If you have PCOS and have looked around for natural treatments to take care of your symptoms, like the acne, hair overgrowth, hair loss, weight gain, and mood swings, then you’ve probably come across natural progesterone cream. The idea behind using natural progesterone cream to treat your PCOS is that you will increase your progesterone levels and rebalance your estrogen levels. You make progesterone after you ovulate, if you ovulate, in the second half of your cycle. If you don’t ovulate regularly, as is common with PCOS, progesterone deficiency can cause many unwanted symptoms. Progesterone cream is one of the ways to help your body deal with this lack of progesterone, but it’s not an ideal treatment and I have some caveats about progesterone cream that I’d like to share to help you choose when and how and if to use it as a natural treatment for your PCOS.

What is progesterone cream?

There are two kinds of progesterone cream - the kind you can purchase at Whole Foods (the most popular and respected brand is Emerita Pro-Gest) that is naturally derived from plant sources, and the pharmaceutical-grade progesterone cream (there are several brands including Progestelle and ProFeme). I never recommend using the pharmaceutical-grade progesterone cream, which is synthetic hormone-based and therefore has the ability to disrupt your body’s own hormone cycles in a way that will cause many adverse effects. Plant-source natural progesterone cream is the better option, or the only option I would recommend. Phyto (plant-based) progesterone is more easily processed and assimilated by the body, and as such it has less adverse effects. However, even natural, plant-sourced progesterone cream is a powerful supplement and should be used with an educated caution.

Can natural progesterone cream “cure” PCOS?

If you’re in a place currently where all of your symptoms of PCOS are so acute that you feel you need immediate relief, then natural progesterone cream can be a short term solution. If I meet a woman in a critical state with her PCOS-related health issues who just feels really, really bad right now, then I believe that natural progesterone cream can be a good choice for her, for one to three cycles.However, using natural progesterone cream is just a way of adding plant-based phyto progesterone into your body to replace the progesterone your body is lacking. This can bring short term relief and give you some respite from difficult symptoms, but it’s not a real treatment that gets to the root cause of PCOS. Not to mention that there’s a vicious cycle here when you are estrogen dominant, as that itself over time can suppress progesterone production. So merely increasing progesterone alone will not address why your body isn’t making the right amount in the first place. This is why Cycle-Syncing™ is so effective because it balances out estrogen and boosts progesterone throughout your cycle. Adding in too much hormone of any kind to your body will have a cumulative effect and cause side effects - in the case of progesterone - it can accumulate in your fat tissue and increase your tendency toward depression. Also, over the long term, the effectiveness of the natural progesterone cream will decrease. Natural progesterone cream overrides the body’s hormone production, rather than supporting the body to produce its own progesterone. Supporting the body to balance its own hormone production with the right food choices and lifestyle choices is the best way forward for all women with PCOS.

How to use natural progesterone cream

You use natural progesterone cream only in the second half of your cycle, which is when your body would normally be producing its own progesterone. Start placing progesterone cream on the back of your elbow or knee on day 16 of your cycle (16 days after your period). Do this every day for 10 to 12 days and then stop. If you have acute symptoms of PCOS currently you can start as soon as you need to. You likely will not know where you are in your cycle and may have not seen your period for some time, so counting the days will be difficult. Follow my guide to understanding your cycle to get back on track and then use progesterone cream for half your cycle for just one to three cycles maximum.If you are in the second stage of perimenopause, this is another time when I do recommend progesterone cream as a natural supplement. If you’re already taking good care of yourself (ideally following the Flo Living protocol), but have found your period is more irregular post-45 as you head toward your very last period ever, then natural progesterone cream can act as a boost to your body, which is naturally and normally experiencing a decline in hormone production. Again, only use progesterone cream for one to three cycles to alleviate the symptoms of lowering hormones and irregular cycles. Even when you’re in perimenopause, this is not a long term solution and will not prevent perimenopause or prolong fertility.

How to increase progesterone naturally with food

As I’ve said here, progesterone cream does not support your body to make its own hormones and it’s not a long term solution for PCOS, perimenopause symptoms, irregular cycles or progesterone deficiency. The best way to support your body to produce its own progesterone (and therefore alleviate symptoms of low progesterone from mood swings to acne to weight gain) is through your diet and eating the right kinds of progesterone-boosting foods. The Flo Living protocol is designed to assist your body to produce healthy levels of progesterone and estrogen and to treat the root cause of hormonal health issues like PCOS. Giving your body the micronutrients it needs to produce its own hormones is the best choice. There are also some foods that women with PCOS should completely avoid.

The best progesterone-boosting food sources

• B6-rich foods - including walnuts, poultry and chickpeas. A low level of B6 can make estrogen dominance more pronounced, when you have too much estrogen in your blood stream and not enough progesterone.
• Vitamin E-rich foods - including almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Several studies have shown that women who take vitamin E see a significant increase in overall progesterone levels.
• Vitamin C-rich foods - including bell peppers, leafy greens, berries and citrus fruits. Vitamin C boosts both progesterone and estrogen production in the body and helps with hormone processing and elimination of excess.
• L-arginine-rich foods - found in high protein food sources like pork, beef, poultry, as well as salmon, halibut and trout.

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

I want to hear from you!

