Exercise & Fitness

Not Meeting Your Goals? Here's Why

If you’ve been trying different diet and exercise plans to lose weight, or simply to feel healthier and less plagued by period problems, fantastic! Feeling better is a whole-systems approach, and a journey that involves food, movement, and lifestyle changes.

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But if you've been feeling like things aren't quite...working out, there's a reason. That’s because the diet and fitness industry offers well-meaning solutions, but those solutions are not universally applicable. The truth is that most of the research behind most mainstream diet and fitness recommendations is conducted on men — and women have unique biochemical needs that go unaddressed by male-centered research.

At the same time, women are the largest consumers of wellness industry products and protocols! But because women’s bodies work differently, this creates a vicious cycle, causing unnecessary stress, and depleting your time, energy and money. When these protocols are positioned in such a universally applicable way,  struggling to achieve results can feel like your fault. But it's not your fault! And we're here to set the record straight. The time is up on the gender bias in the diet and fitness industry.

As women, we’re biochemically different than men. When we adopt approaches that are designed to work with our unique biological distinctions—and stop biohacking with the boys—we will start to see results. The key to biohacking your unique female biochemistry is to understand your 28-day cycle & to match your food and exercise to your natural hormonal shifts. When you sync with your cycle, you’ll experience easier periods, less PMS, reduced bloating, get clearer skin, and see improvements in weight and body composition. By acknowledging your hormonal reality, you’ll finally be able to look and feel your best.

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The Science of Cycle Syncing®

Your body has different micronutrient needs during each week of the 28-day cycle, because your ovaries and uterus are doing different jobs during each week of the cycle. When you think about it, it makes sense: your body isn’t the same every day so your diet shouldn’t be either! But this isn’t just speculation.

‍Research suggests that our fluctuating hormones affect our nutrient levels—and, in turn, our nutrient levels affect our hormones (the research also shows that micronutrient deficiencies play a role in the severity of PMS symptoms). This means that we have different micronutrient needs at different times in our cycle.

All of today’s most popular diet plans— from keto and grain-free to a raw vegan diet—require eating the same way everyday, which ignores the natural interplay between micronutrients and our rhythmic, fluctuating hormones.

Add to that the fact that many nutrition and weight loss protocols emphasize calorie restriction, and you have an additional problem. Calorie restriction has been linked to thyroid hormone imbalances, which can cause sluggish metabolism, lackluster hair and skin, fatigue, and brain fog. Limiting calories also drives up cortisol production (cortisol is one of the body’s stress hormones) and high cortisol is a known factor in weight gain.

As women, we need to eat specific foods in order to make hormones. Healthy fats are especially important since estrogen and progesterone are made from cholesterol. Without enough cholesterol, we can’t adequately produce enough of these hormones to support healthy periods and fertility. We also need to eat specific foods to help break down and eliminate used-up hormones (so we don’t become estrogen dominant). Eating the right plant foods supports the liver in eliminating excess hormones and helps a specific group of bacteria in the gut microbiome, called the estrobolome, process estrogen overload.

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What you Can Expect When You Cycle Sync Your Diet

The Cycle Syncing® Method provides key foods at critical times to help break down excess levels of estrogen and keep estrogen and progesterone in balance. When this happens, you can expect fewer breakouts, less severe (or nonexistent) PMS, no more hormonal headaches, and less bloating. You can also expect improvements in fertility, sex drive, energy, and mood.

Another benefit of Cycle Syncing® your diet? Because you’re switching the foods you emphasize in your diet with each phase of you're cycle, you’re freed from the pressure from “sticking with a diet”. Not only is this practice more fun and satisfying, but it’s more sustainable in the long run.

‍Your big hormone-diet takeaway: You need to eat specific foods at specific times to maintain robust micronutrient levels and support hormone production and elimination. When you enjoy the right foods at the right times, you’ll experience remarkable results.

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Cycle Syncing® Your Exercise

This cyclical self care method extends into exercise as well.  There is a time and a place for short, intense workouts—but that’s not how you should workout all the time. When you consider your cycle, and when you look at the evidence, you’ll see that you may be able to handle the stress of intense exercise in the first half of your cycle, but doing a full-throttle workout in the second half of your cycle will sabotage your health and weight loss goals.

Here’s a closer look at why working out out hard all the time isn’t ideal: When you get your heart rate pounding, you burn through the glucose in your bloodstream (which is a good thing!). But you’re only burning glucose for about half an hour. After that, your body starts to pump out cortisol, the better to convert your fat cells into blood sugar so you have energy to keep working out.

At this point, you might be thinking, great! More energy to keep working out! But If you struggle with estrogen dominance, that excess estrogen tells your body to convert any leftover sugar back into fat. So instead of burning fat, you get stuck in a vicious cycle of burning stored fat with cortisol, only to have your high estrogen levels send it right back to all the wrong places.

Lots of women wonder if they should exercise during their period. Our answer is to listen to your body and to expand your focus to your entire cycle. Instead of just asking, "Should I workout on my period?" look further into the best times for higher intensity workouts and balance that with the best times for other types of movement.

