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

I want to hear from you!

First, have you been affected by any of these issues in the hormone headlines? Second, what’s your take? Share your opinion with me in the comments and on social media. Third, you know every one you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social by clicking the buttons below

Need more Hormone Help?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A pill for every ill

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

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

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

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The 5 best supplements to boost your sexual health

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

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1. Rev your Energy Fast with Rhodiola

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

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

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2. Look and Feel your Sexiest Self with Zinc

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

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

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3. Have Bigger Orgasms with Evening Primrose Oil

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

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

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4. Get Back in the Mood with Magnesium

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

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

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

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

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

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Can these supplements help with men's libido? 

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

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

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What to remove to help your sex drive

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

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

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

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

Steps to take Now to Protect your Fertility

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

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

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

3 Hidden Fertility Dangers

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

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

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

Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First: Are you concerned about your fertility? Are you thinking about doing things differently now to protect your fertility in the future?Second: Share your #fertileFlo experiments - what are you going to try from my recommendations? What’s your favorite hummus recipe? Did you like my sardine snack? Third: You know every one you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social by clicking the buttons below

Are You Trying to Conceive?

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

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

Natural testosterone therapy

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

I want to hear from you!

First: Do you suspect you have some of the symptoms of testosterone levels? Which ones do you have?Second: What are you going to try to boost your testosterone from the natural #FLO-T Fixes?Third: You know every one you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social by clicking the buttons below

Need more Hormone Help?

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

PLUS Alisa shares her favorite beauty product picks!

Balanced hormones are the ultimate beauty secret.For years I suffered with painful cystic acne and eczema and I came to learn that no amount of wonder potions and lotions would help. My problem wasn’t only skin-deep, I had to get down to the root cause and heal myself from the inside out.The state of your hormonal health is intricately linked to how you look. When you’re at optimum health, and so optimum fertility, your beauty gets a big boost.Let me share some fun, and surprising, facts with you:1) Women who are at their fertile peak are seen as having more attractive facial features. A woman’s face is in fact more symmetrical when she is ovulating.2) During peak fertility a woman’s lips and cheeks become naturally colored with blusher-like pink as blood flow ups under the skin.3) Due on subtle changes to a woman’s scent and voice, men are more attracted to women with fertile cycles.Fascinating, right? Seems like there’s lots of us who’ve been looking for beautification in all the wrong places.Tweetable: Beautiful Skin comes from Balanced Hormones #FlobeautySo, how to get these natural benefits of balanced hormonal health that your body so wants to give? How can you become this sexy cycler with super-hot window of major attractiveness every month?

With Flo Living’s 5 Step Countdown to Boosting Your Beauty in just 5 Days!

Follow these steps to get glowing skin, glossy hair and revved-up hormones.Your skin is your largest elimination organ. When your liver isn’t breaking down the toxins as it should, this is where they show up as acne, eczema, rosacea and too oily or too dry skin. Not to mention dull, lifeless or greasy hair.The key to beautiful skin and hair doesn’t come in a bottle. It is, on a fundamental level, improved liver detoxification.Here’s how to make this happen.Think about all those lotions and potions and how long they take to (not) work, according to the ads. This 5 Step Countdown is going to give you real and fast results in less than a week.Step One: Wake up and drink one liter of filtered water and add in an Emergen-C Electro Mix, or, if you prefer, the equivalent in coconut water.Step Two: Make yourself my Skin Detox Juice: 2 T cilantro, 1 green apple, 4 stalks celery, 2 strawberries and a little squeeze of lemon juice.Step Three: Buy yourself a nice, organic salt scrub or make your own with kosher salt, olive or coconut oil, and your favorite essential oils. You’re looking to both exfoliate and moisturize to help your skin balance itself out and decongest.Step Four: Start taking a good Calcium D-Glucarate supplement daily. This is the strongest support for liver detoxification that works especially well for those with estrogen dominance (a common cause of the most common hormonal acne – found on the chin and jawline).Step Five: Cleanse your beauty cabinet and cosmetics bag. Throw out anything containing endocrine-disrupting phthalates (look for the acronyms DBP, DEHP); sodium lauryl sulfates and ether sulfates (SLS and SLES); parabens (including methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl); anolamines (DEA, TEA, MEA), and petrolatum or petroleum jelly.Was that your whole beauty stash gone? Eek! Not to worry. I want to share with you my personal favorite beauty product picks.

Alisa’s Beauty Picks

FaceDaily: I only use aloe vera gel on my face to moisturize, in the morning. It’s a natural exfoliator, an anti-inflammatory, and it keeps moisture sealed into your skin. I have sensitive skin so this works for me, but if you have dryness issues try the Raw Coconut Cream from RMS Beauty.Alba Botanica has a wonderful daily detox foam cleanser in its Good & Clean line.Weekly: Naturopathica has two face masks that I love - the Pumpkin Purifying Enzyme Peel and the Sweet Cherry Brightening Enzyme Peel. They are so clean and fresh you could literally eat them!Cosmetics: I recommend Jane Iredale if you’re prone to oily skin as it’s mineral based or RMS Beauty’s range if you have normal or dry skin as it’s all coconut oil based and so moisturizing you won’t even need to add in another product to your beauty regime.HairI use an aloe-based hair shampoo like Shikai Everyday Shampoo twice a week. I have very curly hair so less washing is right for my hair type. However, if you have straight hair you might need to wash more frequently.If you have oily scalp, don’t reach for those harsh drying shampoos! Instead, take some Arm & Hammer baking soda and rub it into your wet hair on your scalp before shampooing in the shower. You will have the squeakiest clean scalp ever!Dandruff is just another sign that your liver is failing to process toxins, so don’t be tempted to use a harsh chemical shampoo to resolve this as it will only give your liver more toxins to deal with. Try an apple cider vinegar rinse before you shampoo instead (before you shampoo, so you don’t smell like a salad later!).Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First: Have you struggled with acne? Did our 5 Day Countdown help?Second: Share your #Flobeauty experience - follow the steps and let us know how you feel.Third: You know every one you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social by clicking the buttons below :)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The best way to tackle this transition

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

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

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

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

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

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

Step three: Make more of your own hormones!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Emily’s Story

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

Inspired by Emily's Story?

