher in omega-6s than omega-3s, like other vegetable oils (though not by as high a margin), but the real causes for concern with canola are GMOs and toxic processing. The vast majority of the plants from which canola oil is harvested are genetically modified—and the oil is extracted by heating and crushing the plant seeds and then mixing them with hexane. In addition to being classified as a neurotoxin by the CDC , hexane and other organic solvents like it, drive up inflammation and interfere with endocrine health. .

Non-food bonus tip for hormonal balance!

BONUS:  Ditch staying up late to binge your favorite TV show or finish a work project. Food isn’t the only thing that affects hormones. Regularly skimping on sleep is a sure-fire way to throw blood sugar off balance, put your adrenal system into overdrive, and send a whole bunch of suboptimal signals to your endocrine system. Prioritize good sleep the way you do healthy eating, and your hormones will thank you.

to your FLO,

Alisa

Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, do you have PCOS?

Second, have you tried giving up sugar and dairy?

Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

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

Last month ACOG (the American Committee of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) published a report recommending that teenage girls, their parents, and their clinicians consider the menstrual cycle as the “fifth vital sign” of health. In this landmark announcement, this group of women’s health experts suggested that teens keep track of their periods and develop cycle awareness to help clinicians with early diagnosis of reproductive health issues like PCOS, thyroid disease, and endometriosis, which can be indicated by abnormally long cycles, excessive bleeding, or lack of periods entirely. The report includes guidelines on what should be considered outside the normal range when it comes to a teen’s cycle experience - from the onset of periods, to cycle length, to duration of the flow.The ACOG report states: “By including an evaluation of the menstrual cycle as an additional vital sign, clinicians reinforce its importance in assessing overall health status for patients and caretakers. Just as abnormal blood pressure, heart rate, or respiratory rate may be key to diagnosing potentially serious health conditions, identification of abnormal menstrual patterns in adolescence may improve early identification of potential health concerns for adulthood.”HALLELUIAH!! I would have loved THAT to have been part of my conversation as a teenager with all my period issues! I’ve long known the menstrual cycle to be a signifier of our health (you can read my own guidelines on what it means to have a “normal” period here), but I also know the menstrual cycle is the key to developing and nurturing our health.

How to help the teen in your life

If you are the mother, aunt, sister, or godmother of a teenage girl, this report contains crucial information that I believe ought to be conveyed with the same importance as instructions on how to use a tampon or pad. Most of us are comfortable now with sharing the latter with teens - gone are the days when teens would be shocked and horrified by the arrival of their first period, I hope - but all of us adult women, we need to support the younger generation now beyond the practicalities. A great book to help start a teen on this journey is “Cycle Savvy” by Toni Weschler (who wrote the comprehensive cycle knowledge bible “Taking Charge of Your Fertility”). Of course, it’s a little like what they tell you in the airplane safety schpeel - “help yourself before you help others.” Or - lead by example! If you’re living in your Flo and reaping the benefits then you are better equipped to support young women in learning, appreciating, and understanding their menstrual cycles. From this position you can give the gift of hormonal imbalance to others. As the mother of a daughter, I am thrilled that this report was created by ACOG. Although I know that, when the time comes, I will teach my daughter the art of cycle tracking, cycle awareness, and cycle syncing, I am happy that now a certain standard of care when it comes to young women’s reproductive health will become the expected practice. I am glad that we are finally seeing the period as indicator of our overall health and well-being, rather than just something to be suffered through, ignored, or hidden away. That said, there’s one thing missing from this otherwise encouraging report that concerns me, and that’s how these reproductive health issues will be treated, once they are diagnosed.

When the Pill is the problem

Early diagnosis is an important step forward in how we care for women’s health. However, if the primary or only treatment offered to teen girls is the birth control pill or hormone-based IUD, then we are missing out on a huge opportunity to truly help our young women. If the teen in your life is dealing with reproductive health issues like those mentioned in the report, then consulting a doctor is an important part of getting her back on track. However, we must always question the prescription of hormonal birth control as it never treats the health issue, but only masks the symptoms. Once your teen decides to come off, and this might be years down the line, she will discover the health issue will return and possibly be worse than before. If the teen in your life is dealing with very common problems like acne or PMS then the Pill is not the answer there either. Again, it will only mask these issues, not solve them. Although it can be very tempting to reach for these drugs to put a stop to the problem, it’s important to know that doing so can set a young women up for a lifetime of side effects (such as depression, low libido, anxiety, hair loss, cancer risk, and even life-threatening blood clots) and suppressed functioning of her endocrine, metabolic, and immune systems. It really can have a serious domino effect for her health.

