Are you doing this one thing to block healthy blood flow and nutrient flow to your ovaries?

Take a moment and stand up right now. Yes, get up from your desk or wherever you find yourself. (Don’t worry. No one’s watching.) If you dare, move your hips around, stretch your sides, move your feet.Ok, you can sit down again.Why are we interrupting your daily routine with this seemingly silly request?Only because it could be a large factor in preventing menstrual difficulties, fertility challenges, heart disease, and weight gain - to name a few!The negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle are probably not brand new to you, as there have been recent studies enlightening us. Take this article in Women’s Health Magazine for instance - It highlights the fact that even with set aside time for daily exercise, if you’re spending extended periods of time of sitting, it’s still a health risk.What you might not know is that sitting for long periods of time also decreases circulation to the uterus and ovaries, contributing to any menstrual symptoms you might be experiencing.So what’s a working girl to do?Start with these suggestions that can get you moving in all the right ways!

1. Yoga in your chair. It’s as simple as searching in YouTube for simple exercises you can do while seated.
2. Arvigo Maya Abdominal Massage is a wonderful hands-on healing modality that we recommend to our clients frequently. If you need practitioner referrals, let us know!
3. Clear Passage is another hands-on technique that can help clear up adhesions that might be interfering with your fertility.
4. Hip circle breaks. That’s right - just stand up again and move your hips in a figure-eight pattern. It stretches your psoas muscles and brings circulation to your abdomen. (If you’ve ever been to one of Alisa’s lectures, you’ll know that this is her favorite way to begin!)
5. Dance breaks. Take a few minutes to play your favorite music, step away from your desk, and boogie down. For inspiration, check out our FLO health coach Jess rocking it out at the office.

What are your favorite ways to stay active throughout the day?Share them with us and let’s keep it moving!

Photo credit: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Prevent Hormonal Breakouts: Breaking the Monthly Cycle

Long after puberty, many women experience monthly breakouts. Some changes in the skin over the course of a month are normal--after ovulation the increase of progesterone makes breakouts more likely. For the same reason, taking an oral contraceptive high in progesterone can lead to skin trouble all month long. Also, hormonal imbalances can cause the liver to produce the substances that lead to the wrong kind of sebum--the natural lubricant produced by glands in the skin. There are some things you can do every day to prevent hormonal breakouts.If your diet is high in sugar, fat, processed foods, or foods with chemical additives, your body may have a hard time getting rid of these excesses. Your skin's ability to lubricate and self-clean can be impaired. Remember, your body keeps you healthy by processing out anything toxic, and your skin is a major vehicle for detoxification--including the skin on your face.Americans spend around $6 billion on skin care products each year--there's so much advertising encouraging us to turn to the latest chemical-based product for solutions. The trouble is, those products actually add toxins to our bodies, ultimately contributing to deeper levels of organ imbalance and giving our skin even more to deal with.Here's a quick primer to manage and even prevent hormonal breakouts without chemicals:Daily Detox

Flush away toxins and fatty residues and improve liver function:• increase your water• increase leafy green vegetables• increase raw fruit and veggies (be cautious with this in cold weather)Feed Your SkinLike any other organ, your skin needs specific nutrients for health:• vitamins A, C, and E--eat your veggies!• zinc--whole grains, sunflower seeds, raw nuts• essential fatty acids--flax oil, fish oil, evening primrose oilChemical-Free Skin Care• hot towel scrub: rub down your dry skin with a hot washcloth daily to open all the pores on your body for detoxification (besides just the ones on your face)• lavender essential oil and tea tree oil: natural antiseptics and excellent topical treatments for blemishes• food-based masks and peels: coffee & sugar to exfoliate, avocado to moisturize, and papaya for anti-aging and skin repair

Hi! We've been sending out these free educational health videos one-by-one via e-mail, but we thought you might like the opportunity to view them all in one place. So here they are! Please comment on the videos and let us know what you think. We'd also love to hear back from you on what you want to learn more about. Xoxo - The FLO Living Team

What you don't know CAN hurt your long-term health and fertility

These women did it and you can too!

3 things that are interfering with your periods, fertility, and libido

Are you part of the silent epidemic crushing women's libidos?

Your relationship with your body can revolutionize the future for women

A Valentine Idea - Give your Vagina a Valentine!

On this day when we think we should be receiving love from someone outside of ourselves we wanted to remind you of how much you are being loved from the inside every day.Yes - by your vagina: from the clitoris to the cervix to the uterus to your ovaries -she manages the magical, mysterious, internal ride to your power center. She's constantly taking care of you, sending you messages about what you need to do and who you need to be in order to live into your true potential and life you want to create.She does so many amazing things and most of us don't even really know how she really works!So today, on this day dedicated to the expression of love, we at FLO want to remind you that your vagina loves you.If you would be so kind as to send a little love back to her, who knows what kind of magic might start to happen in your life?Write her a Valentine's day note, a thank you letter. Tell her how you'd like to get better acquainted with her, tell her how much you adore and appreciate her for all the fun you get to have with her, all the healthy periods she manages for you, and even for the ways in which she might be unbalanced at the moment- thank her for the gift of that imbalance as it is only present to point you back in the direction of your highest self. While you're at it, why not thank your entire hormonal system - for everything that it does for you, too!The power really is in your panties ladies!Acknowledge that you are loved today.In light and health,Alisa

As spring is upon us, this week we're featuring a supremely simple treat

that can be enjoyed in combination with any of your efforts to clean and

lighten from the winter months - a spicy citrus salad recipe. The vitamin C in the citrus fruit serves as

an important antioxidant in the body, helping to effectively remove toxins.

The cinnamon in this recipe has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels and

even help combat insulin resistance.

Spicy Citrus Salad Recipe

• Peel and segment (removing rind, pith, and skin) 1 orange or ½ grapefruit per person.
• Arrange citrus segments on a plate. You may add mint or cilantro leaves as a garnish.
• For each orange, and/or ½ grapefruit, drizzle 1 Tsp agave nectar (or raw honey) and 1 Tbsp orange blossom water over citrus segments.
• For each orange, and/or ½ grapefruit, sprinkle 1 tsp. cinnamon on citrus sections.
• Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, letting the flavors blend, and serve!

Let us know how you like it or what modifications you made.

As the weather continues to get warmer, more local kinds of fruit will

ripen. Try modifying this recipe by using fresh, seasonal fruits found at

your local farmer's market like berries, apricots or peaches. Or try adding

some of your favorite spices like clove, ginger or nutmeg. Be sure to let

us know how it goes - post your comments, questions, and favorite fruit

combinations to our blog.

Ready for more food support?

Don’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!Stay in the loop and get more recipes like these by subscribing to our complimentary weekly women’s health newsletters:[gravityform id="3" name="Get on the road to hormonal health!" title="false" description="false"]

How are you holding up this holiday season? Would you like a stress free holiday?(Don't have time to even read this article? You really need some help! Sign Up Here for our Free Holiday Webinar!)

It's only the start, but you may already feel the pressure building, both emotionally and physically, to keep up with all your obligations.Added stress puts strain on our adrenals, those thumb-sized glands that sit right above our kidneys and kick in to help our body combat stress. When overworked from being in a constant state of alert, they can throw off our delicate hormonal balance, impacting our health in a negative way.Some signs that you might be suffering with adrenal exhaustion:

• difficulty waking up in the morning
• insomnia or difficulty falling asleep
• relying on caffeine and/or sweets to keep you going
• foggy-headedness
• depression
• low libido
• getting sick easily, low immunity

Do any of these sound familiar?Not to worry - we've set up a special free holiday webinar just for YOU to get back your energy and avoid the stress and overwhelm that this season can bring. Register by clicking here!Contrary to what goes on in our modern culture at this time of year, in nature winter is the time for focusing inward and nurturing the self. The colder weather outside draws us to a place of inner warmth and reflection, which is why the excessive shopping-eating-drinking-family-stress frenzy that kicks in around Thanksgiving time, is so counter-intuitive and detrimental to our health.We know how draining and stressful the holidays can be - on your adrenals and overall health, as well as your wallet - which is why we're hosting this webinar.

Here is more information on the FLO Holiday Webinar & how you can have a stress free holiday season:

A FLO Fan Holiday Webinar

FLO Living’s Food & Lifestyle Strategies to Avoid PMS Hangovers, Sabotaged Fertility Plans and Zapped Energy this Holiday Season

Tuesday, December 18th, 9:00-10:00am PST/12:00 – 1:00 pm EST

Host: Alisa Vitti, HHC, AADP, FLO Living Founder

Bonus: One lucky lady will win a free FLO Hormonal Sync System valued at $297.

