Hormones & Periods

Have you ever felt like something’s missing from your life but you can’t quite put your finger on it? Everything looks fine on paper, but your purpose, your drive, your direction feels fuzzy, or unclear? You’re trying to bring your A game but something’s not clicking? Self-careDo you have a tough time trusting your intuition?Do you struggle to start or complete things?Are you facing a vague feeling of dissatisfaction in your life and you want to know once and for all how to address it?The real deal is this: while soul-searching and self-improvement is extremely valuable, if your hormonal health is suffering, it’s compromising your capacity to flourish.

Why Your Self-Care Routine Isn’t Working For You

So often we’re motivated to do self care to bring relief from symptoms and of course that is a great place to start. What if however, the right self care practice could give you access to true creativity, freedom of expression, and your most authentic self on top of symptom resolution?Have you been seeking a connection to something bigger? Have you dabbled in yoga? Pored over your horoscope? Whipped up an endless array of Instagram-worthy kale smoothies? All in hopes of finding your path and feeling your best? Are you still struggling with your period, fertility or sex drive?The missing piece in your self-care strategy is this: cyclical awareness. What does that mean? It means feeding your body exactly what it needs at the right times of the month, nourishing your endocrine system with the right micronutrients so that you can rebalance, recalibrate, and reclaim your life. Without this critical structure as the foundation, all your self care, done at the wrong time, could actually be what’s sabotaging you.Self-care without cyclical awareness doesn’t give you access to all the benefits you’re looking for, and in some cases, it can actually exacerbate your hormonal imbalances. Why? While certain times of the month call for smoothies and super intense workouts, these same activities at other times of the month could mess with your blood sugar, jack up your cortisol, make a mess of your hormones, and subsequently, throw off your hormones, mood, and energy. That means the very things you think you’re doing to feel your best could be impeding your chance for a deeper connection to your body’s innate creative process; an integral aspect of your feminine soul.

Self Care That Supports The Female Mind Body Hormone Connection

Let me assure you: this is not all new-age, woo-woo, it’s actual science based approach to working with the body you have. Ancient traditions often reference the chakra system, which are energy centers in the body. The second chakra, otherwise known as your sacral chakra, is ruled by the principal of pleasure. It represents the womb, it’s your source of money, sex, creativity, and the feminine center. Sometimes this space is actually called the “low heart” (the clitoris, after all, does have a pulse!). But even if you’re not a chakra believer, there’s no denying the scientific fact that when your hormones — estrogen, progesterone, thyroid, insulin, testosterone, cortisol, etc. — aren’t functioning at their optimal levels, their dysfunction has a direct impact on your serotonin and dopamine, the neurotransmitters that dictate your mood and that impacts what thoughts your thinking, how you view the world around you and your desires and creativity. Your endocrine system is powerful and it’s at the root of your mind-body connection. By dismissing the signs and symptoms of your period problems, you’re not just doing a disservice to your health; you’re effectively undermining your power as a woman to be happy, creative, and powerful. These aren’t trivial details — making smoothies at the wrong time of the month can significantly disturb your insulin levels, eating the wrong foods at the wrong time in your cycle can deprive your endocrine system of the right micronutrients, and working out at the wrong time in the wrong way can set off a dangerous chain reaction of hormonal chaos. This kind of ill-timed self care or doesn’t take your female biology into account, and it is endocrine disruptive. That means your mind-body connection, your ability to create, and all the things you’ve been soul-searching for are being blocked by improperly caring for your unique, female body.

Your Body’s Biofeedback and Self Care

So what's all of your self-care really for if it’s not to kick your life into high gear in every way possible? Aligning your self care choices with your cycle is precisely the way for you to ground it in something that honors you and the sacred feminine energy that creates everything. Maybe you’ve heard of the “Flow State,” popularized by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It’s the concept of being “in the zone,” and it occurs when you’re skill level and the task at hand are equal. Tony Robbins has talked about this concept as well, in relation to athletes: elite performers need to meet their needs in order to flow. Cyclical self-care is the only way for women to tap into this type of flow-based peak performance. Without the cyclical aspect, your self-care is keeping you from achieving your flow state, creatively, and health-wise. You’ll know if you’re not in your flow (or FLO!): your body will tell you loud and clear. If you have PMS, period disturbances, a serious endocrine disorder — those are all specific types of biofeedback from your body that your current lifestyle and self-care practices are not supporting your endocrine system and therefore your ability to perform at your peak. If your hormones are out of whack, that’s your starting point. Your ultimate goal should not be to do more elaborate acts of self-care more often; it should be to give your body what it’s asking for in the right way at the right time — then everything will open up for you.If you’ve been dedicating this month to self-love and self-care, then do yourself the biggest favor possible: set yourself up for success by getting back on track with your hormones, reclaiming your body, and getting realigned and ready to be the brilliant badass you know you can be. Not sure where to start? Take the V-Sign Quiz and discover what the state of your period says about your overall health. When you’re ready for more, sign up for Monthly FLO and Balance Supplements and download the app MyFLO to elevate your efforts and fast track your progress.Love and ovaries,Alisa

Monthly FLO: The Cycle Syncing System™

Put your period symptoms into remission. Discover how to live in your FLO and get it all done with embodied time management.

MonthlyFLO is the first-ever woman-centric health system that syncs with your unique rhythm. It gives you the foundation for solving any hormonal issues you may have over your lifetime.Using the principles of functional nutrition, MonthlyFLO is a specially-sequenced food therapy program that recalibrates your endocrine function. Over three months, you will be guided step-by-step to make simple, cumulative food and lifestyle changes that balance your hormones naturally.Click here to learn more about the life-changing Monthly FLO Program

When I launched FLO Living over a decade ago, I knew it had the potential to change lives. After all, I’d lived through my very own hormonal transformation as a direct result of the protocol I was now ready to offer women all over the world. I went from weighing 200 lbs, covered in cystic acne, and suffering from all the emotional and physical turmoil of a PCOS diagnosis to living a healthier, more vibrant, and fulfilling life than I ever thought possible. I shed the weight, fixed my skin, and most importantly, recalibrated my endocrine system through a sustainable method I knew millions of other women could benefit from.I’ve been humbled and inspired by the countless accounts from women throughout the world about how FLO Living has healed their hormones and completely changed their lives. These personal success stories are what fuel the mission of FLO Living and motivate our team to continue establishing a new ‘normal’ of womanhood: a reality where easy periods, a juicy sex drive, a halted aging process, and tons of energy are par for the course.

What You Don’t Know is Holding You Back From Healing Your Symptoms

If you’re considering starting your own hormonal healing journey, you’re in the middle of your process, or you know someone who needs a nudge, the personal accounts of FLO Living graduates are the best sources of inspiration you’ll find. Maybe you’re curious about the program but you don’t really believe anything like this is possible. You may be on the Pill (or IUD or ring) and you’re scared of the long-term consequences of hormonal contraception...but you’re even more scared to suffer the rumored side effects of quitting. Perhaps you’re worried about your fertility now or in the future, or you’ve been struggling for years with a condition like PCOS, endometriosis, or fibroids and you’re sick and tired of sinking your hopes into “treatments” that continue to fail you. I want you to know that above all, your body is designed to perform optimally. It’s not luck—it’s science. You weren’t pre-programmed for endocrine dysfunction simply because you’re a woman. And when it comes to your period, you absolutely can get your body to perform better naturally. That’s why it’s so important for you to see and hear the stories below—because you’ve been conditioned to believe your body is broken, your period is a painful sentence, and there are simply no solutions for the burdens of being a woman. These are total lies that not only unnecessarily prevent you from achieving total health, but they also keep you from realizing your full potential. Now that we all recognize the menstrual cycle as a fifth vital sign (as important an indicator of your health as your blood pressure is), it’s time to take charge and correct the hormonal dysfunction you’ve been taught to silently accept. Beyond signifying your baseline health, your healthy cycle powers your overall wellbeing, your creativity, your productivity, and more. You want to smash the patriarchy? Fix your period.

How Do You Actually Get Rid of your Period Symptoms Naturally?

How do we do this at FLO Living? The FLO Protocol as described in the book, WomanCode, and detailed in the premier digital program, MonthlyFLO, works to address the root causes of your symptoms, whatever they may be. And because in my research, I uncovered the correct sequence of approaching the endocrine system to turn it’s self correcting mechanisms on and the micronutrients it absolutely needs to function optimally, the protocol works regardless of your symptoms or your diagnosed condition. What FLO treats is the endocrine system, not the symptom — this is why it’s so effective for so many women with totally different symptoms and diagnosed menstrual conditions. In order for your symptoms to resolve, you have to address your blood sugar, your stress, your estrogen overload, your micronutrient deficiencies, and your lifestyle. Once you start supporting your hormones with the right foods and self care, within two to three cycles you can expect to see shifts in your symptoms.One of my most significant discoveries I made in my years of research was the fact that you and your body have cyclical needs. They shift as your hormones shift in your regular cycle. And they shift as you move from your teens to your twenties to your thirties and forties and beyond. In order for you to live at your most vibrant level at any stage, you have to feed yourself the things that nurture and protect what makes you uniquely female — your hormones. Everything that’s inside allows you to manifest outside. There’s absolutely no reason you should suffer needlessly with hormonal imbalances.

Here's What Happens When You Put Your Conditions and Symptoms Into Remission Naturally:

For years, women have written to me detailing the most incredible, permanent, lasting improvements to conditions they were told were “incurable:” PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, and more. Women who’ve struggled for years with irregular periods, debilitating cramps, intolerable mood swings have told me they’re symptom-free. And I truly, wholeheartedly believe this kind of full hormonal recovery is possible for every woman. If you’re still skeptical, read to the stories below....You can quit the pill without any crazy side effects. “Flo Living was my birth control rehab. I looked you up and bought your book. I read it, but I needed more of a step-by-step, hold-my-hand, and give me feedback experience and that’s why I signed up for Monthly FLO. It worked completely. I dropped the NuvaRing. I quit and my skin stayed completely clear....I think if I could go back and tell myself anything it would be to do this program 7 years ago instead of hiding and medicating the problem using birth control. I would have done it earlier.” - Shawna...You can overcome infertility and become a first-time mom. “In reading Alisa’s book the WomanCode, immersing myself in the program (January-March 2016) and using much of the info that was given to me I was able to get almost a normal 28 day cycle...The combination of it all finally led to me writing you to let you know I got pregnant at 38 years old!! I’m so excited that after a little over 3.5 years of hoping, my dream for me and my husband has come true!! I only hope this story can inspire others to know that your body is amazing and that it has so much power to heal. Many blessings on all of your journeys!!” - Cortney...You can beat “incurable” diagnoses like PCOS. “I was diagnosed with PCOS three and a half years ago. I had horrible cystic acne that kept getting worse no matter what I did. I couldn’t seem to lose the 5-10 lbs of weight after my last pregnancy. My periods were always irregular and I had strong pelvic pain in my left abdomen. I felt trapped because every book I read said that there was no cure for PCOS and that other than taking strong medications certain symptoms would not be relieved. In Monthly FLO, I surprised myself by not only meeting all the goals that I wanted to achieve, but also accomplishing things I never expected. My skin cleared up, my ovarian pain diminished, I lost the rest of my baby weight, and most importantly I found an amazing sense of peace in my life overall – peace with body image, having another child, my work. My sexual relationship with husband has blossomed. I feel more productive in my life – even in everyday chores. Life is more fun! I am completely letting go and couldn’t feel more free and light about doing so!” - Alexandra...You can put your endometriosis into remission. “The past 5 years have been utter misery for me because of endometriosis. There were times that the pain was so intense that I could not walk. I came to fear and despise my period, my entire cycle. I was on birth control pills the whole time (trying all kinds until I found the least damaging one) and they didn’t help at all. I couldn’t predict what kind of period I would have, couldn’t understand what was going on in my body, didn’t even want to start trying to understand… And this made me sad, even depressed. I’ve been on the FLO protocol for the past 6 months, after coming off birth control… I FEEL PERFECT. And by perfect I mean, not only have my endometriosis pains vanished almost completely (once in a while when I’m ovulating I feel a 1 or a 2 out of a scale of 10 for pain), but I am truly aware of what is going on in my body all the time. I am 95% of the time acne-free, bloating-free, PMS-FREE, refreshed and energized and when I do have these symptoms, even a little bit of them, I immediately know what caused them.” - Natalia...You can learn how to sync with your body. “Before FLO Living, I never paid attention to my body. I bought tampons, and that was the extent of it. I never had very extreme periods before so I didn’t think about it. Now I am really paying a lot more attention. I’m in the luteal phase right now and I feel a little less sociable. I know I can take a few minutes of silence for myself. I am careful not to eat sugar. It’s really cool to recognize what’s going on inside.” - Ashley...You can ease your perimenopausal symptoms. “Not only did I learn not to fear my body during this process, I also learned that I could have a transition that leaves me better than before! I’ve lost weight, my periods are over, my sex drive is the highest it has ever been in my life, and I’m excited about my life again.” - Lori

What’s Your Story

The stories I read every day from FLO Living graduates confirm the gut feeling I had all those years ago when I founded the company: building a place where women can get information, support, answers, and effective care for their period problems. These stories are what make all the work we do at FLO Living worthwhile. Sharing your story with us keeps us going and lights us up. If you have a story of FLO transformation, I’d love to hear it. Share it in the comments below. If you know someone who is struggling with her period and hasn’t heard the good news that you can recover from menstrual issues naturally, share this article with her! You taking the time to share could help motivate someone who’s struggling or unsure of her next step. If you are someone struggling with your period, now you know that change is possible! We’d love to hear what you’re struggling with and we’d love to help. Email us at [email protected] to connect with us for a consultation. You’ll get symptom analysis and feedback and direct, actionable tips to take your hormonal healing into your own hands. Love,Alisa

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 for you in getting 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

New year, new you, new diet? If you’re like almost a quarter of last year’s New Year’s resolution makers, then you’ve made a vow to lose weight and improve your eating. When the new year comes around, so many women feel prompted to throw themselves into detoxes, fad diets, and get-fit-quick plans in an effort to undo the damage of holiday indulgence. But do any of these trends actually work? While every diet that comes across your social media feed this month will undoubtedly promise to transform your life, it’s important to understand how these diets affect your hormones.  This is important if you’re trying to lose weight and you’re struggling with PCOS, Fibroids, Endometriosis, or any other menstrual or fertility issue.  

Different Diets and Effects on Hormones

It’s really important to look at your whole hormonal picture when trying to figure out how best to lose weight. If you’re struggling with any of the menstrual conditions we treat at The FLO Living Hormone Center, then focusing first on restricting calories instead of reducing estrogen levels is going to result in no weight lost and worsening of your symptoms. You likely already know this from trying so many different diets to lose weight, and thinking that your period issues weren’t tied into it, and not achieving lasting results.   I myself know this personally, as a former PCOS sufferer weighing over 200 lbs. I tried all the different diets and exercise plans and not only couldn’t get the scale to budge, but also continued to see my symptoms get worse. What I learned is that the whole premise of separating out weight, skin issues, period issues, mood issues or anything else for that matter is beyond inefficient.  They body is encoded with a pattern that requires specific support and then like magic, things start to hum along the way they should and you don’t have any more struggle.So, let’s look at all the different diets, and their impact on your hormones, so you can make the right decision for you.