You can use the MyFLO app to track your cycle and know what type of movement to do when, and you can look here for more on movement and exercise during each phase of your cycle.

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Workouts For Each Phase of Your Cycle‍

Here are the different types of exercise Alisa Vitti recommend for each of the four phases of your menstrual cycle:

Menstrual Phase

The 3 to 7 days during your bleed:

• Workout: Gentle Walking, Light Yoga - Keep your workouts relaxed, even if you’re not feeling discomfort. It’s a time to take things slowly and prioritize rest. Your hormones are at their lowest levels during this phase.
• Timing: An evening stroll is the perfect way to get some simple movement.

Follicular Phase

The 7 to 10 days after your period ends:

• Workout: Running or other cardio
• Timing: Mid-day – Your estrogen will be low and your cortisol levels will be just right for a challenging cardio burst.

Ovulatory Phase

The 3 to 4 days in the middle of your cycle, right after the follicular phase:

• Workout: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) or bodyweight circuit
• Time of Day: Early morning – you’ll have tons of energy during this time of the month, so take advantage of that natural high! Your testosterone is higher during this phase, so whatever you do, feel free to go all out.

Luteal Phase

The 10 to 14 days after ovulation and before your bleed:

• Workout: Pilates, yoga
• Time of Day: Keep it early during the first half of this phase, and then transition into the early evening in the second half. You might still feel full of energy during the first days of your luteal phase, so feel free to keep doing more intense workouts early in the day. But if you start to experience PMS symptoms in the days before your period, it’s time to tone it down and switch to Pilates or strength training in the early evening. Restorative (yin) yoga before bed can also be hugely helpful in combating issues like moodiness and bloat.

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What you Can Expect When You Practice The Cycle Syncing Method® With Your Exercise

You’ll deepen your intuitive sense of what type of movement your body wants and needs every day (and at every phase of your cycle). You can expect to lose weight and gain muscle more easily and sustainably, as well as prevent injury by varying your movement consistently.

‍Your big hormone-exercise takeaway: How you work out during the first half of your cycle shouldn’t be the same as how you work out during the second half of your cycle. When you sync your exercise with your cycle, you’ll experience remarkable results!

The FLO Living protocol has its foundation in the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle. Many women are only familiar with one or two phases of this cycle - usually menstruation and the premenstrual phase. Menstruation is obvious, because that’s when we bleed, and the premenstrual phase tends to come with many negative connotations as well as lived symptoms that make up our understanding of PMS - like mood swings, cravings, bloating, and acne.

Yet, there are 4 full phases of the menstrual cycle throughout which your hormone levels dance and interplay to release an egg, prepare your uterus for pregnancy, and finally, prepare for a new menstrual cycle. Every phase has different hormones that are peaking and others that are on their low ebb. Every phase carries with it a different energetic pattern or focus that hinges on the fluctuation of your hormones.

The FLO Living protocol is about tapping into that shifting energy to get the most out of your hormones, and your life. In this series we’ll look at the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle and, starting with the follicular phase, share what you can expect to learn from the Monthly FLO program, about harnessing your hormones for your health and happiness.

Once you know the basics, you will discover how the Cycle Syncing® Method can make your menstrual cycle your power center & your best asset all at once!

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The follicular phase: the hormone science

The follicular phase is when your body is developing follicles in your ovary, ready for ovulation to occur. High amounts of the aptly-named follicle stimulating hormone is flooding your body at this time. Of the follicles that are being stimulated, one will burst to release the egg or ovum at ovulation. Estrogen is also peaking as it spurs on your uterus to prepare for a potential fertilized egg. Luteinizing hormone is released to support the follicles to maturation.

The follicular phase begins on the first day after the end of your period bleeding. It is the first day of your cycle and sometimes called Cycle Day 1 or CD1.

The length of your follicular phase can vary because ovulation can be delayed for days, weeks, or months because of your body’s inability to undertake the task. In a healthy cycle, the follicular phase would last 7-10 days, but your body needs help in achieving healthy cycles. There is a food & hormone connection - too little and our cycles will stop; too much of those hormone-disruptive foods and we will not ovulate; too little of the hormone-boosting foods and we won’t make enough hormones.

The Monthly FLO program provides a meal plan that will fuel your body to stimulate those follicles, ensuring the return of ovulation and regular menstrual cycles. Find out if you’re ovulating and where you are in your cycle today

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The follicular phase: the energy science

Once you have menstrual cycle awareness, you will notice that you feel differently throughout your whole cycle. Download our MyFLO app to tune into your body and get reminders of where your hormones are at and how best to harness them for your benefit.

During the follicular phase, your physical energy is at its height. You have more stamina, you feel less tired, you can workout without much fatigue, you can tackle long hikes and long work meetings without flagging. You will be happy to socialize and pack your schedule with activities, and you’ll have the reserves to conquer it all.