PLUS, each caller receives a $50 FLO Gift Certificate to be put towards a purchase at FLOliving.com.

Sign up now!

PCOS Research - What You Need to Know!

For the past ten years, FLO Living has been the premier advocate for the natural treatment of hormonal imbalances for women in their reproductive years. In this article, we wanted to put a particular focus on Polycystic Ovarian Sydrome (PCOS) since 1 out of 4 women suffer from it, and the statistics are even higher when you include all of the women who have been misdiagnosed or have just not discovered it yet. It is a major health problem for those affected and one of the leading causes of infertility.In Western medicine, PCOS, along with most other hormonal conditions, is considered incurable. Symptoms include all or some of the following: irregular or absent periods, obesity, acne, facial hair, insulin resistance, depression, etc. The most common "treatments" include the birth control pill, Spironolactone for body hair, and Metformin, an insulin-regulating pharmaceutical typically prescribed to diabetics. What do these solutions have in common? They focus on masking your symptoms without getting to the root of what is causing the issue. For those of you reading who have this condition and have tried common therapies, you can also attest to how frustrated most women with PCOS feel about this type of treatment.At FLO Living, we understand the intricate relationship between a woman's hormones, her diet, and her lifestyle. We understand how simple it is to manage your own hormones without having to rely on drugs, once you have the information you need. And we want you to learn this information too, since we feel it is every woman's right to understand her body and know what her options are.A study done by doctors at the University of Naples highlights the fact that "treatment of PCOS and its complications should not solely be based on pharmacological therapies..." but rather states the following:"Taking into consideration the patients' young age and the devastating effects of PCOS on hormonal and metabolic pattern, this complex and multifaceted disease requires a comprehensive approach in order to achieve concrete beneficial effects for PCOS patients."They recommend "Multidisciplinary programs, including dietary and educational counseling, exercise training, stress management and psychosocial support" as the "gold standard" for treatment of PCOS. Doctors are now supporting what we've been saying and teaching for years!

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!

Birth Control Side Effects

Hormonal Manipulation and YouEver read those little information pamphlets that come with your hormonal birth control prescriptions? Ever see the long list of potential birth control side effects and wonder just how much of risk there really is?Interestingly enough, many women today don't really know or understand the health risks that are associated with the manipulation of their hormones through hormonal birth control methods. Your endocrine (hormonal) system is part of a complex network that also impacts your vascular health and brain function. In the old days, when receiving a prescription for hormonal birth control, women were required to sign a piece paper stating that they were aware of the health risks involved - when was the last time you had to do this? And while the pill in particular has seen many changes since it was first released in 1962, many of the same potential side effects remain.

How many of these common birth control side effects are you familiar with?

• Nausea, vomiting, constipation, or bloating
• Irregular menstruation and spotting
• Breast swelling or tenderness
• Decreased libido
• Weight gain or loss of appetite
• Mood swings, anxiety, nervousness or depression
• Changes in vaginal discharge and vaginal infections
• Headaches, dizziness and fatigue
• High blood pressure and cholesterol
• Acne or permanent discolouration of the face
• Fluid retention
• Bone density loss
• Hair loss or changes in hair growth
• Enlarged ovarian follicles

And how about these potential long-term complications of hormonal birth control?

• Eye problems or vision impairment
• Gallbladder disease and gallstones
• Embolism
• Resistance to Insulin
• Immune system suppression
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Breast tumors and liver tumors
• Ectopic Pregnancies
• Links with certain cancers such as cervical cancer
• Blood clots in legs, lungs, heart and brain
• Jaundice

Sounds scary, doesn't it? These potential health risks are not something to be taken lightly - manipulating your hormones is serious business. Remember all of the fuss when HRT was found to be more dangerous than previously thought for women in their menopausal years? Why, then, is it still considered "safe" to manipulate women's hormones during their fertile years?It all comes down to choice.We're not telling you all of this to scare you - many women will continue to use hormonal birth control methods, and will be pleased with their effects. Our goal is simply to empower you with all of the information, so that YOU can make the best choice for YOU. As it stands, the last 70 years or so is the first time in human history that we've manipulated female hormones to this degree. Hormonal imbalances are common in women, and infertility is at an all-time high. Can we say for sure this is all connected? No, but we also can't say for sure that it isn't. With so many options available for re-connecting with our cycles as a powerful source of our feminine energy, why take the drug?*Want to learn more?*If you're interested in reading more about hormonal birth control, here are a couple of good articles to start with:Health Risks of Hormonal Birth Control, from the Women's Health Information websiteIs the Pill Playing Havoc with Your Mental Health? from the Aphrodite Women's Health website

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!

GYN Education for Women

Alisa was recently featured on the Huffington Post Live along with Marcelle Pick, Karen Bokram, and Gina Ryder. They were interviewed by Nancy Redd and the discussion was about the need for GYN Education for Women.The topic: Lost in the sex-ed debate is the importance for girls to understand their bodies, cycle, and health. Can we have health education not tied to sexuality? GYN Education for Women vs. Sex EdClick Here to watch the ladies in action! This discussion came about as a result of a great article by Cathy Margolin - Ladies Need GYN Education More Than SEX EducationHere is an excerpt of that article:Rarely have I encountered a female patient who does not present with some sort of hormonal imbalance. Young women complain of PMS signs such as menstrual cramps, mood swings or breast tenderness. Middle-aged women complain of foggy brain, sluggishness, depression and weight gain around the middle. Fortunately, the majority of my patients are wonderfully observant regarding their symptoms, yet all seem to lack a basic gynecological/hormone education. I include myself in this observation, at least when I was a teenager.I was given that standard 7th Grade talk and short film but beyond that, I was on my own. There was no owner's manual on what my body or hormones were up to each month. Whatever was going on we didn't talk about, but honestly my mother didn't have a clue, either. It didn't help that I was the lone daughter in my family. But we've come a long way since the '70s, haven't we? I'm not so sure about that.From what I see in my Alternative Medicine practice, not much has changed in 40 years. Teens and many of my female friends bemoan their monthly cycle month after month because they lack an education on hormone health. Their standard answer for their monthly menstrual pain is the same bottle of pain killers that I once used or the birth control pill. I know too many women who are menopausal, suffering with hot flashes and have reached adulthood with sex education under their belts, but without a firm grasp on their our own gynecological and hormone health.Although every woman knows about birth control pills, they don't seem to have a concept of how these artificial hormones upset their natural hormonal balance. We have been raised ignorant and left with limited resources to solve our female issues. Most women do not know what to do for their difficulties except mask them with some form of a pill or a heating pad. Effective as these means are, I believe it is high time we treat the root and not just the symptoms. To do so we will need to change some bad habits and give our daughters (and ourselves) some 21st century sex education. Not on sex, but on all that occurs between our reproductive cycles.Click Here to read the full article.

If your period isn't coming, it is time to connect the dots, find help, and make some changes. Do not stress and worry if your period isn't coming, but you should take time to research and inform yourself as well as talking to your healthcare team about your missing periods. It is part of any healthy hormonal cycle, a key measure of a woman’s overall health, and a symbol of our vitality and creativity. Plus, the symptoms we get when we don’t ovulate are no fun.If you’re experiencing infertility you might be all too aware that you are not ovulating, but the best way to keep tabs is to track your ovulation signs.

Why isn't My Period Coming?

There are 5 ways to track your ovulation signs, including tracking your hormonal symptoms. A great way to do this is with the MyFLO app, which makes it easy and educational.Think of your hormonal cycle as a chain reaction–if one stage does not occur properly, the following stages will not receive the correct triggers. When your ovary releases an egg, the ruptured egg sack produces progesterone.

The increase of progesterone in your body encourages the build up and eventual release of the lining of your uterus (bleeding!). Without proper ovulation, low or no progesterone is produced. Communication between your ovaries, uterus, and pituitary gland (the hormone pump in your brain) goes awry.When this chain reaction loses a link you get symptoms that show up in your period or at another time in your cycle. Ovulation every cycle is the key to avoiding these health issues. To ovulate, your body needs the right nutrients and the right kind of care.

Some of the symptoms you’ll get may not even seem like symptoms to you - in the case of light periods. Other symptoms might be what you consider your norm - like late periods every other month. Your body is indicating what you need to do to get back on track. Please be aware the textbook reasons for not ovulating include: pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause, over-exercising, being underweight, or having cysts on your ovaries (PCOS). There are several kinds of PCOS that women can experience on a PCOS spectrum, with specific root causes and specific natural treatments.If none of these apply to you, both you and your doctor might be baffled as to what’s happening and exactly why your period is missing.