The Ketogenic Diet

This low-carb plan is intended to put your body into ketosis, a natural process that occurs when you restrict glucose and start burning fat as a fuel source. People on this type of diet usually eat less than 50 grams of carbs a day. Think of it as an even more carb-restrictive, fat-heavy form of Paleo or Atkins, which both glorify protein and fat and villainize carbs.  Upside: You’ll be less likely to consume processed junk if you’re seeking out fresh, whole foods, and you’ll likely feel satiated thanks to the ample protein and fat, even though most carbs will be off the table. Hormonal Downside: There is conflicting information on the effects of this diet on your thyroid health and much of it concludes that it affects T3 production.  With so many women struggling with hypothyroidism, it’s important to know this can adversely affect you.  

Raw Vegan

Just about everyone needs to consume raw fruits and veggies on a regular basis, but a true raw vegan diet means that none of the plant-based-only foods you eat can be heated over 104-118 degrees F, and absolutely nothing should be pasteurized, refined, treated with pesticides, or processed. Advocates of raw veganism believe cooking food destroys important enzymes and reduces their nutritional content. Upside: Loading up on organic, fiber-rich fruits and veggies is always a good idea!  An abundance of these can improve your digestion and improve heart health, reduce cholesterol and inflammation. The influx of antioxidants can clear your skin and, according to some research, contribute to cancer prevention. Hormonal Downside:  Studies have linked strict raw food diet to amenorrhea. If dysbiosis is present, (if you’re using any synthetic birth control, then your gut microbiome is out of whack) you will not absorb your nutrients from raw foods as well which can lead to a micronutrient deficiency due to leaky gut. This can compromise your entire hormonal system and present with a whole host of symptoms from missing periods to mood issues to weight gain. Additionally, according to Chinese medicine, this type of diet is too cooling which can make the reproductive system more sluggish. This means your tendency for delayed periods can be worsened, you can have delayed ovulation, or even heavier bleeding as a result.

Grain-free

The wheat in proteins known as gluten has gotten a particularly bad rap in recent years, and for good reason: it’s not good for your hormonal health, which is why I recommend removing it from your diet when you follow the FLO Living protocol. But many diets advocate removing sometimes all grains for the purpose of dropping LBs.   Upside: Some people believe cutting grains can alleviate brain fog, and others turn to the restrictive diet to drop pounds fast. Hormonal Downside:  If you struggle with cravings and binge eating, going grain free is going to set you up for major cravings and make you vulnerable to more binge moments of irregular insulin levels, which can throw off ovulation and wreak havoc on metabolism and fat loss.  

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting involves cycling between periods of time when it’s okay to eat and when food is off the table. There are various ways to do it (for example, allowing food for an 8-hour window during the day and fasting the other 16), but proponents claim it can help regulate blood sugar and burn fat. Upside: People drawn to intermittent fasting have likely read of clinical studies examining its ability to lower the risk of various diseases and promote new cell growth.  Hormonal Downside: Doing this incorrectly and simply skipping meals is not good for your hormones. Depriving your body of nourishment for extra long stretches of time can negatively impact hormones like cortisol, insulin, estrogen, and progesterone, which, of course, can completely throw your cycle off kilter.

What Really Leads to Results?

Do all these disparate diets have benefits? Of course — but if you’re a woman, as you’re seeing, you’re not getting the half the story that pertains to your biology. The cyclical nature of your biochemistry isn’t cut out for rigid food plans that call for the same foods day in and day out. And to nourish your body adequately, you certainly aren’t meant to restrict or eliminate essential macro and micronutrients, which is what so many of these diets do. Any diet plan — no matter how flexible it may seem — is by nature restrictive. And when you restrict food groups in any way, you’re in danger of creating a micronutrient deficiency, which can be exacerbated if you’re microbiome is out of whack, you’ve been on the birth control pill, or you’ve experienced any kind of hormonal imbalance. And restricting in one area generally means overdosing on another, which can throw your body off balance as well (for example, veggie-heavy raw vegan diets typically lack the adequate amino acids necessary to produce sufficient hormone levels and animal protein-heavy diets can lead to liver congestion and estrogen dominance, the biggest culprit in hormonal dysfunction).

Eating Right For Your Hormones to Achieve Optimal Weight

I’ve talked so much about how I’ve lost 60 lbs twice over (once when I healed my PCOS and once after my pregnancy) and did it by harnessing my hormones and supporting my metabolism, not by restricting and struggling. You have to work with your body’s internal weight management system - a.k.a. hormones - to get results. But as women, when it comes to all of the diets marketed, they totally ignore our cyclical, fluctuating hormones. It’s never mentioned.  You are essentially given information that is really only totally appropriate if you have male 24-hour hormonal patterns. It is only in that situation that eating the same way day in and day out makes sense.  Well, you do not have male hormonal patterns, as you well know. But because so many of us don’t know what our hormonal patterns are in the first place, we don’t know that we’re being short-changed in the world of diets.  What you do need is a way to eat foods that support each phase of your cycle because of course you have different micronutrient needs each week as your body is doing something very distinct each week inside the world of the ovary and uterus. Your body isn’t the same every day and your diet shouldn’t be either! I created this phase-based eating concept 15 years ago to support the function of the hormones produced in a specific time frame throughout the cycle.

The Cycle Syncing Method™

Eating specific foods each week of your cycle and changing that selection of foods as you change phases of the cycle to support optimal hormone balance and metabolism.  Upside: Provides the most variety of micronutrients to support overall hormonal balance.  Provides key foods at critical times to help break down excess levels of estrogen that can cause breakouts and PMS. Improves the quality of your bleed. Improves fertility, sex drive, energy and mood.Hormonal Downside: You’ll realize how much time you have lost feeling bloated, fat, fatigued, moody, and crampy when you never had to.  You’ll enjoy a wide variety of cuisines - macrobiotic, raw, ketogenic, mediterranean, some intermittent fasting and not ever get stuck doing one day in and day out for academic reasons.  The true differentiator for the FLO protocol, whose fourth step is The Cycle Syncing Method™,  is the integration of you and your body’s needs into the plan itself; in order to restore and reclaim your hormonal health, everything about your diet and lifestyle should be relevant and relative to your female biochemistry. No singular diet trend or food plan will give you that — only FLO will. But the key is that the foods you consume change from phase to phase — that means you get access to the most beneficial aspects of all of these different diets and you avoid forcing your body to do the same thing each and every day in the same way. That kind of monotonous, one-sided diet plan just doesn’t reflect the physiological shifts taking place in the female body, and it doesn’t set you up for success.

Eat Like a Woman

If you’re ready to be done with yo-yo diets, raging symptoms, and total hormonal chaos, it’s time to commit to a long-term lifestyle that works with the elegant ebbs and flows of your hormones. MonthlyFLO is the first-ever woman-centric health system that syncs with your unique rhythm. It gives you the foundation for solving any hormonal issues you may have over your lifetime. Over three months, you’ll be guided step-by-step to make simple, cumulative food and lifestyle changes that balance your hormones naturally. Make this the year you make a sustainable change and achieve real, lasting success. Alisa

Monthly FLO: The Cycle Syncing System™

Put your period symptoms into remission. Discover how to live in your FLO and get it all done with embodied time management.

MonthlyFLO is the first-ever woman-centric health system that syncs with your unique rhythm. It gives you the foundation for solving any hormonal issues you may have over your lifetime.Using the principles of functional nutrition, MonthlyFLO is a specially-sequenced food therapy program that recalibrates your endocrine function. Over three months, you will be guided step-by-step to make simple, cumulative food and lifestyle changes that balance your hormones naturally.Click here to learn more about the life-changing Monthly FLO Program

It’s hard to not think of love and sex this week, and whether you’re coupled up or flying solo, it’s a great time to reacquaint yourself with what self-love is all about. One major way so many of us are missing out in that department? Denying ourselves the pleasure of our biggest, best, most mind-blowing orgasms imaginable. What if I told you that by simply adding one lifestyle tweak to your routine, you could gain game-changing insight into the exact kind of stimulation that will get you off and leave you satisfied and sexually fulfilled every day of the month? The solution isn’t complicated, and you owe it to yourself to unlock the secret.In so many ways, the tide finally feels like it’s starting to turn in favor of female empowerment. But there’s one (okay, more than one) major unspoken burden that continues to be placed on women, and it’s a deep-rooted mythology surrounding the female sex drive. Thanks to a long lineage of patriarchal norms and a society steeped in pornographic images catering to male pleasure, we’ve all been fed a big lie: you should feel the same level of desire and need the same kind of stimulation any day of any month, and that your sex drive is entirely separate from your period. Before I totally tear this myth to shreds, I have to preface it with this disclaimer: If you have a hormonal imbalance resulting in an unaddressed issue like PMS, PCOS, or a host of other endocrine problems, then yes, you may absolutely be experiencing a lower-than-normal libido. But those issues all have a simple fix one you find the right information. And yes, it’s also true that the stress of work, parenting, relationships, and more can all take you out of your sexy zone. But they can do that to men too...and yet you rarely hear about men grappling with these same struggles.

The One Piece of Info That’s Dampening Your Sex Drive

This isn’t a trivial topic, ladies: in our patriarchal, porn-obsessed culture, women — and men — just aren’t taught to understand female physiology. And that’s a big deal because our bodies don’t work on the same 24-hour clock that men’s bodies do. Our needs, emotions, energy, and desires fluctuate from week to week of each cycle, and you better believe those hormonal ups and downs have a major effect on sex drive and performance.We’re about to get real here, so listen up: we all know there’s nothing more frustrating than having a mismatch in your sex drives and moods. For example, imagine a time when your partner is all raring to go and wants to have the kind of hot and heavy, fast and furious sex that would be great if you were in your ovulatory phase, but you’re not; you’re in your way more lowkey luteal phase and you’re biologically craving long, drawn-out, sensual sexy time (think: a half-hour make-out session followed by all the heavy petting and clitoral stimulation you can get). This situation is not win-win, your choices are to go along for the ride and risk not enjoying yourself the way you want, or to say no to the advance all together. Told you. #RealTalk.This scenario isn’t fun, and it often leaves you frustrated. But I guarantee if your partner knew which week it was according to your cycle and what exactly her or she had to do in advance of your sex session to help you enjoy the moment, he or she’d get to business! Not only would you both get exactly what you wanted out of the interaction, but there’d be no emotional baggage, no blaming, no passive aggression or overt aggression — basically, you’d both avoid all the bad kind of friction and only get the extra good kind of friction.

Female Sexuality Isn’t Static; It’s Cyclical

This insight isn’t just essential for couples though — understanding your cycle can completely transform your solo play experience (which, by the way, is crucial to good hormonal health). There’s this expectation that we should all feel the same and be turned on the same way and have the same kind of response that we do in our ovulatory phase (when our sex drives are soaring) every day of the month. But that’s just not biologically accurate or sound and it’s a totally unreasonable standard to hold yourself to. All that unrealistic expectation does is disconnect you from your sexuality — again, not cool. Your body has a cyclical pattern and you need to acknowledge that in the way you’re self pleasuring. Each week of your cycle, your hormones change and you need to approach your sex life accordingly. One week, you might just need a few minutes of quick stimulation to get off, and other weeks, you might need to break out the lube and read something that really turns on you. Your specific desire depends entirely on what’s happening with your hormones, and knowing that information will empower you to access the right tools in your arsenal at the right time.

Meeting Your Sexual Needs Matters More Than You Think

If you think these are trivial details, thing again: by omitting the female physiological experience from the sex drive conversation, women are made to constantly feel at fault for failing to rise to the occasion. If you’re not feeling super hot and ready for action, you can’t help but feel like there’s something wrong with you or you’re falling short in some way. This only perpetuates the inner critical voice that further disconnects us from our bodies and denies us the right to get our own needs met. This perspective doesn’t make any sense, and once you become tuned into the very real hormonal fluctuations that affect your drive and desire (and the strategies for working with them, not against them), you won’t believe you ever spent a minute feeling bad about your own biology. Knowing your body and making choices that complement its inherent wisdom will embolden you with profound confidence — a quality that’s infinitely more sexy than any piece of lacy lingerie.

The Solution to the Sex Drive Disparity

So what’s the solution here? It’s simple: Download the MyFlo app now and watch everything fall into place. If you’re trying to set up a more cycle-friendly solo play schedule, the app will get to know your unique cycle and offer suggestions for how to make the most out of everyday activities — including self-pleasuring. And if you’re coupled up, count on the one-of-a-kind Partner Sync feature. It actually sends timely emailed updates on where you're at in your cycle so they always know how you feel and what you need. I've been cycle syncing my marriage since the beginning and can tell you...it's a game changer. Let go of the guilt and get the love you deserve, ladies — it’s time! Love and ovaries,Alisa

Do You Know the Easiest Way to Fix Your Period Symptoms?

You don’t need to keep suffering with annoying symptoms that drain your energy for 1-2 weeks every single month. In fact, you can start having a better period as soon as your next period.MyFLO is the first-ever functional medicine period tracker that ALSO helps you fix your symptoms. MyFLO will help you understand why you have symptoms and what to do to improve them with food. It will also teach you how to Cycle Sync™ the 5 main areas of your life: food, exercise, work, relationships, and sex.Have a Better Period with MyFLOWhen you follow MyFLO’s weekly recommendations, you’ll get rid of frustrating symptoms and learn how to optimize your energy to be more productive and have better relationships.Click here to get MyFLO for iPhoneClick here to get MyFLO for Android

It can happen to just about any woman at any time...

• A 20-something career woman busting her butt on the job and seeing her period problems escalate the higher her stress levels rise.
• A new mom who’s just freakin’ tired and feels like she never quite got back to her old self after baby.
• A chronic worrier coping with the early effects of perimenopause in her late 30s despite a pretty regular period—everything seems fine with her flow, but she can feel herself aging way too fast and way too soon.
• A long-time birth control user who’s now noticing some major side effects after quitting the pill.

What do all these ladies have in common? A zero-mile-per-hour sex drive that’s left them feeling flat, frustrated, and completely out of touch with their femininity.Maybe you recognize yourself in one of these women, or you have a friend, family member, or romantic partner struggling to feel sexy. No matter which one of these scenarios you connect to, the bottom line is that they’re all rooted in reality and a missing libido isn’t just a figment of the imagination—it’s a concrete phenomenon that’s unfortunately an all-too-common consequence of endocrine dysfunction.

Why are so many women dealing with low sex drive?

There are so many overlooked factors that can contribute to hormonal chaos and low sex drive, but few medical experts will ever dare broach the topic. And it’s important to spell out what we mean when we’re talking about “low sex drive”: you could either be dealing with a lack of desire for sex or a lack of sexual responsiveness (i.e. mind-blowing orgasms—or any orgasms at all). Both scenarios are a problem, and both qualify as low libido.

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

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

The 5 Supplements You Need to Support Your Sex Drive

When it comes to healing hormonal dysfunction, food is always your best ally. But let’s be real: if your libido is lagging, you’re already tired, stressed, and dealing with one too many things on your plate. Fixing your eating habits will be crucial, but at this moment, you’re in crisis mode. You need tools that will fast track your healing so you feel motivated and empowered to keep making the right self-care choices. The easiest way to do that? Supplements. Here are the five you’ve gotta have on hand in order to kickstart the sexual healing:

‍1. B Vitamins support your adrenal glands by preventing the breakdown of too much dopamine and serotonin during stressful times, leaving enough for us to remain buoyant and energized.