First, do you have PCOS? Second, have you tried progesterone cream? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

Boost Your Metabolism and Improve Your Period SymptomsIf you’d like to lose weight, then boosting your metabolism is a great way to drop those extra pounds. The best way to boost your metabolism is not by cutting back on food and restricting your diet, but by eating more of the kinds of foods that treat the root cause of your slowed and sluggish metabolism. The key to boosting your metabolism is about balancing your hormones! Just like knowing what your period tells you about your hormone balance, understanding where you gain weight is an important key to boosting your metabolism. Your hormone-body type reveals the reason you’re putting on the pounds (or having difficulty losing weight) and the best way for you to boost your metabolism successfully. Your body type can tell you which hormonal imbalance issue you are experiencing that is driving your weight gain. Addressing the root hormonal cause of your weight issue will have the added benefit of clearing up your period symptoms as well!

How To Use Food to Boost Your Metabolism

Eliminating foods from your diet - especially carbs and fats - will prevent your body from producing the hormones it needs to keep your metabolism humming along and burning effectively. You need to feed your metabolism the right kinds of foods to fuel its functioning. It does not help to punish yourself with a starvation regime or crash dieting or even too much heavy exercise - many of the actions we have come to believe will help us lose weight are actually going against our fat-burning system. Not eating enough and over-exercising plays havoc with your blood sugar levels and stresses out your adrenals. This means the fat doesn’t get converted into useful, functional glucose, and instead goes straight into your cells - padding out your figure.Which Diet Boosts Metabolism Best?Many of the on-trend, current diets you hear a lot about (think Paleo, Ketogenic, Macrobiotic, Vegan…) rob your body and brain of the micronutrients that you need to create balanced appetite control-neurotransmitters and balanced metabolism-boosting hormone levels. In comparison, the Flo Living protocol supports appetite control and boosts your metabolism, because it increases essential micronutrients and balances your hormones.Boosting your metabolism isn't about revving up the body to work harder, it's about balancing hormones to help your body work smarter! AND the effects are not just being slimmer, it's about being your most vital self. When I was obese, I used to think losing weight was the goal, but then as I started to understand how my hormones ruled everything, my goal changed from weight loss, to hormonal optimization.

The 4 Hormone-Body types and How to Boost Your Metabolism

What I mean here by your “body type” is how and where you gain the most pounds and store your fat. This information indicates the root biological cause of your weight gain or inability to lose weight. Knowing where you hold the majority of your weight can help you unlock the secret to losing pounds all over. A combination of the right food and supplements can boost your metabolism and help you to burn fat in the best way that works perfectly for you. Where you hold your weight and how to boost your metabolism:

• Estrogen Type - Hips & Thighs & Butt - storing your fat in your thighs reveals an estrogen dominance in you body. Your progesterone is low and your estrogen is too high. Period Symptoms: heavy bleeding, irregular periods, moodiness, PMS. What to eat: Focus on adding more cruciferous vegetables into your diet (like kale, collards, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts) - try to get a serving in at every meal. What to take: The supplement DIM (Di-Indolyl-Methane) extracted from cruciferous vegetables, helps the body to metabolize and process excess estrogen.
• Cortisol Type - Belly - packing on the pounds in your gut tends to point to stress and the production of too much of the stress hormone cortisol. Period Symptoms: anxiety, insomnia, PMS, skipped periods. What to eat: Bell peppers for the vitamin C - more than in oranges! Vitamin C is very effective at helping the body manage stress. What to take: The adaptogen Ashwagandha will soothe your adrenals to the point that they program your cells to burn fat.
• Insulin Type - Muffin top - love handles are a sign of a poor efficiency of insulin use in your body. Unstable blood sugar will make your body store more fat. Skipping meals and eating junky diet foods can cause high insulin levels that send the pounds straight to your middle. Period Symptoms: PCOS, skipped periods, fatigue. What to eat: Instead of bingeing on sugary snacks and white bread, rice, and pasta after a day of little-to-no real food, pick good fat-burning carbs like sweet potatoes, quinoa, buckwheat and brown rice. These foods will improve your insulin resistance. What to take: The supplement Cinnamon Force from New Chapter is great for stabilizing blood sugar. At study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics revealed the potential of cinnamon supplementation to help those who are overweight and obese.
• Testosterone Type - Upper arms - storing fat in your upper arms/shoulder area suggests you have a sensitivity to testosterone or too low testosterone levels. You need testosterone to burn fat and build muscle mass. Period Symptoms: PCOS, irregular cycles, hair issues, irritability, low sex drive. What to eat: Good fats like avocados, which are also a great source of bioidentical testosterone. What to take: Add Maca root powder to your routine, which gently and safely boosts testosterone.

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

I want to hear from you!

First, do you want to lose weight? Second, have you tried all the trendy diets? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

What is Maca?

‍Maca root powder might seem like just another "trending" superfood, but the benefits of maca root have been long known. This ancient natural remedy happens to be very well researched, and that research has revealed its hormone-balancing, hormonal symptom-soothing properties.

Maca root (most usually found as maca powder) is an adaptogen, which means it supports your whole endocrine system to produce the right amounts of hormones you need. Maca can help your body “adapt” to stressful life situations that might otherwise deplete your body’s hormone production and cause symptoms.