But - I know why. I have helped thousands of women bring back their period, regain ovulatory cycles, and banish their symptoms. As I say in the video, one woman came to me who had not had her period in 13 years! After 3 months following my FLO Living protocol she got her period back.It can happen for you, too.

Common reasons for women with a hormonal imbalance

If you are sure that you are not pregnant, and your period isn't coming, there are several explanations. Here are some of the most common cases for abnormal periods for women with a hormonal imbalance:

Light Periods

Your uterine lining not getting the signal to thicken properly.

Lengthy Spotting after Predicted Ovulation Time

Your uterine lining not getting the signal to stay put!

Late/Irregular Periods

These bleeds are usually not officially “periods” at all but breakthrough bleeding instead, which is when your uterine lining builds up, lacks proper signal to release, and eventually breaks through.

Severe Cramps

Cramps indicate not enough progesterone (the “soothing” hormone) produced to balance out high estrogen levels.

Missing Periods

Your period isn’t coming at all. in some cases, lack of ovulation shuts down the entire menstrual process. As you heard in the video, this can happen after you’ve used hormonal birth control, if you have PCOS, or for other reasons.Ovulation can be skipped by your body for a number of reasons - the root cause for women is often stress which, when chronic enough, can throw off your cycle. Other potential factors at play are imbalanced blood sugar and poor sleep.

‍

How to Restart Your Late or Missing Period

The powerful mix of stress and poor sleep is the reason for many women’s period problems.Trying to do it all and have it all leaves us stressed out, overworked, over-caffeinated, sugared up and fatigued. Our high-stress lifestyles take a toll on our kidney/adrenal organ system.In modern terms, this is our stress management system.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is the heart of the body–the source of our basic vitality and creative energy. The kidney system supports all reproductive organs (uterus and ovaries) and activities (sex drive!). If you’ve got adrenal fatigue or “burnout” from doing too much and resting too little, your body may have no energy to produce an egg, hence why your period isn’t coming.

To get ovulation going, you need to rebuild energy in your kidneys. At your local health food store you’ll find plenty of herbal remedies and supplements for building kidney energy, but your body won’t effectively process the delicate herb essences if your diet and lifestyle do not also support you.Luckily, FLO Living’s natural hormone-balancing protocol is designed to simply and effectively solve this issue through implementing the proper food and lifestyle plan for your unique female body - Cycle Syncing. You can start Cycle Syncing today by downloading the MyFLO app to get cycle phase-to-cycle phase advice on the right foods, exercise options, self-care techniques, and other activities to bring back your period, make your cycles regulate, and get you ovulating!

To your FLO,

‍Alisa

A study from the National Institute of Health suggested the majority of women will develop uterine fibroids at some point during their lifetime. These benign uterine growths can range from the size of a pea to that of a melon, and symptoms can vary from none at all to heavy or painful periods, bleeding between periods, pain during intercourse, and lower back pain, to name a few.A diagnosis of uterine fibroids can often mean just one thing: a prescription for the birth control pill as a way to control the growth of the fibroids and symptoms.

This treatment does not get down to the root cause of this health issue or actually address it long term. Hormonal birth control comes with a raft of side effects and can actually exacerbate hormonal imbalances. The other option is often surgery. And most of us, quite rightly, want to avoid invasive surgery as much as possible. The good news is that these are not the only two paths available to most women with fibroids. You can treat fibroids naturally, thus reducing the size of those you have now, preventing the growth of more, and reversing the problem. Understanding what causes uterine fibroids is the first step to treating them.

What causes uterine fibroids?

According to Western medicine, no one knows for certain what causes uterine fibroids. What we do know is that they seem to be affected by our hormones. In other words, excess estrogen in the body seems to make them grow, and they will often decrease in size after menopause (when overall body estrogen is lower). The root cause is estrogen excess or estrogen dominance in the body’s ecosystem. To treat fibroids and alleviate symptoms you need to make food and lifestyle choices that support your body in processing and eliminating this excess estrogen as efficiently and rapidly as possible. You need to create a low estrogen environment in your body. You may have heard that women with fibroids should specifically avoid meat and dairy products from animals treated with synthetic hormones. This is because synthetic hormones (another example is the birth control pill) are unnecessary and powerful estrogens that can create estrogen dominance and provoke fibroids to grow. But, just as some foods are bad for fibroids, some foods are very good for fibroids and can do the opposite, making them shrink and eventually disappear.  Part of the fibroids puzzle is also genetics. If you have fibroids, it’s quite likely your mom or sisters also have this health issue. It’s also more likely that a daughter of yours will be at higher risk of developing fibroids in her teens and 20s. You can of course stop this domino effect in its tracks by ensuring you address the estrogen excess that is the source of the problem.

How to treat fibroids naturally

For decades, here at FLO Living, we’ve offered an alternative to drugs and surgery that has been so effective in minimizing the growth and painful symptoms of uterine fibroids. What makes our approach unique is that we get to the underlying causes of this issue—the estrogen dominance and hormonal imbalance—thus decreasing the likelihood of recurrence.The FLO Living protocol inherently decreases excess estrogen and elevates progesterone levels to bring the hormones in balance. It’s about food choices, but it’s also about eliminating sources of synthetic estrogen from your life like pesticides, chemical-based beauty products and cosmetics, and even generic household cleaners.

There are 5 stages to treating fibroids naturally:

1. Reduce your estrogen overload with changes to your diet and daily routine
2. Improve your lymphatic drainage through movement, sweating, and self-care
3. Reduce your gut inflammation and support your microbiome with fermented foods and probiotics
4. Improve your liver function to encourage elimination of excess estrogen
5. Eat more of these 5 hormone balancing foods and take FLO Living's RELEASE supplement (read more below!)

The emotion-fibroid connection

At FLO Living, we understand that our mental health and physical health are connected. Stress and unprocessed anger can play a role in developing that toxic internal environment where problems like fibroids thrive. Traditional Chinese Medicine points to a connection between the emotional state and fibroid growth. Fibroids are specifically indicative of the energy of the Sacral Chakra or Second Chakra in this practice. Abuse, trauma, blocked creativity,and  resentment can all act as blockers that need to be worked through. More and more research indicates how stress can impact our physical health. Stress weakens the immune system and suppresses the overall optimal function of the body.

An increase in cortisol, the stress hormone, causes an imbalance in progesterone, creating progesterone deficiency and estrogen dominance. Our bodies have a feedback loop and the impact of stress and anger on our physical health can be profound and extend far beyond raised blood pressure. Investigating your relationship with stress and anger and finding healthy outlets for their expression can be a key component in your healing journey. This can mean managing daily stress levels, prioritizing self-care, and elevating the amount of pleasure in your life. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!

The best supplements for uterine fibroids

We've created a supplement kit that contains micronutrients and enzymes to promote healthy hormone balance so that you reduce your uterine fibroid symptoms naturally.Our brand new RELEASE supplement kit contains:

• Sulforaphane: Provides protection against fibroid growth
• N-Acetyl-L-Cystine (NAC): Antioxidant support to fight inflammation, Can reduce the size of ovarian cysts
• Diindolylmethane (DIM): Assists the body in removing excess estrogen, May improve hormonal acne, May reduce long periods (longer than 7 days)
• Calcium-D-Glucarate: Supports the liver in breaking down and removing xenoestrogens

Cultures throughout time and from all ends of the globe have traditionally taken baths, or "taken to the waters", as a way to detoxify the body, heal various ailments and illnesses, and improve their overall health. In today's modern world, this ancient healing practice can be a luxurious and important tool for creating and maintaining vibrant health and well-being. Many aspects of our daily lives - high fat diets, artificial foods, stress, pesticides, pollution, plastics, and power lines, to name but a few - can combine to overload our organs of elimination (our liver, kidneys and skin), making them unable to properly process out used estrogens and other metabolic wastes. Read on to learn how taking a bath can be an incredible self-care practice for your body & spirit.

‍

Indulge, relax, and enjoy bath time!

One of the most pleasurable tools for supporting your body in its natural detoxification process is weekly or daily therapy with salt and water. Soaking in salts or scrubbing down with them feels glorious! Plus, it draws toxins out of the body and allows important minerals to soak in.