2. Zinc helps to boost your testosterone production and prevents testosterone being turned into estrogen by blocking the enzyme responsible.

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

‍4. Magnesium makes it harder for your testosterone to bind onto proteins and allows for more of it to remain “free” in your bloodstream – which is exactly how you want it to be for a higher sex drive. Higher levels of free testosterone makes for more desire. Magnesium also combats anxiety and prevents depressive feelings, helping you enjoy yourself more.

‍5. Probiotics may not directly affect your sex hormones, but they do impact your mental health, which—as you already know—directly affects your sex drive. Studies have linked psychiatric disorders like depression to imbalanced gut bacteria and probiotics have the power to restore microbiome balance.

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Love and ovaries,

Alisa

Gifts can be so random (who hasn’t received a candle or twelve every December?). That’s why this year, I wanted to curate a sweet little gift guide of things, that I have at home and love using, and that will help you make your own self-care routine a little more delicious and hormone friendly. These are also all excellent options for any last minute gifts and stocking stuffers for yourself and your girlfriends. Let’s focus on taking good care of ourselves, helping our friends do the same, and starting the year off on a healthy path.Here are the items I have on hand to get me through the holidays and beyond:

SW Basics Joy Scrub and Soak, $29

I love to exfoliate after my period is over, and this brand new SW Basics Joy Scrub has perfected what I need - sea salt, shea butter, and immune and mood boosting lemon and orange oils. I love this brand’s commitment to organic ingredients and simple formulations.

Shiva Rose Nectar Body Oil, $80

This amazing, delicious, fragrant formulation includes serious skin hydrators, contains hormone balancing borage and evening primrose oils, and sensual essential oils of sandalwood, cardamom and ylang ylang - major must have.

MyFLO App

There’s no other app like this one to plan out the month and optimize all areas of your life!

It was even named a top trend to watch in 2018 by both MindBodyGreen and Well+Good - so yeah, you should definitely download it.

Moon Phase Calendar, $19

There may be a few different kinds of moon phase calendars out there, but this one printed using a hand-pulled silk-screen technique on 100% PCW recycled paper is my favorite!

Sustain condoms and lube, $13.99 for a box of 10 condoms, $12.99 for lube.

I simply love these products and the lube is amazing. Best barrier method for birth control and always use lube to keep your clitoris and vagina happy throughout your cycle.

Vapour holiday duo

If you haven’t yet switched to organic makeup yet, hen Vapour is the one to start with. It’s a makeup artist-grade product and these two pots are just gorgeous, fun, and easy. One of my faves.

ZenBunni Hot Cacao, $20

Cocao is the highest source of dietary magnesium,which you need an abundant supply of all of the time! This is organic, low sugar, and delicious - just scoop some into some warm coconut milk and add in some cinnamon and cayenne.

BALANCE by FLO Living

This is the first and only hormone biohacking supplement subscription box for women. Each 2 month supply comes with 5 formulations that contain all the micronutrients your body needs to keep hormones balanced. Essential if you are on any synthetic birth control or if you are trying to resolve your period symptoms.

Marie Veronique Treatment Serum, $90

This is what I use to manage any moments when my skin looks dull and congested. Put it on before bed and wake up with new skin.

Lola subscription, $8-$10/box

Stop putting chemicals in your vagina and start using these organic tampons STAT.

The Moon Deck Set, $60

Pull a card or three before you start journaling and connect to your intuition.

Gaia Golden Milk, $14.95

This makes delicious, easy, and fast golden milk lattes!

Saje Diffuser, $89.95

This ultrasonic diffuser doesn’t heat the oils, so when you use organic products, you preserve their incredible essence! It lasts for hours and can scent a huge room - such a good product.

WOMANCODE

This best selling book is the must have women’s hormonal health resource. You’ll refer back to it constantly so get one for your nightstand and one for your best friend.

2017 has certainly been a big one here at FLO Living! We released a one-of-a-kind app, made it possible for you to test your hormones from home with your saliva, launched an innovative line of supplements, reached unprecedented milestones, and helped scores of women finally, permanently achieve total hormonal harmony. I’m so proud of the life-changing work we’ve done this year, and so thrilled to see how many of you are enthusiastically enjoying our content!Whether you’ve been a loyal FLO Living fan all year or longer or you’re brand new to the site (welcome!), I hope you take advantage of this list of our top articles in 2017 so you can easily access the material that matters most to our clients. Think of this as your year-end review and go-to resource to refer back to again and again.If FLO Living has made a difference in your life this year or ever, please spread the love and share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from our blog and programs! And don’t forget to leave a comment on this post to tell me what kinds of hormonal health topics you’d like me to cover in 2018!

Our top 10 must-read FLO Living essential articles of 2017

1. The best magnesium-rich foods for you cycle: If you have PMS, PCOS, fibroids, ovarian cysts, hormonal acne, irregular cycles, or any other endocrine imbalance-related issue, magnesium is one of your most important tools for full hormonal recovery. These are the top foods to add to your diet right now.
2. 5 facts you need to know about PCOS: If you have PMS, PCOS, fibroids, ovarian cysts, hormonal acne, irregular cycles, or any other endocrine imbalance-related issue, magnesium is one of your most important tools for full hormonal recovery. These are the top foods to add to your diet right now.
3. Can you bio-hack your period?: Biohacking is simply the modification of micronutrients, diet and lifestyle to optimize the functions of the body’s biological processes. So can you biohack your way to a better period? Read this to find out!
4. 5-period myths busted: Your first health ed class, biology books, glossy magazines, religion, family hang-ups: with all those factors, it’s nearly impossible to come out of young adulthood with a good opinion about your body and the female reproductive system. Here are five period myths you may not even realize are totally wrong.
5. Why you need to do a hormone detox: I’m no fan of a quick fix, but I do believe in detoxing the right way. Learn the difference between a fad diet and a true hormonal reset.
6. Natural remedies for HPV & cervical health: Getting an abnormal pap result can be scary, but in most cases, you can actually reverse your HPV diagnosis, treat it, and get rid of it — naturally. Here’s how.
7. How to be successful at work - the secret is your cycle!: Women are cyclical in nature, and how we feel, as well as our strengths, desires, talents, and behavior shifts with our changing hormone patterns. Here’s how to make your hormones work in your favor.
8. What can the color of your period blood tell you about your health and fertility: Menstruation is an overlooked, underutilized vital sign and just like blood pressure, can tell you a whole lot about the state of your health. Here’s what your flow says about your well-being.
9. The 7 hormonal phases of your life: Many women expect their periods to be the same month after month, year after year, but in fact, there are seven hormonal phases you’ll experience over the course of your lifetime — here’s what to expect.
10. Are you a health nut with wacky periods?:Paleo? Raw? Vegan? Gluten-free? And still having period problems? Check this out to learn why and what to do about it.

Please leave me a note below and tell me what hormonal health topics you’d like me to cover in 2018 – what would you like to know more about and what are you curious to know of living in your FLO?Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,Alisa

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

You’ve been asking me for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, and I finally have created a solution that I am so thrilled to be able to offer to you on your hormonal balancing journey:

Balance by FLO Living Supplements are a complete package that work together to keep your hormone levels healthy. They include a 2 month (2 cycle) supply of the following formulations so you’re never caught short in any phase of your cycle.When you take these 5 supplements daily, you’ll be giving your body excellent micronutrients to support healthier hormone levels. Which means that you’ll start to see your worst period symptoms get better… and even disappear after a while.

Click here to learn more about the brand-new BALANCE Supplement Kit.

Another January, another raging month of PMS. Not quite how you’d planned to kick off a brand new year, right? But like clockwork, your symptoms have gone into overdrive, leaving you feeling fatigued, sluggish, and anything but amped to stick to those resolutions. So why does the first month of the year always seem to be the roughest in terms of cramps, bloating, mood swings, acne, and all those other infuriating, debilitating aspects of PMS?‍

Why January Can be the worst for PMS Symptoms

‍While pop culture representations of the menstrual cycle might have you believing that a monthly week of suffering is perfectly “normal,” I want you to know that PMS is NOT something you should ignore and brush off as normal. The constellation of irritating, inconvenient, and downright painful symptoms is a sign of a hormonal imbalance. You should not have to live in a reality in which you feel like garbage every month simply because you’ve been told it’s a “normal” part of womanhood. It’s not, and you deserve better. And you can get it!Now that you know PMS is actually a red flag for some form of endocrine disruption, you might be wondering why all of this tends to feel so much more intense in January. This isn’t a spontaneous shift that occurred as soon as the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve. This eruption of symptoms is actually the result of a slow build-up that began all the way back in October — Halloween really winds up hitting you with more tricks than treats. All that extra sugar you likely reveled in at the end of that month simply warmed you up for super sweet pumpkin spice everything in November, which made the overindulgences of December seem totally acceptable. On top of all the refined carbs you likely consumed in those three months, you may have been traveling, stressing over presents, drinking all kinds of seasonal cocktails (more sugar!), and spending a little too much time with family. That plus the decrease in sunlight end up leaving you very depleted from a micronutrient perspective.  This makes it more difficult for you to have an adequate luteal phase of your menstrual cycle, preventing proper progesterone production, which leads to an overabundance of estrogen, the prime culprit for stereotypical symptoms. All those factors can throw your hormones completely off kilter and set the stage for endocrine chaos come January.

‍How to Combat New Year’s PMS

‍There’s a reason everyone you know is signing up for juice cleanses and crazy workout classes — the holiday season really does a number on your health and can leave you feeling terrible. But committing to a restrictive detox diet or punishing boot camp classes isn’t the way to solve a hormonal imbalance — in fact, these extreme tactics can exacerbate the issues and leave you feeling worse. When we don’t take our hormones into account, they get disrupted and it can take months to regain balance. This is why not only you feel like you can’t stick to your resolutions in january, but also why you don’t feel like yourself until April or worse, continue to spiral out into more and more period and hormone symptoms all year.The key to regaining your balance in January and kicking symptoms to the curb is to detox the right way. No intense measures required — simply practical, easy-to-implement steps to restoring your natural equilibrium. Here’s how:

1. Focus on feeding your body a nutrient-dense diet. The FLO Living protocol is all about packing your diet with cleansing foods that address your liver, intestines, and lymphatic system. Your elimination organs require nutrients to breakdown toxins, and you get nutrients from food. Load up on leafy greens, complex carbs, and healthy fats to keep you nourished and satisfied.  Try the FLO Living 4 Day Hormone Detox - it’s free!
2. Have one grain free day a week. If you’re in need of some major damage control, try going grain free for just one day a week. It’s easier than you think to cut the processed junk: For breakfast, have eggs with coconut oil. For lunch, have turkey with avocados and greens along with a cup of bone broth. Steer away from the grains and gluten-free carbs today to give your gut the break and take a fiber supplement to sweep out the white flour residue. And always try to add in a brisk walk after eating carbs to help your body use the glucose for fuel.
3. Add in a special detox juice. I’m not a fan of juice-only cleanses, but adding this potent beverage to your healthy diet will support your liver as it recovers from all that holiday eggnog. Combine a handful of spinach, 1 carrot, 2 stalks of celery, half a bunch of cilantro, one-third a bunch of parsley, half a lemon with rind, half a green apple in a blender or juicer.
4. Add in the right supplements. As far as I’m concerned, certain supplements aren’t optional; they’re non-negotiable micronutrients every woman needs to keep her hormones healthy and happy! Especially after the onslaught of micronutrient depletion from this intense and long holiday period, it’s even more important to take them to get back to homeostasis.  Magnesium, vitamins B6, E, C, omega 3s, D3, and calcium are absolutely essential, which is why I decided it was time to create 5 formulations that would deliver these to you every day. The Balance Supplements are your daily ritual to keep your hormones functioning optimally.

Every year, I check the Pantone Color Institute’s announcement of their anticipated color of the year. I find it’s a reflection of the collective vibe of the moment and an interesting source of inspiration for the year ahead. This year, I loved their color choice, but also their description, so I wanted to share it with you to see how it might inform your focus for 2018. Pantone’s official color for 2018 is “Ultra Violet,” a gorgeous, glowing shade of purple that’s mysterious, electric, and — as coincidence would have it — totally in line with the color palette here at FLO Living! The hue itself was enough to get me fired up, but the beautiful language the company used to describe its significance seriously gave me goosebumps: “Complex and contemplative, Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now. The vast and limitless night sky is symbolic of what is possible and continues to inspire the desire to pursue a world beyond our own.”This is exactly the power that you hold in your body, uniquely as a woman. From the fertile void of your imagination, like the fertile void of your womb, you can envision new realities and nurture them into existence. This is what I see women doing everywhere these days, using their power to fearlessly dive into uncharted territory, and reimagine the world with love and nurture that new vision into existence with persistent action. Pantone’s color choice is a connection to feminine energy that deserves high praise. Things are changing and I hope you feel it. It’s undeniable that in general, women have faced incredibly difficult circumstances, both in the public eye, and behind closed doors. But there’s been a major shift and there’s now light emerging from the darkness. I have been inspired and awestruck by the actions of brave women throughout history and this year found no shortage of examples of change agents in action and I wanted to share a few with you to embolden you to pursue your vision. We are reimagining power and our relationship with the patriarchy and not just asking for change, making change happen. I cried when I read this New York Time’s story on the unprecedented number of women who entered public office this year, and felt the deep healing of the #metoo movement, that brought air and light to a long festering wound. We are rising to pursue a new reality that will remake society for the better with love and compassion and community. Glennon Doyle Melton, with a simple social media push, organized countless women to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to support a woman-created haven for mothers and children struggling with opioid addiction. And have you heard of Alyssa Carson, a 15-year-old girl who has been pursuing becoming an astronaut, colonizing Mars, and creating an alternate ecosystem for humanity since she was 3 years old? I have zero doubt that this incredible young woman, and so many other focused, passionate young women will change all of our lives for the better. These examples all share in common the path to change - a clear vision of what needs to be brought into existence and the dogged determination and effort to bring it forth from the void. In this context, Pantone’s choice of Ultra Violet is by no means accidental and speaks perfectly to the female led revolution happening now. Purple represents power, spirituality, and creativity. Harnessing strength from the color red and integrity from the color blue, purple is the color that represents the union of the body and the soul, the balance of physical and spiritual energies, and the integration of thought into action. Pantone’s particular violet choice for 2018 represents also selfless and unconditional love, sensitivity and compassion, and sensitivity to what isn’t right that needs to be healed. I would say no color better represents feminine energy than this,I chose purple for the FLO Living brand over a decade ago because of this symbolism and because I too saw a problem that needed solving and wanted to solve it using feminine energy. I can’t tell you what it feels like to see so much of what I’d originally envisioned 20 years ago when I was suffering from my hormones and found nothing to support me, finally come to fruition. 2017 was a big one, we launched MyFLO, Hormone Testing at Home, and the Hormone Balancing Biohacking Supplements. With these new products, I have made into reality the vision I have had since I was 22 - to build a platform where every woman could access the necessary tools to address her hormonal dysfunction outside the conventional medical system that has failed her repeatedly. This by no means suggests our work is done — we’ve got so much more coming for you in 2018! But I’m so proud that we’ve successfully managed to put the structure in place to help women all over the world resolve her endocrine issues naturally so that absolutely nothing could possibly hold a woman back from accessing the health and energy to tap into that purple creative energy we so desperately need to heal the planet right now. It’s the first week of a new year, and I know that the typical convention is to become consumed with self-improvement. But as you formulate your resolutions, I invite all of you to focus on finding an issue that stirs something in your heart. Something that takes you out of focusing on the ‘ME’ and instead on the ‘WE’. You contain within you all the energy of the Great Mother, and everywhere you look, there is enough to break your heart and ignite your soul into action, fueled by your particular vision and passion to do, to create, to effect real change. But in order to do that kind of monumental work for the world, you have to have the physical, psychological, and emotional well-being to rely on as your foundation. If your health is suffering and you need to regain balance, like I once did, in order to take on the things you’re passionate about, please, please take advantage of this site, these tools, this resource center that’s here for you. This is why I’ve dedicated my career to building this platform. I can see too from social media that we want something different for ourselves this year - you’re tired of making the typical resolutions around losing weight or getting clearer skin — those are awesome goals, but they’re so easy to attain and simple consequences of finding your FLO. And what I’m seeing from you online, is that you want deeper healing and wellbeing, pleasure not struggle, and community. And of course, if these are significant issues for you, sign up for one of the programs, book a consultation, order the supplements — you can and will realize those physical changes and you’ll do it fast. But once you’re back in balance and ready to join the revolution, envision something that’s greater than yourself and go for it — because we need you out in the world right now, and that’s why we do the work we do at FLO Living; to build a sisterhood of change agents to heal the planet. Thank you for being part of my community, for allowing us to take care of you, and for inspiring me everyday to keep working for my purple-hued vision of a world where women get the hormonal and menstrual health care they deserve. Happy New Year and to finding your FLO in 2018!Alisa