Maca root powder is a wonderful resource to have at hand, especially at certain critical times in your life when its properties can be the most beneficial. That said, maca is not for everyone and anyone, all of the time. Digging deeper and knowing more about this powerful supplement will help you to get the most out of it.‍

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Does Maca “cure” hormone imbalance?

While Maca can certainly be beneficial, we don't recommend seeing it as a miracle cure for all hormonal ills. There is no one product that can or will resolve a woman’s PMS, PCOS, cramps, acne, irrregular cycles or infertility issues on its own. Just adding in a supplement or one food, however “super,” unfortunately rarely works to help a woman overcome hormonal symptoms alone. Resolving hormonal imbalances requires a whole-systems approach - macro and micronutrient support, along with lifestyle changes.

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‍When To Take Maca

There are 3 times in a woman’s life when she could really benefit from using maca root powder on a regular basis as part of a wider hormonally-supportive diet. Those times are:

• After you hit 35, enter perimenopause and then post-menopause
• After you come off the birth control pill
• After you have a baby (and have stopped breastfeeding)

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During these windows, maca root powder could help your body produce more hormones, at a time when your own endocrine system may be flagging due to the effects of perimenopause, hormone suppression from the Pill, or lack of sleep after baby. As an adaptogen, maca root powder helps your endocrine system do its job in sub-optimal conditions. These three life stages can be a stress on your endocrine system.

Remember: maca has some wonderful benefits, but it is not a cure-all. However, using it alongside food can make maca a very effective supplement. After you reach 35, after using the Pill, after baby, you may be experiencing several hormone-based issues that maca can treat, including:

• Low energy levels
• Low sex drive
• Brain fog and poor focus or concentration
• Mood swings and depression
• PMS symptoms

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Who shouldn’t take Maca?

‍Maca root powder is a great tool for these critical moments when our bodies need the additional support to get back on track. However, when you’re between 15 and 35, eating a hormonally-supportive diet should be enough to balance your hormones, resolve your period problems and regulate your cycles. You should NOT take maca if you have an allergy to iodine, Hashimoto’s, or experience any kind of thyroid nodules or growths, as it contains significant amounts of iodine. Lastly, any time you are trying out new changes to your wellness regimen, remember to note any side effects you experience and keep in touch with your providers about what you experience.

‍What’s the best kind of Maca root to take?

‍The most important thing to know about maca root powder is that there are different kinds you can buy. Keep in mind that it’s the glucosinolate component that you need, to experience maca’s hormone-balancing properties.

Look for brands containing over 1% of glucosinolate  as a standardized extract. Our favorite way to take maca is in a smoothie. Just a spoonful is enough at first, but you can build up to more if you feel it’s working well for you.

There are red, black and yellow maca powders - yellow is the most commonly available and usually the least expensive - it packs a similar nutritional punch of minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and micronutrients as the other two kinds. However, red and black maca powders have some specific researched properties that make them stand out - red has shown to be most helpful for treating acne, infertility and low energy, for example.

Raw maca powder is better than gelatinized or cooked because the enzymes and nutrients remain at their peak levels in the raw state (although if you have a sensitive digestive system, cooked may be easier on your stomach). You may also find maca powders that blend of all 3 kinds of maca, which allow you to get their individual and combined benefits.

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

How I got pregnant fast

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

3 Keys to Getting Pregnant Faster

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

What does optimal fertility feel like?

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

I want to hear from you!

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

Are you trying to conceive?

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

There are ads everywhere online showcasing miracle weight loss supplements sourced from natural ingredients like green coffee and raspberry ketone. Companies make claims that sound fantastic, inspiring, and oh so tempting to believe. But, of course, if any of these supplements they’re selling actually worked in the way they say then it would be front page news, not back page advertorial, and we would all be taking them!Sure, most of these naturally derived supplements won’t do you any harm. But if you’re diet is endocrine disruptive - if the foods you choose to eat work against rather than with your hormonal patterns - then your body is going to gain and retain fat out of sheer confusion and biological panic. Your body will start acting in opposition to how you’re feeding yourself in order to retain what it needs to keep your brain, heart and muscles functioning. We need fat to function, but excess fat is a sign that your body is in this panic mode and hedging its bets that you will not be making the best decisions for your health.Adding one supplement into that mix isn’t going to make any difference, I’m afraid.I remember what it was like to be obese and, believe me, losing that weight wasn’t as simple and easy as taking one miracle supplement from a magazine. You know that, I know that. However, within the Flo Living protocol, which I developed as a result of my own personal struggles with PCOS, weight gain, acne, and other hormonal imbalance symptoms, there are certainly supplements you can take to speed up and support sustained, healthy weight loss.I have lost 60 lbs twice in my life - the first time in my early ‘20s when I got to grips with my hormonal health problems and then after I had my daughter. I did it without the use of any alleged miracle supplements, but also without starving myself, over-exercising or feeling miserable and deprived.So, which supplements do work? Which products should you be spending your money on?Here is what I used as a part of the Flo Living protocol when I was trying to drop the pounds both those times. These work because they support your endocrine system and the needs of your adrenals, liver and thyroid. Of course, supplements without making the food based dietary changes that are the bedrock of the FLO protocol, will not be as effective as they could be when you use them with the powerful endocrine supportive diet I recommend.