Some of the benefits of bathing with salts include:

• stimulates circulation
• reduces skin inflammation
• relieves muscle tension (great if you sit at a computer all day!)
• polishes skin
• opens pores and draws out toxins
• nourishes the body with calcium, magnesium and potassium
• helps clear out "emotional static" leftover from our interactions with other people

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How To: Reap the Advantages of Sea Salt Water Baths

‍Create your own spa rituals at home! Try adding salts to a hot bath, using salts in the water for your hot towel scrub, or scrubbing down with salts and essential oils in the shower. Allow yourself to make these practices a consistent and conscious part of your self-care routine - you'll notice the difference, and your body will thank you!

‍Need help getting started? Here are some of our favorite recommendations:

1. ‍Masada Dead Sea Mineral Bath Salts: high-quality, affordable bath salts scented with a variety of essential oils; try eucalyptus for managing winter colds.
2. ‍Sunshine Spa Herbal Salt Scrub: great in the shower; salts are suspended in luscious, healthy carrier oils from almonds, sunflower seeds, grape seeds, and avocados; try lavender for rest and relaxation.
3. ‍Trillium Organic Body Polish: great in the shower and healthy enough to eat; salts are suspended in safflower oil and vitamin e for moisture balance; try pink grapefruit for cleansing and refreshing.
4. Or try making your own! Start with coarsely ground sea salt - either add it to your bath water with a few drops of your favorite essential oil, or combine it in a jar with an equal amount of coconut, olive, or sesame oil and a few drops of an essential oil to use as a shower scrub. Then treat yourself to a nice long soak with candles, hot tea, and a good book. Be sure your favorite cozy pajamas are waiting nearby!

Will 'Happy Pills' really make you happy? Or do you need hormone help?

Chances are that you or someone you know at some point has been prescribed anti-depressants: for anxiety or depressive episodes that happen before your periods, for postpartum depression, or for PMDD (pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder). Before you reach for the pills, we want to be sure that you know the underlying causes of your mood imbalances, and that you're aware of the effective natural options available to you. For those with major mood imbalances, these "happy pills" can be lifesavers. However, today’s woman is being overprescribed to for issues that are influenced by hormonal fluctuations and are therefore treatable by natural means.

A Timeline of Medicating Women

To fully understand the medication trend, let’s take a look at a few key points on the timeline:1870s and beyond - Hysteria, had the medical world believing that hysterectomies were the answer to women's mood swings. Not a drug, but a surgical procedure! (We prefer the orgasmic antidote: If you haven't seen this brilliant movie yet, do watch it!)1956- Miltown, the first “psychiatric wonder drug” became an overnight phenomenon, selling out in nearly every drugstore. Psychiatrists and drug companies underestimated Miltown, thinking that people would go for talk therapy instead. This drug was marketed to women struggling with the rigors of motherhood.1963- Valium, in the Guiness Book of World Records for the most prescribed drug of all time, was touted as “Mother’s little helper,” and even got its own theme song by The Rolling Stones. Still a popular drug today, many people take Valium continuously for years, though Valium only provides anxiety relief for around four months.1970- Lithium, a drug that had been used to treat a variety of illnesses unsuccessfully since its discovery in 1817, was approved by the FDA for mania. It has since been used to treat a variety of mood and psychiatric disorders, including premenstrual depression. No one knew why or how lithium worked until 1998.1987 and 1991- Prozac and Zoloft, the first “safe” antidepressants, were introduced and mass marketed to consumers. Zoloft was approved to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder in 2003. Later that year, Pfizer, the company producing the drug, launched its “Zoloft for Everything” campaign, along with a questionnaire on lack of motivation for typical household chores and women hanging their heads. (and just so we’re all aware of how far this brand name has come, my computer officially recognizes “Zoloft” as a properly spelled word…and even capitalizes it automatically)

2000 - Sarafem becomes a new name for Prozac. The FDA approves the marketing of the same drug under a new name to be specifically targeted at women with PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), complete with pink and lavender-colored capsules.2009 - Studies reveal anti-depressant medications taken during pregnancy are causing birth defects in babies.Do you see a trend here? Medication is marketed as the escape from the "burdens" of womanhood, yet women are not being made aware of the potential dangerous side-effects of these medications, or of other options available.

We're here to tell you something different

When you care for your female body in the cyclical and natural way it's meant to be cared for, you will clear up the frustrating physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms associated with imbalanced hormones. You will find what we refer to as your FLO.

Why Natural Approaches to Healing PMS, PMDD, and Depression Work

1. The food you eat becomes the building blocks for serotonin, the regulator of your moods. 90% of the serotonin your body make is produced in the small intestine - not in your brain, as you might have thought! What you eat influences how you feel and think.
2. Your liver's ability to break down and eliminate excess estrogen is another important factor in ensuring that your hormones are balanced throughout all the phases of your menstrual cycle. A diet deficient in liver-supportive foods will impair your ability to stay balanced. When our livers are overburdened with medications, pesticides from foods, chemicals in beauty products and cleaning supplies, how can we expect them to properly keep our bloodstream clean, clear, and balanced? We can't.
3. If you treat a woman's body the same every day and every week despite the range of hormonal shifts that are constantly happening, you are not allowing her full expression to come through. Emotions should not be pathologized. Learning how to understand and process your emotions throughout the 4 phases of your cycle should be mandatory education in every school system! The more we allow ourselves to find healthy outlets for anger and sadness, the less they will get stuck in our body, thus causing the depressed feelings many of us experience.

Our protocol in the WomanCode System not only supports your mind and body with the proper serotonin-boosting foods, but it lays the foundation for hormonal balance and a healthy experience with your feminine energy and emotions - a foundation that will last you for years to come.

Important Points to Consider:

• Before you jump to thinking that your irritability or anxiety require medication, take into consideration the fact that your blood sugar might just be imbalanced (which is something treatable with food!)

• If you're dealing with postpartum depression, know that a boost in Omega 3s and B-vitamins through the food you're eating could be the missing link.

• If you've been diagnosed with PMDD or PMS, know that high levels of estrogen could be influencing your moods and liver-supportive foods and supplements will help you create the proper balance in your moods and body.

If you have been prescribed medication for any kind of symptoms but have a feeling that it's not the right option for you, talk to us. We have a team of counselors who would love to chat with you over the phone and get you on the road to balanced moods and hormones.

Seasonal transitions can be rough. Here in NYC last week, the weather outside got gloomy and stormy, coinciding with the first week of September which always signifies that back-to-school/back-to-work reality check.The weather inside – meaning my own body and mind – was also gloomy and stormy. I struggled with extra rough PMS from a delayed period and I was feeling the depressing effects of whacky hormones combined with lack of sunlight and the atmospheric pressure outside.The result: much difficulty waking up in the mornings, feeling motivationally challenged to do anything but the basics, having carby cravings and scattered thoughts. Bleh. (Yes, even health coaches get down in the dumps sometimes!)The reason I’m sharing this with you is because I have a feeling I’m not alone in these kinds of symptoms. If you have been feeling out of sorts, if your cycle is irregular, if you have now or have had in the past depressive symptoms like low mood and energy, difficulty sleeping, and trouble focusing, then chances are the current seasonal shift is affecting you. You may have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Coping with Seasonal Affective Disorder and PMS at the same time can be completely overwhelming.I’m on the other end of it now and wanted to share my tactics for working through this low-level pre-menstrual depression, as well as preventing it from happening in the future. Given the time of year we’re in, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can begin affecting us, making PMS symptoms even worse, so it’s important to prepare and prevent.Read on for the research I’ve gathered, plus practical tools you can start implementing now!

Why Pre-menstrual Depression & Seasonal Affective Disorder Happen

Both pre-menstrual depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder occur because of low levels of the hormones serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin is produced in our bodies from the precursor amino acid tryptophan, and melatonin is converted from serotonin by the pineal gland at night. Thus, low serotonin yields low melatonin, which messes with our sleep cycles and further contributes to depressed feelings.Take away regular doses of natural sunlight with the darkening weather, and it gets even worse – Sunlight increases serotonin production, as well as Vitamin D production, which helps maintain the serotonin levels. I should also mention that the stress hormone cortisol can impact serotonin production, so if you throw stress into the mix, it will exacerbate the problem.

Coping with Seasonal Affective Disorder and PMS

Here are the most essential food and lifestyle recommendations to help combat the above-mentioned problems.- Eat good things. Particularly things that contain the amino acid tryptophan. These include: turkey, chicken, seafood, eggs, buckwheat, nuts, seeds, legumes. Vitamin B6 is also important for melatonin production and progesterone production (essential for combating PMS!) so pick up a B6 supplement and increase the foods listed above. I’m also including a smoothie recipe below that is rich in serotonin-boosting nutrients!