Inside your body, it’s the beginning of a creative process - building to the potential creation of a new life (although, the energy is the same whether you’re planning or avoiding pregnancy at this time). It’s all about ideation, inspiration, project planning, and your whole self emerging  in this new cycle, onto a new path.

During this time, as part of my Cycle Syncing® Method, I like to map out what I want to achieve in the weeks ahead of me. I set my intentions, I write down my goals and desires, I use my planner to draw up my schedule. If you’re more of a visual learner - you can use this phase to create a vision board for your new cycle. I carry a purple notebook with me during this phase, knowing that inspiration may strike at any time with new ideas for FLO Living.  

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The follicular phase: the Cycle Syncing® science

For your career: Begin a new project; host a brainstorming session with your team; take the team out for a celebratory dinner; welcome new teammates or employees; network; apply for a new job; start a new side business or creative project  ‍

For your social life: Say yes to all invitations, especially new experiences (a new exhibit, a band you’ve never seen, a new dance class, something outside of your usual comfort zone); pull a late-nighter and go out dancing with friends; try a new activity with your partner to bring you closer together; workout or hike with friends

For your workouts:  Go hard on the cardio; try a bootcamp week; start a new kind of workout that’s complex or challenging for your body and brain; go on a yoga retreat

For your romance: Have a few date nights with your partner; do something new that you’re both curious to try; get experimental with your sex life; go on a dating app and meet someone new

Once you have menstrual cycle awareness, everything in life just FLOs. You’re choosing to work with your body, instead of against it. Cooperating with your hormones, hand-in-hand, leads you to getting all the best out of your life. Your body and mind is primed for these activities and it will all come easily and eagerly to you. Your body is encoded with the creative process happening inside your ovaries during the follicular phase via your hormone patterns.

First, recognize that you already feel this way during this phase - know it, love it, embrace it as part of your life. Second, give yourself the permission to do things that feel the most natural for you during this phase. Taking this step means banishing stress, moodiness, fatigue, and frustration - and leads straight to feeling more in your FLO every single day.

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

And we also know that it’s not always possible to get access to functional and holistic healthcare solutions — sometimes they’re too far away and most of the time they are way too expensive. That’s why we offer phone and Skype consultation sessions with our FLO coaches.

All of our expert FLO coaches have been trained by Alisa on top of being certified health coaches and licensed acupuncturists. And they are all qualified to help you find the right next step to get out of hormonal chaos and into your FLO. Work with a FLO Coach and find your customized plan to solve your period symptoms.

Click here to book your counselor consultation

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

How I got pregnant fast

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

3 Keys to Getting Pregnant Faster

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

What does optimal fertility feel like?

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

I want to hear from you!

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

Are you trying to conceive?

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

A few weeks back I told you about my favorite supplements to boost weight loss and help you shed those pounds. This time I want to tell you about what I take to stay looking and feeling young. I can’t tell you how many times I have been told I look way younger than my actual years. It’s a humble-brag, I know, but it does show that what I’m doing for myself every single day really works. I’m in my late 30s and I get mistaken for someone in their early 30s - and who doesn’t want that?! Vanity aside, why you want to look a decade younger is because you want to be biologically youthful regardless of whatever your chronological age might be, so you have the best chance to live your healthiest and happiest life TODAY, right now. Living in your FLO turns back the biological clock so that your body, your fertility, is actually younger than your chronological years. From my experience, many women experience a body and a fertility that is actually functioning at a point that is older than their chronological years. They feel tired, look older than they should, can’t work out with the stamina and ability they want, and feel slower. We should not expect or assume this will happen to us in our late 30s, 40s or even 50s. We can keep producing buoyant hormones for many more years if we make a conscious effort to live in a hormone-supportive way. I have helped many women reverse this through my Flo Living protocol. And, of course, when your insides are younger, your outsides look younger. Aging occurs chemically when we have too much oxidative stress on our cells, we don’t have enough access to key micronutrients required for all parts of the body to function optimally, and when we start to make smaller concentrations of all of our hormones. This is aging on the inside, and we see it on the outside in the quality of our skin, how funky our periods and hormones feel after 35, our sex drive, our muscle tone, our weight, our mental clarity, diminished fertility, and even our mood! If you want to stay youthful biochemically-speaking - the sooner you get back into your FLO the better. “Anti-aging” (although I hate that term as it’s not scientifically possible) so let’s say - “age defying” is built into the FLO protocol. This is why following this hormone-supportive way of eating and living can help you get pregnant in your 40s and slow the process of perimenopause. Just as there is weight loss supplement industry, there is an anti-aging supplement industry. A quick search this morning showed me there are companies telling women to shell out some $600 for a bottle of pills they say will reverse the aging process! I find this shocking. It does reveal, however, the demand and need for products that help us to look and feel younger. A cursory glance at the ingredients in those $600 supplements tells me this is not the miracle you’re looking for. So I wanted to share what I consider to be the best researched and most effective supplements for their age-defying properties and to save you money too!