The 3 best weight loss supplements that actually work

1. Cinnamon helps balance blood sugar to keep weight off long term: I like Cinnamon Force from New Chapter - I’m a huge fan of cinnamon for blood sugar stabilization. I put it in smoothies, on eggs, in my oatmeal. But this super strength supplement makes it very easy to get the daily dose you need. You want stable blood sugar so you can avoid the crashes that can cause binge eating or cause your body to feel panicked and retain excess fat. A significant study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics revealed the potential of cinnamon supplementation to help those who are overweight and obese.
2. Adaptogens make your adrenals happy so they program your fat cells to release fat: Ashwangandha or Oatstraw (I like the HerbPharm liquid tinctures) - these are adrenal-supportive supplements. If you have anxiety take Oatstraw tincture, otherwise use a good Ashwagandha supplement daily. These will decrease your levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which will help you to lose weight. In a study from Ohio State University, the researchers actually found that women who experienced high levels of stress burned more than 100 fewer calories than women who had not experienced stress, during the period directly after they had eaten a high-fat meal. This disruption to the metabolic process, caused by stress, builds up to the equivalent of 11 pounds potentially gained every year!
3. Feed your thyroid the micronutrients it needs to do its job of revving your metabolic fire: I like Gaia Thyroid Support - this seaweed-based iodine source supports thyroid function. Of course you can’t use this if you have an iodine allergy or have Hashimoto’s. Your thyroid regulates your metabolism, so in order to create a humming metabolism you need to support your thyroid. Thyroid problems are very common in women and often go undiagnosed for years. These problems can be the root cause of weight gain and your inability to shed pounds.

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

I want to hear from you!

First, do you struggle with your weight?Second, have you tried weight loss supplements and they’ve not worked for you? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

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

My favorite age-defying supplements

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

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

I want to hear from you!

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

Feeling Frazzled, Bloated, and Unsexy?

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

Period Cycles & Lunar Cycles

Have you ever been around female friends and had the topic of menstrual cycles and the moon come up? This happens more than you might think! 

As women, we’re curious about our bodies, the origins of our cycles, and how they might be connected to the phases of the moon. We may notice that many, though not all of us experience cycles (all four phases of one's cycle) that last approximately a lunar month - 28-30 days. It can feel exciting to sync up with the phases of the moon!

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Why we connect the menstrual cycle with the moon phases

First, let’s consider the traditions and history behind this phenomenon. Which cycles of the moon are related to menstrual cycles?

• The new moon is traditionally associated with menstruation, and if you find you get your period with the new moon this is known as a White Moon Cycle.
• The full moon is traditionally associated with ovulation, but some women do get their period on the full moon and this is called a Red Moon Cycle.
• The White Moon Cycle is the kind that is more commonly experienced. Historically this is down to the impact of light on the Earth and our bodies  - the full moon is the Earth’s most fertile time because of the additional light received by plants when there is bright moonlight as well as sunlight, and this is why it is traditionally associated with the ovulation phase.
• Although the White Moon cycle is more common - that’s getting your period on the new moon and ovulating on the full moon - a Red Moon cycle has interesting traditional connotations. Women who experience a Red Moon cycle have historically been thought to be healers, wise women, or medicine women. These women could take care of the other women who were on their period at the time that they themselves were ovulating. It’s also associated with creation in realms other than getting pregnant and having children - when the woman’s focus is on creating art, a business, or a new way of life for herself and others.

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‍Does it matter if my period does not sync with the moon?

‍Although there are these historical and traditional links, it’s not important that you get your period on the full moon or the new moon - although it can be pretty cool when it does happen! As long as you’re having a healthy cycle that is consistent for YOU - this is what matters. That means that your cycles are regular and last a similar amount of days each time.

If your cycles are wildly fluctuating, then it is an indicator of health issues like PCOS, fibroids, or endometriosis. A consistent, regular cycle is much more likely to be symptom-free, although it is still possible to experience PMS, cramps, or bloating with a regular cycle. Ideally, your period’s arrival is predictable, but not necessarily predicated on what the moon is doing!

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How to Sync Your Cycle to the Moon

1. Spend time in Nature

‍If your cycle is fluctuating in length hugely from period to period, then it may also be the result of your environment - it could be because you’re not getting enough good sleep due to a bright or noisy setting and it could be down to your disconnect from stress-relieving, calming Nature as a whole.

More and more research is revealing that we need to be in Nature frequently - in the way of a park, a hike, the beach - for the good of our health, our mental health, especially. And stress can really screw up your cycles and cause them to become irregular. So, rather than focusing on the moon alone, look at your relationship to Nature in general and make a point of re-connecting with Mother Earth by getting into green spaces as much as you can.

You can do this in your backyard, your local playground, or on a walk through your neighborhood - the key is to direct your attention to those natural elements, breathe them in, and feel the well-being that comes from spending time outside.  ‍

2. Improve your relationship to light and dark

‍Part of how our cycles can sync to the moon is through our exposure to light and dark as it changes throughout the lunar month - at the New Moon we’re meant to be sleeping in darkness, and at the Full Moon, the night sky should be lit up with moonlight. However, many of us live in towns and cities now that give out light pollution. It can be hard to see the moon clearly and the moonlight is competing with office  lighting, street lamps, house lights, illuminated signs and more.