Finding your Flo as a young woman

The source of hormonal imbalance issues in teen girls is mainly diet, exposure to synthetic estrogens in everything from cosmetics to shampoos, and stress. While some cycle irregularity is normal during teenage years (your reproductive system does take a few years to mature) we should not be seeing the symptoms to the extent that we are in new generations. Teaching teens to be conscious of their cycles AND teaching them to live in harmony with their hormones will go a long way to saving them much suffering. Although this is not an area I detail extensively in my book “WomanCode,” teen girls can absolutely follow the exact same Flo Living diet and lifestyle plan outlined there from the time they begin cycling. As I recommend for all women, start simply by layering foods in a cycle-synced pattern and build from there. What if a girl’s first period were not only met with a care package of tampons and pads, but also a copy of “Cycle Savvy” and “WomanCode”? If you’re reading this thinking of the teen daughter who is possibly in your future, it’s good to know that the gift of hormonal balance can be given when she’s still in the womb. Prepping yourself for a healthy pregnancy will be one of the best things you can do for your daughter. But, if you’ve come to Flo Living already with a pre-teen or teen in the family, then know that it’s never too late to start living in and loving your Flo. Share your journey with her, she’ll surely thank you for it. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, have you shared Flo Living with your family? Second, what do you wish you knew as a teenager? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

Scientists have discovered a hormone, residing in the liver, that is responsible for controlling your sugar cravings. Go science! The hormone has the delightful name of FGF21 or fibroblast growth factor 21 and sends signals to the brain to suppress hankerings for the sweet stuff. Research has shown that administering this hormone (to monkeys and mice) has the effect of stopping a desire for anything sugary. In fact, the animals responded by reducing their intake of sugar by an impressive 7 fold. Essentially this hormone tells your body when you’ve had enough sugar and don’t need any more. We’ve known for a while that hormones have control over appetite but ‍

FGF21 is specifically safeguarding our appetite for sugar.The new findings have caused scientists to consider the possibility of creating a drug that mimics the hormone’s effect on the body - thereby assisting the diabetic and obese in regaining their health. But what should you take away from this latest research?  Well, it’s going to be a long time before that drug is created and comes to market. Not only that, but it’s my belief that for most women there is an easier, simpler and more healthful way of curing your sugar cravings and it’s something you can start on today.

Curbing your sweet tooth with food

If you want this liver-based hormone FGF21 to work for you and suppress those sugar cravings then you need to develop excellent liver function. A humming liver is going to support the work of FGF21 and naturally increase your ability to satisfy your sugar gremlins with just a healthy couple of dates or some honey in your tea. No more being overwhelmed to binge on cookies! To get to this place you need to be using food on the daily to control your blood sugar levels so that your liver can function at its best. You know, it’s actually totally normal to have some sugar cravings. Glucose is your brain’s only source of fuel so you actually need a form of the sweet stuff to keep the cogs turning. However, at the root of all hormonal imbalance issues you will find poorly regulated blood sugar. Most women I meet through Flo Living are experiencing the dramatic peaks and troughs of blood sugar mismanagement. Solving this issue is the starting point for living in your Flo. Blood sugar mismanagement means the sugar gremlins become sugar bullies and push you to seek out too much sweet stuff to keep your energy levels high and prevent crashing out. The liver and pancreas function to regulate our blood sugar levels and eliminate excess hormones and toxins. I’ve been preaching this for years. Therefore - smooth, controlled blood sugar stasis allows your liver to complete its other necessary duties, including processing excess estrogen so that you can avoid one of the main causes of many hormonal balance issues and other female diseases - estrogen dominance. If your liver and pancreas are too busy figuring out your blood sugar issues, then they won’t ever be able to concentrate their efforts on getting rid of all of the synthetic estrogens we absorb every day in the form of plastics, cleaners, beauty products and more, which lead to health problems like endometriosis, PCOS, acne, cramps, infertility, and PMS. Improving your blood sugar stasis and liver function will support the amazing FGF21 hormone in doing its important work.

My 5 step plan to make more FGF21 and beat your sugar cravings

The key to curing your sugar cravings is food. Let food be thy medicine here. You don’t need to wait for the FGF21-inspired drug (with who-knows-what side effects…)  You can use food to make more of this hormone today and fix your burning desire for the sweet stuff.