My favorite age-defying supplements

1. Blueberries. Not strictly a supplement I know (although it is available in supplement form as an extract), but just as simple and easy to eat every day. Blueberries are a great source of resveratrol and other anti-oxidants. This phytonutrient fights damage to your DNA, which is a central source of the symptoms of aging, and slows tissue aging. In testing on insects and animals blueberry extract has even been shown to increase longevity. Studies on people have shown that blueberry extract improves the appearance of aging skin.
2. Collagen. Most women don’t have enough collagen in their diet. You can take this in pill form like: Biocell Collagen with Hyaluronic Acid, or a powder to add to your smoothies or even by being really dedicated to drinking bone broth. What’s great about collagen is how quickly you see and feel results with this one. This actually helps your skin regenerate and as such increases suppleness and fullness. It will also prevent those aches and pains that can come with aging.
3. CoEnzyme-Q10. This supplement is mitochondria supportive, promoting their regeneration and overall function. Mitochondria are a part of every cell in your body - they’re your cell’s digestive system essentially - which convert glucose into a usable fuel. Again, this supplement prevents DNA damage (a primary source of the symptoms of aging). It fights free radicals which contribute to DNA damage and cell death. This will slow the aging process and, some claim, increase longevity.
4. Vitamin D. A high intake of vitamin D protects telomeres, which are the “caps” on the chromosomes that make up our DNA. Research from Stanford University shows that the key to reversing the aging process is preventing DNA damage via shortened telomeres or telomere erosion. The condition of our telomeres has a direct impact on the aging of our cells and therefore the aging of our bodies. There are supplements out there that call themselves “telomere lengthening” supplements (this is what can cost upwards of $600!). Most of the claims are bogus. It’s better to use food and supplements that prevent your telomeres from erosion and shortening, rather than trying to do what might be impossible, at least for now.
5. Vitamin B12. Known as the energy vitamin B12 can give you back that youthful energy, exuberance and vibrance. It’s important to note that if you’ve recently come off the Pill you may find you’re deficient in this vitamin as it’s one that the Pill depletes the most. Your body needs this to convert the food you eat into glucose for fuel.

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

I want to hear from you!

First, do you feel you’re aging too fast? Second, are you in perimenopause? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Feeling Frazzled, Bloated, and Unsexy?

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

It was a beautiful, sunny weekend in New York City and that tells me Spring is around the corner! But what often comes along with the Spring blooms, blue skies and fresh farmer’s market? Dieting! We come out of our winter hibernation, look in the mirror, and decide we must lose 15 lbs by the time our summer beach vacation rolls around. The Earth’s Spring time is, for us ladies, the follicular phase. In our follicular phase we can find it easier to eat light and avoid junk food - we might actually crave green salads, fruit bowls and simple, light dishes. However, when we come into our luteal or premenstrual phase (which we do once a month in comparison to Earth’s only yearly Fall season), we find our resolve to eat this way is broken and we have cravings for unhealthy foods that we have a hard time keeping under control. We binge and we regret it, and we hope we can get back on the wagon on Monday. I must admit, when I was younger I struggled terribly with my cravings - my family loved breads, pastas, cheeses and cookies my mother would serve up daily. When I got older, I looked to mindful eating as a way to control my bingeing on these kinds of foods. I would sit down to eat, bless my food, chew slowly, and take time with each meal. But it just didn’t have a strong enough effect to counteract what was going on hormonally inside my system.

What your cravings mean

1. You’re missing a micronutrient. Craving a specific type of food means that your body is deficient in a particular micronutrient. Your cravings also have a cyclical nature because your micronutrient needs change throughout your cycle. A deficiency in a vitamin or mineral will trigger a craving as your body’s way of warning you what’s happening.
2. You’re hormones are off balance. Hand in hand with this is the craving as an indicator of hormonal imbalance. If your cravings are multiple, stronger, and more difficult to ignore during your luteal phase then they are trying to alert you to a hormonal imbalance - your levels of estrogen and progesterone are not in harmony. What you might see as “emotional” eating during your pre-menstrual week is actually “hormonal” eating. That overwhelming desire to eat the whole bag of chips? That’s your body saying loud and clear - “Your hormones are out of whack!”

How the meaning of your cravings can help you

When I was struggling with cravings it was because I was dealing with a hormonal imbalance - I was not getting the nutrients, vitamins and minerals I need for my body to produce, use, and process the hormones needed to keep me happy and healthy. If you take the time to listen and understand your cravings then you will see they can actually save you from your diet mistakes. Mindful eating coupled with craving understanding can help you reach your health goals. It definitely helped me achieve mine!The secret is to understand what your body needs and instead of reacting to cravings with an impulsive, knee jerk grab for the chips or a chocolate binge, you give it what it actually wants - the foods that will help you build, use, and process hormones and regain your hormonal balance. Switch out the junk for pro-hormonal foods. Instead of eating junk food, eat another pro-hormonal food that will fend off the craving without making you put on the pounds, feel lethargic, and develop symptoms like acne, bloating, and mood swings. Eat well - eat a lot of the good foods your body needs and don’t leave yourself starving. If you’re plain hungry because you’re depriving yourself of nutrition than you won’t be able to hear your cravings talk over the sound of your hunger! You won’t be “giving in” to your cravings, you’ll be taking action to give your body what it needs for you to feel good.