We are not as exposed to the direct light and darkness of the moon phases as we once were. Of course light (and noise) pollution can also be disruptive to our sleep patterns and make for a fitful sleep and frequent waking up during the night. This throws off the hormone melatonin, which happens to be linked directly to ovulation regulation and therefore cycle regulation.

If you want to sync with the moon, but you struggle to connect with the moonlight in a busy, 24-hour town or city, then take steps to ensure you experience good sleep by using black out blinds and a white noise machine, and employing a sleep-supportive bedtime routine. To become more aware of the moon’s phases and have the best chance of reconnecting and syncing your cycle to its changes, download a lunar phase calendar or use an app like MyMoontime - take a look every evening to see where the moon is that night in its cycle and then try to spend some time in view of the moon either meditating, reading, or just resting. More and more places now also have Full Moon hikes where women can connect with the moon and each other. If you can’t find a group, practice a ritual at home in view of the moon or start your own group!

‍3. Fix your period problems

‍To repeat - as long as you’re having a healthy cycle that is consistent for YOU - this is what matters. Monitoring your period and cycle for length with a period tracker app, looking at the color and consistency of your bleeding, and logging any symptoms you experience - from PMS to bloating to acne - is more important to your health than syncing with the moon. It’s from this place that you can start to solve and move past your period problems.

Your period should and can be regular and predictable - if it’s not, there’s a way to change that. Once you’ve got a healthy cycle that feels good for you, then you’re in a better place to start working on syncing with the moon and you’ll be better positioned to reap the benefits of this experience.  Your body is a mirror, whether or not your period comes with the full moon or the new moon. You don’t need to be bleeding with the new moon to reconnect with Nature, but connecting with the natural environment will have a positive impact on your health - including getting your cycle to be more regular, predictable and symptom-free.

Your cycle is magical, regardless of any cool moon connection you might experience. Your cycle can work magic for you, if you support it with hormone-friendly foods and a hormonally-supportive way of living. Get in touch with your own, personal, unique cycle and that’s the first step to living in your Flo with all of its benefits. ‍

I know what you’re thinking - “prevent PMS? There’s no way to do that!” We grow into womanhood believing that PMS is an inevitable part of being female. Then so many of us experience it, we believe that must be true. We just accept that once a month for a few days, a week, longer maybe, we feel crabby, angry, low, anxious, lacking in confidence, frustrated, as well as bloated, ravenously hungry, craving sugar, and covered in acne! Pah! How is that okay? Well, actually, it’s not okay. No woman should suffer with PMS. No woman has to suffer with PMS. If I have one message I want to communicate full blast - it’s this: PMS is not normal. You can prevent PMS completely naturally. PMS is a symptom of a hormonal imbalance and that imbalance can be fixed. Usually this imbalance is a case of too much estrogen, or estrogen dominance, coupled with low progesterone levels. You can combat your PMS with the right morning routine, by getting good sleep, by increasing the pleasure in your life, and by changing your diet to support your hormonal shifts and help your body to create, process and eliminate hormones in the way that’s best and most healthy for you. I make choices about what I eat based on where I am in my cycle. I have managed to get to a point that is long passed PMS by doing this. The FLO Living protocol didn’t just heal my PCOS, help me to lose weight, and banish my acne, it also got rid of my PMS for me. I’m not kidding, in fact when my husband goes out for a guy’s night with his friends, they will sometimes end up talking about their relationships, their girlfriends and wives, and often his friends will share that their partners suffer with PMS and during “that time of the month” they get into fights and feel like they have to stay out of the way. My husband loves being able to say that his wife doesn’t experience PMS. These men, they cannot believe that is possible - but it is.

The best foods you can eat to prevent PMS

1. Chickpeas - these are a great source of B6 which helps with progesterone production. If your progesterone levels are low in the second half of your cycle you will experience both stress and period issues. A low level of B6 can make estrogen dominance more pronounced, when you have too much estrogen in your blood stream and not enough progesterone.
2. Kale and leafy greens - all of the brassica family greens, but especially kale, contain indole-3 carbinol, which is a powerful hormone balancer. This compound promotes estrogen metabolism, which allows us to eliminate excess estrogen and prevent estrogen dominance.
3. Coconut yogurt - my favorite kind of coconut yogurt is Anita’s Creamline Coconut Yogurt, it is utterly delicious. This yogurt contains probiotics in the form of live cultures and lots of good fats, which are both mood stabilizing and prevent PMS food cravings.
4. Sweet potatoes - not only should they satisfy your sweet cravings - consider drizzling roasted sweet potatoes with some honey and top with pecans - but because they are rich in vitamin A, they will also help your liver break down excess estrogen, balance out your blood sugar levels, and balance your mood.
5. Bone broth - a fantastic source of the electrolytes magnesium and calcium which will prevent the headaches, migraines and fuzzy headedness that can come with PMS. Have a cup before bed to also benefit from its sleep enhancing properties!

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

I want to hear from you!

First, do you suffer with PMS?Second, which PMS symptoms do you get each month? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

I’m a strong believer in the healing and hormone balancing properties of honey. Honey is a key ingredient for stabilizing blood sugar, for promoting strong immunity, and for supporting your sex drive. It’s one of those ancient remedies that has helped women for centuries. Honey is also a wonderful addition to your diet when you’re in the midst of scaling back your intake of sugar, like candies, soda, fruit juices, that allows you to satisfy your cravings without doing your hormones any harm.