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

Ready to Dive In Deeper and Take Back Your Health?

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

Ever since I started the period club in the 6th grade, I have been fascinated with everything that goes on with my body every month. I want to know every nook and cranny of how my hormones work, what my period means, and what to eat, so that I can look and feel my best!

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Menstruation is an overlooked, underutilized vital sign and just like blood pressure can tell us much about the state of our health. When your period goes missing, you know that something is amiss, but there are also many other, less obvious indicators we can observe that will give us useful information about our overall health. I’m so passionate about periods, I  made TV - menstrual history by speaking about the importance of our periods on the Dr Oz show last year.

The appearance of your menstrual blood and the duration of your period can reveal a hormonal imbalance that will lead to other health issues. It’s possible to heal all hormonal imbalances and their resulting symptoms by addressing diet and lifestyle.Here we help you decode this important vital sign and start working towards a healthier menstrual cycle.For a visual on each of the below possibilities check out the link to the Dr Oz show and my demonstrations.

What's normal?

The ideal cycle is 5-7 days, starts and ends with a bright happy cranberry color and is the consistency of jello mix that hasn’t set yet (medium viscosity, not too thin, not too thick) and occurs every 28-30 days. There are many dietary and lifestyle reasons why this cycle gets thrown off for us women.  Sometimes is a one or two month situation, and sometimes cycle issues can last years.I want you to observe your cycle every month as a barometer of how well your diet and lifestyle are supporting your hormones.  If your cycle isn’t as I described above then you’ve got to immediately make diet changes to get your cycle back to a healthy flow.Here’s a guide for you to use for interpreting the color of your cycle every month and my favorite FLO fixes for each to bring you quickly back to good.Interpreting Your Period If you have:

‍Brown, spotty stains to start

‍Has your period started?  What is that brown stuff exactly?  Should you count this day as day one?That brown stuff is old oxidized blood that didn’t make it out of your uterus last cycle.  This is caused by low levels of progesterone.  Low progesterone is the trigger for many period-related problems.  You may also struggle to ovulate regularly in addition to having the odd coloration and you may also develop irregular cycles, or PCOS.

‍The FLO fix:

‍The herb vitex is a great treatment for this issue as it helps the pituitary gland make more Luteinizing hormone indirectly supporting your progesterone production.Eating eggs with the yolk contains progesterone precursors.Taking extra B6 will get those levels up and help your period start the cranberry red color you’re meant to see on day one.

‍Heavy Bleeding with Clots

‍Are you changing your pad or tampon once an hour?  Do you have special sheets for that time of the month?  Do you have large clots that are dark purple in color?Specifically, you have elevated estrogen levels.  Estrogen builds the lining of your uterus.  If you’re eating a diet that prevents your liver from breaking down this hormone, it can build up and wreak havoc on your cycle. In addition to the heavy bleeding and clots, you may also struggle with endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cysts, or polyps.

‍The FLO fix:

‍Milk thistle is an herb that helps detoxify the liver and helps even out estrogen.Learning uterine massage technique via an experienced practitioner will help uterine congestion and lessen clotting.Increasing the amount of water you drink and eating more leafy greens like collards and kale will assist the estrogen detox process.Take liquid chlorophyll to boost iron in your blood and deal with the anemia that typically develops from chronic heavy bleeding.

‍Very short periods, very light bleeding, skipped periods

‍Is it coming?  Spotting for several days?A short period (less than 3 days in length) and only light bleeding can indicate low estrogen levels. Your hormones are made from the food you eat, so your low estrogen is likely due to vitamin and nutrient deficiencies from improper and extreme dieting as well as from adrenal burnout.

The FLO fix:

‍Eat protein - hormones are made from amino acids - you can’t get your estrogen up if you can’t make enough of it from your food!Eat fat - especially omega 3s - which helps stabilize hormone production in the body.

‍Super short cycles (if you’re bleeding twice or more within a 28-36 day cycle)

‍Didn’t you just have your period like last week?  Does it seem like you are constantly starting your period? This can indicate a sluggish thyroid even though you might be within normal range on your blood work.

The FLO fix:

‍Try supplementing with Gaia Herbals Thyroid Support as a start. Make sure your salt contains iodine to support your thyroid.Eat sea veggies - thyroid happy food!

What about cramps?

Get to the root of your period imbalance and cramps go away. The catch is that the more you take pain relievers for cramps, the more they congest your liver, interfere with estrogen metabolism - well, you see it’s a vicious cycle. Start looking before you flush every month, make the necessary food changes, and try Oona Cramp Relief for a natural alternative to ibuprofen.

What about PMS?

Check out my post on foods to fight PMS here for more ideas and recipes.As always, go have a chat with your OBGYN!  They can provide the physical examination and blood work needed to diagnose you with a specific issue.  Check out my post on interpreting those test results for a step-by-step guide to this process here.

If something does come up, tell your OBGYN you want to take 3 to 6 months to try out an alternative route using food instead of medication like we do at FLO Living and use the guide above to make diet changes first.

Just be prepared to hear that the usual treatment offered will be either painkillers or hormonal birth control methods such as the birth control pill or hormone-based IUD. Hormonal birth control can relieve symptoms short term, but it masks the root causes of your period problems and can make them much worse long term, not to mention the effects on your fertility. The truth is that most period problems and hormonal imbalance symptoms can be healed long term with diet and lifestyle changes. Read more about my thoughts on this here.

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

Why do you have cramps?

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

Short-term solutions

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

Long term solutions

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

Now, we want to hear from you!

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

Need more Hormone Help?