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 for you in getting 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 following FLO Living for a while, then you already know my feelings on synthetic hormones. Far too often, thepill and all other forms of hormonal birth control (patches, implants, IUDs, etc.) are marketed as the only way to treat period problems along with being fearfully positioned as the only reliable form of pregnancy prevention available to women. Not only is that information untrue; it perpetuates a culture that doesn’t take our unique health needs as women seriously. It’s starting to feel like a bad case of deja vu: yet another study has emerged calling the safety of hormonal birth control into question. Each time this happens, it’s a strong reinforcement of the work we do here at FLO Living to help women become their own best healers of hormonal dysfunction. But this new research is so major and the results are so glaringly clear, perhaps it will be the scientific impetus for women on synthetic forms of birth control to rethink their choices.The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine this month, followed 1.8 million Danish women for over a decade. During that time, 11,517 cases of breast cancer were identified, leading researchers to the conclusion that hormone users overall experienced a 20% increase in their relative risk of breast cancer compared to nonusers. If those numbers seem hard to wrap your brain around, think of it this way: each year, hormonal birth control causes an additional 13 cases of breast cancer in a group made up of 100,000 women. So for every 100,000 women on the pill, there will be 68 annual breast cancer diagnoses compared to 55 for non-birth-control users.If you find this revelation alarming — and I certainly do — then you’ll want to know the details and understand your options so you can make the most informed choice around your fertility, your health, and your life. This issue is far too important to ignore.

The Problem With Conventional Wisdom on Birth Control

This is what’s so frustrating about conventional women’s health. As Dr. Marisa Weiss, an oncologist who founded the website breastcancer.org told the New York Times, “Gynecologists just assumed that a lower dose of hormone meant a lower risk of cancer.”   This of course is referring to the first wave of the pill that had a higher dose of hormones that at first was deemed safe for women, and then shown to cause cancer risk.  So the doses were lowered, but as the new study shows, the risk is still there.  Remember also that HRT (synthetic hormone replacement) was the gold standard treatment for menopausal women 20 years ago, until the cancer risk there was surfaced as well.I’m frustrated by the culture of prescribing “treatments” to women based on assumptions where there isn’t enough research being done to support them. And when groundbreaking research like this is done, study findings will often be dismissed in some way because it doesn’t align with the status quo. It’s just become a cultural norm to feed women information that isn’t rooted in fact and as a consequence, women all over the world are making major decisions about their health care without adequate information. In this glorious age of information, this should not be.The good news is that the current generation of women is questioning the status quo of their menstrual health care. Health and wellness has become a trendy lifestyle choice for these young women, and many are now starting to realize that the concept of medicating their cycles (even when that’s the prescription their doctor ordered) feels out of alignment with their values. And if you’re one of these women starting to have doubts about the widely-accepted medical protocols around the female cycle, that’s great. You should follow that intuition and know that beyond this study, there is a long list of mounting evidence that should call your trust in hormonal birth control as a method for “dealing with period problems” into question.

The Rise in Synthetic Birth Control Syndrome

Over the past 16 years of treating tens of thousands of women around the world, most of whom have been on some form of birth control to address their period problems, I’ve seen first hand what researchers have been uncovering for many years - a phenomenon referred to as ‘synthetic birth control syndrome’.  You may recall trying one form of birth control, and feeling not yourself or worse in the first few days.  You are then advised to hop from one form to another until you can find one your body can tolerate.  Regardless of how you feel you’re tolerating the synthetic hormones, they will absolutely do the following 3 things - stop you from ovulating and having an actual period, flush micronutrients from your system, and compromise your immune function by disturbing your microbiome.  Oh, and there’s the potential to permanently lowering your sex drive.  Those initial feelings of discomfort you may have had and were told to tolerate, were too much for men in a trial to test a form of male hormonal birth control and the men would not complete the trial!  Here are just a few of the detrimental things we already know birth control can do that we’ve shared about with you in other articles:

• Increase the risk for depression
• Promote inflammation
• Rob your body of important micronutrients
• Damage your microbiome
• Suppress ovulation
• Disrupt your pheremones and mess with your romantic relationships.

Not to mention, all forms of hormonal birth control used to “treat” problematic issues like PCOS and PMS are simply masking the root cause of those issues. Birth control is simply a Band-Aid, which can be a dangerous non-solution; once you come off the method, the problems will return and potentially have worse symptoms than before, as well as becoming harder to treat and resolve. By continuing to take the pill or use other forms of hormonal birth control, you’re compromising your future fertility and long-term health. It’s important that you know there are side effects as you weigh your options.  

Debunking The Pregnancy Fear

So many of my clients tell me that they simply can’t quit the pill because they’re so scared to become pregnant. This fear is understandable considering how sex, fertility, and reproduction are taught to us in schools. Girls are basically told in grade school that once they get their periods, they’ll always be in danger of getting pregnant. This fear-mongering goes hand-in-hand with the vilification of menstruation that makes it a natural step for women to choose to medicate their cycles; first girls are told that their periods are gross and taboo, and then they’re taught to live with constant anxiety over possible pregnancy. And of course, all of this is done in the absence of proper education around the super specific conditions that have to be in place for conception to occur — like the fact that fertilization is really only possible during a 3-5 day window each month. This perfect storm sets women up to feel that their periods are a mysterious problem best left to medication to try to handle.

Where You Can Go From Here

The fact of the matter is, you now have access to all the information you need to make the most informed, educated decisions for your body and your life. If you’re using birth control because you think it’s the only way to prevent pregnancy, then you’ve simply been misled and it’s time to learn the nuances of female fertility so you can have the freedom to make other choices. And if you’re on birth control to try and remedy your hormonal imbalance, then take this study and all the other mounting evidence to heart and understand that the pill is not the answer. There’s simply no reason to live in confusion and with symptoms around your period!  It’s your birthright to enjoy the biochemical gifts of your whole and healthy cycle.  Relying on synthetic hormones to balance your cycle isn’t necessary once you get in the FLO.  If you’re ready to get off the hormonal birth control roller coaster and remedy your endocrine issues the right way, download my special report: Birth Control Rehab: How to Quit the Pill Without Going Through Hormone Hell and you will discover:

• 4 ways synthetic birth control makes your underlying hormone issues worse
• Why synthetic birth control can negatively affect your future fertility
• How the Pill alters your chemistry to make you choose the wrong partner
• The exact steps you need to take before considering quitting your synthetic birth control

Take control of your hormones and your reproductive health by getting the facts now.Love,Alisa

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

You’ve been asking me for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, and I finally have created a solution that I am so thrilled to be able to offer to you on your hormonal balancing journey:

Balance by FLO Living Supplements are a complete package that work together to keep your hormone levels healthy. They include a 2 month (2 cycle) supply of the following formulations so you’re never caught short in any phase of your cycle.When you take these 5 supplements daily, you’ll be giving your body excellent micronutrients to support healthier hormone levels. Which means that you’ll start to see your worst period symptoms get better… and even disappear after a while.

Click here to learn more about the brand-new BALANCE Supplement Kit.

Break a sweat before dawn or bust a move after work? Lunch time lunges or late-night laps? It’s the age-old question that so many women struggle with, but few can confidently answer: what’s the best time of day to work out?I’m about to demystify this dilemma for you, but let’s begin by stating the obvious: women are not men. Obvious? Yes. Always acknowledged? Don’t bet on it. When we look at research measuring exercise performance at various times of day, it’s so important to understand that the majority of these studies focus on male subjects. This was pretty neatly summed up in 2010 New York Times article called “What Exercise Science Doesn’t Know About Women”: “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.’”

How Women Can Time Their Workouts

So if these studies can’t help you crack the code on when to hit the gym, how can you create a sustainable exercise schedule that delivers results and fits into your busy life? By relying on the intuitive wisdom of your hormones, of course! If you’re already a fan of FLO Living, then you’ve heard me talk quite a bit about synchronizing your diet to your natural hormonal fluctuations. It’s a system I call cycle-syncing, and it’s the key to completely transforming your overall health. But cycle-syncing isn’t just for food; it’s a perfect strategy to apply in all areas of your life — including workouts. Your body isn’t the same every single day, and if you’re truly living in your FLO, you’ll be eating, exercising, socializing, and getting romantic in ways that perfectly complement and enhance the assets of each phase of your cycle. Running every single morning at 6 a.m. or sticking to just one kind of conditioning class each and every evening won’t get you real results. By modifying the type of activities you do each day and adjusting the timing of your workouts depending on the time of the month, you’ll play to your strengths all cycle long.Just like food, exercise is an essential tool for achieving and maintaining optimal endocrine health. But understanding how to implement this powerful tool is key — despite what popular culture and social media stars would have you believe, more is not better when it comes to getting fit, and strategically syncing up your cycle with your workouts is the only way to ensure real results and happy, healthy hormones.

How Long Should Your Workout Really Be?

It takes about 30 minutes of exercise to burn through all the glucose in your bloodstream. Once that’s gone, you start forcing your adrenal glands to pump out cortisol to get your fat cells to convert into sugar for the blood stream. While this may seem like a surefire way to melt unwanted pounds, that’s not the case for women with too much estrogen (the most common root cause of period problems, fertility issues, and other forms of hormonal chaos). When your body is overloaded with estrogen, the circulating sugar gets converted to fat, perpetuating a vicious cycle (and this is assuming your adrenals are working perfectly — not the case for many super stressed women). Exercising for more than 30 minutes at a time puts undue stress on your adrenal glands by causing cortisol to skyrocket and any excess estrogen to encourage further fat production. Rather than wasting hours on the elliptical, focus your efforts with a 30-minute session that fits the categories below.

My Go-To Exercise Schedule For Women

So without further ado, here’s your phase-by-phase, no-brainer guide to cycle-syncing your workouts and finding the best time of day to reap the biggest rewards:

Menstruation

Workout: Walk - keep your workouts mild, even if you’re not feeling major discomfort. When: An evening stroll is the perfect way to get some simple movement.

Follicular Phase: The week or so after your period

Workout: RunWhen: Mid-day - your estrogen will be low and your cortisol levels will be just right for a challenging cardio burst.

Ovulation (mid-cycle)

Workout: Intense cardio, dance, or bodyweight circuitWhen: 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!

Premenstrual/Luteal Phase

Workout: Pilates, yogaWhen: Keep it early during the first half, and then transition into the early evening. You might still feel full of energy during the first days of your luteal phase, so feel free to keep kicking butt in 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 combatting issues like moodiness and bloat. But the only real way to nip those symptoms in the bud for good is to fix the hormonal issue once and for all. If you’re ready to kiss symptoms goodbye forever, then MonthlyFLO is for you!Happy, hormone-friendly workouts, ladies! Alisa

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

You’ve been asking me for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, and I finally have created a solution that I am so thrilled to be able to offer to you on your hormonal balancing journey:

Balance by FLO Living Supplements are a complete package that work together to keep your hormone levels healthy. They include a 2 month (2 cycle) supply of the following formulations so you’re never caught short in any phase of your cycle.When you take these 5 supplements daily, you’ll be giving your body excellent micronutrients to support healthier hormone levels. Which means that you’ll start to see your worst period symptoms get better… and even disappear after a while.

Click here to learn more about the brand-new BALANCE Supplement Kit.

You survived your turbulent teens and yet here you are: an adult woman still battling the supposedly adolescent issue of acne. What gives?I’ve been there: In my twenties, I suffered from super painful cystic acne that spread all over my face, chest, and back. I tried everything — and I mean literally everything — to combat the chaos erupting across my skin: antibiotics, Retinol-A cream, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid. Not only did these typical treatments fail to deliver results, but they actually made the problem worse. It was frustrating and mind-boggling. Why was I still dealing with zits in my twenties and why were doctor-approved solutions failing me?  

‍The Real Deal Behind Hormonal Acne

‍If you’re a grown-up combatting skin issues, you have to know what you’re actually up against: an endocrine imbalance. If you’re like most women who get hormonal acne, then you probably notice pimples crop up around ovulation (mid-cycle) and/or right before your period. This isn’t a coincidence; these are the two points in your hormonal cycle when estrogen and testosterone are peaking, and if your body isn’t processing these hormones correctly, eliminating the excess, and detoxifying your system. That extra estrogen and testosterone accumulates and results in acne. This happens in two ways: the excess estrogen causes estrogen dominance and skin inflammation, and the extra testosterone play on your sebaceous glands to produce more oil.

‍Elimination is Key

‍We often forget that our skin is our biggest organ of elimination; it works within a system that includes your liver, lymphatic system, and large intestine, and because these organs all act as one unit, they can’t be separated when it comes to treating the root cause of acne. Everything you put into your body from the food you eat to the products you use on your hair and skin to the substances you use to clean your house must be eliminated properly. If they’re not, then these chemicals that mimic estrogen will stay in your body and circulate. And if all of your elimination organs aren’t working optimally, then the leftover, circulating toxins will show up on your face as acne (and result in other unpleasant symptoms like PMS) — it’s as simple as that.

5 Reasons You Have Adult Acne (And 5 Ways to Fight It)

Now that you understand the basics, let’s get down to business — here are the five reasons your skin is suffering and the solutions to implement right now:

1)You have a micronutrient deficiency.

The problem with all the standard acne treatments is that they do nothing to target the root cause of your problem. Two major health problems underpin the issue:  1) A damaged and depleted gut microbiome, and 2) A deficiency in key micronutrients for skin health.

‍The solution: Coffee, excessive exercise, chemicals in your environment, sleep deprivation, the Pill, and stress all strip your body of key micronutrients that keep your hormones healthy and your skin clear. The five formulations provided in the Balance By FLO Living supplement line include essential micronutrients to act as your “insurance policy” against endocrine disruptive things that you’re doing (knowingly or unknowingly) that are throwing you off balance.