- Light up your life. Get out of bed and go for a walk first thing in the morning! Waking your body up with natural light is one of the best things you can do for moods and monthly cycle. If it’s hard to come by where you live, get a natural light bulb, or one of these cool gadgets:o Sunlight-simulating alarm clock by Gaiamo Lightmask by Rio (especially beneficial if you also suffer from migraines)- “Rhythm. Rhythm is a Dancer….” Not just the chorus to one of my fave 90s songs, this phrase indicates adding essential rhthym to your life in a few forms!! Yes, get groovy with your dance moves or find the kind of exercise that is pleasurable for you. Also, get into a rhythm with your schedule overall. Waking up and going to sleep at the same time, as well as eating meals and exercising at similar times every day greatly improve your body’s inner circadian rhythms, which will help regulate your sleep cycle and menstrual cycle.- Get busy under the covers, too. The decreasing sunlight and colder weather we experience in the fall and winter are great excuses to increase heatness in bed. Yes, I mean sex, with a partner or solo. The benefits of orgasm are amazing! Just do it!- Make your social network a reality. Get off facebook and get into real personal contact with humans! Chance are, you’re not alone in feeling down. Picking up the phone to chat with a friend can be the greatest remedy of all. Stay connected.- Imitate children. When was the last time you picked up paints or made a collage out of old magazine pictures? Add art and creative energy to your life by engaging in activities that make you feel like a kid again. Just for fun.Before I leave you with a SAD-busting smoothie recipe, I want to invite you to set up a call with me this month. I’m opening up a few special spots in my calendar for anyone dealing with these kinds of issues and looking to set up a network of support for this fall and beyond. I know it’s not always easy to implement the changes that you know you should, and I happen to be pretty good at getting you to do it ;)Click here to set up your consult so that we can get started! (When prompted, choose the option for Phone Consultation)to your light,Jessica

"Liquid Sunshine" Smoothie Recipe

This smoothie is packed with foods high in tryptophan and B6 (banana, flax), protein, antioxidants, and supportive nutrients for counteracting PMS, SAD, and depression (did you know that turmeric boosts progesterone production, improves the vascular health of the ovaries, AND is a natural anti-inflammatory?).Get your blender out and get to it!

• ½ banana
• 1 heaping tbsp ground flax
• 1 scoop egg white protein or pea protein powder
• handful of frozen blueberries
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp chlorella powder
• 1 cup water or almond milk, or a combination of the two

Blend everything together. Drinking it in the sunshine is preferable :)

Hair loss in women is a common and growing (!) issue. Whether you're dealing with menstrual issues, fertility concerns, or energy and libido struggles, chances are your hair will be affected at some point. It doesn't have to be a cause for concern, though. With the proper care and treatment of the underlying causes, you can prevent hair loss from happening and help restore any that has already been lost. Read on to find out how!As you might imagine hormones both stimulate hair growth and hair loss. Understanding the interplay between your hormonal balance and your diet can help prevent the most distressing aspects of hair loss. Female hair loss is caused by the combination of the presence of an abundance of the androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and having hair follicles that have more androgen receptors for DHT. While there is a genetic component to this issue, you have the ability to do a lot to support your body's ability to process hormones efficiently. Hair follicles are very responsive to hormonal changes and imbalances in the body. The good news is that most hair loss is temporary and resolves itself after the body has regained its equilibrium and with the proper care.

These are the 8 most common causes of hair loss in women:

1. Hormonal Birth Control - Women who have hair loss issues, especially if there is a genetic predisposition to them, can have hair loss occur at a much younger age by taking birth control pills. Usually this is reversible.
2. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) - Women with this condition suffer from a variety of possible symptoms, one of which can be hair loss. It is best to address the complexity of this hormone imbalance through holistic means.
3. Pregnancy/Childbirth - Already mentioned, some women experience major shifts in their hair due to hormone fluctuations. This may mean curlier or straighter hair than normal, thicker hair, and often hair loss. Some women experience these changes during pregnancy while more women experience it after pregnancy. Either way, in most cases it usually resolves itself completely.
4. Thyroid Disease - Both an overactive thyroid and an underactive thyroid can cause hair loss. Thyroid imbalances can be diagnosed by your physician through laboratory testing. These imbalances are completely treatable through holistic means.
5. Deficient diet - With so many fad diets and extreme "detox" plans out there, it's very easy for women to inadvertently affect their hair's texture and thickness. Oftentimes an extreme shift in diet, particularly a low protein diet, extreme calorie restriction, or a predominately junk-food vegetarian diet may cause a protein deficiency that results in massive amounts of hair shedding, often two or three months after the shift in diet began. Choosing safe detox programs and restoring a proper balance to your diet can reverse the hair loss.
6. Medications - Prescription drugs that treat anxiety and depression, as well as blood pressure may cause temporary hair shedding in a small percentage of people. It's important for women to know this as so many women opt for mood-stabilizing drugs when they feel at a loss in facing major life transitions. Most of the mood stabilizer and antidepressant drugs can cause this side effect.
7. Low Serum Iron - Iron deficiency can cause hair loss. Women with heavy or too frequent menstrual periods may develop iron deficiency. Low iron can be detected by laboratory tests and can be corrected with iron supplementation.
8. Stress - Stress is an interesting factor in hair loss for some. It can result from a major stress episode, and will cause the shedding three months after the episode and hair regrowth can resume three months after that. However, so many women now deal with chronic low grade stress, and depending on their genetic predisposition, this kind of stress can trigger earlier onset of androgenic hair loss.

What can you do to prevent hair loss?

First and foremost, avoid taking birth control pills or antidepressants if you don't absolutely have to. Even if you think you do, seek another opinion and alternative first. If you are hormonally sensitive, and increasing numbers of women are (due to the amount of xenoestrogens in the environment and in food), then adding in synthetic hormones can further exacerbate a hormonal issue. In addition, it's very critical to maintain a healthy diet - avoid fad diets, extreme detox programs, or experimenting with vegetarianism without guidance. Physical activity is another fantastic preventative; it serves double duty both in promoting circulation of key nutrients to hair follicles and also in mitigating the hair compromising effects of the stress hormones on your body.

What can you do if hair loss is happening to you?

If you're finding yourself with hair that's thinning, or dealing with a hormonal issue, then first and foremost schedule a call with us at FLO. On the call we'll identify which of the many causes might be the culprit in your situation. What's most important is to learn about what's causing your hormonal imbalance and then to proceed through a healing process that addresses these underlying factors - including proper nutrition, support of the organs of elimination, and stress management. You can also go to your general physician or gynecologist and ask for a full hormonal panel. This way you'll know if there's anything you can work on in the short term - like an iron or thyroid issue. If it's not thyroid-related or if it's not a protein or an iron deficiency, then it's really an indication that your elegantly complex endocrine system needs some attention. Luckily, our programs are designed to do just that!

Does it happen to EVERYONE?

In fact, it is more common than it is discussed. Although it's normal to lose between 50-100 hairs a day, most people experience excessive hair loss at some point in their life. The good news is that most causes are temporary while only a few are permanent. The best news is that learning about how your body works, understanding how to properly care for your hormonal system, and then making that the basis of your healthy lifestyle is the easiest thing you can do as a woman to improve your health for the long term!

FLO is committed to helping you understand the amazing natural healing options that are available to you, so that you can make knowledgeable, powerful choices about how to care for your body and your menstruation, fertility, and sexual health.

First: Monitoring Your Cervical Health

When was the last time you had a check-up? Annual pap smears are important to check for HPV and to monitor the health of your cervix.

With about 70% of the population carrying HPV (human papilloma virus), the chances are good that many of us will have to deal with an abnormal pap smear at some point. Getting an abnormal pap smear can feel very scary. Words like pre-cancer create a lot of anxiety and the proposed treatment - a LEEP procedure - can be uncomfortable and painful.

We all know someone or have ourselves been through the worrisome wait for test results. But the more educated you are about your body, the more prepared you will feel. The reality is that the vast majority of abnormal pap smears show low grade cervical dysplasia or cervical abnormalities that do not lead directly to pre-cancer cells or a cancer diagnosis. Getting yourself checked-up and tested is important, but for most women, an abnormal result should not be cause for alarm. The majority of cervix health issues are very treatable and you can feel confident that the next time you have a check-up, everything will be fine.