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

PMS seems to be so prevalent that it’s become something of a joke, which has, in turn, made women the butt of that joke, despite the fact that for some of us it can be a source of real suffering, both physical and emotional.Many women have come to accept PMS as just part of life, an inevitability of being a woman, when in fact much can be done to combat the symptoms and relieve you of the burden entirely.PMS stands for pre-menstrual syndrome, but it does not necessarily occur right before your period. Symptoms of PMS can occur anytime between ovulation and menstruation, during the second part of your monthly cycle, and include bloating, irritability, headaches, mood swings, tiredness, and cravings. This time is known as the luteal phase of the cycle.Changing up some of what you eat and drink during this time will ease health issues and make the whole experience much more pleasant. You’re looking to increase your intake of B vitamins, magnesium, calcium and fiber. This will rebalance your hormone levels and make the luteal phase transition smooth and easy.If PMS is making you miserable, try out these changes for the next 3 months and see how much better you feel.You can make incorporating the following PMS-fighting foods into your everyday diet totally simple (like just changing up the ingredients of your morning smoothie or combining two food types to make a quick meal) or you can try your hand at these creative, delicious recipes we’ve sourced from around the web to inspire you.

Eat more PMS-fighting foods:

Roasted vegetables (particularly cauliflower, parsnip, pumpkin, squash and sweet potato)WalnutsNavy and great northern beansMilletMint and chlorellaCodDates and raisins

Recipes we recommend that make the most of these foods:

Pumpkin and millet porridgeRoasted cauliflower and walnut saladSweet potato crusted codDate and mint chutneyParsnip and date saladSquash and white bean soup

I want to hear from you!

Share your own recipes that combine these PMS-fighting foods with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest by posting pics and tagging #fightpmswthfoodDon’t forget that recipes like these are only one part of an entire system designed to help you eat in sync with your cycle all month long!

Need more Hormone Help?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Your visit to the OBGYN:

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

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Assessing the results:

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

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

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

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What next?

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

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And then:

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

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

If you’re dealing with period problems like PMS, PCOS, fibroids, cysts, heavy bleeding, infertility, low sex drive, and more, you’re actually more susceptible to weight issues.While this can sounds like a bummer, there’s also a big opportunity here for changing the game for yourself!When you understand these 2 key aspects behind why your hormonal imbalances are contributing to your weight issues, you’ll shift your mindset and learn how to shift the pattern!

#1 - The Scientific Reason:

At the root of all period problems, there’s an imbalance with estrogen. Most often, estrogen dominance is in play, meaning that your estrogen levels are way too high in comparison to progesterone. In addition to causing the period problems, high estrogen levels are connected to water retention and weight gain.Bottom line: You need to get your estrogen levels balanced in order to really be able to lose weight.

#2 - The Practical Reason:

Aside from all the hormonal implications occurring behind the scenes, let’s be honest -When your hormones are out of whack and your period is suffering, you are practically not able to implement any kind of weight-loss routine. You might start out with noble efforts in the beginning of your cycle, but once that second half of your cycle starts - the luteal, pre-menstrual phase - you are doomed to failure!If your period is symptomatic, you’re going to crave sweets and salty stuff and all the things you don’t want to be eating for weight loss. You’ll also be way too tired to work out, so any exercise efforts will fail.Bottom line: consistency is a big challenge when your hormones are not balanced. Address your period problems first, and the weight loss will come easily.

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!

Back in my early 20s, I was scheduled for a doctor’s check-up. As is usually the case I spent a few hours waiting to be called in. During that time my blood sugar dropped majorly - snack-packing failure! - and so by the time I got to see the doctor, I was in hysterics. Without blinking an eye, the doctor whipped out her prescription pad and asked me if I’d like to get on Prozac.You can imagine my reaction - jaw-drop…. “Absolutely not, thank you!” - because I know enough about blood sugar management and hormones to know that it wasn’t clinical depression that was causing my breakdown - it was food.I tell you this story today to introduce the extremely important topic of mood management and hormonal balance.Way too many women are being prescribed medications for symptoms that are actually not depression, but rather are hormonally-induced mood changes.If you’re wondering whether or not your symptoms call for medication or the more natural route of food therapy support, continue reading!

How Prozac and other SSRIs work

Plain and simply, SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), of which Prozac is one, help your brain take in more serotonin. Serotonin is one of the main neurotransmitters that makes you feel happy. So it seems like if your brain can take in more of it, you’ll be happier - right? Not exactly...Here’s the catch -If your body is not making enough serotonin in the first place, it doesn’t matter how much Prozac you’re taking because you’ll still have the same underlying problem.And guess what? 95% of the serotonin you have is produced in your GUT! This means that the food you’re eating has a MAJOR impact on how much you can make in the first place.If you don’t have a clinically diagnosed mental illness - which we’ll explain more about shortly - you don’t want to be on SSRIs. The side effects of these medications are so powerful that you’ll kill your sex drive, put on weight, and experience a range of other unpleasant side effects.For more on this topic and a timeline of medications and women, check out this article.

Signs you don’t need medication:

Here’s a list of signs from your body that indicate food and lifestyle therapies, like our WomanCode System, would be extremely beneficial and that you therefore most likely DO NOT need medication:

• Hypoglycemia - If your blood sugar is on a rollercoaster, much like my example from the doctor’s office above, it means you’re majorly messing with your brain chemistry which will lead to feeling blue or anxious.
• Cyclical fluctuations - It’s actually normal to feel differently throughout different times in your cycle. Women tend to be more social, outgoing, and positive in the 1st half of their cycle (i.e. the follicular and ovulatory phases) and more inwardly focused, sensitive, and easier to fatigue in the second half (the luteal/pre-menstrual and menstrual phase). You may have judgements about these mood shifts that can also compound the feeling that something is wrong with you. (It’s not. This is a normal brain chemistry change.)
• Moments of anxiety or high stress - If you experience what feels like a panic attack while executing normal daily functions, or if you function on high levels of stress or anxiety, you may or may not need medication. You definitely need to work on supporting your adrenal glands through your diet and lifestyle, either way! It’s likely you’re in stage 2 of adrenal fatigue here, which needs to be addressed naturally in order to heal.