Honey is so easy to add to your day-to-day - a spoonful in your tea is just wonderful - but it’s also great for healthy juices, smoothies, and baking. It is my number one favorite sweetener and I make the most of it. As I talk you through the health benefits of honey I’m going to share my favorite recipes that highlight and showcase each of the healing properties of honey.

Honey to prevent your PMS

Honey is the perfect substitute for the white stuff (sugar). Poorly-managed blood sugar is the root of all hormonal health issues. I have yet to meet one woman suffering with PMS who had her blood-sugar levels balanced out. That’s because it’s impossible to have well-controlled blood sugar without making a conscious effort. Imagine a chart with a flat horizontal line running across. My goal is to have you, and all women, see only gentle undulations from that ideal blood sugar stasis and not the dramatic peaks and troughs that most of us will experience if we don’t keep an eye on what we eat. Those peaks and troughs are what make us soar and then crash in our moods and they spell disaster for our hormones.

Using a “softer” sweetener like honey in your tea and when baking will go a long way towards keeping your blood sugar stable. It will also satisfy the sweet cravings you may experience prior to your period. Honey is less likely to cause those peaks and troughs, but will give you the glucose that your body needs.

When I’m craving something sweet and satisfying I whip up a batch of these:

‍Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies

‍1 raw medium sweet potato (purple skin/white flesh) – 2 1/2 cups when grated

2 whole eggs

½ cup melted coconut oi

l⅓ cup raw honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup raw cacao powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2½ tablespoon coconut flour

¼ tsp pink himalayan salt

Instructions:

‍Preheat oven to 375 °F

Combine wet: grated sweet potato, eggs, vanilla, honey and coconut oil oil in a large mixing bowl and stir together until well incorporated.

Mix dry: cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and coconut flour.

Combine wet into dry and mix well.

Pour the mixture into a 9 inch square baking tin lined with parchment paper.

Cook for 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing the brownies from the tin.

Honey to boost your immunity

Raw honey contains an immune system-boosting living probiotic bacteria. This soothes the microbiome and in turn supports strong immunity. Your immunity is created and sourced in your gut. If you are prone to colds, honey can have immediate antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and soothing qualities that will also calm coughs and sneezing. The World Health Organization actually counts honey as a demulcent, which shows it relieves sore throats and coughs. It can also aid in the production of white blood cells, improving the body’s ability to fight infection. Honey helps to draw out the benefits and allow the body to absorb the goodness of citrus and ginger, other immunity-boosting ingredients. In the winter cold-season I like to protect myself from common illnesses by sipping this juice a couple of times a week.

‍Cold-busting, immune-boosting juice

‍3 carrots

1 beet

Juice of ½ a lemon

1 T of chopped ginger

½ cup of pineapple

Juice of ½ an orange

1 teaspoon of raw honey

Honey for your libido

Honey is an ancient aphrodisiac dating back to the times of those wise Egyptians. It contains boron, which helps regulate your hormones, plus nitric oxide, which is released naturally during arousal. It’s also a good source of magnesium which is a key micronutrient for everything hormonal balance related!  If you’re looking to feel more sexy, passionate and turned on - try my special smoothie recipe.

‍The Passion Pour

‍Avocado

Strawberries

Raw honey

Almond milk

Pinch of cayenne pepper

The best kind of honey

Now, not all honeys you find in the supermarket are the same. If it comes in a small plastic bear then it’s definitely processed honey, which is no different to refined sugar. Much of this processed honey is actually just high fructose corn syrup, which is fed to and then regurgitated by bees to make a cheap and mass-produced sweetener. It really matters what kind of honey you choose - processed, non-organic can actually harm your health. If you’ve never tasted raw honey, you don’t know how honey is meant to taste. Unstrained, raw honey is the good stuff: full of honeycomb, propolis, and pollen, every spoonful contains natural goodness. Plus, it delivers plenty of sweetness without the immediate blood sugar spike from refined sugar/processed honey.

I use Really Raw honey. The flavor of this honey is worlds above the over-processed mainstream brands and the accompanying nutritional benefits are even better. Really Raw honey is not only organic, but since it’s never processed or heated, it retains all its potential health benefits. As an added bonus: Really Raw sources all of its honey from local beekeeping operations, and every jar is packaged by hand. That means every jar tastes just like the seasonal honey you’ll find at your local farmers market.Ready to try a spoonful for yourself? Well, you’re in luck, because for a limited time, Thrive Market is offering my Flo-sisters a free jar of Really Raw honey. And if you’re an existing Thrive customer you can get in on the fun, too - you’ll also score a free jar with your next purchase over $50 by clicking here!

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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

Historically, a ritual is all about being present in the moment, giving gratitude to what is happening to you at this time, connecting with yourself and your feelings. A ritual can be a truly transformative experience that shifts your energy, thinking, and emotions in the direction you wish them to go. This means, your menstruation phase, your period, is the perfect time to create and take part in a special ritual.Menstruation is when you reassess and reset for the month ahead. You look back, you look forward and you look within to you deepest hopes, dreams and desires for your life. It’s a time to be still and to listen to your body. This is your chance to let go and your chance to make resolutions.Personally, my period-time is when I like to listen to my inner voice, my truth and let my soul guide me for the month ahead. I use my ritual to set my intentions for the next cycle. It helps me to focus, but it’s also about taking time for myself - to do something that honors my cycle, my body, and all that it does for me. It lets me find stillness, calm and peace in my otherwise busy life. It’s a little date I keep with myself, that I never cancel on and that reminds me to check back in with my body as often as I can.