2) Your liver is congested.

Your liver needs enough micronutrients in order properly detoxify your body. A well-functioning liver boosts your absorption of all vitamins and minerals and prevent deficiencies developing in the first place. You might be surprised to learn zinc deficiency is a very common issue for many women; when we’re deficient in zinc, our pores become easily irritated by bacteria and show redness. A large-scale scientific study actually concluded that zinc supplementation is very effective even when compared to commonly prescribed antibiotics.

‍The Solution: In addition to the supplements mentioned above, I recommend incorporating a little bit of grass-fed liver into your FLO Living diet every week as part of a meal or as a snack. It’s full of copper and vitamin A to balance out zinc and aid in detoxification of excess hormones.

3) You’re eating pro-inflammatory foods.

Inflammatory foods cause leaky gut syndrome — that means microscopic holes develop in the wall of your intestines, allowing molecules to pass through and create an inflammatory response in your body. When your liver and large intestine are working at a subpar level, your skin steps up and tries to eliminate the toxins, resulting in skin inflammation and acne.

‍The Solution: To speed up your healing, reduce or eliminate the following foods from your diet as best you can:

• Dairy
• Peanuts
• Soy
• Canola, sunflower, safflower, and vegetable oil
• Caffeine
• Gluten

4) Your cycle is out of whack.

If your period is all over the place, it’s a sure sign something is off with your hormones and your skin may be suffering as a result.

‍The Solution: Download the MyFLO® app and start tracking your symptoms STAT! Getting into the groove of cycle synching will help you troubleshoot your issues by modifying your diet and lifestyle to work for you, not against you.

5) You’re not getting enough exercise (or sex!).

Circulation and the flushing of cortisol are essential to glowing, gorgeous skin. If you’re not moving enough or clocking enough amazing orgasms, the evidence could show on your face.

‍The Solution: A good clean stress hormone detox in the way of a burst of sweaty exercise (I like jumping on a mini trampoline in my living room!) or even a really good orgasm will give you a dewy glow and help to banish stress related and hormonal acne.Love,Alisa

The holiday season is filled with family, parties, friends, traditions, and…sugar, alcohol, shopping, stress, and other out-of-the-ordinary activities. In other words, it’s a wonderful and a hormonally disruptive time of year. You know that holiday hangover feeling where you’re moody, bloated, prone to breakouts, and your pants no longer zip? That’s holiday hormone madness. But here’s the good news: you’re not doomed to a winter filled with crummy symptoms. There are simple strategies you can use to have (a little) cake and eat it, too! The first, best step is to do a simple, easy reset after indulging in holiday hedonism. By taking a few days to focus on healthy food (and when to eat it), getting the right micronutrients, and engaging in strategic self-care, you can reverse the hormonal chaos and lay the groundwork for a lighter, brighter holiday season and New Year. And if you think a reset requires strict deprivation, think again. Recalibrating your endocrine system is easier than you think.

Why The Holidays Wreak Havoc On Your Hormones

The post-holiday hangover is a result of putting too much pressure on one of the body’s most important detox organs: the liver. Your liver is responsible for breaking down toxins and getting them ready for elimination from the body. This happens naturally when you eat a diet of FLO-friendly foods, but when the holidays interfere with their pies, cookies, and mulled wine, your liver gets overwhelmed and can’t detox efficiently. The symptoms you’re feeling on the outside—like fatigue, brain fog, acne, weight gain, bloating, heavy or irregular periods, severe PMS, mood swings, and hormonal headaches—are the downstream effects of having a sluggish liver. When this happens, toxins recirculate through your bloodstream and estrogen, which is also detoxed through the liver, backs up in your body. When you have too much estrogen circulating in your bloodstream relative to progesterone, it’s called estrogen dominance and it will make any symptoms you’re already experiencing even worse. The real goal in doing a detox or cleanse isn’t to starve yourself down to a smaller size; it’s to support the liver. Rather than depriving yourself, you should focus on feeding yourself the right micronutrients to help your liver move toxins more efficiently. Doing that will rev up your energy and strip away the sluggishness so many of us feel during the season.

How to (Easily) Detox From Holiday Hormone Havoc

Trigger #1: Too much sugar. I believe in the occasional sugary indulgence, but the holidays often come with more sweet treats than other seasons. Extra sugar is one of the biggest reasons our hormones go off the rails.Here’s why: When you eat a lot of sugar or carbs and flood your system with glucose, your body sends out insulin to deliver it to your cells. This overexposure of glucose and insulin sends your blood sugar levels soaring and then crashing, which can disrupt ovulation and set off a cascade of hormone imbalances. The sugar will also prompt your body’s fat cells to secrete more estrogen, compounding estrogen dominance and fueling symptoms like PMS, cramps, irregular cycles, acne, PCOS, and even infertility issues.Detox tips: Allow yourself some sweet treats this season, but stay mindful of the kind of sweetener and the amount you’re consuming. To avoid overindulging at holiday parties, eat a healthy, low-sugar and cycle-synced meal before hitting the town. Always eat a good breakfast within 90 minutes of waking up in order to safeguard your blood sugar and, if you can, make lunch your biggest meal of the day and include complex carbs (like black beans) and good fats (like avocado). Trigger #2: Too many simple carbs. White bread, mashed potatoes, pastry-heavy desserts— sometimes it seems like carbs make the world go ‘round from November through January. You already know the kind of chaos sugar creates in your body. Add foods that mask as healthier options (like mashed potatoes) to the mix and it can spell real trouble for your hormones. Detox tip: Having just one “carb-free day” each week can help with carb control. The rules are simple: For breakfast, have eggs with coconut oil. For lunch, have turkey with avocados and greens along with a cup of bone broth. Steer away from the grains and gluten-free carbs today to give blood sugar spikes a break and take a fiber supplement to sweep out the white flour residue. When you switch back to eating complex carbs the rest of the week, try to add in a brisk walk after eating to help your body use the glucose for fuel.Trigger #3: Too much alcohol. A glass of red wine now and then won’t hurt you, but more than the occasional glass can start to mess with your hormones. Sugary cocktails can make matters even worse. Alcohol raises your estrogen levels and slows liver function, once again fueling estrogen dominance.Detox tip: Concentrate on detoxing your liver so it can go back to processing your hormones and moving them through your body efficiently. Try my special liver detox juice: combine a handful of spinach, 4 stalks of cucumber, half a bunch of cilantro, one-third a bunch of parsley, half a lemon with rind, half a green apple, and a small carrot in a blender or juicer. These tips will go a long way in helping you feel your best through the holidays, but the best way to do major damage control is by committing to my super simple, delicious (and FREE!) 4-Day Hormone Detox Plan. Get all the recipes and step-by-step assistance you need to get real results and head into the new year feeling recharged and rejuvenated. If this holiday season hits your hormones particularly hard, consider supplementing with the key micronutrients your liver and endocrine system need to function optimally. The liver needs support to do its job properly, especially when we’ve put it under a lot of strain. 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!Love,Alisa

Tame Your Cravings

Whether it’s just during your PMS week or every single day, we all feel like we’re constantly at the mercy of feeding the cravings beast. Join me to learn the 5 food craving types you have and what that is telling you about your hormones. You’ll discover

• Where you are most vulnerable during the day
• How to survive the 5 cravings-crisis times of day
• And my personal strategies for more stable energy

Click HERE to download your masterclass

When you are on your period, the hormones that are in play provide you with access to both heightened critical thinking skills and deeply held feelings. You are primed to consider strategically what might need shifting in your personal and professional life for the month ahead of you. I encourage you to take advantage of your menstruation phase and start a period journal to really utilize this time to have not only a better period, but to live your best life.We recently discussed period rituals and journaling in my Facebook Live sessions. You may already do something to honor your menstrual phase - be that taking a bath, sleeping in, taking some time alone to rest and relax. But you can get so much out of fully engaging with the energy you feel during this time. During your period, your hormone levels are lowered and your right and left brain are working in sync. This allows you an opportunity to be still and to reflect.

Accessing your hormonal powers

During your period, you can examine all of the areas of your life - your relationship, career, parenting, friendships, and more - carefully and critically, and you will have the capacity at this time to know fully and deeply what you want to change and what your true goals and desires are. It’s a time when you can assess your life and check if you’re still going in the direction you want overall - something that can get lost when you’re focused on the tasks, errands, and duties of everyday life. Is what you’re doing day-to-day still making you feel happy and fulfilled? Menstruation is also a great time to examine critically any judgments you’re having about yourself - where do they come from? Is this social conditioning? Are you being too hard on yourself? What messages from our culture have you internalized about how you should look, behave, act, or feel? This is when you are optimized to discard what doesn't serve you. Tap into your instinctive, essential feminine energy.

Creating period rituals

This is all much easier to consider and access if you make it a practice for every cycle. Schedule a time (it can be just 10 minutes) to work through these thoughts in writing. I suggest you do this with a period journal. This is a journal you use specifically to ask these questions of yourself, record your responses - both thoughts and feelings - and set intentions for the month ahead. I’m not someone who keeps a journal every day, but even if you do - set out a special notebook (perhaps it’s purple!) for this deep reflection. I also use a visual, physical prompt to center and focus my energies - for me that’s a beautiful, ceramic pomegranate, as well as well-chosen crystals. Self-reflection will come easier for you during menstruation than at any other time of your cycle. It’s actually a great time to master any practice of going inward - whether that’s meditation, yoga, or journaling. I too have other practices for my menstruation phase - I create a tea ritual and a home spa ritual, which I used to honor my period alongside journaling.

If writing is just not your thing - this is an adaptable practice, it can be molded to fit your favorite method of self-expression. Instead of journaling, this might be creating a vision board, sketching or drawing, mind mapping, or even just talking directly into the voice memo app on your smartphone, stream-of-consciousness style. Of course, the FLO Living lifestyle isn’t only about the menstruation phase - but you can use this practice and your engagement during your period and take those skills to every other phase of your cycle to manifest the Cycle Syncing lifestyle. You will, over time, cultivate such a wonderful relationship with your body that will be mutually loving and supportive. 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

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

You’ve been asking me for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, and I finally have created a solution that I am so thrilled to be able to offer to you on your hormonal balancing journey:

Balance by FLO Living Supplements are a complete package that work together to keep your hormone levels healthy. They include a 2 month (2 cycle) supply of the following formulations so you’re never caught short in any phase of your cycle.When you take these 5 supplements daily, you’ll be giving your body excellent micronutrients to support healthier hormone levels. Which means that you’ll start to see your worst period symptoms get better… and even disappear after a while.

Click here to learn more about the brand-new BALANCE Supplement Kit.

A 4-Day Detox can't fix everything, and you know I’m no big fan of the quick fix. If you know me, you know I advocate for making good choices every day, creating sustainable lifestyle shifts, that last for the long term. It’s an evidence based, results-driven perspective and it really works. And for those of you who don't know me yet, nice to see you here! I do recommend the right kind of detox, at the right time. It can be a great way to get started as well as a method for reaching new milestones.

Who is a hormone detox for? A detox is for someone who already needs it! For example, if you're feeling the desire for a reset- after a long summer, or the overconsumption of alcohol, extended periods of indulgent eating, or even just an intuition to get back into balance...then seize that impulse to take better care of yourself and do a hormone detox. Let's be entirely clear about one thing: this detox is full of food and fuel and supportive nutrition.

‍Many health issues - including fatigue, acne, depression, anxiety, brain fog, mood swings, and weight gain (the kind of things that might make you want to do a detox in the first place) are attributed to too-high estrogen levels or a condition we call “estrogen dominance.”

‍Estrogen dominance drives the most common hormonal health issues too, from PMS to PCOS. Detoxing your body of excess estrogen has many immediate and long term benefits. If you feel the need for a detox, it’s likely because your liver is running at a sub-optimal level, it’s overloaded with caffeine, alcohol, pesticides, sugar, etc. and you are sensing the need to cleanse. A hormone detox is not a crash diet, juice cleanse, or fast - that won’t achieve the goals you’ve set out. If you want to feel energized, refreshed, boosted in body, mind and spirit, as well as shed some excess weight and get glowing skin - you need nutrients, minerals, and resources to make this happen.

The Flo Living 4 Day Hormone Detox will have you eating fresh, nourishing food for 3 meals a day, plus snacks. You won’t feel hungry, depleted, or deprived. You will be prepping food to start and then you will be eating frequently throughout the day, instead of watching the clock for your next juice. The foods you’ll be eating will fill you up and support your liver function. ‍Your liver needs the fuel to process the excess hormones and toxins and eliminate them from your body.

You can download it for free here: 4-Day Detox

The 4 Day Hormone Detox is packed full of cleansing foods that address your liver, intestines and lymphatic system. Your elimination organs - especially your hard-working liver - need lots of nutrients to breakdown toxins, and you get nutrients from food. You do not and will not get enough nutrients from a juice fast or cabbage soup diet for your body to detox!

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There are so many good reasons to do a hormone detox - acne, bloating, sore breasts, PMS, funky periods, feeling sluggish, unable to focus, lacking creative juices - but I want to tell you how our 4 Day Hormone Detox can make you feel. Because sometimes the problem isn’t enough to prompt us to take action, perhaps because you’ve been living with it for so long that it feels like nothing will work. Sometimes you need some positive inspiration!

If you’ve tried detoxing before and it just hasn’t worked out the way you wanted, read on to hear what you need to make detoxing something you will actually look forward to! In fact, many who practice Cycle Syncing® do this detox once every few months.

‍

Why do a hormone detox?

Your skin will glow:

During the 4 days of the hormone detox you will eliminate entirely all the central adult and hormonal acne triggers like dairy, soy, caffeine, sugar, and gluten. You will also increase the amount of skin-clearing, hormone-supportive nutrients in your diet - especially the vital omega-3s and B vitamins. Excess estrogen and the resulting hormonal imbalance leads to acne, by increasing sebum production and preventing skin healing. If you are particularly prone to acne around your ovulation days or before your period, this detox is for you. You’ll also detox more than just your body - our hormone detox has an additional layer that you won’t find with most detox plans. You won’t only be detoxing your diet and concentrating on what you eat during the day, you’ll also be detoxing your home - the products you use, everything from kitchen cleaning products to cosmetics. This is so essential. We often focus entirely on what we put in our bodies when we detox, but we don’t think of what we’re putting on our body in the shower in the morning, or on our skin when we wash the dishes or do the laundry. Women especially are exposed to so many endocrine-disruptive chemicals throughout the day. It’s just as important to detox and cleanse your personal environment.

Your mood will soar:

If you’ve been experiencing anxiety, low mood, depression, or just a sluggishness and demotivation, then this detox will turn that around in 4 days. You’ll feel emotionally lighter, as well as physically lighter. The root cause of mood swings and many female-centric mood problems is destabilized blood sugar. This detox is not a fast, will not leave you hungry in the evening, and should keep you satisfied and stable throughout the day. Most women experience their worst moods as a form of PMS, which is the result of high estrogen/low progesterone. This detox will sweep your body of that excess estrogen and leave you in balance. You’ll be eating lots of B6-rich foods and B6 is progesterone’s favorite micronutrient.