1. Eat the Right Sugar on Purpose. Even if you have stabilized blood sugar, you’re going to crave sweetness at some time or another. Not all sugars are created equal, but in the end anything that tastes sweet will have an impact on your blood sugar. You need to get smart about how you satisfy your sugar gremlins and not let them become bad-for-you sugar bullies. I have several go-to recipes for sweet treats that I turn to when I’m feeling the need. As a rule, honey and coconut nectar are my two favorite sweeteners, as, for me, they have the lowest impact on my blood sugar levels.
2. Time Your Breakfast Right. You need to eat breakfast within 90 minutes of waking up. Choose a good-size, protein rich breakfast with eggs and smoked salmon. Research has shown a big breakfast prevents hormonal imbalance issues like PCOS and infertility, as well as protecting you from developing type-2 diabetes.
3. Supersize your lunch. Your biggest meal of the day should be lunch. Incorporate a complex carb like black beans, a source of good fat like avocado and sunflower seeds and a generous helping of glutathione-heavy vegetables like carrots, broccoli, spinach or asparagus, drizzled with olive oil. Glutathione is an antioxidant that detoxifies the liver.
4. Make a Liver Lover Smoothie. Detoxing your liver doesn’t involve deprivation, in fact I want you to add a delicious smoothie to your weekly meal plan. Cilantro contains a property called linalool that helps to cleanse the liver. I have perfected a smoothie recipe that brings in cilantro plus glutathione heavy mango and apple. Blend: ½ cup mango, ½ a green apple, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple, 1/2 cup coconut water and 1 cup of cilantro.
5. Avoid Hidden Sugar. There are many hidden sugars that you might be missing, especially when it comes to picking out any packaged or supposed “health foods.” New dietary guidelines encourage limiting sugar intake of any kind to just 10% of your daily calories. Although I don’t agree with all of the new recommendations, I believe they’re spot-on with this one, but we need to be even more careful than that. 200 calories from sugar per day is a lot - more than one 12 ounce can of soda. We really should be avoiding white sugar completely. Be aware of where sugars hide - it can be  in unexpected places, like fruit-based smoothies that don’t incorporate the fruits’ fibre, which are often as bad for you sugar-wise as eating a brownie! The sugar industry has given the white stuff a lot of new names to try and baffle us into consuming more than we should. Check out the documentary Fed Up, it’s a real eye-opener.

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

It’s the start of a new year and everywhere you look - TV adverts, billboards, magazines, new books, social media - it’s a fat-busting frenzy. Diets, old and new, are trying to draw you in with promises of fast weight loss. However, a myriad of research reveals that the majority of dieters (we’re talking over 90%) will inevitably put all of the pounds they lose back on and then some extra too. That’s not to say that you should feel depressed or defeated by this news. The motivation to lose weight, feel good, and take charge of your health is a good one and deserves to be congratulated. You’re feeling fired up to tackle your goals afresh, and that’s great news. Go you! I just don’t want to see you seduced by the kind of diets that don’t concern themselves with your longterm health and well-being. I want to be the voice of reason here, for a minute, and let you know that the fad diets you’ll be hearing about this month are not good for women’s hormonal needs and they simply don’t offer lasting weight loss.

The problem with dieting

Most diets involve either cutting out or cutting down dramatically on major food groups and restricting calories while simultaneously undertaking a rigorous exercise regime. The thing is that both of these strategies are highly problematic for your health, very difficult to sustain, and terrible for your hormones! Common diets like Paleo, Raw, even Macrobiotic can make hormonal health issues like PCOS, PMS, infertility, endometriosis, cramps and heavy bleeding become much, much worse. I’ve lost 60 lbs myself not just once, but twice in my life - the first time in my early 20s and the second time after giving birth to my baby daughter. So, I’m not coming out as the voice of reason here without the practical skills and experience to back it up! Believe me ladies, I’ve been there! What your body wants and needs desperately is homeostasis, not deprivation. Your body craves balance and hates extremes. This means any diet that involves cutting down and cutting out or wildly fluctuating eating patterns is only going to cause your body stress - the kind sourced in your blood sugar stability and your adrenals - that will actually make your body hold on to fat for dear life, and then start signaling health breakdown with all kinds of symptoms.