When it comes to HPV, even though here is no secret cure in most cases by boosting your immune system and taking the proper steps, you can have a clear pap smear in a matter of weeks. Yes, you can actually reverse your HPV diagnosis, treat it, and get rid of it. This means, once diagnosed, you can work to support your body, boost your immunity, and then, when you return to your OBGyn, the HPV will be gone.

There are, of course, certain cases in which HPV and/or an abnormal pap smear can be more serious, so please work with your health care practitioner to assess your situation, and don’t be afraid to get second opinions. Getting regular pap smears is still the best way to maintain your cervical health.

There is a difference between low grade cervical dysplasia and high grade cervical dysplasia. The following suggestions relate to low grade cervical dysplasia symptoms only. However, we want you to know that your body is remarkably resilient, and there are natural approaches to healing your cervix:

• With good nutrition and the right supplements your immune system could fight off an HPV infection and replace abnormal cells with healthy tissue
• With a strong immune system, your body should be able to clear HPV by itself
• A full 90% of HPV infections will clear in 2 years according to the World Health Organization, but most of us need to boost our immunity to make that happen quickly

It’s important that every woman know this is possible and that you can take a proactive position on your own health and well-being. Knowledge is power, the more you have at your fingertips the better! Plus, how can you know what is best for you and your body without all the information? The following natural remedies have been shown to help clear up HPV when the issue is caught early and cervical cell changes are minimal.

6 Natural Remedies for HPV and Cervical Health

1. ‍Vitamin C  - studies have shown the protective, immunity-boosting benefits of good vitamin C intake on cervical health.‍
2. Zinc - zinc deficiency is considered a risk factor for the development of cervical health issues. ‍
3. Folic Acid - multiple studies have linked low levels of folic acid to a higher incidence of cervical dysplasia. You can also combine it with B12 for increased protection against cervical cell changes.  ‍
4. Beta Carotene - women with high levels of beta-carotene were up to 50 percent less likely to acquire any HPV-related infections than females with low levels of beta-carotene. ‍
5. Selenium - in a recent study, supplementation with selenium improved the cervical health of over 75% of women, over a period of 6 months.
6. DIM - Di-indolyl-methan, also known as DIM, has been shown to have a positive effect on HPV and could potentially halt the spread of cervical cancer.

HPV is very common and often very treatable with these natural remedies. Other common women’s health issues - like UTIs, yeast infections, and bacterial vaginosis - are also avoidable and treatable with natural remedies. If you are very prone to UTIs and seem to get them all the time, we have developed a protocol that can stop this cycle in its tracks.

FLO Living is committed to helping you understand the amazing natural healing options that are available to you, so that you can make knowledgeable, powerful choices about how to care for your body and your menstrual and sexual health.

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!

Every so often we like to pull stories directly from our online community to share with you the amazing transformations that are happening here at FLO, and to inspire you to see yourself in someone else's success. Today, we hope you enjoy Paula's awakening and get inspired to know that you can heal your body and hormonal imbalances!Hello ladies!After watching the first video in this module I was soooo moved! I've finally understood what's been happening in my body for the last 5 years: the panic attacks after major exercise, the constant fear and anxiety, the "I'm not a morning person" belief that turned into "I'm an owl" belief, the weight gain, the facial and body hair, the sudden cellulite, the painful periods, the grumpiness, the radical feelings, the constant anger. And then the feeling of unworthiness and the lack of confidence that came as a result of this long-lasting state of mind and adrenal fatigue.I cannot count the numerous endocrine doctors I visited, the gynecologists, the dermatologists, the homeopaths, the naturopaths. It's been there all the time. I remember researching about the adrenal glands, and the hypothalamus, and the pituitary gland. I was young and all my theories faded in front of the doctors. I remember having an ultrasound scan of my adrenals done by some doctor, hormonal blood tests, taking a medicine called Aldactone that my body refused after a month, taking the pill in order to get the testosterone under control even if I did not want to take it (and obviously forgetting about taking it so often!).I remember being told it was nothing or being sent to the shrink, skepticism everywhere and being treated like a little girl who has thrown a tantrum. I remember reading Christiane Northrup's book Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, and as amazing as it was, I still felt lost and didn't know where to begin. No one could connect the dots except me, but I guess I wasn't prepared to listen to my body until I discovered Alisa Vitti and FLO living.After beginning the FLO program, I'm not even angry at the doctors or at myself anymore because I'm so happy that it finally makes sense! The answer was there all the time waiting for me to just see it. And that is really what I've been looking for all these years, not just healing, but understanding.I feel so relieved to know I'm not crazy and I don't need a shrink! Now, I understand my story and I understand this can be healed. I'm crying right now, I'm sooo fantastically happy and proud of myself.I’m so looking forward to the future! I feel like I can do anything, be an enhanced version of myself again.I can't stress it enough THANK YOU Flo living team, thank you Alisa Vitti for sharing your story, inspiring us and sharing your knowledge, thanks for the online support I'm getting. This was my best decision ever.~ Paula Muñoz, Designer, Art Director & Filmmaker, Madrid, Spain

The Top 10 Health Benefits of Orgasms for Women

1. Improves circulation to organs in the pelvic cavity, delivering nutrients, growing healthy tissues, and regulating your menstrual cycle. Women who have intercourse at least once a week are more likely to have normal menstrual cycles than women who are celibate or who have infrequent sex.

‍2. Increases fertility and sense of wellness by energizing your hypothalamus gland, which regulates appetite, body temperature, emotions, and the pituitary gland, which in turn regulates the release of reproductive hormones that induce ovulation and cervical fluid.

‍3. Provides overall lymphatic massage, helping your body’s natural detoxification process to improve digestion and mood and help prevent cancer.

‍4. Promotes healthy estrogen levels to keep vaginal tissues supple and protect against osteoporosis and heart disease.

‍5. Induces deep relaxation by boosting endorphin levels and flushing cortisol (an inflammatory hormone released by the adrenal glands) out of the body.

‍6. Spikes DHEA levels in the body. DHEA hormone improves brain function, balances the immune system, helps maintain and repair tissue, and promotes healthy skin.

‍7. Helps you look younger —studies show making love three times a week in a stress free relationship can make you look 10 years younger.

‍8. Boosts infection-fighting cells up to 20%–helps fight colds and flu!

‍9. Cures migraines and helps treat other types of pain by elevating pain thresholds (a bonus when preparing for childbirth!)

‍10. Increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, which is linked to passion, intuition, and social skills—the hormone of bonding and success!

‍If you are missing out on these amazing health benefits of orgasm, it’s time to investigate the reasons why.

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What About Squirting / Female Ejaculation?

Female ejaculation is the expulsion of fluid from the Skene's glands, which are located near the urethra. This phenomenon has been the subject of much discussion, and there is still much to learn about it. However, there is some evidence to suggest that there may be health benefits associated with female ejaculation.

1. Stress relief: Like an orgasm, ejaculation can be a release of tension and result in relaxation. It is possible that female ejaculation may have a similar effect, potentially providing stress relief.
2. Improved sexual satisfaction: Many women report that they experience greater sexual satisfaction when they are able to ejaculate. This may be due in part to the fact that it can increase intimacy between partners and can be a sign of a deeper connection.
3. Improved bladder control: The Skene's glands are located near the bladder, and it is possible that the muscles used during ejaculation may also help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which can improve bladder control.
4. Increased lubrication: Female ejaculation can produce a significant amount of fluid, which can help to lubricate the vaginal area, making sex more comfortable and enjoyable.
5. Possible immune system benefits: Some studies have suggested that the fluid produced during female ejaculation may contain antimicrobial properties that could help to boost the immune system.

It's important to note that not all women are able to ejaculate, and the amount and consistency of the fluid can vary greatly from woman to woman. Additionally, more research is needed to fully understand the health benefits (if any) of female ejaculation.

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Why you’re not having orgasms

Every body is different, so first try and reflect on whether you are more focused on your own pleasure or if you are focused on trying to be "normal." Stress is actually a major cause of decreased libido. Added stress puts strain on our adrenals, those thumb-sized glands that sit right above our kidneys and kick in to help our body combat stress. This can become a very unfair vicious cycle - orgasms are one of the best stress relievers (physically and mentally) and yet stress can make it very hard for women to have an orgasm. The adrenal glands secrete the hormones necessary to keep your libido intact. When overworked from being in a constant state of stress, the last thing your body wants to do is have sex or procreate – which means you won’t get to experience the health benefits of an orgasm! Your body goes into survival mode and is just worried about sustaining itself.