The 3 steps to stop the binges!

1. Eat “Defensively”. Don’t wait for the craving to hit during your PMS week. If you know you feel more “hormonal” in your luteal phase, you’re dealing with an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone in your body. Then eat a generous serving size of at least one PMS food each day. You can treat the premenstrual symptoms, including cravings, with pro-hormonal foods. Make sure you’re getting all of my top 5 foods for preventing PMS every cycle. Make them a big part of your meals during your luteal phase.
2. Know which craving means what. Sometimes you might crave sugar, other times steak. What does this mean? What is your body trying to say. Every food you can crave - from chocolate to pasta to soda - is telling you something about your hormones and what your body needs you to be eating right now. Discover what your personal cravings mean and switch out your knee-jerk choice with a pro-hormonal choice.
3. Ditch the depriving diets. Stop punishing your body in the first half of the month and then feeling bad, guilty, and bloated when you “give in” to your cravings the second half of the month. Don’t leave yourself so hungry you can’t not eat that cookie and then the whole box. Don’t start everyday on an empty stomach and a cup of coffee and then end it with spaghetti carbonara. Instead, Cycle Sync™ your eating habits to align with your hormonal patterns. Harness your body’s programming and use it for your own good.

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

I want to hear from you!

First, do you have cravings? Second, do you always try dieting in the Spring? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social (buttons)

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!

Although I do have my favorite skincare products - more about those later - I know that the condition of my skin is a reflection of what I put in my body through my diet, and not just what I put on my skin morning and night. The key to glowing, soft, clear, youthful skin is in your diet and your lifestyle, and not only in a jar, tube or bottle.

There’s no denying it, pregnancy, breast-feeding, taking care of your child changes your skin. It’s a combination of three elements that cause this change - the hormonal shifts, your sleep schedule, and your nutrition as someone supporting another human being! If you don’t focus on taking care of yourself, it will show up on your skin. Lack of sleep, micronutrient depletion, collagen loss, hormonal imbalance - all of this will make your skin appear older. Pregnancy and post-pregnancy can bring about acne, dryness, wrinkles and sagging, eczema, rosacea, and under eye circles if you are not consciously choosing a diet and lifestyle that supports what your body is going through at this time.

I’m always looking at my skin’s signals to me to tell me what I need to add more of into my diet or lifestyle. For example, if I don’t get enough sleep, my pores get bigger! They literally grow in size with every hour of sleep that I miss!

So, how do I ensure I look fresh as a new mom? Let me break it down for you.

My skin care secrets - beauty from the inside out

What to do for beautiful skin:

1. Sleep! Sleep, sleep, sleep - whenever, however you can. For me, that might be an extra 90 minutes when my husband can take care of our daughter’s morning routine before he goes to work. It can also mean a nap in the afternoon or extra sleep at the weekends. Recent research showed that you can payback your “sleep debt” from the previous week by adding hours in bed at the weekend.
2. Outsmart Stress - To get better quality sleep and avoid insomnia or waking up frequently you need to cut back on the caffeine and supplement with the adaptogens ashwangda, rhodiola, and maca which will ease the pressure put on your adrenals from sleep deprivation. Use the blood sugar stabilizer cinnamon on your morning eggs, in smoothies, or in tea to prevent surges and crashes in your blood sugar which can lead to fatigue and poor sleep.
3. Beautify with superfoods - Let’s start with what not to do, namely crash dieting. Don’t try to cut out all fat or cut back on what you’re eating in the day - in fact, do the opposite! Eat a lot and fill up on fats. For me that means 2 eggs every morning with coconut oil, avocado on gluten free toast, sunflower seed butter on apple slices, three full meals every day. Know that if you want to lose weight - women need to eat fat to lose fat.  If you’re breast feeding this is so important! I am breast feeding and I still take my pre-natal vitamins to keep my milk supply high and restore the nutrients that go to my daughter. Add in some essential fatty acid omega 3 supplements to that mix. Plus lots of bone broth for the gelatin that makes your skin bouncy and dewy! You can even add gelatin squares to your smoothies if this is easier.

My skin care secrets - beauty that’s more than skin-deep

I am a huge fan of Naturopathica skincare products. While I’m not paid for these recommendations, I feel passionately about sharing them because it is nearly impossible to find skin care product that has ingredients I personally feel comfortable with using while pregnant or breastfeeding.  These pass my personal test.  Just before the holidays I visited their new NYC spa and had the most dreamy, gorgeous facial and massage. Here are the products I use at home:

1. In the shower every day I use the Naturopathica oat polish facial cleanser to help with skin cell renewal.
2. Each night I use the Naturopathica calendula based super-hydrating thick moisturizer to heal my dry skin.
3. Once or twice per month I spend some time hanging out in the Naturopathica pumpkin enzyme mask for maximum exfoliation.

