The microbiologist Gregor Reid believes we all need to take better care of our vaginas (we do!). His research shows that your vagina is home to specific vagina-friendly microbes that have their own little eco-system going on. Any imbalance in the delicate production of both lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide can cause a problem called bacterial vaginosis. This causes chaos for your vaginal microbiome, but you won’t necessarily even know that it’s happening, because half of all women with bacterial vaginosis experience no symptoms. Reid speculates that around 30% of American women currently have bacterial vaginosis.
Your imbalanced vaginal flora can compromise your ability to get and stay pregnant. According to Reid, the resulting low-level inflammation from bacterial vaginosis is linked to the prevention of fertilization of the egg, spontaneous miscarriage, and a higher risk of preterm birth. In addition, bacterial vaginosis can also make women more susceptible to acquiring and transmitting STDs and HIV.
If you follow the Flo protocol with your diet, avoid chemical-laden products, and only sparingly use unnecessary medications, then you are also minding your gut microbiome, and by minding your gut microbiome, you are taking care of your vaginal ecosystem. You can read more recommendations for supporting your gut microbiome, probiotic supplement and food recommendations (and the dangers of overuse of antibiotics) here.
How many of you have tried taking antibiotics or antifungals, only to have the condition clear up temporarily and then come back? Or even worse, you take the antibiotic to clear up the BV or the UTI, and then you end up with a yeast infection! It’s a vicious cycle and it’s not what the body needs to clear up this imbalance. When you look at your microbiome as something that needs to be supported, then these conventional medicine based treatments make absolutely no sense, and in fact they actually make the situation much worse by destroying your gut flora balance and throwing off your body’s natural ability to keep bacteria and yeast balanced.
You’re not meant to nor can you ever actually get rid of yeast or bacteria - you have TONS of it living in you and on your skin - you need to feed the good bacteria so they keep the nasty ones in check!
We recommend making several changes to your lifestyle along with following our eating protocol - part of this includes switching to natural remedies, because conventional treatments not only harm the microbiome, but they don’t solve the root cause and those nasty symptoms return as a result. If you have used a lot of antibiotics and creams in the past to try and get rid of these problems, it’s likely you have a vaginal microbiome imbalance and compromised gut microbiome as well! Below are some natural remedy recommendations that will get rid of the pain, the itching, and are also vaginal microbiome-friendly.
Bacterial Vaginosis
Liquid chlorophyll taken internally to alkalize the body
Jarrow Femdophilous - clinically shown to restore the vaginal microbiome
Vitanica Bacteria Arrest Vaginal Suppositories
Yeast infections
Vitanica Yeast Arrest Vaginal Suppositories will give relief and help support your vaginal flora
Jarrow Femdophilous - clinically shown to restore the vaginal microbiome
UTIs
Baking soda in water to balance your pH
Jarrow Femdophilous - clinically shown to restore the vaginal microbiome
Consult a homeopath for the right remedies for UTIs.
Don't wash your vagina. (Say what?!) Wash it in the shower of course, but stay away from douches, wipes, and special V soaps! The fact that these products exist is ridiculous. Your vagina is perfectly designed to clean itself! You don’t need them and they can give you any one of the above 3 conditions!
Switch your menstrual products from the conventional to 100% organic cotton. Conventional products are laden with pesticides and bleach - which are not good for your vaginal microbiome. Opt instead for 100% organic cotton products from Natracare or Maxim. Often that itching, inflammation, and irritation we think is a normal part of our period experience, is actually from the kinds of pads and tampons we’re using every month. Read more here on how conventional femcare products can be harming your health.
Learn your vaginal microbiome fingerprint. Imagine you have a UTI or a yeast infection, and you can take a probiotic that is totally individualized to your vaginal microbiome so that you can get the healthy bacteria flourishing fast! Science fiction you say? No longer! There is a company called Sweet Peach Probiotics. CEO and founder Audrey Hutchinson has invented a way to make personalized probiotics for your vagina just by analyzing a mailed-in swab sampling of your microbes. This is such a brilliant idea and we look forward to seeing what comes of it!
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Support whole-body hormonal balance and regular, PMS-free periods with these five essential micronutrient formulations, designed to be taken simultaneously every day.
Feel better and perform more effectively when you support your hormonal health during every phase of your cycle.
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For those struggling with absent or infrequent periods, heavy bleeding, and other more intense menstrual symptoms
Read Woman CodeFor those struggling with absent or infrequent periods, heavy bleeding, and other more intense menstrual symptoms
Read In the FloAlisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
“MyFLO has been a true game changer for me and my cycle. I now have an increased awareness of my body's needs throughout the month.”
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
“MyFLO has completely transformed my relationship with my cycle. I am sleeping through the night, intuitively managing my stress, and eating with my cycle.”
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
“I use MyFLO every day to track my cycle and symptoms. I've managed to significantly reduce PMS symptoms like breast tenderness, and my cycle length has gone down from 40 days to 30 days.”
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Boost micronutrient levels
Manage blood sugar
Reduce stress
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
"My period was missing for 3 years after getting off birth control. MonthlyFLO helped me finally get my period back.”
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
I feel more empowered to understand my body and heal my hormones. I no longer accept the patriarchal dismissal and confusion about the female cycle”
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
“I got my period back after 15 years! Thank all of you for your support. I'm just so grateful!”
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
“FLO Living has seriously changed my life. It gave me the courage and bravery to get off of birth control, and completely changed my outlook on health. I look and feel better than I ever have in my life”
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Detox estrogen
Reduce inflammatory foods
Improve elimination
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Stabilize blood sugar
Reduce Androgens
Restore ovulation
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Boost progesterone production
Support estrogen elimination with dietary changes
Replenish micronutrients
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Detox estrogen
Improve bowel movements
Reduce inflammation
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Manage blood sugar
Address micronutrient deficiencies
Restore ovulation
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Detox chemical stress
Micronutrients to boost egg quality
Reduce inflammation
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Stabilize blood sugar
Detox chemical stress
Targeted micronutrients to support ovulation
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Micronutrients to boost egg quality
Reduce inflammation
Support immune function of uterus
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Implement Cycle Syncing ®
Detox chemical stress
Boost micronutrient levels
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Manage blood sugar
Detox estrogen
Boost progesterone production
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Stabilize blood sugar
Reduce stress
Boost energy
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Cycle Syncing® Food & Workouts
Stabilize blood sugar
Restore Micronutrients
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Cycle Syncing® Food & Workouts
Boost progesterone production
Support estrogen elimination
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Cycle Syncing® Food & Workouts
Micronutrients to boost egg quality
Reduce inflammation
Alisha A / 46 years old
Flo Care Plan
Cycle Syncing® Food & Workouts
Boost progesterone production
Increase micronutrient levels