Ritualizing your whole cycle

Of course, living in my Flo means that I actually ritualize my whole cycle - I have certain foods I eat, teas I drink and activities I do specifically during each phase of my cycle so as to work in harmony with my hormonal shifts. Creating a period ritual can be a good place to start this practice of listening to your body and cycle-syncing your life. Your period is easy to take notice of, it’s so colorful. Once you tune in at this time, you’ll find it easier to tune in during the rest of your cycle, to sense and feel out those hormonal shifts - from the energetic optimism of the follicular phase to the analytical determination of the luteal phase. If you’re having period problems - whether that’s cramps, heavy bleeding, headaches, bloating - paying attention to these symptoms and then really hearing your body’s requests can actually help you to understand the root causes of these issues. It can help you reassess your stress levels, diet, work out routine, work patterns and relationships. You need to know how you truly feel about your period to know if there’s something that needs to change in your life. Sometimes we need the transformative and healing experience of a ritual to make that change.

My favorite period rituals to honor my cycle

I’ll practice my period ritual at any time of the day, whenever I can make space for it. This changes from month to month. I change my ritual depending on how much time I can take to myself - which depends on the needs of my baby daughter these days, as well as working on FLO Living! I’m sure you’re in the same boat as me, so I’m happy to report that it is possible to take the time that you need without guilt or anxiety. Tea Ritual: If you have just 15 minutes If I have just a little time to spare, I’ll sit down for a quiet moment and perform a tea ritual. I’ll make myself a wonderful, hormone-balancing cup of raspberry leaf tea with nettle. Or I’ll make up a batch of my golden milk. It takes a little time, and it’s slow, contemplative, so it can feel quite meditative. Plus, you know you’re taking care of yourself in choosing to do this - that feels good. Golden milk is the ultimate hormone-balancing concoction, and it’s also warming, soothing, and delicious. The combination of turmeric, coconut oil, coconut milk, sweeteners, and spices is warming and rejuvenating, and it’s something I recommend to women with all kinds of endocrine issues. Here’s my recipe: Golden Paste Ingredients1/2 cup organic turmeric powder1 cup water1.5 teaspoons black pepper5 tablespoons virgin coconut oilDirections

1. In a stainless steel pot, cook the water, turmeric, and black pepper until it forms a thick paste, stirring and cooking for about 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and add virgin coconut oil, using a whisk to fully mix in the coconut oil.
3. Transfer the Golden Paste into a glass jar with a lid, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
4. You will use this paste to make your Golden Milk below.

Golden MilkIngredients:1 teaspoon Golden Paste2 cups coconut milk1/8 teaspoon vanilla (optional)Raw honey [or stevia] to taste (optional)Pinch cinnamon (optional)Directions

1. In a stainless steel pot, gently heat, but do not boil, 2 cups of milk with 1 teaspoon of golden paste.
2. A whisk is helpful to fully mix the paste into the milk.
3. Add optional vanilla, honey [or stevia], and/or cinnamon.

Home Spa Ritual: If you have 30 minutes If I have a little more time during my period I will hold space for a more meditative, self-care centered ritual. I’ll take a nice hot, long shower and use my favorite facial and body scrubs to cleanse. This makes me feel refreshed. Perhaps only moms can know how nice it is to take a luxuriously long shower, undisturbed! Meditation Ritual: If you have even just 5 minutesSometimes, I’ll just light a candle and get comfortable in a cosy room, then hold my favorite crystal in my hand (bloodstone or tiger’s eye are clearing, grounding and blood-tonifying crystals, perfect for the menstrual phase). I’ll breathe deeply for a few moments. I’ll meditate, stay still and quiet, and listen. My intention is to connect with my soul and what it needs right now. My intuition is powerful at this time. As I listen, I’ll make notes of any thoughts that may arise in my mind that I feel I need to pay attention to, in my journal. These are the thoughts I might consider acting on once my menstruation has passed and I am in the active, energetic, get-it-done follicular phase. After you’ve observed your ritual, observe how you feel - do you feel differently about your period? Your body? How does this impact how you navigate the rest of your cycle? Let me know, I love hearing from you! Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, do you see your menstrual week as a time for more self care? Second, do you struggle to take time for yourself during menstruation? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

If you have been diagnosed with fibroids, you may already be aware of what to avoid (dairy, red meat, all the white starchy stuff). You may also know that the birth control pill can only manage your symptoms and might make them worse when you come off of it. You'll want to get a handle on the pain, discomfort, and heavy bleeding long-term, and you'll want to see some positive change soon. Maybe you also want to try for a baby or you’re just looking to get your old self back again.

We're here to help you reach those goals with a diet for fibroids.

If you know what to avoid as a fibroid sufferer, then you’re already tapped into the idea of food as potential medicine. Some foods make hormonally-sourced conditions worse, and some make them better. Food can alleviate symptoms and even shrink fibroids back to a manageable size.