Special Flo-tip

If you are coping with acne you may have been interested in all the recent news about probiotic skincare. Some of these products are amazing, if you’re curious if it might work for you, experiment by just taking the juice from a finished jar of sauerkraut and dabbing it on your skin after your cleanser to help rebalance the skin microbiome.

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

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

Alisa’s favorite sweet treat recipes

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

The secret to sweetening

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

I want to hear from you!

First, what do your sugar gremlins crave? When do they appear? Second, which one of my recipes are you going to try? I’d love to know how it works out and share your photos with me!Third, you know every one you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social by clicking the buttons below

Need more Hormone Help?

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

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!

Ladies, I hear you loud and clear: Endometriosis is a serious condition that is causing you pain, confusion, and frustration. Last week, you shared some of your stories with me via Facebook. You recounted how painful Endometriosis cramping can be and how you have period symptoms even when you’re not getting your period. You said you’ve spent months and years trying to get control over this painful and confusing condition, some of you with laparoscopies and multiple surgeries, with no solution to be found. Some of you struggle with fertility issues. Many of you are diagnosed in your 20’s and 30’s. To make things worse, many of you report doctors who second-guessed your symptoms and said they were “all in your head.”Thank you for your honesty and courage in sharing these stories with me. Endometriosis is a serious condition affecting 6-10% percent of women from their teenage years through adulthood. For these thousands of women, not fully understanding what is going on in their bodies and not knowing how to help themselves feel better can make them feel lost and frustrated. The time has come for women with this condition to feel empowered, hopeful, and begin their path to healing.In honor of Endometriosis Awareness Month, we’ve outlined for you the basics of endometriosis and essentials for healing.

FLO Recommendations for Managing Endometriosis Symptoms and Healing

Endometriosis Basics

Endometriosis occurs when the cells from the lining of the uterus, called endometrial cells, migrate to elsewhere in the body. The endometrial cells that line the uterus respond to the rise and fall of female hormones; the shift in hormones that occurs around your period is one of the reasons why endometriosis symptoms can be especially painful at your time of the month.Endometriosis has also been found to be caused by an autoimmune reaction in the body, meaning that antibodies are formed to fight against the body’s own tissue. As Dr. Christiane Northrup describes in her book Women’s Bodies Women’s Wisdom, these antibodies can interfere with regular menstruation and fertility, and on the deeper level can be associated with some aspect of the woman rejecting her female body. (This might sound a little out there, but we’ll get into the details in a moment.)Here’s the good news: you can regulate the fluctuating hormones in your body and heal your symptoms through diet and lifestyle shifts. We’re here to tell you how.

Estrogen and Prostaglandins

The key to controlling Endometriosis through diet lies in the role of estrogen and prostaglandins in the body. Prostaglandins are naturally occurring fatty acids, derived from what we put into our bodies thru diet. The body can produce a variety of prostaglandins—good ones and bad ones. The goal of a good diet, of course, is the increase the good prostaglandins to offset the effects of the bad prostaglandins! For example, certain prostaglandins in the body increase uterine contractions. With the right dietary choices, we can increase the good prostaglandins to soothe and calm the body and reduce those contractions. (Some especially negative prostaglandins are found in saturated fats, butter, and red meat---avoid these as much as possible.)

Goals for Managing Symptoms & Healing thru Diet

With Endometriosis, the goal of eating well is to boost the immune system, balance hormones and prostaglandin levels and cut down on estrogen in the body. One key to reducing estrogen is to boost liver function so it can break down and eliminate estrogen.Overall, you want to cut down on your consumption of bad fat and boost those foods that help to cut down on the estrogen circulating in your system and encourage good prostaglandins.

Immune System Boosters

• Beans, Peas & Lentils
• Carrots
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Green tea or Rooibis tea
• Leeks
• Live Yogurt
• Onions
• Rhubarb
• Seeds

Balancing Hormones: Reducing Estrogen thru Fiber

Not only does a diet high in fiber aid digestion, but it is thought that fiber can decrease circulating estrogens in the body. A high fiber diet means getting 25 grams of fiber every day. Good sources of fiber include:

• beans, peas and legumes
• brown rice
• quinoa
• fruits and vegetables, especially dark leafy greens like kale
• oatmeal
• whole grains *not wheat & rye

Balancing Hormones: Supporting Your Liver

As mentioned above, a healthy liver is key in eliminating excess estrogen and other hormones or toxins that could be interrupting your hormonal balance. Part of our 5-step protocol involves a more detailed Spring Cleanse to detoxify your liver. Here are some key foods to get started with:

Liver-Loving Vegetables

• Artichokes
• Beets
• Burdock
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Kale
• Lemon & Lime
• Dandelion & mustard greens
• Watercress

Avoid these Harmful Foods

As with any good diet, it’s as much about what you take out of your body as what you put in. Cut Out or Drastically Reduce:

• Alcohol: consumes Vitamin B and compromises liver function
• Caffeine: increases abdominal cramps and estrogen levels
• Refined Carbs, including bread, flour, and anything made from refined flour
• Dairy: causes inflammation
• Fried Foods and Fats: promotes negative prostaglandins
• Red Meat: promotes negative prostaglandins
• Sugar and Honey: causes inflammation
• Wheat, including breads, pasta, and cake

Also avoid additives and preservatives, which increase the chemical load on the system.