Aside from low libido, here are some other signs that you might be suffering with adrenal exhaustion:

• Difficulty waking up in the morning
• Insomnia or difficulty falling asleep
• Relying on caffeine and/or sweets to keep you going
• Foggy-headedness
• Depression
• Getting sick easily, low immunity

‍

Does this sound familiar? Take time to address your stress and heal your adrenals with some extreme self-care in the coming weeks. Cycle Syncing® your life is the ultimate strategy for “doing it all” and “having it all” without feeling like you're always on the brink of total burn-out.

How to have more orgasms

You can use the MyFLO app to track when you have sex, but also to learn about the best way to approach sex for each phase of your cycle. The app provides comprehensive advice and tips on how to make sure sex is always great for you, regardless of whether you’re premenstrual or on your period.

For women - the best path to orgasm changes depending on which phase of your cycle you’re in and what’s happening with your hormones. Tracking your cycle and knowing this information can help you to have more and better orgasms.

For example, during your pre-menstrual phase you will likely need more foreplay (like a good make out session on the couch first) and when you’re in your follicular phase you could be more turned on by something novel and new in the bedroom.

Learn more by downloading the MyFLO app. Through the app you can have emails sent your partner that will automatically nudge them towards the kind of intimacy you need during each phase of your hormonal cycle. Thankfully, there’s lots you can do to start having more orgasms .

• Take these 4 sex drive-boosting supplements
• Add these natural aphrodisiacs to your diet - in fact, you can start with this sexy salad recipe
• Try these 3 simple life hacks to increase your libido
• Stop using a vibrator - sorry ladies, it’s true, vibrators are preventing you from receiving the full health benefits of an orgasm
• Ditch the birth control pill - studies show the pill decreases libido for many women, as well as lowering the frequency and intensity of orgasms. Once you’re off the pill, be sure to support your body in making essential hormones again so your libido can bounce back.

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How to Have Better Orgasms to Improve Your Health and Balance Your Hormones. Watch now!

We all know about the most obvious side effects of the birth control pill, like blood clots, breast cancer risk, and depression. But there are a few you probably haven't heard about yet, which may already be affecting you:

1. Counteracting Your Fitness GoalsA study found that women on the pill gain 60% less muscle mass than women who are not taking oral contraceptives. In a 10-week weight training program, half the participants were on the pill and half were not. By the end of the program, women who were not on the pill had gained significantly more muscle mass, had higher levels of muscle-building hormones, and lower levels of muscle-breaking hormones like cortisol.

2. Attracting the Wrong MateGuess what? The pill may also be wreaking havoc on your relationships. In an experiment conducted at the University of Bern in Switzerland, women were asked to smell t-shirts worn by anonymous men and then pick the one that appealed to them most. The results showed that they chose the ones with a certain gene set that were very different from their own, making them genetically compatible. When this set of genes is too similar, the risk of miscarriage increases. Women who were on the pill in this study chose the t-shirts with genes that were very similar to their own, suggesting that the pill interferes with a woman's ability to choose her most compatible mate. As one woman from the study pointed out, "A colleague of mine wonders if the Pill may contribute to divorce. Women pick a husband when they're on birth control, then quit to have a baby and realize they've made a mistake."

Of course, the pill can and does work for some women, however if you're using it to put a band-aid over annoying menstrual symptoms, to regulate an irregular cycle, or because you don't know what else to do, it's time to consider other options.

Getting in touch with your natural hormonal balance is key to unblocking many areas of your life that you may not have even considered were related. We are not knocking the pill and the incredible impact it's had on so many women and the women's liberation movement as a whole. As we at FLO have always believed, it's so important to know the facts and have all your options available before making any decision, especially when it affects your body.

If you are on the pill as a band-aid therapy to mask symptoms like irregular cycles, acne, or heavy and painful periods- you should know there is another more effective option. Our 5-step protocol gets to the underlying causes of all of those symptoms, balancing your hormones and avoiding the dangerous side effects of medication. Why not take a break from unnecessary medication and experiment with what being natural can do for your body - and your love life!

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

First, are you currently on the pill or have you been on it in the past?

Second, have you noticed side effects of the birth control pill that we haven't mentioned?

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

Need more Hormone Help?

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

Welcome to Winter! Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, and the turning point that marks the beginning of the winter season. This is the perfect time to look inward, embrace the darkness, and check in with our bodies to be sure we are aligning with Mother Nature. The better you take care of yourself now, the better prepared you will be for the transformative, blossoming energy of Spring that is a few months away.

As our Solstice gift to you, we’ve outlined our top 7 tips to stay healthy during the Winter:

1. Nourish your adrenal glands

Yes, yes, you’ve heard us say this many times before! If you haven’t before, now’s the time to listen ;) As the deeply-wired stress-responsive glands and roots of your reproductive health, your adrenal glands need all the support they can get during any stressful time, but especially during the holidays and winter season. As the wisdom of Chinese Medicine tells us, the winter season is when our adrenals and kidneys are most dominant and open to support or damage – depending on how we treat them. Support your adrenal glands with proper nutrition for the season. Include sea vegetables, kidney beans, black sesame seeds, chestnuts, sardines, buckwheat, beets, and miso in your diet.

2. Move your body

Even if you’re out of town for the holidays or stuck inside after a snowstorm, there are plenty of ways to stay active indoors. Start each morning with three sun salutations or download a yoga class off of YouTube. Let loose - turn up the radio and dance to your favorite music! And if you’re up for the outdoors, plan a date and go ice skating with your friends, family or lover.

3. Think before you choose hot drinks

While it can be tempting to grab a gingerbread latte or mocha as refuge from the cold, beware of energy-zapping effect these caffeinated, sugary beverages can have on your adrenals over the long term. Instead, there are plenty of ways to get creative with your hot drink options while still being kind to your body. Spice up your herbal tea and get more antioxidants by adding a handful of dried goji berries in the cup. Have steamed rice milk, nut milk or soy milk with a dash of nutmeg, vanilla and a sweetener of your choice. At Starbucks, go for a tea “Misto” with soy milk. Need some caffeine? Kukicha twig tea and roasted green tea make delicious yet gentle winter options. Relax with your favorite book and sip away.

4. Load up on water inside you

Since Winter represents the Water Element, take extra care in providing your body with quality, pure water frequently throughout the day. Invest in a purifying filter, to rid your water of any impurities and save the earth the carbon footprint of using plastic bottles. Squeeze a slice of lemon and add a dash of cayenne for a liver-cleansing and warming bonus!

5. Bathe in water around you

The perfect way to end a winter’s day? Immerse yourself in a hot bath filled with your favorite salts, herbs and essential oils. It will soothe your skin from the harsh weather and promote detoxification. Light a few candles and play soothing music to promote your deepest relaxation.

6. Give and receive

Feeling drained from frantic gift-shopping that feels overdone or unnecessary? Give in a different way this year and feel fulfilled rather than spent. Make a donation to your favorite charity. A few that we love: Women for Women , Kiva.org and Heifer International.

7. Reflect and set intentions

Set aside 30 minutes for yourself. Click here to open the Intention Setting Worksheet. Winter, being the menstruation phase of the year, is the perfect time for reflection and tuning into your inner wisdom. What have you accomplished in the past year? Where do you see yourself in a year from now? Don’t feel compelled to take action – just start writing and see what you come up with.

Wishing you and your families a magical holiday season!

Stay Healthy During the Winter Months!

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

Hi Ladies!Alisa talks Hormone Friendly Foods on CBS' Eye on New York. Click here to check out the interview!

An article in the New York Times "What Exercise Science Doesn't Know About Women," brings up the point that, well, scientists don't really know much about the effects of exercise on women's bodies:

Scientists know, of course, that women are not men. But they often rely on male subjects exclusively, particularly in the exercise-science realm, where, numerically, fewer female athletes exist to be studied. But when sports scientists recreate classic men-only experiments with distaff subjects, the women often react quite differently.In the meantime, female athletes should view with skepticism the results from exercise studies that use only male subjects. As Dr. Rowlands says — echoing a chorus of men before him — when it comes to women, there’s a great deal that sports scientists “just don’t understand.”

So what's a girl to do?

Let us fill in the gaps for you! Your bodies are unique - not only are they different from men's, but they are also different throughout different points of the month.

When it comes to excercise especially, it's so important to change your routine according to where you're at in your cycle. We can't always push as hard as we'd like to, and sometimes the pushing can feel really good.While science works to catch up with us, we'd love to share with you some of our tips on adjusting your exercise routine to match your body's internal rhythms.