You will shift your relationship with food:

After 4 days you’ll no longer feel bloated, and it’s very likely you’ll shed a few pounds of weight. With excess estrogen, many women store weight around their midsection. For our detox, you will be eating anti-bloat ingredients in your fruit salads and green salads at every meal, plus you will be eliminating many sources of weight gain - sugar, caffeine, dairy. You will also shift how you feel about food.  Our hormone detox includes guidance on how to approach food, not just from the practical perspective of prepping meals, but also in how you actually engage with and enjoy that food. The aim is to give you pause about how you may have related to food up until now - perhaps it's eating standing up with the fridge door open, on-the-go in the car, off your kids’ plates, etc. These lessons will carry with you beyond the 4 days.

You’ll feel creative and calm:

During the detox, you’ll be given prompts for how to process your experience at the end of each day. You’ll journal on specific topics that aim to expand your perspective, increase your sense of confidence and calm, and support you in connecting with your feminine energy and creativity. This will be a conversation with yourself and your body that will help you gain so much from this mini-retreat. A detox can be a transformational experience, and you can use that energy to make positive changes in your life long-term. The clarity of thinking and focus you’ll attain will help you to hone in on exactly what you want in all areas, personal and professional.

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Adding in a micronutrient boost with the right supplements can take your hormone detox to the next level. We highly recommend incorporating our Balance by FLO Living Hormone Supplements to your plan. 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!

If you’re experiencing acne and you go to your doctor for support, you are likely to come away with one of four prescriptions: antibiotics, hormonal birth control, isotretinoin, or spironolactone. Adult and hormonal acne is very common and very treatable with diet and lifestyle changes. Unfortunately, it’s more likely you’ll receive a medication instead of advice on diet-based acne triggers and acne treatments because that’s how the majority of our medical system is set up. Acne is a serious problem for some women, it can affect your self-confidence and mood, and it deserves a treatment that gets rid of it completely, long term, without any side effects.

The problem with acne prescriptions

Birth control pill - any method of hormonal birth control can potentially suppress acne, but it might also make it worse. Synthetic birth control control disrupts your microbiome, endocrine system, and micronutrient levels - all systems essential for keeping your skin clear. You may have clear skin while you’re taking it, but not without added side effects that can worsen issues like PCOS, plus increase your risk of some reproductive cancers. Once you decide to stop using hormonal birth control, a common symptom of the withdrawal period is acne, often worse than you’ve had before because of the internal disruption that has occurred as a result of the medication. Antibiotics - we are more aware now than ever of the dangers of over-prescribing and over-using antibiotics. Using antibiotics long term is never a good idea as it will mean if you need antibiotics for an emergency health problem, they will not be as effective. Antibiotics do incredible damage to the microbiome, and robust gut health is important for clear skin. As with hormonal birth control, when you come off the antibiotics the acne will not only return, but be much worse than it was before because of the microbiome damage. Antibiotics don’t distinguish between good bacteria and bad bacteria, they kill all of it, leaving us depleted of the necessary bacteria for good hormonal health. Spironolactone/Aldactone - this is a synthetic hormone or steroid that is nothing like the hormones your body produces for itself in composition. It works by disrupting your body’s production of testosterone, by confusing your body with a synthetic similar steroid. Just as I don’t recommend synthetic hormonal birth control, I also don’t recommend meat and dairy that contains synthetic hormones, and I don’t recommend spironolactone. It comes with a raft of side effects that create the most common hormone imbalance issue (and a cause of acne) - estrogen dominance - as well as depression, blood clots, and increased risk of some cancers. Spironolactone is not safe to take long term and is not going to prevent acne beyond the point that you are using itIsotretinoin (originally Accutane) - if you’re prescribed Isotretinoin, then you are also prescribed hormonal birth control, because Isotretinoin causes birth defects. That in itself should be enough to dissuade you from using this medication. There are other side effects - including an initial worsening of acne, and severe depression. The original patented drug, Accutane, was removed from the market when many users found it caused them to develop Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Usually this medication is offered as a last resort, but rarely are diet and lifestyle changes part of the prior process of acne treatment.

How to treat acne without medications

In my previous blog post we’ve looked at the best pills to take for acne - and they’re not medications! Probiotics for gut health, essential fatty acids, a liver detoxifier, B complex, magnesium and zinc - these natural supplements will have the positive effects you’re looking for, with none of the side effects. And, as a bonus, they’ll clear up your other hormonal health issues at the same time. The even better news is that you can now dump the prescription and get a subscription!

A subscription to my supplement kit, which contains every single one of these vital nutrients and minerals that your body needs to clear you skin and make it glow from the inside out. As someone who has previously suffered with hormonal acne, I have my favorites when it comes to skincare products. These are free from endocrine-disruptors, are all-natural, and work quickly - no ProActiv in sight! The Flo Living protocol effectively supports your body’s elimination system, balances estrogen and testosterone, and will treat and prevent your hormonal acne. A combination of the right foods and the right supplements can help you move past hormonal acne, finally, and get the clear skin you want. It worked for me and it will work for you too. 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

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

You’ve been asking me for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, and I finally have created a solution that I am so thrilled to be able to offer to you on your hormonal balancing journey:

Balance by FLO Living Supplements are a complete package that work together to keep your hormone levels healthy. They include a 2 month (2 cycle) supply of the following formulations so you’re never caught short in any phase of your cycle.When you take these 5 supplements daily, you’ll be giving your body excellent micronutrients to support healthier hormone levels. Which means that you’ll start to see your worst period symptoms get better… and even disappear after a while.

Click here to learn more about the brand-new BALANCE Supplement Kit.

Cramps, bloating, crazy-making mood swings. Totally typical, right? Wrong. PMS is the product of hormonal discord. It’s NOT something you should expect to be part of your period. In fact, it’s a warning sign that something is off in your endocrine system. But there’s good news: simple nutrition and lifestyle strategies can bring your hormones back into balance. If you’ve been suffering from period problems—including severe PMS, heavy or irregular periods, cramps, bloating, mood swings, irritability, migraines, weight gain, or acne—you can put your symptoms into remission simply by shifting how and when you eat and how you support you body with supplements. PMS isn’t something you should have to endure on a monthly basis. You can, should, and deserve to live a PMS-free life! And the secret to that PMS-free life? It’s all about eating the right foods and taking the right supplements taken at the right times during your cycle.

The One Big Reason You’re Still Struggling With PMS

If you’re here, I’m guessing you already know that the most common “treatments” for PMS (like hormonal birth control) either don’t work or make the root causes worse. They also come with lots of unwanted side effects. You’ve probably tried a bunch of other things, too: teas, tonics, and more. And yet you’re still plagued with monthly misery. So what gives?It all comes down to one (very) common endocrine imbalance: too much estrogen and too little progesterone. Why are so many of us high in estrogen and low in progesterone (and feeling the effects of this imbalance every month)? Blame it on life in the modern world: micronutrient-deficient diets, chemical exposures, and sky-high stress that elevates cortisol levels all combine to form a perfect, hormone-disrupting storm.But estrogen dominance can be addressed with lifestyle changes, including when and how you exercise, what and when you eat, and how your self-care routine.

The Best Natural Supplements to Prevent PMS

You can’t spot treat PMS. You have to address the root causes to get rid of it. In order for your body to produce adequate amounts of the right hormones at the right times, you need several key micronutrients:

• Magnesium – Many women are deficient in magnesium because of our on-the-go busy and stressful lifestyles. Magnesium helps balance your 28-day hormone cycle, ease bloating, encourage good sleep, and alleviate anxiety.
• B6 – B6 helps your body produce more progesterone. Progesterone deficiency can make PMS-related symptoms worse by exacerbating estrogen dominance, which is when estrogen in the bloodstream is high relative to progesterone.. Probiotics help the estrobolome metabolize estrogen.
• Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D3 both help promote hormone balance. Vitamin D acts as a master hormone in the body, and healthy levels of vitamin D keep the entire hormone system stable and balanced.  Omega-3s are essential for mood stabilization and for reducing cramps.
• Vitamin E – This vitamin specifically helps with premenstrual breast soreness. As an antioxidant, it protects breast tissue from inflammation.
• Vitamin C and Alpha Lipoic Acid - Both compounds help the liver break down excess estrogen.
• Calcium – This nutrient will help with the mood swings, fatigue, headaches and pre-menstrual acne.

These micronutrient combinations are the non-negotiable micronutrients every woman needs (whether you’re on the pill or not) to keep your hormones healthy and happy. After researching these essential micronutrients for over the past 15 years, I decided it was time to create five formulations that would deliver these to you every day.

Additional Natural Supplements to Prevent PMS

I recommend that women who are experiencing period problems start by optimizing their micronutrients because this helps heal and balance the endocrine system at its core. If you incorporate these micronutrients and are still experiencing PMS and other problems, I recommend specific herbs. In most cases, you will only need the micronutrients (and not the herbs), but if you do opt for herbs, remember that these are powerful compounds. Use them only in specific situations and always consult a trusted healthcare practitioner on dosage and timing.

• Vitex – This powerful supplement has been used by women for a long time. Vitex increases production of hormones in the luteal phase and offsets estrogen dominance by supporting your pituitary gland to make more progesterone on its own.
• Dong Quai – This adaptogen is known as a general tonic for all women and called the female ginseng. Dong quai has muscle relaxing effects and is pain relieving for all those pre-period cramps and aches. Important note!  This powerful supplement should not be used during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or if you have a family history of female cancers.
• Evening Primrose Oil – this supplement has been extensively researched as an aid for hormone balance. Evening primrose oil can help with cramps, aches and pains, and headaches in the luteal phase.

Restore Your Micronutrients, Rebalance Your Hormones, and Remove PMS From Your Life

So now that you know what you’re missing, it’s time to get it all back. But how? First and foremost, food is your foundation. No single supplement can solve your PMS alone. But, there are some key supplements that will, when used in conjunction with the FLO protocol (particularly the specific foods that support your body during the luteal phase), help speed alleviation of PMS symptoms and prevent future suffering.Once you have your PMS-fighting foods sorted out, as well as your PMS-preventing nighttime routine and PMS-banishing morning routine, you can start with the natural supplements.Whether you’re trying to get rid of pesky PMS, offset the effects of synthetic birth control hormones, improve a diagnosed condition like PCOS, Fibroids, etc, or improve your fertility, making sure you’ve optimized key micronutrients make a good “insurance policy” against hormonal discord and all the crummy symptoms that come with it. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!Love,Alisa

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

You’ve been asking me for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, and I finally have created a solution that I am so thrilled to be able to offer to you on your hormonal balancing journey:

Balance by FLO Living Supplements are a complete package that work together to keep your hormone levels healthy. They include a 2 month (2 cycle) supply of the following formulations so you’re never caught short in any phase of your cycle.When you take these 5 supplements daily, you’ll be giving your body excellent micronutrients to support healthier hormone levels. Which means that you’ll start to see your worst period symptoms get better… and even disappear after a while.

Click here to learn more about the brand-new BALANCE Supplement Kit.

It’s a taboo topic that we need to normalize: period blood. The color, consistency, and texture of your flow can reveal way more about your overall health than you realize. It’s time to de-stigmatize this essential vital sign and start decoding symptoms.

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Period blood is not something we’re taught to talk about. In fact, we’re pretty much raised to hide from it. Pay attention to any maxi pad or tampon commercial and all you’ll see is the same blue liquid over and over again.

The truth is: periods matter. They matter SO much, in fact, that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has declared menstruation a vital sign.The appearance, frequency, and consistency of your menstrual blood provides invaluable clues into your overall health, and if you want to finally banish symptoms and feel amazing, it’s time to get familiar with your flow.

Think of checking your flow every month like being able to access free lab work for your hormone levels. Knowing the color tells you which hormones are in and out of balance and if your eating is synced with your hormones. Your period provides genius (and free!) biofeedback for you.

Your Guide to Interpreting the Color of Your Period Blood

Ready to recognize what’s normal and what’s not? Check out my guide to period blood:

• The color: Bright, cranberry-red
• The consistency: Like jello mix that hasn’t set (medium viscosity: not too thin, not too thick)
• The length: 5-7 days
• The frequency: Every 28-30 days

What it means: Congratulations! This is what’s considered a normal, healthy period. If you’re already cycle-syncing and eating nutrient-rich, FLO-supportive foods, keep it up. Make sure to also incorporate all the necessary lifestyle tweaks and essential supplements to ensure your cycle stays on track.

• The color: Brown
• The consistency: Thin/streaky
• The length: Varies
• The frequency: Varies

What it means: That brown stuff is old oxidized blood that didn’t make it out of your uterus during your last cycle and it’s caused by low progesterone levels. These low levels may be at the root of your period symptoms and may also cause you to struggle with regular ovulation.

• The color: Dark, purple/blue
• The consistency: Thick with clots
• The length: Longer than a week
• The frequency: Varies

What it means: This frozen blueberry color is a sign of too much estrogen. Estrogen levels that are higher in proportion to progesterone cause a lot of the typical symptoms associated with problematic periods, and potentially lead to endometriosis, cysts, or fibroids. Over the long term, excess estrogen can lead to more serious health consequences.

• The color: Barely-there pink
• The consistency: Too light to tell
• The length: 3 days or less
• The frequency: Varies

What it means: A super-short period and extra light bleeding may indicate low estrogen levels. Your hormones are made from the food you eat, so your low estrogen is likely due to vitamin and nutrient deficiencies from improper and extreme dieting as well as from adrenal burnout.

When it comes to food and the menstrual cycle, we often focus on what we want to eat and when, which comes down to the cravings and binges that usually happen during the premenstrual phase. We don’t often think about how to nourish our bodies when we’re menstruating. For most women, their appetite actually lessens during the actual period week and cravings can subside.

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However, your body is calling out for foods that will comfort, support, and sooth any symptoms - from the fatigue, to the low mood, to the difficult bowel movements. There are foods you can choose to eat more of during your period that will make you feel better and give you an overall improved period experience. The Monthly FLO protocol finds its foundation in Cycle Syncing food choices to your menstrual cycle phase to create happy hormones and hormone balance, and in this process the menstrual phase gets just as much attention as the pre-menstrual or ovulatory.

Your body is doing an amazing thing during this phase, as it is throughout the cycle, and it needs your support! Your period should be a time of supercharged self-care and so much love for your body. When we talk about menstrual care we often just think about tampons and pads, when we really should be thinking more holistically and broadly about supporting our health and hormones. Here’s to a better period!

‍The best foods to eat during your period:

• Liquid chlorophyll - chlorophyll works to raise your iron levels. You’re losing blood, so you need to add in the iron. Other iron rich foods are spinach, lentils, and grass-fed beef. But liquid chlorophyll is a simple addition and packs a powerful iron punch. If you experience clots, heavy bleeds, or fatigue during your period this is especially important.

• Royal Jelly - rich in amino acids, a necessary building block for hormones, royal jelly can support you during the time in your cycle when your hormones are at their lowest ebb. You can also find so many essential amino acids in a whole egg, yolk and all (don’t skip that yolk!). You can add royal jelly to an afternoon smoothie for a pick-me-up.

• Sardines - high in omega-3s, this good fat is essential for mood stabilization during your period. Often women experience PMS and their period as a continuum, and so that pre-menstrual low mood can carry on through menstruation. Omega-3s are also fantastic for combatting period cramps. Sardines, mixed with tahini, on gluten-free bread or crackers makes a great, filling snack

• Seaweed - also rich in iron, seaweeds of all kinds are a great choice during your period. Warming foods are best at this time of the cycle, so use seaweed to create a rich broth or soup. Your body is not in the hormonal place to process raw, cold foods during your period, so seek out warmth and rich nourishment.