Good Protein Picks:

• Beans
• Chicken/Turkey (a small amount)
• Salmon

Energetic Considerations

As with any condition, diet is only one part of a larger picture. As women, we can be prone to certain symptoms because of the energetic or emotional patterns happening in our lives. What we've noticed as a pattern with women with endometriosis is that there's an imbalance with mothering. When a woman's womb, the place of nourishing and mothering, is literally growing in other places outside of her uterus, it can indicate that she is not mothering herself where she most needs it and perhaps putting her mothering energy too much in the direction of career or outside matters.If you resonate with any of this, try doing the following:

• In a quiet place with no interruptions, connect to your body by closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths with your hand on your belly.
• Take out a notebook and begin free-writing on the questions:
• What messages from my body/uterus do I need to hear right now?
• What kind of mothering am I in need of?
• Discuss your feelings and thoughts with a trusted friend or health coach.

Keep in mind that the emotional and energetic connections will continue to be revealed as you put more attention and openness on them. Getting support and having a sounding board for working through all of this is so essential to the healing process.

Now what?

We recognize that endometriosis is a complicated issue and not always easy to address. You might have even heard much of what we’ve outlined before. If you sense you need more support in implementing the correct changes to your diet and lifestyle, or if you aren’t sure about what kind of support you might be needing, talk to us.We have a team of health coaches ready to provide personalized, effective guidance, as well as a step-by-step program, the WomanCode System, which is transforming thousands of women’s lives daily. It would be our pleasure to serve you :)

Now that we’re clear you don’t have to be a perfectionist to balance your hormones, it’s time to create more awareness of the signs and symptoms your body is giving you.

Remember -

You are partnering with your body. Like in any relationship, you need clear communication to thrive and so learning how to interpret your body’s language is essential to cracking the code of your long-term health and hormonal balance.

Here’s a summary of what to be looking for during your period - which you might have caught glimpses of on The Doctor Oz Show last week:

Brown stains = low progesterone levels

Dark red or black clots = low progesterone, elevated estrogen, congestion in the uterus

Heavy bleeding = elevated estrogen, potential for fibroids or polyps in the uterus

Short length of bleeding (1-2 days long) = low estrogen, low progesterone

Very frequent bleeds (twice a month or more) = potential sluggish thyroid

As you might have heard us say before, regulating your cycle and balancing hormones is never about spot-treating the symptoms. We’ve identified above what these different kinds of bleeds can mean for you, but it’s up to you take the necessary steps to get to the underlying cause of the equation. This is where the first 3 steps of the WomanCode protocol come in handy:

1. Balancing blood sugar levels

2. Healing adrenals

3. Supporting organs of elimination (liver, large intestine, skin, & lymphatic system)

Tomorrow I’ll reveal more specifics about one of these three areas that could be the unexpected culprit of your sluggish, stubborn weight issues! Can you guess which one it is?

The WomanCode System is the tried and true program for accountability and efficiency at implementing the code-cracking protocol laid out in the WomanCode book.

I don’t want you to suffer any longer.

Take control now!

Start here and get my special Health Insider videos.

Cracking the code one step at a time,Alisa

Low libido? What to do if it’s happening to you!

While it’s been a few years since we’ve seen formal studies on low libido in young women, we are seeing more and more social studies coming out that suggest young people (women included) are having less sex.

A new study from the Archives of Sexual Behavior showed that people are having far less sex now than they did even ten years ago. Another recent study from the same journal showed heterosexual women are having fewer orgasms than any other demographic.

Although our culture is becoming more “sex positive” and embracing sexuality as a healthy, essential part of our lives, it seems that we’re still having less sex and not always enjoying the sex we have to the fullest. Although our sex lives is a complex issue with many impacting factors, low libido or lack of sex drive is definitely one of the drivers behind this trend.

More and more women are coming to FLO Living reporting that their sex drive barely exists whether they are single or coupled, with or without kids. Having no to low libido is a common symptom that sometimes stands on its own, but more often than not is accompanied by other factors: fertility struggles, menstrual difficulties, adrenal fatigue and/or low energy.

If you can relate, then listen up. I’m calling this a silent epidemic, but don’t worry, help is at hand.

I believe that you have the power to shift this trend by making simple dietary and mindset changes. And we believe it because we’ve seen it. Women who follow the Sexy FLO program report incredible changes in their libido and energy, and we want to see the same happen for you. To start, let’s identify what could be the cause of your lack in sexual energy.