Signs medication can help:

Here’s a list of signs and symptoms from your body and mind that indicate you most likely DO need medication:

• OCD-like behavior - Obsessive-Compulsive activities and thoughts that interfere with your quality of life.
• Clinical depression - When you can’t get out of bed in the morning, have no appetite, and it feels hard to do anything.
• Severe anxiety or panic attacks - Where you feel like you’re dying or having a heart attack. When it gets to the cardiovascular levels, it’s an indication you’ve reached the point where medical help is important. But as stated above, a lot can be done naturally to reverse the effects of stress and heal your adrenal glands.
• Other psychological diagnoses: Bipolar, Manic-depression, Borderline Personality Disorder

Please note that I’m not trying to diagnose or treat you here, but rather giving you points of reference to help assess your own symptoms. It’s important to see a doctor to help you determine what’s best for you, and if you go into your doctor’s office already well-informed, you’ll be so much better off :)

Medication is NOT the only option

Want to know what’s really going on with your hormones and learn how to take a drug-free approach?We’ve designed a quiz to help you understand exactly what’s out of whack and how you can start getting back to balance NOW.[gravityform id="1" name="Sign up here to get your quiz!" description="false"]

If you’ve been diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) or know someone who has, you might question why you don’t fit into every single one of the symptoms listed on Google.This is because PCOS is a condition that isn’t black or white, but rather it contains a spectrum of symptoms that you might experience at various levels of intensity. Which also indicates that conquering PCOS does not always occur with a one size fits all approach.In general there are 2 extreme types:

1. The classic kind shows up as obesity, hirsutism, amenorrhea, acne, and of course multiple tiny cysts on the ovaries from the lack of ovulation.
2. The thin kind shows up with no extreme weight issues or skin issues, but still amenorrhea and cysts on the ovaries.

Within those 2 extremes are various combinations and levels of severity with each symptom, as every woman��s body and hormones are unique.

What’s the real difference here?

The thin type of PCOS has better efficiency of insulin and glucose in the cells, which is why there are no extreme weight issues that show up, but there is still a miscommunication happening between the pituitary and the ovaries that blocks or delays ovulation. The classic type usually has little or no ability to get glucose into cells and can become insulin resistant. Since the act of ovulation is very sensitive to insulin levels and glucose levels, this can pose a problem for menstruation and fertility.

So does the same treatment work for both kinds?

In terms of classic medical treatment, the answer is no. We’ll talk more about the birth control pill and metformin in next week’s article.In terms of the natural nutritional and lifestyle protocol we use here at FLO, the answer is yes, but with some modifications for each type.What’s true across the board is that extreme diets like paleo or raw do not have a great effect on conquering PCOS, either kind. While women report some results, they don’t get the full remission that is possible with the right kind of diet.What is the right kind of diet? A hormonal and cyclical one! In both cases, you need to eat to support endocrine function - like blood sugar stability, adrenal performance, estrogen metabolism - all the things we take you through in the FLO protocol while simultaneously improving your exposure to the right micronutrients that create hormones, stabilize them, and keep them moving in the blood stream.To help you understand what does work for each extreme type, we’re going to illustrate with two examples: our very own Alisa and our FLO counselor Jessica.

Classic example: Alisa

As we mentioned earlier, Alisa experienced much of the classic symptoms of PCOS: extreme weight gain, acne all over, hirsutism, and very infrequent periods.Her body was having a difficult time managing insulin and glucose levels. Think of it like someone who keeps walking into a glass door but keeps hitting her head. This is what’s happening to glucose when it’s trying to get into the cell. The body releases more insulin to try and help, and those high levels of insulin prevent ovulation.Women with classic PCOS are often put on metformin for this reason, which can sometimes be a bridge until her diet and lifestyle are under control.If you’re on this extreme, here are 2 things you can start doing today:1. Eat cinnamon for blood sugar stability. Sprinkle it everywhere or take a supplement! Cinnamon has been proven to improve insulin and glucose management.2. Try walking for 5 minutes after every meal. Gentle movement after eating helps to mobilize the glucose you’ve just consumed and get it into your cells more efficiently. These short bouts of movement peppered throughout your day and after eating and be even more effective than only doing one chunk of exercise once per day!

Thin example: Jessica

When Jessica first came to FLO Living over 7 years ago, she had been on the birth control since age 18 and never got a natural period. During her teenage years she was a ballerina and was highly active as well as underweight at times, and definitely not eating a diet that was hormonally supportive. This lifestyle combined with genetic factors, caused ovulation to stop and a “string of pearls” of cysts to develop on her ovaries. Her doctor told her she would have to come back for IVF when she wanted to get pregnant since there was a big chance that she would be infertile.Before Jessica knew there was another option, she took the birth control pill to induce a period each month. Meanwhile she was feeling depressed, creatively blocked, and in the dark about her body. She had blood sugar issues, but not to the extreme of insulin resistance.What’s happening with this kind of PCOS is that the pituitary gland and the ovaries are not communicating well due to micronutrient deficiencies that support hormone creation and transport. Think of it like a phone call: The pituitary gland in the brain is trying to call the ovaries (via hormones in the bloodstream) but all the ovaries hear are static on the line because they are not getting the right signals.Women with this kind of PCOS are often put on the pill to induce a period each month, but really it’s just a band-aid solution to a much deeper problem that needs to be addressed.If you’re on this extreme, here are 2 things you can start doing today:1. Lay off extreme exercise. Excessive cardio is only going to zap your adrenal glands and put your whole system in stress mode which is counterintuitive for ovulation and restoring your pituitary gland’s proper function. Explore gentle forms of movement like yoga that can help balance your hormones and stress levels.2. Follow the moon. That might sound strange, but if you start observing the moon and it’s changing patterns throughout the month it can help your body relearn how to get into that cyclical mode. Sleep in complete dark all month long, except for the 3 days before, during, and after the full moon - the light you let in will simulate the moonlight. If you’re already following our protocol, you can also map out the cyclical eating plan to match the moon phases if you’re not menstruating regularly. (New Moon is equivalent to menstruation, Full Moon is equivalent to ovulation.)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