• Bone broth - bone broth is soothing, relaxing, and can help with sleep. Have a big cup in the evening before bed when you’re on your period. Bone broth is also packed full of amino acids and it can help a lot with bloating and digestive discomfort during your period. If you experience a constipation/diarrhea cycle during your period, avoid eating too many raw veggies and fibrous foods.

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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

Back when I was desperately trying to address my own severe case of PCOS, I spent thousands of dollars on an array of products. I tried chlorella supplements, I tried a candida eliminator, I even tried drinking a juice made of carrots and greens every morning that looked just like pond scum and turned my skin orange! So yes, I really mean it when I say I tried everything.I didn’t know it at the time, but the real reason nothing worked was that I wasn’t using supplements correctly. You can’t simply slap a pill or potion on hormonal imbalance and expect it to magically heal the condition. Supplements can and do support major healing, but they have to be used synergistically, meaning the correct formulations must be used in conjunction with the correct diet. What is Biohacking?Biohacking is simply the modification of micronutrients, diet and lifestyle to optimize the functions of the body’s biological processes. For women, this means replenishing micronutrient levels and cycle-syncing diet and lifestyle. And yes, I wrote the book on that. The key difference between biohacking for men and biohacking for women, is that in the case of men, they are trying to maximize energy, concentration, and stamina during their very short 24 hour circadian hormonal pattern. For you, as a woman, you are already maximally efficient by design, so you simply need to nurture your cyclical patterns and endocrine system’s nutritional needs, and you will feel the benefits quickly. This means you can biohack your way to an easy, symptom free period in a very short time!How Supplements Can Enhance Your HealingThe biggest learning that came out of my years-long supplement experimentation was that the proper products are meant to work in harmony with hormone-healthy foods. Sure, any manufacturer can sell a product that says it “blocks estrogen,” but if you ingest that product (assuming it actually does what it says it does — many don’t) and you’re not taking in other important micronutrients, all you’re really doing is investing your money into making really expensive pee. Seriously! That’s what I was doing for years, and along with overpriced urine, the misguided expectations created a lot of frustration and hopelessness. I don’t want you to needlessly suffer the same defeating feelings. I’ve seen so many women throw their money away on useless supplements, only to realize the products aren’t working, which leads them to stop trying to heal altogether. I don’t want you to give up — you can change your hormonal situation. You just have to do it the right way. That’s really why I created this kit. The five essential formulations must be used together because that’s exactly how they should fit into your life; as a supportive, synergistic team. These micronutrients are the ones I’ve relied on for the past 17 years to not only put my serious hormonal dysfunction into remission, but also help maintain my endocrine and overall health over time. These are my go-tos, and they’re exactly what I know will help support you as you take control of your own health and transform your life. Why These Five Supplements Are Non-Negotiable

When it came time to manufacture my kit of essential supplements, I created the five formulations that are truly non-negotiable: B-complex, magnesium, liver detoxifier/estrogen metabolizer, a probiotic, and a D3-omega-3, K blend. One question many clients have is whether or not they need to take a multivitamin, and as you may have noticed, I didn’t include one in my kit. The reasons are simple: most multivitamins contain too much of the wrong nutrients and not nearly enough of the right ones. In my years of research, I narrowed down the overwhelming and seemingly never-ending list of supplements to the true essentials: these are the products that will help your body manufacture the correct hormones and help these chemical messengers communicate in a way that’s maximally efficient and effective. So why are these essentials so essential? The facts speak for themselves. Comprehensive scientific research has demonstrated that these micronutrients are must-have supports for a fully-functioning, healthy hormonal system. Just a few examples of what you’d be missing out on if you don’t incorporate these powerful products:

• While every woman should be supplementing with B vitamins, if you’re suffering from endocrine dysfunction, you’ll need to be extra aware of your intake. Research has shown that an intake of vitamins like thiamine (B1) is inversely related to endometriosis. Another important type of B vitamin, folic acid, is known to be an important weapon in fighting PCOS.
• Magnesium is a must for women with PCOS since it improves insulin sensitivity, a major PCOS issue. And if you’ve ever suffered from hot flashes — whether you’re menopausal or not even close — magnesium has been shown to significantly reduce the symptoms.
• If you’re suffering with fibroids, vitamin D is an absolute must. A study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that supplementing with vitamin D reduced the size of uterine fibroids. This may be especially essential for African American women since they’re 3-4 times more likely to develop fibroids and 10 times more likely to be deficient in vitamin D than white women.
• Probiotics are a must: one study found that in just 12 weeks, probiotics stimulated natural killer cells and helped significantly reduced endometriosis pain.

The truth is, your body contains infinite wisdom. It knows how to balance your hormones. Whatever endocrine disruption you’re experiencing is due to the fact that you’re depleted in a specific area or areas and your body needs to be replenished; you have the natural potential for optimal hormonal function; your body has just lost its way and needs some re-direction and guidance. The supplements in my essentials kit are designed to support and enhance the significant improvements that will result from a targeted nutritional protocol. Whether you have a thyroid condition, endometriosis, PCOS like me, or intolerable PMS that your doctor won’t take seriously, supplementing correctly will speed your body’s ability to create real and lasting balance.These are the micronutrients every menstruating woman needs to have more balanced hormones. I’m so proud to be able to offer you this product. With it, now the FLO Living Hormone Center is the only place on the planet where women can go virtually to test, track, treat, and talk about their hormones and improve their periods naturally. Whether you’re trying to get rid of pesky PMS, offset the effects of synthetic birth control hormones, improve a diagnosed condition like PCOS, Fibroids, etc, or improve your fertility, Balance Supplements are an excellent addition for healthier hormones. And in case you missed it, check out my most popular FaceBook Live to date from this past Thursday! I really dive into why these supplements are the absolute most essential micro-nutrients that you need to support your hormones. Listen Here. If you’re just learning how your period works with the MyFLO period tracker, Balance by FLO Living Supplement Kit will help you take your health to the next level. If you’ve started making changes to your food and lifestyle with MonthlyFLO, the Balance Supplement Kit will give you nutrient support to speed up your hormone balancing. If you’ve graduated from one of our FLO programs, Balance Supplement Kit will give you the nutrient support to stay on track as you continue to eat for all 4 phases and sync with your cycle. These five supplements represent your personal “insurance policy” against endocrine disruptive things you’re doing (knowingly or unknowingly) that are throwing you off balance.If you’re ready to feel energized, detoxed, replenished, harmonized, and gutsy, order the Balance by FLO Living Supplement Kit now! Love,Alisa

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

You’ve been asking me for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, and I finally have created a solution that I am so thrilled to be able to offer to you on your hormonal balancing journey:

Balance by FLO Living Supplements are a complete package that work together to keep your hormone levels healthy. They include a 2 month (2 cycle) supply of the following formulations so you’re never caught short in any phase of your cycle.When you take these 5 supplements daily, you’ll be giving your body excellent micronutrients to support healthier hormone levels. Which means that you’ll start to see your worst period symptoms get better… and even disappear after a while.

Click here to learn more about the brand-new BALANCE Supplement Kit.

If you’ve been visiting FLO Living for a while or you’ve familiarized yourself with my book, WomanCode, then you probably know how passionate I am about guiding women through hormonal self-healing via food, supplements and lifestyle fixes. And you may also know that I’m a big believer in using specific supplements selectively and intelligently to support the body in its healing and maintenance journey. But there’s still a lot of confusion and controversy about the use of supplements to support total endocrine wellness, so I want to be sure you’re as informed as possible before making the decision to add supplements to your protocol.

Which Deficiency Type are You?

First and foremost, I want all women to know one thing: your diet has never supported your hormonal health (until you start cycle syncing of course). Depending on your diet, it’s very likely, that you’ve developed some degree of leaky gut, which means you’re not absorbing micronutrients that are necessary for optimal endocrine function. That lack of essential micronutrients means your body is deficient — you’re coming to the healing process already at a loss and this deficiency will make it harder for you to get in front of the ball when it comes to balancing your hormones.The truth is, most women are behind the ball and are constantly struggling to catch up. In my almost 20 years of doing this, it seems there are a few deficiency causes that are pretty common. Regardless of which type YOU are, they all have the same result in common - draining you of the micronutrients you need to have balanced hormones! See if you can identify which Deficiency Type you are:

• The Caffeine Type: You start every day with a big cup of coffee on an empty stomach and/or you caffeinate throughout the day with lattes, mochas, or just plain java.
• The Pill Type: You’ve taken birth control pills at any point in your life and come off (and have not done anything to rebalance post pill) and/or you’re currently on a synthetic hormone regimen.
• The Extreme Diet/Exercise Type: You are very particular about food, and refuse to consider anything less than intensely sweaty, heart-pumping cardio as exercise.
• The Super Symptomatic Type: Your period is completely out of whack, and you have everything from cramps and mood swings to acne and more.
• The Poor Diet/Leaky Gut Type: You don’t have time for healthy meals so you grab whatever you can and get on with your day.

With dairy, gluten, and allergenic ingredients serving as staples in so many people’s diets, an alarming number of women are suffering from hormonal dysfunction. Add to that the overuse of stimulants like caffeine, the common mistake of over-exercise, and rampant stress, and you’ve got a cocktail for hormonal disaster. Then add in the overwhelmingly abundant use of synthetic hormonal birth control, which is known to deplete the body even further, and you can understand the endocrine epidemic occurring all around the world.

The Micronutrients You Need More Of

In over 16 years of practice and research, I have identified which supplements are absolutely essential to replenishing key levels of micronutrients to get your endocrine system enough of the building blocks it needs to balance your hormones for you. These are:

B vitaminsOmega 3, Vit D3, Vit KProbioticLiver support MagnesiumWithout enough of these micronutrients, you are more likely to struggle with PMS, weight issues, acne, headaches, mood swings, bloating, cramping, PCOS, Fibroids, Endometriosis, Missing Periods, Ovarian Cysts, Painful and Heavy periods.Whatever Deficiency type you identify with, you need all of these micronutrients in abundance to get back on track hormonally and to feel relief from your symptoms. I’ve finally been able to formulate these into the highest quality supplements for you.

Why Supplements Are Important

The FLO protocol is predicated on the concept of food as medicine, restoring healthy gut flora takes time and lots of dedicated effort — particularly when it’s been compromised for prolonged periods of time. While it’s certainly possible to completely heal your gut and hormonal health through food alone, the addition of supplements will significantly expedite the process so you see real results in less time. The correct supplements will reverse the damage done by too much caffeine, stress, and synthetic birth control, putting you on an even playing field so the food protocol can take effect faster. Consider supplements a wonderful bridge that allows you to cross from hormonal disarray to a stable base level where food really can act as medicine. The other beautiful thing about supplements is that they don’t just expedite healing; they help support long-term maintenance. Even the most hormonally-aware among us occasionally relapse into bad behaviors (stressful times and tempting-looking coffee drinks happen, I get it). By continuing to supplement your (almost always) healthy diet and lifestyle with the right nutrients, you’ll be able to replenish your depleted stores quickly and have the gut health necessary for better absorption of the vitamins and minerals that will keep your hormones happy. What’s not to love?

Balance by FLO Living Supplement Box

These are the micronutrients every menstruating woman needs to have more balanced hormones. I’m so proud to be able to offer you this product. With it, now the FLO Living Hormone Center is the only place on the planet where women can go virtually to test, track, treat, and talk about their hormones and improve their periods naturally. Whether you’re trying to get rid of pesky PMS, offset the effects of synthetic birth control hormones, improve a diagnosed condition like PCOS, Fibroids, etc, or improve your fertility, Balance Supplements are an excellent addition for healthier hormones.If you’re just learning how your period works with the MyFLO period tracker, Balance by FLO Living Supplement Kit will help you take your health to the next level. If you’ve started making changes to your food and lifestyle with MonthlyFLO, the Balance Supplement Kit will give you nutrient support to speed up your hormone balancing. If you’ve graduated from one of our FLO programs, Balance Supplement Kit will give you the nutrient support to stay on track as you continue to eat for all 4 phases and sync with your cycle. These five supplements represent your personal “insurance policy” against endocrine disruptive things you’re doing (knowingly or unknowingly) that are throwing you off balance.If you’re ready to feel energized, detoxed, replenished, harmonized, and gutsy, order the Balance by FLO Living Supplement Kit now! Love, Alisa

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

You’ve been asking me for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, and I finally have created a solution that I am so thrilled to be able to offer to you on your hormonal balancing journey:

Balance by FLO Living Supplements are a complete package that work together to keep your hormone levels healthy. They include a 2 month (2 cycle) supply of the following formulations so you’re never caught short in any phase of your cycle.When you take these 5 supplements daily, you’ll be giving your body excellent micronutrients to support healthier hormone levels. Which means that you’ll start to see your worst period symptoms get better… and even disappear after a while.

Click here to learn more about the brand-new BALANCE Supplement Kit.

As long as I’ve been working with women and their hormonal issues, I’ve been asked all kinds of questions about supplements. Some clients which brands are effective, others have wondered whether a food-based protocol should include supplements at all. The answer to that is “absolutely!” Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: food is always first. There’s no budging on that. To truly heal your hormones and recalibrate your endocrine system, you have to feed your body a micronutrient-rich diet of hormonally-supportive foods in a cycle-syncing pattern. There’s no single supplement that will solve all your problems. However, with that said, I do know that bolstering an already-nourishing diet with a select number of specific supplements that, when used properly, can speed up your healing process and help provide lasting support as you bring your body back into balance. After years of exhaustive research, I have identified what micronutrients are absolutely non-negotiable and essential for your endocrine system to have what it needs to do it’s job of balancing your hormones. While I have recommended other products found at health food stores in the past, I always dreamed of formulating my own supplements that met my extremely high standards. To add fuel to this desire of mine, a few years back, the scandal broke out that supplements from big box retailers did not contain what they claimed and if they did, they weren’t absorbable by the body. I really get peeved when women end up wasting money on things that don’t work, because that happened to me at the beginning of my hormonal health journey. It’s almost impossible to know which brands to trust, and once you find a reliable source, then it’s time to decide which of their million products to actually purchase. I finally had enough of all that confusion, and I decided to simplify and streamline the process for everyone! I created Balance by FLO Living - my brand new supplement kit: five formulas, rigorously tested, thoroughly researched, and perfectly suited to meet your needs. After years of research, I’ve determined that these are the five essential micronutrients that every hormonal woman needs in order to stay healthy and these are the only ones that are universally helpful to take.

It took a lot of thoughtful planning and preparation to ensure this kit fits the needs of all women. Because I want you to have the right amount of supplements at every phase of your cycles, the kit arrives in a 60 day, two-cycle shipment so you’re not caught short at any phase of your cycle! Here is my list of the five essential supplements that will elevate your hormonal healing and help you maintain endocrine excellence for the long haul:

• B-complex. I can’t say enough good things about B-vitamins — they’re absolutely necessary for good health, and many women just don’t get enough. A deficiency in B vitamins can cause low energy and fatigue since they’re so crucial for so many metabolic functions. B6 is a particularly important vitamin that can help boost progesterone production to counteract excess estrogen (a top cause of hormonal dysfunction). B6 supports the development of the corpus luteum, which is where all your progesterone originates, and it also works with your liver enzymes to remove excess estrogen from the body and boosts the immune system.