Exercise guidance for each phase of your cycle:

• While bleeding -Women usually fall into 1 of 2 categories: those who need to curl up in a ball on the first day of their periods and those who feel an energy surge. Either way, we recommend giving your body rest during this phase and engaging in gentle movement if anything at all. Even if you feel a rush of energy, it's not always the best to expend it right away - if you keep the energy contained at the beginning of your cycle, it will better serve you throughout the rest of the month. Examples: stretching in bed, light yoga, walking

• Follicular phase (the week or so after bleeding) - Hone your building energy during this time of the month by trying out new classes, engaging in more social types of exercise like dancing, or simply get really into your regular routine. You'll be feeling lighter and more social after menstruation, so it's a great time to move your body more and try new things. Examples: African dance, jogging, biking

• Ovulation - As your most fertile time of the month, relish in feeling and looking hot in whatever kind of exercise you decide to engage in! Continue with the exercise you were doing in the follicular phase and better yet, practice some love-making at home with your partner or alone. Examples: dancing, love-making

• Premenstrual phase (also called Luteal Phase) - The perfect time to get your aggression out through exercise! As your sensitivity gets heightened during this phase, you may also find your frustration and anger levels rising. Better to move it through your body than let it fester inside! If you're one who gets sore breasts, bloating, or other uncomfortable symptoms, anything that involves running or bouncing around might not be the best option. Go for stationary, low-impact, and/or weight-bearing activities. Examples: lifting weights, power pilates, fast-paced yoga, belly dancing

• Not menstruating at all or very irregular - If you're someone who hasn't had a period for months (or even years) you might want to consider adjusting your workout routine or easing up on it. In some cases of ammenorhea or irregular cycles, exercise is a big factor. Extreme exercise, prolonged workouts, and intense cardio can interfere with your sensitive adrenal glands, forcing them into high stress mode. Stress hormones effect our reproductive hormones majorly, which will impact your cycle. Instead of pushing yourself to the limits, experiment with a different approach. You don't have stop completely, but incorporating some gentle yoga or freeform dancing, and doing in community with other women, will help calm your nerves and restore your hormonal balance, in addition to being fun. Examples: kundalini yoga, restorative yoga, dancing around your bedroom

Ever wonder what’s really going on with your hormones?

We’ve designed a quiz to help you understand exactly what’s out of whack and how you can start getting back to balance.

[gravityform id="1" name="Sign up here to get your quiz!"]

This month as I start my new cycle, I am reminded of the fabulous freedom I feel since having switched from tampons to the Diva Cup a year and a half ago. So I decided to write this Diva Cup review, in the hopes that my opinion would be helpful to you.For anyone not familiar with the amazing Diva Cup, it’s exactly what it sounds like; a silicone cup inserted into your vagina to collect your flow. The concept itself will give you a whole new perspective on your menstruation.Don’t get me wrong, the initial switch from tampons was a little daunting. When my DC first arrived it sat staring at me on my bathroom countertop for a week. I knew my period was on it’s way, but I also knew that I needed to ease into the relationship with my new pal. It just seemed so big! Needless to say, I embraced my cup and have never looked back! It’s really freeing to leave the house and not have to worry if I have ‘supplies’ with me. You know the story, you were in a hurry, forgot to stock your bag and now you spend every encounter deciding if you should casually ask for a tampon to get you through the day. No need to live like that anymore. As magical as this notion may be, it’s not the only reason I made the switch (obviously some are after the fact discoveries, isn’t it great I get to pass them on to you).

Diva Cup Review

• It’s non-toxic, unlike many tampons out there that use bleached cotton and add fragrance. Yikes, your vaginal cells are too delicate to taint with bleach and irritate with fragrance.
• It saves you money! Being the analytical left brain that I am, I had to do the math. Say you typically use around 16 tampons (1 box) per cycle, at $8/box, you will spend $96/year on tampons vs. the $25 (currently on Amazon) for a diva cup that you can use for up to 2 years! That’s a savings of $167/year over two years.
• No leakage! Even when swimming, biking, and running, I’ve done it all.
• Seeing your menstrual blood in its natural form is really eye-opening. It’s a view to our insides that you can’t get any other way; something I never really considered before.
• The DC has measurement markings, so you can track how much you are bleeding. This completely blew my mind. It’s really hard to tell how much you bleed with a tampon, but seeing the blood fill ½ ounce cups brings a new compassion for your body.
• Even though the cup is inserted into the vagina, I no longer have that ‘plugged up’ feeling that tampons gave me.

Taking care of your cup is not hard either. Wash with plain (no fragrance) glycerin soap after each time you empty it. If you are in a public restroom, have no fear, just wipe out with a piece of toilet paper and clean when you get home. Between cycles I soak my cup in vinegar for a few hours, and I also soak in just boiled water for 20 minutes or so.If it still seems like a strange concept to you, I dare you to face your fear and take the plunge. Who knows where this little life change may lead you.If you struggle with an unhealthy flow laden with cramps or heavy bleeding, the Diva Cup may be a more challenging transition. Find out how to restore your healthy FLO by booking a free 30 minute focus session here.

Check out Alisa's latest interview on Wellsphere.com. The five questions Alisa answered:

1. What is the #1 wellness practice you live by? That thing that you do every day without fail because it revs you up from the inside out.
2. The premise of the blog is that wherever you are in life, is exactly where you need to be. How did you get to where you are today?
3. What was your biggest transformation along the way?
4. If you could only own five items, what would they be?
5. What is the theme song for your life right now and why?

Here is an excerpt from Alisa's answer to question 2: (to read the entire interview, Click Here)The one thing my doctors agreed on was that I should start taking oral contraceptives. They all believed that artificially regulating my hormone levels would reduce my unpleasant symptoms—even though they didn’t know what the cause was. The pill never felt like the right option to me. But after saying no, repeatedly, and not getting any other answers, I realized I had to take a scientific, experimental approach to my situation. I had to admit that, having never tried the pill, I didn’t know how it would affect me. So I went ahead and tried it.Less than two weeks later, I knew my original intuition to say “no” was absolutely right. I was having ocular migraines, which caused me to lose my vision temporarily, in addition to the searing migraine pain, fluctuating body temperature, and heart arrhythmia. I realized that my body was not reacting to the artificial hormones in the pill the same way it would to hormones produced naturally in my body. The simple solution prescribed by all my doctors just wasn’t going to work for me.In that defining moment, I finally realized that it was up to me to empower my own healing process.So that’s what I began to do. I started studying everywhere and anywhere I could. I felt that there were answers available outside of Western medicine, so I apprenticed myself to alternative healthcare practitioners. I studied the whole gamut of herbology, naturopathy, homeopathy, acupressure, elimination diets, and tried everything. I used myself as a guinea pig to see what could be done.During these experiments, I found that I could powerfully impact my own body chemistry with what I ate. When I found the right combination of foods for my body’s condition, I saw tremendous positive changes in my health. I lost 60 pounds, my skin cleared up, and my depression lifted. Best of all, I have had regular menstrual periods for the last 10 years.Click here to read more!

Yes, where you are in your menstrual cycle affects your mood. Yes, you can feel like a different person depending on where you are in your cycle. No, you are NOT crazy - and here is the best news of all: you can have a positive influence over your hormonal shifts throughout the month. You can gain some control and boost mental health!Alisa recently gave an interview with EmpowHER that we love because we think it is going to give our community so much clarity around a sometimes mystifying subject. Read the excerpt below, or continue to the full article on mental and emotional health during your period, by clicking here. “Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone absolutely affect mood,” Vitti said. “In the first half of the [menstrual] cycle, estrogen stimulates parts of the brain that [has] to do with verbal skills and socialization. Women tend to feel positive and energized. In the second half of the cycle, right after ovulation, when progesterone is secreted from the ovaries and counteracts the effect of estrogen in the brain, a woman's mood can become more sedate, irritable, even depressed.”She said changing diet and adding supplements can counteract some mental health issues experienced during a period.“Women who suffer with estrogen dominance, and who feel more manic or really happy during the first half of the cycle, and feel as if they are a different person during the second half of the cycle, can use a few key foods and supplements to ease this process, such as sweet potato for vitamin A to aid the liver in metabolizing estrogen more efficiently, and broccoli and kale for the indole-3 carbinole to help break down estrogen,” Vitti said.“For women who feel extremely depressed or anxious, they can use a combination of B vitamins to help with the work of the ovary to manufacture progesterone, such as B6, B5 and B12. Women who feel aggressive can use Saw Palmetto to help reduce the effect of testosterone on their mood.”To continue with the rest of the article, Click Here.