So you have PCOS and you want to get pregnant? You may have already googled the saddening statistics about infertility rates amongst women with PCOS. I myself was told that I would probably never conceive naturally, but here I am 5 months pregnant at 37 years old -- and it happened without any kind of fertility treatment, other than my diet and lifestyle! Now even though I got pregnant easily, I’d be lying if I said that the fear-based mentality around infertility didn’t cross my mind from time to time prior to conceiving. With all the common rhetoric that tells you how hard it is to get pregnant with PCOS, it’s hard to completely shake it off, even when you know what you’re doing. But being able to conceive at an age that is challenging for many women - with or without PCOS - is confirmation that living this lifestyle really does make a life-changing, life-giving difference. It was the best outcome I could’ve asked for from a terrible diagnosis. So what does this mean for you? If you’re trying to conceive and are having doubts or difficulties because of your PCOS, there’s actually a lot you can do and it would be my honor to help you get there. The surprising fact you should know is that PCOS gives you the blessing of naturally prolonged fertility. Why? Because you’re not ovulating regularly, you end up having more egg reserves for a longer period of time. What a relief - right? But this doesn’t solve all your problems. You still need to manage and address the underlying causes of your PCOS so that you can use that time wisely! This means you need to :

1. Get off the birth control pill or other hormonal contraceptives
2. Get your weight stable and get your blood sugar balanced
3. Restore regular ovulation
4. Do the right kind of exercise for your body type
5. Help your body efficiently eliminate estrogen and naturally raise progesterone levels

And I share all my best tools for exactly how to do this in my popular audio class, Conquering PCOS: My Secrets to Success! Stop wasting money on things that don’t work and join me in making PCOS a thing of the past :)

Are You Trying to Conceive?

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

Over the years, I’ve witnessed many women in a state of hormonal breakdown - when they are so incredibly frustrated with the symptoms that keep popping up and feel totally out of control of their physical selves.If you’re also in the midst of frustrating hormonal problems - PMS, PCOS, weight gain, acne, mood-swings, related to your cycle - then you might feel similar. You might be fed up. You might be telling yourself, “If only I could get control of my cycle and my body!”Here’s the thing - I have a problem with this word “control.”When it’s used in this context, very often what’s indicated is the absence of problems. Meaning, “If only I could make all these symptoms go away forever, I’d finally be in control of my body and not have to deal with it!”Can you relate?If you’re thinking that way, I feel your frustration, but I also want to open to your eyes to the fact that this definition of control is completely dysfunctional. It positions you as separate from your body, as if it were something that you could live without. True control of your body is not the absence of symptoms or not dealing with them - It’s actually the opposite.

If you want control of your cycle, you have to participate.My definition of control goes like this:Control = Understanding & PartnershipGetting control of your cycle and your body means taking the right steps to nourish your hormones so that they can do their job. First and foremost, you must understand how your body and hormones function, and then you can create a healthy partnership to keep them working properly.If this definition of control resonates with you and if you’re ready to create true understanding and partnership with your hormones, I invite you to check out my webinar, Secrets of Cycle Syncing: The 4 Part Blueprint.In this class, I teach you how to gain true “control” of your symptoms, improve your productivity, and have the relationships you dream of by accessing the success blueprint encoded in your monthly hormonal patterns.I will help you unlock “the power in your panties” by outlining the 4-part blueprint embedded in your monthly cycle and show you:

• the neuro-hormonal patterns of each phase and their effects on your mood, physical energy, and cravings
• how to strategically plan your work and social scheduling to best optimize your productivity during these phases
• how you can use all of this to get more done at work, lose weight, feel better and have rockin’ relationships

Can't wait to get started!Your partner in the process,Alisa

P.s. 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!

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If you’ve been diagnosed with PCOS and experiencing PCOS symptoms, chances are your doctor has also suggested you take some kind of pill. Metformin and the birth control pill are two of the most common medical treatments for PCOS, but - if you’ve been around us at FLO for awhile - you’ll know that medications like these are not really treatments at all, but rather band-aid solutions for a much deeper problem. We wanted to spend time with each of them today, so that you can make the best informed choices when it comes to treating your PCOS.Let us help you get to the root of the problem and avoid the potential side effects of these

Birth Control Pill

What it does: The hormones in the birth control mask your natural hormonal patterns to prevent ovulation from happening, and therefore prevent pregnancy. The period you experience on the pill is not an acutal period, but rather a “break-through bleed” that occurs from the drop in estrogen. So even though it might be regulating your cycle, once you get off the pill chances are your period will return to the same state is was before.Side effects: We’ve spoken about significant side effects of the pill before, but the one side effect most relevant to PCOS is that it increases testosterone uptake, which can make your androgenic symptoms worse. This means if you’re experiencing hirsutism (hair growth in unwanted places), head-hair loss, or acne, it could potentially get worse with the pill.Alternative solutions: Re-establish your monthly ovulation and menstruation through restoring key micronutrients and helping your body to eliminate excess estrogen or other hormones that could be impeding your natural flow. Addressing adrenal fatigue and thyroid issues is also key here. And the great news is - all of these can be achieved through your diet and lifestyle!

Metformin (Glucophage)

What it does: Metformin helps with blood sugar and insulin management by suppressing glucose production by the liver. It’s commonly used for diabetes and PCOS with insulin resistance.Side effects:In a recent study, metformin was found to cause an impairment mental cognition. It’s more commonly known to cause serious digestive issues like gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and more uncomfortable symptoms.Alternative solutions: Address your blood sugar balance through your diet and key supplements. The WomanCode System has an extensive lesson and instructions on balancing blood sugar through food, and in severe cases you can also supplement with a chromium picolinate supplement, as well as cinnamon.

Conclusion

Very often you’ll be told that the only thing you can do is take a pill, but I hope this article has opened your eyes to other possibilities and helped give you your power back when it comes to making informed decisions about treating your PCOS symptoms.There is no quick fix to treating PCOS. It is a systemic issues that needs to be managed through diet and lifestyle.

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 I’m talking with women about their fertility, one of the most common questions I get is this:

“I’m not ready to get pregnant now, but how do I know I’ll be able to in the future?”