Main underlying causes of low libido in women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s:

• Over-working. Keeping up with insane work schedules in addition to other personal obligations adds up to a common result: burnout. In some countries they’ve had even to implement laws around when employees can and should check email in order to ease the work/life imbalance. Constant connection to the office via our smartphones can mean we’re never not working. Too much stress and too much demand on your mental and physical energy results in the depletion of your poor little adrenal glands, the powerhouse glands that are responsible for the output of your stress hormones and most of your testosterone, which is where that desire for sex comes from. Increased output of stress hormones means decreased output of juicy sex hormones. Stress can delay your period and make you gain weight - all because of how it impacts your hormone balance.

• Birth control or other medications. If you’re on the pill, anti-depressants, or other medication, this something very important to consider when it comes to your sex drive and your hormonal balance, as very often a side-effect is a low libido. We encourage you to talk to your doctor about this potential and partner with other practitioners to find the right kind of support and wean off what is not necessary for you. The birth control pill has a lot of side effects including several that directly impact your love life. And anti-depressants have been shown to negatively affect a woman’s fertility.

• Masculine energy dynamics. When I developed the FLO Living protocol to treat my PCOS, I launched into research on the masculine and feminine energies. This might sound a little woo-woo at first, but stay with me – it’s actually a strong, vital element of Traditional Chinese Medicine practices. It’s not about telling women to speak softly and be submissive or teaching men to be tough and aggressive – as you might expect – in fact, it’s quite the opposite. As a result of the demand on women to perform well in business, to sometimes be the primary breadwinner of the family, and to compete with the go-go-go energy of much of the working world, there has been a tendency for many women to get locked into that kind of “masculine” energy, which can be counter-productive when it comes to getting intimate in the bedroom. We all know that getting turned on is not as simple as pushing a button. The fear and anxiety producing part of the brain – the amygdala – needs to be turned off in order for a woman to get turned on, as Dr. Louann Dr. Brizendine, author of The Female Brain, explains in this article with Oprah and Dr. Oz. “It requires turning off the worrywart circuits in the female brain to have an orgasm,” Dr. Brizendine explains. We all need to balance our masculine and feminine energies - both women and men - as they are in us all. Once we lean too far to the masculine, we can suffer with the side effects.

What you can do to naturally improve a low libido

Now that you’ve identified what might be causing your low libido, let’s talk about practical tools you can begin using now to get your sexy back.

1. Support your adrenal glands. Especially if a demanding work schedule is a reality for you, you’ll need to take extra good care of your body and in particular your adrenal glands to avoid symptoms of adrenal fatigue. Taking Jarrow’s Adrenal Optimizer is one way to begin this process of adrenal support. You can also add these researched aphrodisiacs to your daily routine to supercharge your sex drive.

2. Make pleasure part of your job. Don’t just survive through your day, thrive within it. Adding pleasure to your day in simple non-sexual ways can greatly improve your ability to feel pleasure in the bedroom. Try bringing flowers to your desk or playing music you love during your morning commute. Indulge in body lotions or perfumes (organic, of course!) that make you feel beautiful. Get regular massages. Check out the ideas of our favorite pleasure revolutionary, Mama Gena. You can bring more feminine energy into your working day in some easy, simple ways. I have 4 daily practices I use to ground myself in my feminine energy and make my busy schedule work for me.

3. Take matters into your own hands. You need to ask for you what you want, but first you need to know what you want. Make time to research your sexuality and the underlying causes of your low libido. Read tasteful erotica and see what turns you on - take a wander around Literotica.com. Read about your anatomy and the physiology behind turn-on, and get to grips with the 5 Cs of self-pleasure. Once you know yourself better, don’t be shy to ask for assistance or experimentation from your partner. No partner? No problem. Then you can really take matters into your own hands more often, if you know what we mean. But give vibrators a miss, they’re actually limiting your pleasure.

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

To your FLO,

Alisa

How does dance affect the body and your hormones?

As you know, we here at FLO Living are always interested in the places where science meets women’s bodies. Here we share with you exciting research that shows how a more feminine mode of exercise - Dance - can affect your hormones in a positive way. (And it just so happens that a few of our core team members are dancers, so even more reason to love this topic!)Allow us to introduce you to Dr. Peter Lovatt, a psychologist and former professional dancer who heads the Dance Psychology Lab at the University of Hertfordshire in England.His research is exciting to us for 2 reasons:

1. It supports the fact that dance can actually improve our mental ability to problem solve and think creatively, which for us translates to the power of the body and feminine energy to support the mind and masculine energy.
2. It demonstrates another way that women’s changing hormonal patterns throughout the month actually do affect the way we act and move. The more we are aware of this, the more we can learn to live in tune with our cycles and utilize our energy in the best ways possible.

Check out Dr. Lovatt’s TEDx talk below, where he shares these fascinating findings and some pretty awesome dance clips:(Skip to the 18:50 mark for the real good stuff!)

So this week, we hope you dance at whatever phase of your cycle you might be in!Has dance ever affected your hormones in a positive OR negative way?Share with us below and read on for a dance- and health-inspired story from Jessica, one of our counselors whose journey with dance went from health-damaging to healing and life-changing.Find out how we can help you get in the FLO with your body and hormones!