The diets that don’t work for women

Here’s a look at the kind of diets I know you’re hearing a whole lot about this month. None of these diets address female biology (most of them are even designed only with male biology in mind). All of them concentrate on a simple equation of calories in versus calories out, which, as research shows, is not sustainable for most people longterm (ie. the pounds will inevitably come piling back on). Paleo Diet - a high animal fat diet is the worst possible choice of estrogen-dominance based hormonal health issues like endometriosis. Bacon is just not good for your ovaries. Sorry! Yes, we need fat and protein, but too much and the wrong kind is hard for the body to breakdown in all of the places where estrogen is peaking. Women do need to eat fat to lose fat, but animal fats are not the way to go to achieve this. A study from Harvard researchers showed that women were 39% more likely to experience cycles without ovulation (a cause of estrogen dominance, as the body is not producing enough balancing progesterone) if they ate a lot of animal protein. However, the women who had the highest intake of plant protein were much less likely to experience a lack of ovulation (and therefore estrogen dominance issues), than those women who hardly ate any plant proteins.Ketogenic Diet – a high in protein, lower fat, no carbs diet again. While there is a lot of great research on the benefits of fasting on long term health, when you’re in the midst of a hormonal condition, this is a really tough road to go down. Having tried this out myself as an experiment I can say that although this might feel great at first, partly because you feel like you’re doing the perfect ‘proper’ diet plan, when your hormones shift mid cycle it is near-impossible to fight your impending carb cravings. You will fall off the wagon and carb-loading ensues. Any diet that is very low in omega 3 fats can also increase period cramps and heavy bleeding at the end of your cycle. While we certainly want to avoid carbs like sugar and wheat, we can choose to eat small amounts of soaked and properly prepared whole grains like quinoa, buckwheat and brown rice, which are important to our hormonal balance if we struggle with blood sugar stability (most women do) or adrenal fatigue (also very common). Vegan/Macrobiotic Diet – this diet is high in grains, higher in soy protein, with moderate fats. If you choose to be vegan for ethical reasons, I totally get that. However, you will want to do an excellent job of cooking your food and having enough soaked grains and legumes to get adequate absorbable protein, as well as supplementing for amino acids. This is a great diet for cleaning up house internally – decreasing inflammation all around. But the glycemic impact and lack of amino acids can be problematic for hormonal conditions. We need the amino acids from protein to make our hormones. Too many processed grains can create a lot of gut dysbiosis and can decrease absorption of all the key nutrients that are required for hormonal balance. And of course, if you’re insulin resistant, have PCOS, this diet can make your symptoms worse.Master cleanse/Juice cleanse based Diets - a diet that requires an extreme calorie restriction is going to cause major issues for your blood sugar stability. If your blood sugar is peaking and troughing like crazy your body is not converting sugars properly (and remember many juice cleanses are fruit sugar-heavy). Juice that you buy or make at home with a regular juicer often separate out and remove the fiber of the fruit and vegetables (which is needed for your body to better process the fruit sugars) and as such what you’re drinking, if it’s a fruit heavy juice, is just pure sugar and looks no different to your body than a glass of Coca Cola. When fasting like this, your body has none of the nourishment it really needs - protein, good fats - to make hormones or breakdown hormones. You might lose weight, but then it will come back and that fluctuation will cause your body stress and create an inflammatory response. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy a good green juice, I do! I just sync how and when I juice to my body’s needs and I never only drink juice.

So, are you ready to ditch the diets?

I have been where you are. I’ve tried all the diets and nothing worked. Once I gave up the fads and started following my hormonal patterns and feeding them what they need, everything started working. I’ve lost a lot of weight twice, and in a very short period of time. I’ve done this by following my Flo Living protocol and I have helped many other women do the same. The Flo Living lifestyle is really the only eating plan that works for women long term - it takes the weight off and keeps it off, while not compromising your health, your mood, or your overall well-being. ALL of these diets I’ve mentioned above cause out of control hormones and erratic blood sugar levels that come from their more extreme eating patterns - they rob your body and brain of the micronutrients that they need to create balanced appetite control-neurotransmitters and balanced metabolism-boosting hormone levels. Flo Living supports appetite control and boosts your metabolism, because it increases essential micronutrients and balances your hormones.But more than all of this, these diets don’t feel pleasurable. They don’t put you into a positive relationship with your body where you are eating, listening, and responding to how your body reacts to what you’re putting in. These diets are not based on your unique female biochemistry, they’re based on experiments that don’t take into account the effects on mood, energy, and appetite throughout the menstrual cycle. Ultimately, these diets are hard to stick with and they end up making you feel bad about your willpower and about your body. Enough is enough! The solution you’re looking for is eating the foods your body needs for each phase of your menstrual/hormone cycle. This way you can optimize the levels of nutrients your body wants to balance the vital hormones that keep your metabolism working efficiently. You will, in fact, be revving your metabolism to keep you slim. When you eat in sync with your hormones, you will feel satisfied, less tempted by foods you should avoid, and happy to continue this “diet” (or lifestyle shift) for years to come. You want to lose weight, feel great and take charge of your health, right? Flo Living is the only diet created for women, created for you.Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, have you tried any of the mentioned diets? Second, are you hoping to lose weight this year? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

It makes me so happy to look back and think of all the women I’ve helped to heal their hormonal issues. I’m so proud of each and every one of them! All the women who have fixed their periods, got pregnant and became mothers, got their energy back, their happiness back, their sex drive back, transformed their relationship with their bodies, lost the weight, cleared their skin, embraced pleasure, gained self-confidence, and changed their lives for the better - they inspire me everyday to keep spreading the wisdom of living in your Flo.