If you’re in the same boat in your 20s or 30s - not exactly ready to put a bun in the oven but considering it for the future - then it’s time to get real about the signs your body is telling you now. Every woman should be able to get pregnant naturally when she’s ready, but in today’s hormone harming environment, we have more working against our fertility than ever before. If you find yourself, like so many other women, ignoring symptoms that might seem insignificant and even unrelated now, we here at FLO Living want you to be able to evaluate if these symptoms are early warning signs that your future fertility might be problematic. You must understand how they could affect you down the road, and you must not make the common mistake of waiting to address these symptoms/issues until you actually want to get pregnant. From our experience over the past 12 years - this is a recipe for fertility stress.Today I want to share with you 4 specific symptoms you might be experiencing that are indicators of potential compromised fertility. It’s not meant to frighten you, but rather to empower you with the information you need to start evaluating as soon as possible the action steps you need to take immediately to improve your fertility in the future. (And if you’re actively trying and feel you’re out of time, we’ll have more tips for you in the coming weeks!)

So here are 4 signs your fertility is compromised:

1. PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome) - Experiencing monthly mood-swings, cramps, headaches, and more before your period are signs of PMS. This indicates that there is something off with the critical balance between estrogen and progesterone in your system, and most often progesterone is too low. Since this is the hormone that allows you to hold on to the embryo once you conceive, it can make conceiving difficult and potentially increase your risk of miscarriage.
2. Lack of cervical fluid around ovulation - If you haven’t been noticing any changes with cervical fluid or vaginal discharge throughout the month, it’s time to start paying attention! One of the biggest indicators of healthy ovulation is having a very wet, uncooked egg-white-like mucus (called cervical fluid) for 3-4 days mid-cycle. This paves the way for sperm to make it to your eggs, and so if it’s not happening it could interfere with the process.
3. Irregular cycles - Whether or not you have a diagnosed condition like PCOS, if you’re noticing your cycles are not regular each month it will become a huge problem when you’re trying to get pregnant. When you address the irregularities now, you will have an easier time making sure you are timing sex correctly for conception and you’re body will be more fertile and ready later on when you want to conceive.
4. Adrenal issues - Experiencing insomnia, anxiety, stress, low energy, and sugar addiction are all signs that your adrenal glands are suffering. This unfortunately not only makes you feel lousy, but it indicates a high cortisol and low DHEA ratio that compromises ovulation regularity and diminishes egg quality, both essential factors in your fertility.

Take a moment to evaluate your own symptoms -

Can you identify with any of the 4 we listed? Are some more extreme than the others?

Think of your fertility factor as a 1 to 10 scale, 1 being fertility compromised and 10 being fertility optimized. Based on your evaluation of the 4 signs listed above, where do you fall on the scale?

Please share in the comment box below. I want to know exactly what you’re dealing with so that we can continue to help you in upcoming blog posts and classes.

It’s time to bump your fertility factor up to a 10 so that you can be as ready as possible when the timing is right!Your body can do what it’s meant to do naturally IF you feed it the right foods in the right sequence. Let us show you how.

Are You Trying to Conceive?

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

I wanted to give my deepest thanks to you for being part of the WomanCode paperback release last week! Last night’s webinar was so inspiring and reminds me of why I’m so grateful to be doing the work I’m doing.Since the whole book celebration has left me speechless, I thought it would be wonderful for you to hear from a handful of other women today - women who have unlocked their WomanCode and want to share their stories with you.Click through to hear real life stories from women who:

• got her period back after 5 years
• healed adrenal fatigue
• lost 40 lbs
• increased energy
• normalized blood pressure
• healed long-standing digestive issues
• cleared up ovarian cysts completely
• increased her quality of life
• created a new relationship with her body

In the words of our friend Lindsay, “It’s so simple and so profound at the same time…”Click below to watch!

I hope it inspires you to know what your body is capable of when given the right support.If you haven’t yet joined the WomanCode System, consider starting today, and prepare to unlock your WomanCode!In support of your brilliance,Alisap.s. Next week I’ll be announcing our June webinar on the topic of PCOS, so stay tuned!

It’s time to take our next step into the spring detox conversation, so I figured we’d start from the outside and work our way in.

Where is the outside, you ask? Your skin!

Your skin is a way in to the deeper workings of your hormonal system and internal organs of elimination, i.e. your liver, large intestine, and lymphatic system.

If any of those are out of balance, it’s bound to show up in the form of acne, cyclical breakouts, redness, dry or flaky skin, overly oily skin, cystic acne, or other frustrating symptoms.

Your diet is a huge factor in clearing up these issues – and we’ll get into a more in-depth discussion around diet in next week’s webinar!

So in the meantime, I wanted to help you detox your skin care regime so that we can be sure everything you’re putting on the outside is just as good as what you’re eating. After all, anything that touches your skin enters your bloodstream, so if you wouldn’t put it in your mouth you certainly shouldn’t be putting it on your body or face!

Here’s my list of the Top 15 Skin Care Ingredients to Avoid:

1. Aluminum Chloride: in all antiperspirants – aluminum build up in the brain is linked to Alzheimer’s

2. Ammonium Xylenesulfonate: in nail polish - inhalation can cause central nervous system damage and coma

3. Benzalkonium Chloride: a germicide – toxic if taken internally, skin allergies

4. BHA/BHT: a preservative for packaged dry foods and skin care products made from petrochemicals – causes benign and malignant tumors

5. Butyl Alcohol: in clear shampoos – causes dermatitis, breathing problems, dizziness, drowsiness and headaches

6. Diazolidinyl Urea/Disodium EDTA/DMDM Hydantoin: a preservative, made from formaldehyde a known carcinogen

7. Ethanol: in acne products and skin toners gives cool feeling, perfumes – ingestion can cause nausea, stupor, coma, and death

8. Ethylene Glycol: in many shampoos, aka antifreeze- can cause respiratory problems

9. Imidazolidinyl Urea/Urea: a preservative synthesized from known carcinogens

10. Lithium Chloride: used in soap and long life batteries – very toxic to kidneys

11. Methylene Chloride: nail polish remover – skin irritant, narcotic when inhaled and carcinogenic

12. PABA: in sunscreen – causes allergic eczema, skin rashes, swelling

13. Phenoxyethanol: a preservative derived from poisonous Phenols

14. Poly Quaternium 7, 10, 11, 15 : the American Academy of Dermatology lists this as a skin irritant and combines with natural body substances to form potent carcinogens called nitrosamines

15. Talc: implicated in causing ovarian cancer

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

I want to hear from you!