• Magnesium. Magnesium controls our pituitary health and without it, we produce less FSH (follicular stimulating) LH (luteinizing) and TSH (thyroid stimulating) the critical hormones that signal other glands in the endocrine system to perform optimally. Low levels of those foundational hormones can cause irregular ovulation and thyroid function issues, which can lead to bigger hormonal issues. Most women are deficient in magnesium and it’s involved in over 300 catalytic reactions in the body. If you get bloated and have headaches, those are just two of many other signs you can use to see if you’re deficient.

• Liver detoxifier/estrogen metabolizer. Your liver plays a critical role in maintaining hormonal balance and keeping symptoms at bay. In order to do all of the detoxification work it does on your hormonal behalf, it needs a fully stocked supply of many many micronutrients and antioxidants. I wanted to create a formula to feed your liver, these critical micronutrients and antioxidants like Vit C and Alpha Lipoic Acid, as well as turmeric and more. When your liver is well nourished, it can efficiently break down excess estrogen, a central cause behind hormonal imbalance-related health issues. If your body can’t efficiently process toxins like excess hormones, you’ll be more likely to develop menstrual, fertility, and libido problems.

• Probiotics. A healthy micro-biome is essential for management of every hormonal condition imaginable. There’s a community of gut bacteria and specifically bacterial genes, called the estro-bolome, that produce an enzyme that supports the metabolization of estrogen. Your gut is an important part of the elimination system that is vital in ushering hormones out of the body. When you eat dairy, gluten and eat food that has been produced with pesticides and take antibiotics, you disrupt this hugely important bacterial balance. Turns out we’re more bacterial than human! Most probiotics don’t make it past the stomach acid, I wanted to formulate one that would.

• D3-Omega-3 blend. Studies have shown that 93% of women dealing with infertility issues are vitamin D3 deficient, and women with higher vitamin D3 levels are four times more likely to conceive via IVF than women with low levels. The reason? A low concentration of vitamin D3 causes estrogen dominance, which, as you already know, can lead to a whole host of hormonal issues. Blended in with this important nutrient are omega-3s, the good fat essential not only for mood stabilization, but also for reducing cramps. When you’re deficient in Omega-3’s and high in omega-9’s from things like canola oil, you make more of the prostaglandin that causes cramps! My formulation also includes vitamins K1 and K2 for bone and heart health and collagen for skin and hair.

These are the micronutrients every menstruating woman needs to have more balanced hormones. I’m so proud to be able to offer you this product. With it, now the FLO Living Hormone Center is the only place on the planet where women can go virtually to test, track, treat, and talk about their hormones and improve their periods naturally. Whether you’re trying to get rid of pesky PMS, offset the effects of synthetic birth control hormones, improve a diagnosed condition like PCOS, Fibroids, etc, or improve your fertility, Balance Supplements are an excellent addition for healthier hormones.If you’re just learning how your period works with the MyFLO period tracker, Balance by FLO Living Supplement Kit will help you take your health to the next level. If you’ve started making changes to your food and lifestyle with MonthlyFLO, the Balance Supplement Kit will give you nutrient support to put your worst symptoms into remission faster. If you’ve graduated from one of our FLO programs, Balance Supplement Kit will give you the nutrient support to stay on track as you continue to eat for all 4 phases and sync with your cycle. These five supplements represent your personal “insurance policy” against endocrine disruptive things you’re doing (knowingly or unknowingly) that are throwing you off balance.If you’re ready to feel energized, detoxed, replenished, harmonized, and gutsy, order the Balance by FLO Living Supplement Kit now! Love,Alisa

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

You’ve been asking me for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, and I finally have created a solution that I am so thrilled to be able to offer to you on your hormonal balancing journey:

Balance by FLO Living Supplements are a complete package that work together to keep your hormone levels healthy. They include a 2 month (2 cycle) supply of the following formulations so you’re never caught short in any phase of your cycle.When you take these 5 supplements daily, you’ll be giving your body excellent micronutrients to support healthier hormone levels. Which means that you’ll start to see your worst period symptoms get better… and even disappear after a while.

Click here to learn more about the brand-new BALANCE Supplement Kit.

I’ve never met a woman who doesn’t need to boost her magnesium levels. It’s very easy to become deficient in this vital mineral and the symptoms of deficiency often manifest as period problems and hormonal health issues.If you get stressed out (who doesn’t?), then you’re probably deficient in magnesium. If you’re coffee-dependent, you’re probably deficient in magnesium. If you like a glass of wine, you’re probably deficient in magnesium. Are you a sugar-fiend? Then you’re probably deficient in magnesium. You get the idea! If you’re reading this post, it’s likely you’re deficient in magnesium. If you have PMS, PCOS, fibroids, ovarian cysts, hormonal acne, irregular cycles, or any other hormone imbalance-related issue that would bring you to this blog, one of the first steps to your recovery is upping your intake of magnesium-rich foods. These foods are central to the FLO Living protocol for good reason - magnesium plays an important part in the first two phases of the protocol by supporting blood sugar balance and healthy adrenals. Magnesium deficiency is hard to detect via normal means like a blood test, it’s really all about the symptoms. I advise, if in doubt - assume you need to increase your magnesium levels. There are so many benefits to magnesium across all the essential functions of the female body - from hormone creation to thyroid support to insulin control. If you’re new to FLO Living and you want to know where to start, front loading magnesium-rich foods in your diet is a great idea. It’s really a full-spectrum treatment for any kind of hormone imbalance you might be experiencing right now. I also advise my FLO Living clients to take regular epsom salt baths for the magnesium-boosting benefits.

The top magnesium-rich foods

• Dark, leafy greens like spinach and chard - leafy greens have the highest level of magnesium of any foods, which is why I like to have a side of them with almost every meal (sautéed, with a little coconut oil is my favorite). Just one cup gives you half your daily requirement.

• Sesame seeds - here’s why I choose sesame seed butter over other nut butters, it’s so rich in magnesium. These seeds also contain high levels of calcium, which helps with the absorption of magnesium. I previously recommended them for low energy, cramps, and an immunity boost.

• Avocado - avocados are a great all-rounder when it comes to hormonal health, which is why I eat them every week. As with all these foods, magnesium-boosting isn’t the only benefit, avocados have many hormone-balancing properties.

• Almonds - a handful of almonds will go a long way. Such a simple, easy way to increase your magnesium levels. Have you tried my favorite seasonal herby nuts recipe?

• Dark chocolate - chocolate with above 70% cocoa solids contains a high level of magnesium - no wonder you might crave it during your premenstrual and menstrual phases! Make sure the brand you choose has no extra sugar as sugar requires magnesium to be converted in the body, depleting your reserves. Otherwise, feel free to indulge.

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

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 for you in getting 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

As most FLO Living clients already know, I’m a big believer in supporting a hormone-healthy diet with the right supplements. While your diet should provide all the beautiful nutrients necessary to heal your symptoms and recalibrate your endocrine system, adding in just five key supplements can rev up your healing time and put you on the path toward lasting success much sooner. But here’s the truth: not all supplements are created equal. This was a lesson I learned the hard way after years of personal experimentation and tireless research. I realized pretty quickly that all the various products I was sinking my money into just weren’t delivering results, and as I dug deeper, I realized I was lucky these random pills and potions didn’t actually do harm. That’s because despite the fact that the global market for dietary supplements was $82 billion in 2013 (with the U.S. making up a quarter of that), with sales booming ever since, dietary supplements aren’t regulated. And that means pretty much any product can end up on the shelf masquerading as a good-for-you supplement without ever being tested for safety, purity, or quality. Scary, right?Now that you know this, you’ll start to see suspicious signs all over the supplement aisle. So many brands take shortcuts to churn out their products — many are manufactured in countries that have no manufacturing standards or safety to cut costs, and plenty of others don’t disclose where they’re made at all. And if you’re hoping for non-GMO products that are allergen-free, good luck: so many of these products contain harmful fillers like magnesium stearate and soy lecithin. And while high-priced items don’t necessarily guarantee good quality, cheap supplements are often the worst offenders. In fact, in 2015, Walmart, Walgreens, Target, and GNC were all found to be selling supplements containing allergenic compounds and useless fillers instead of the herbs their labels advertised.

The Ingredients to Avoid At All Costs

Sometimes it feels like you need a degree in chemistry to understand what’s in all the supplements on store shelves. While the most important thing you can do protect yourself is to buy your supplements from a trusted source (more on that below), you’ll want to take the first step and become aware of any absolute deal-breakers when it comes to what’s inside your supplement. These are just some of the common ingredients you’ll see on labels from cheap and/or untrustworthy producers and you should immediately throw out anything containing these ingredients:

• A

• artificial colors
• Magnesium stearate
• Canola oil
• Carrrageenan
• Sodium benzoate
• Soy lecithin
• Soybean oil
• Titanium Dioxide
• Xanthan gum

These ingredients are endocrine disruptive, and can disturb the health of your gut lining and microbiome. These can increase the symptoms you are having with PMS, cramps, and your diagnosed condition. It’s not even worth finishing the bottle. You’ll save money in the long run on your health by tossing them out now and investing in quality products that don’t use fillers and worse.

Having a Trusted Supplement Source Matters Most

When it comes to supplements, you have to trust your source. Having full faith in the producer and manufacturer ensures that you’re not just wasting your money on placebo pills and you’re not risking your health by exposing yourself to unknown ingredients. After years of research, trials, and in-depth investigation and analysis, I’m so proud to have created 5 formulations that are manufactured in the USA, are non-GMO, are allergy-free, and that offer maximum bio-availability, meaning you’ll actually be digesting and absorbing the nutrients you need. I know first-hand the kind of junk that’s often sold in the supplement aisle, and I refuse to let my clients waste their money and put their faith in products that simply don’t work (and could cause harm). I’ve been exactly where you are, suffering from hormonal issues, feeling hopeless, and wondering why my efforts weren’t paying off. By investing in the high-quality, rigorously tested supplements I’ve created, you’ll be investing in your hormonal health and you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that what you’re putting in your body isn’t just safe; it’s an essential tool in your healing process.

Why Supplements Are Important

The FLO protocol is predicated on the concept of food as medicine, and the addition of concentrated levels of micronutrients in supplements will significantly expedite your body’s ability to restore it’s hormonal balance, so you see real results in less time. The correct supplements will reverse the damage done by too much caffeine, stress, and synthetic birth control, putting you on an even playing field so the food protocol can take effect faster. Consider supplements a wonderful bridge that allows you to cross from hormonal disarray to a stable base level where food really can act as medicine. The other beautiful thing about supplements is that they don’t just expedite healing; they help support long-term maintenance. Even the most hormonally-aware among us occasionally relapse into bad behaviors (stressful times and tempting-looking coffee drinks happen, I get it). By continuing to supplement your (almost always) healthy diet and lifestyle with the right nutrients, you’ll be able to keep your hormones happy.

Balance by FLO Living Supplement Subscription Box

These are the micronutrients every menstruating woman needs to have more balanced hormones. I’m so proud to be able to offer you this product. With it, now the FLO Living Hormone Center is the only place on the planet where women can go virtually to test, track, treat, and talk about their hormones and improve their periods naturally. Whether you’re trying to get rid of pesky PMS, offset the effects of synthetic birth control hormones, improve a diagnosed condition like PCOS, Fibroids, etc, or improve your fertility, Balance Supplements are an excellent addition for healthier hormones.

If you’re just learning how your period works with the MyFLO period tracker, Balance by FLO Living Supplement Kit will help you take your health to the next level. If you’ve started making changes to your food and lifestyle with MonthlyFLO, the Balance Supplement Kit will give you nutrient support to speed up your hormone balancing. If you’ve graduated from one of our FLO programs, Balance Supplement Kit will give you the nutrient support to stay on track as you continue to eat for all 4 phases and sync with your cycle. These five supplements represent your personal “insurance policy” against endocrine disruptive things you’re doing (knowingly or unknowingly) that are throwing you off balance.If you’re ready to feel energized, detoxed, replenished, harmonized, and gutsy, order the Balance by FLO Living Supplement Kit now! Love,Alisa

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

You’ve been asking me for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, and I finally have created a solution that I am so thrilled to be able to offer to you on your hormonal balancing journey:

Balance by FLO Living Supplements are a complete package that work together to keep your hormone levels healthy. They include a 2 month (2 cycle) supply of the following formulations so you’re never caught short in any phase of your cycle.When you take these 5 supplements daily, you’ll be giving your body excellent micronutrients to support healthier hormone levels. Which means that you’ll start to see your worst period symptoms get better… and even disappear after a while.

Click here to learn more about the brand-new BALANCE Supplement Kit.

Are periods supposed to be painful? Are women somehow designed to experience cramps? It worries me how many women spend much of their lives thinking that being female is inevitably a painful experience and that cramps are an unavoidable part of being born with a uterus. Period cramps are seen as inevitable part of the process of the uterus shedding its lining each menstrual cycle. It’s a pervasive myth that, I believe, has deep roots. But the thing is, it’s just a myth, and the cramp-free period is not only a pipedream - it’s totally possible.Your body is not designed for period cramps, in fact it is perfectly, beautifully designed for you to not have period cramps, it just needs a little support from you to return to that wonderful state. Why do you get period cramps?So, how do period cramps work and where do they come from? Before you have your period the endometrial cells that form the lining of your uterus produce lots of prostaglandins. When the uterine lining breaks down during menstruation, the prostaglandins are released. Prostaglandins constrict blood vessels, making the uterus contract, which brings about painful cramps. Women who have period cramps have higher levels of these prostaglandins in the uterus lining than those women who experience little to no period pain. While your body produces 1 type of prostaglandin – PgE2 – which causes uterine contractions and, so, your period cramps; your body also has 2 types of prostaglandin – PgE1 and PgE3 - that actually exist to counteract the contractions and are antispasmodic in nature i.e. natural pain killers. Your body has twice the capacity for providing pain relief as for causing you to experience period pain. How to prevent period crampsThe more PgE2 prostaglandin your body makes, the more period cramps you’ll get and the worse they will be. PgE2 also plays a part in other period symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and headaches. The key, therefore, is to support your body to make LESS of the prostaglandin PgE2 and MORE of those natural painkillers PgE1 and PgE3. I used to have horribly painful periods - the kind of cramps that knock you sideways and put a stop to your day. I was determined to discover not only the science behind why I was experiencing this, but also the science behind how to stop it happening. This was when I began to develop the FLO Living protocol. As just one example, the body will produce more PgE2 in response to not having enough omega 3 fatty acids and having too many omega-6 instead, the main culprit often being too much canola oil in your diet. But it’s not just about lowering PgE2 levels, it’s also about INCREASING the levels of those helpful, painkilling prostaglandins - and they like salmon and sardines, sesame seeds and flax. Red meat and dairy products contain arachidonic acids, which brings about the overproduction of PgE2 prostaglandins, so avoiding these will have a positive effect. The Monthly FLO program is perfectly designed to get rid of your cramps within one or two cycles. The FLO foods boost the body’s ability to produce the right kind of prostaglandins, and block production of those cramp-inducing prostaglandins. Plus, you’ll learn a whole host of self-care practices to lower your stress levels - highly important, because increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol actually slows the production of PgE1 and PgE3. You can stop having cramps by next month. Please note: there are other reasons you might be experiencing bad period pain - endometriosis and fibroids being two common functional issues. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!To your FLO,Alisa

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 for you in getting 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