Stephanie Morish is a Certified Holistic Health Coach and Nutrition Consultant. Her health issues of PCOS, acne, amenorrhea and more actually inspired her to study holistic health nutrition. However, despite leading a healthy lifestyle steeped in this education about the right ways to eat, exercise and live, Stephanie found herself unable to escape her hormonal health problems.

She had come off the birth control pill over two years previously and not experienced a period ever since! Stephanie knew she must be missing something in her studies, and that’s when she discovered Flo Living.

I want you to hear her story -

‍

‍How did you discover the Flo Living program?

‍As a health coach and holistic nutritionist, I felt like I was doing everything “right” in terms of eating healthy, exercising regularly, prioritizing sleep, etc. but there was definitely some puzzle pieces missing for my hormonal health. Before signing up for the Flo Living Hormonal Sync System program last April, I had subscribed to Alisa’s newsletter and received her content-rich blog posts weekly. The more I read, the more I realized that I needed the knowledge, support, guidance and community that Flo Living offers. ‍

What issues were you facing at that time and how long had you been dealing with them?

‍At the time, I was dealing with amenorrhea, PCOS, bloating, and acne (small bumps, not cystic). I got off birth control pills when I was 24 and didn’t have a period for 2.5 years until I found Flo Living. As soon as I started the Flo Living program, so many lightbulbs went on in regards to how I was neglecting crucial steps in balancing my hormones - namely managing my blood sugar, incorporating self care/pleasure, stress management/nurturing adrenals, and most notably cycle syncing my life! I had never heard or read or studied anything about this principle of cycle syncing and I was absolutely blown away by how genius (and at the same time, how common sense) it was! Within about 4 months of following the program’s protocol, I had a period. Then I had another one, and another…

‍Prior to enrolling in the Flo Living program you were already health-conscious - after enrolling in the Flo Living program what was the biggest change you made to your diet or lifestyle?

As a holistic health coach I am definitely very health conscious. Flo Living taught me the importance of blood sugar balance for balancing my hormones. I’ve had blood sugar issues since I was little (getting “hangry” and shaky and foggy-headed) so I am much more educated now about how to manage my blood sugar. I started eating within 90 minutes of waking up, which was key for me! I used to just have a lemon water, then go workout and then eat breakfast after (sometimes 2.5 hours after waking up!). Flo Living also taught me about how crucial stress management is to the hormone equation. I now incorporate more pleasure into my week. I also stopped working out as long or hard as I think I was burning out my adrenals from too much exercise.Did you struggle with living in your Flo at first?Initially, I really struggled with eating within 90 minutes of waking up. I was so conditioned not to eat before working out that I didn’t feel hungry when I first woke and didn’t enjoy forcing myself to eat something early in the morning. A cup of bone broth is the perfect morning drink/pre-workout snack!

‍You were, prior to undertaking the Flo Living program, on medications for acne and cycle issues - what has been your journey with this? Did you struggle with living in your Flo at first?

‍Initially, I really struggled with eating within 90 minutes of waking up. I was so conditioned not to eat before working out that I didn’t feel hungry when I first woke and didn’t enjoy forcing myself to eat something early in the morning. A cup of bone broth is the perfect morning drink/ pre-workout snack!I was on long term antibiotics for acne when I was a teenager. When I went on birth control (around age 16), I stopped the antibiotics as the birth control helped with my skin. After coming off birth control, I had about a year when my skin was clear and then, all of a sudden, my skin broke out with lots of tiny little (skin-colored) bumps - all over my cheeks and chin area. I couldn’t get rid of them to save my life! Then I started the program, living in my Flo, and taking some liver repair herbs, and my skin cleared up! Now, I don’t have any problems.

‍Would you encourage other women you know to try a Flo Living program?

‍Flo Living is an amazing resource for women! Alisa, and the other Flo counselors, are incredibly knowledgeable and supportive to women who are dealing with any hormone issues, from PMS to PCOS to infertility. Alisa’s book, “WomanCode,” and all the content she shares in her programs and on her website is GOLD. She has created a revolutionary protocol for healing endocrine problems and living your best life.

‍

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