First: What toxic products and ingredients are you trashing today?Second: Share your #Flobeauty experience with us!Third: You know every one you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social by clicking the buttons below

Need more Hormone Help?

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

Do you wish your “monthly curse” would just go away for good?

Does it cause you pain and interfere with your life?

Are you ready for a solution how to stop your period?

Well I’m glad you’re here. The answer I share might not be the answer you expect, so brace yourself ;)

How I stopped my period

Years ago, when I was in thick of my hormonal health condition PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), my period stopped on it’s own.There’s something about not having a period that makes you feel less like a woman and a little bit alienated from your female friends. Girls in school would complain about their monthly visitors and I would either pretend to have mine or make no comment.

Yes, it was freeing in some ways – not having to worry about having it at the beach or not having to deal with buying pads and tampons – but I would trade all of that just to feel like I was part of the clan.

Fast forward to now, thanks to FLO Living, I’m menstruating regularly and have discovered that having a period gives me much more than I had even hoped for. Not only do I feel like a woman, but I’m more connected to my intuition and my creativity than ever before. I’m dancing and writing again after years of feeling blocked.

Being in line with my own cyclical rhythm and knowing I’m deeply connected to the greater cycles in the world around me makes me much happier and freer.

That’s what I want for you.

If you’re reading this, chances are you either hate your period because of how painful and annoying it is, or you’re similar to how I was and aren’t getting it regularly.

If you want to stop your period, here’s what you need to know:

There actually are medical ways to stop your period. You can take birth control continuously so that you skip the bleeding week, or get the Depo Provera shot, which simulates menopause in your body. Neither option comes without risks.

When you take external hormones like the ones listed above, you may feel temporary relief but may be contributing to longer term issues. Weight gain, depression, and migraines are a few of the regularly occurring side-effects of these drugs.

Interrupting your natural hormonal cycle is confusing to your delicate endocrine system and when the time comes that you must come off of the medication, your body will be left even more confused than it was. (Not to mention, you might be 20 lbs heavier and dealing with a load of new symptoms.)

Rather than jumping into hormonal medications, I’d like to suggest taking a more natural approach that will balance your hormonal patterns and eliminate the annoying period symptoms you’re experiencing.

Start with food.

What you eat changes your biochemistry.

I didn’t realize this until I physically experienced it. When I first came to FLO Living, I thought I was pretty healthy but then started making changes with Alisa’s recommendations and experienced dramatic shifts in my moods and physical symptoms.

I’ve worked with enough clients to know this has universal effectiveness. I’ve watched women eliminate cramps and pain, get pregnant naturally, and learn to actually love their periods. No joke.

The same is possible for you.

Address your mindset.

In addition to food, it’s important to look at your relationship to your womanhood. Yes, this might sound a little “woo-woo” but I can assure you it’s relevant.

If you inherited beliefs from your mother or other ladies that said anything like this:

“It sucks being a woman.”

“Women always get the short end of the stick.”

“It’s not safe to be a woman.”

…then chances are you’ve adopted some unconscious beliefs that make you not want to be a woman, and therefore want to stop your period.

Sometimes the negative woman beliefs are subtle, so if you’re unsure if you have any, I suggest doing some writing on this topic and see what comes up for you.

If you’re constantly pushing to get ahead and exhausting your body in the process, your body will rebel in the form of menstrual cramps. Or painful periods. Or moodswings. Or other annoying symptoms.

It’s totally possible to get out of this mindset, and when you do you’ll see drastic changes with your periods. Start by having conversations about this with your friends, and surround yourself with women who are supportive, like the ones on our online community here.

What you can do now:

At FLO, we are here for you. If you want to stop hating your period and learn to use it as a tool for your happiness and success, join us.

[gravityform id="3" name="Get on the road to hormonal health!"]

It’s one thing to eat well and stay healthy if you’re home all the time and able to cook and make your own food choices, but it becomes more challenging when your schedule is full of parties and family dinners…which are bound to come up during the holiday season!

Too many rich foods or alcoholic beverages might not seem like a big deal as they’re happening, but over time they will have serious effects on your weight, moods, and hormonal balance.As women, our monthly cycles are extremely sensitive and require the proper nutrition and self-care to stay balanced.I wanted to give you a quick checklist of the things I do before, during and after holiday parties to ensure that I don’t get stuck with what I call the Holiday Hangover. If you’ve ever woken up one winter morning feeling 5-10 lbs overweight and overly tired and foggy-headed, you’ll know what I’m talking about.There are bound to be lots of sweets and festive cocktails floating around at these events, but they don’t have to be your undoing. You can have a fantastic time over the holidays while still taking care of yourself and staying in your FLO, if you follow these guidelines.

The preventative measures:

1. Eat dinner – Eat dinner before the booze or sweets! Foods rich in protein and healthy fats like salmon, chicken, and avocados are best before or along with alcoholic beverages. Eating a meal might also prevent you from reaching directly for the sweet stuff, which is not great to do on an empty stomach!2. Stay hydrated - Drink lots of water before and during the event. Being dehydrated will cause your body to crave salty things which will lead to a craving for more sugar or alcohol. Also, the more you can drink water in between any alcohol that might consumed, the more equipped your body will be to detox afterwards.

During the party:

3. Mingle & Explore – If you’re walking around the event and seeking out the company of new and interesting people, or if you’re exploring the architecture of the space, the artwork, or the hanging mistletoe, you’ll be less likely to overindulge in the comforts of too much alcohol or sweets. Challenge yourself to get out of your shell and try something new!

The post-party support:

4. B-Vitamins – These badboys are essential for replenishment on the day after a party. Pick up a B-complex supplement for the proper balance of all B-vitamins, drink lots of water along with them, and stay nourished!5. Coconut Water – This “natural Gatorade” is loaded with potassium, electrolytes, vitamins, & minerals – drink lots of it to rehydrate and replenish after a night of mulled wine or spiked egg-nog.

A new study was recently conducted among patients with type 2 diabetes and glucose intolerance, to determine the factors responsible for cognitive impairment. The results show that those who were taking the drug Metformin were twice as likely to exhibit cognitive impairment and that Metformin and brain impairment were linked. They also discovered that the only way to slow down the damage to the brain was with micronutrient changes - aka food!

The relevance for you, WomanCoders, is that glucose sensitivities and Metformin prescriptions are common occurrences in women with hormonal imbalances, particularly PCOS. But how often are you made aware of the potential side effects?As more studies are revealed that show the chronic, long-term side effects of commonly prescribed drugs, it’s becoming clear that we can’t afford to buy the idea that a pill can fix you. Additionally, the new research makes a stronger case every day that food can correct the imbalances that the medication is trying to manage on the symptom level. The most obvious and effective solution is to use food as your medicine.So this week’s Hormonal Health Challenge is:

Evaluate your reliance on prescription drugs that are supposed to be healing your hormonal imbalances.

Use this set of questions:

• How long have I been taking it?
• Was it prescribed to “fix” a certain symptom, and is that issue still being addressed?
• What side effects do I experience?
• Am I neglecting to look at the role my diet and lifestyle play in what’s happening with my hormones?

We’re not by any means suggesting to go cold turkey with any medication you’ve been prescribed. Rather, we are suggesting that you start a dialogue with your body and your physician to make sure that you’re taking an approach that best suits you.The WomanCode System was designed to facilitate this dialogue by teaching you a specially sequenced food-therapy protocol that will naturally bring your body back into balance. As we’ve seen women’s success stories with it over the years, I’m pretty sure your doctor would be happy to know you’re taking a proactive approach to your hormonal health.Get the details and see if it’s for you by clicking here.

I often get the question, “What foods can I eat to boost my fertility?”

While there certainly are key foods - like avocados, buckwheat, asparagus, and more - that will provide your body with essential nutrients for optimal fertility, I also encourage women to look at the big picture. It’s not only what you’re eating, but it’s how you’re eating throughout the day.If you’re starting the morning off with a green juice, having a salad for lunch, and sushi for dinner, it might feel really healthy but it’s definitely not ideal if you’re struggling with hormonal imbalances or fertility challenges.Why?Blood sugar management is one of the main underlying causes to hormonal imbalance, especially for conditions like infertility and PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome).Some women might just have sensitive blood sugar levels or hypoglycemia, while others might be dealing with the more severe cases of insulin resistance. In either case, when you eat very light meals throughout the day, you are causing a red flag to go up in your brain because of the lack of sugar, or glucose, that is coming in. Not enough glucose streaming through your blood, and your brain will call on stress hormones to fill in the gap. Stress hormones are never good in excess!But don’t just take my word for it. This recent study by Professor Daniela Jakubowicz in Tel Aviv proved that having a larger meal at breakfast was related to a reduction of insulin resistance in women with PCOS. Not only does this help with fertility, but it also can help manage other symptoms associated with the disorder, such as unwanted body hair, hair loss, and acne, as well as protect against developing type-2 diabetes.

Now, it's your turn:

FLO Hormone Challenge of the Week!

So ladies, this week your challenge is to eat a hearty breakfast in the morning. Especially if you’re one who waits to eat your biggest meal at dinner, try this out! With breakfast as your big meal, you will be less inclined to over-indulge in the evening which will do wonders for your blood sugar and hormonal management.Try these examples and let me know how it goes!

• Raw sprouted buckwheat granola with cinammon, sunflower seeds, flax, and unsweetened almond milk.
• Smoked salmon omlette with sweet potato hash or gluten-free toast

Add in a steaming hot cup of rooibos chai tea for extra pleasure!

Need more Hormone Help?

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

Click here to get your quiz!

When I started my women’s health coaching practice over a decade ago, I always had a vision for helping as many women as I could gain access to their inherent power and health.

The transformative work I experienced with individuals was too incredible to not spread it around: Clients of mine reported disappearing ovarian cysts, natural conception after years of trying everything, clear skin, painless periods, and creative leaps into their wildest dreams. What could be better than that?

As technology has progressed over the years, I’m thrilled that it has helped me integrate this work into a platform that could indeed reach many more women than I’d be able to on my own. Enter: The WomanCode System.This online program is the big sister of my other baby, WomanCode the book. Together, they are a power team designed to help you live your best life in a way that honors your natural cycles as a woman and helps you achieve what is you most desire.

If you’ve already become a member of the WomanCode System - go you! Click HERE for a fun way to share your story with me.

If you haven’t yet made the leap, I have a few things to share with you so that you are as informed and in-the-know as possible. If you’re dealing with any kind of hormonal imbalance, menstrual issue, fertility challenge, or plummet in the energy and libido department, then this program could be exactly what you need.

Here’s what you might not know about the WomanCode System:

1. It provides a built in community of women who are going through the same things you are. Did you know that as women we learn and grow better in community? Our biochemistry is wired for support. If you’ve been “on your own” with your health struggles, for too long and not seeing the results you want, this is an important point to consider.
2. Our FLO expert counselors are always on board to help you. Responses to your online community questions come within 24-48 hours, and if you need a little extra help than that, they are available for private coaching sessions. You can customize the level of support you most need by scheduling these sessions once or twice per month.
3. You can take a class anytime, anywhere. The program is virtual which means you can live anywhere in the world and follow through with it, as long as you have internet access. You can also do it at your own pace, so feel free to take your time in integrating each lesson before moving on to the next.
4. You’ll get full access to the FLO Living seasonal cleanses. In addition to the 4-day kick start cleanse I offer in the WomanCode book, the program give you access to 3 more cleanse: Spring, Fall, and the Post-Holiday Detox. You’ll be able to customize your cleanse experience to work with the seasons and cycles around you.
5. It’s yours for life. Once you sign up, the video lessons are yours forever. For-ev-er. You can retake a lesson if you need a boost in a certain area, and revisit the material anytime you’d like.

Pretty great, huh?Don’t delay any longer! Click here to get started on your WomanCode journey. I’ll be cheering you on every step of the way.

Love,

Alisa