According to Western medicine, no one knows for sure what causes fibroids, and you may have heard this from your doctor. However, we do know this one very important fact: they are affected by excess estrogen in the body, which makes them grow. This means they will often decrease in size after menopause (when overall body estrogen is lower). So, you need an approach to your diet which allows you to process and eliminate this excess estrogen as efficiently and rapidly as possible, and to create a low estrogen environment in your body.

This is why you may have heard that women with fibroids should specifically avoid certain products from animals treated with synthetic hormones—these are unnecessary and powerful estrogens that can create estrogen dominance and make fibroids grow.  If you think of dairy, red meat, and all the white stuff as stimulating and inflaming the fibroids, then the foods and supplements we'll list here do the opposite: they will calm your internal eco-system and create the right environment for your body to balance itself.

The 5 foods you should eat if you have fibroids

1. Flax seeds

Flax seeds are part of a food group called “selective estrogen receptor modulators.” This means they impact the effect estrogen has on different parts of the body. Flax seeds inhibit estrogen sensitivity in the uterus, which is beneficial when you have fibroids. They are also a fantastic source of fiber, which is needed to move excess estrogen out of your bowel as quickly as possible and to eliminate it from your body. Finally, flax seeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids (which reduce the insulin resistance that can suppress liver function) and lignans (which bind to estrogen receptors and prevent absorption of excess estrogen).

2. Soy

In general, we do not recommend soy for women in their reproductive years. But in the case of fibroids, certain forms of soy can be beneficial. Specifically seek out non-processed, organic soy in the form of tempeh and miso to add to your diet. This kind of soy has an anti-estrogenic affect on the uterus. Avoid all processed soy like soy cheese, soy meat, and other meat and dairy replacements. Moderation is key here and we don't recommend having soy every day, but unprocessed and organic soy is a useful dietary tool for managing fibroids.

3. Beans

Legumes are an excellent source of fiber and protein, plus they have a low glycemic impact, which reduces the kind inflammation that can increase fibroid growth. Focus on kidney beans, lentils, and mung beans. As you reduce your intake of meat, beans and legumes can be a healthy protein replacement.

4. Whole grains

As you stay away from white processed stuff like bread, pasta, and noodles, you’ll want to look for a healthy replacement in your diet. Whole grains help with insulin stabilization. High insulin levels from white starchy stuff (which acts like sugar in the body) are a factor in making fibroids grow. Whole grains are also a great source of fiber and will help to speed up the process and elimination of excess estrogen.

5. Pears and apples

These are liver-supporting foods. A well-functioning liver is key to preventing estrogen dominance from developing in your body, and its symptoms like fibroids. Pears and apples contain a flavonoid named phloretin which impairs tumor growth, along with lots of fiber. This flavonoid actual blocks the production of estrogen.

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The best supplements for fibroids

In addition to dietary tweaks, we've created a supplement kit specifically for fibroids. You don’t have to keep suffering through super-heavy periods or excessive pain. The FLO Living RELEASE Kit offers targeted nutrients that help support healthy estrogen and metabolism for easier, healthier periods. RELEASE includes:

• Sulforaphane - detoxifies and clears out excess estrogen from the body to shrink fibroids. It also provides protection against fibroid growth, as well as supporting a healthy inflammatory response.
• NAC - supports detoxification in the liver. NAC can reduce the size of ovarian cysts as well as provide antioxidant support against inflammation.
• DIM - assists the body in removing excess estrogen. DIM also helps balance hormones and weight, and may reduce long periods.
• Calcium-D-Glucarate - detoxifies excess hormones and supports the liver in breaking down and removing xenoestrogens.

I want to let you in on a secret - the day of my wedding, I was menstruating. That’s right - I was on my period, in my big beautiful white dress, for the whole ceremony. And you know that scene they always have in romantic comedies when the wife-to-be has to get her friends to help her use the bathroom? Well, I had to do that too - on my period. My two best friends had to help me maneuver my dress so I could switch out my organic, cotton tampon! Joking aside - when I’m menstruating I feel like my emotional self fully integrates with my more bookish, cerebral self, which is actually great for events full of deep feeling, like my wedding day, and for connecting with those I love. I was on my period the day that I did my TED talk too, in fact I think it helped me to better communicate my passion with the audience. As I don’t experience a difficult, problematic period anymore - I worked hard to get my body and hormones into a place where I feel good all month in fact - so now I am free to tap into the skills my hormonal alignment at this time can give me. Of course, if I had gotten married or given my TED talk when I was ovulating, or in my follicular or luteal phase, I would have benefited from the other amplified skills and talents I have access to during those times. I just don’t see having my period on important days as detrimental, and I don’t dread it. However I know that, for many women, looking at the calendar to realize that your period coincides with your wedding day, your anniversary, your week’s vacation, or Valentine’s Day can provoke real panic and anxiety. If you experience PMS symptoms, cramps, heavy bleeding, or if your period just likes to surprise you so you never quite know when it will turn up, then feeling like your period will sabotage your most special days is completely understandable. We worry that we’ll be in pain, feeling crabby, exhausted, or even confined to bed, when we most want to be at our best. You don’t have to take the pill to deal with your period.First of all, I want you to know that your period does not have to be like this! You can have the perfect period. The Flo Living protocol has eliminated - crampsheavy bleedingirregular cyclesand even PMS (which by the way is not “normal”)for me, and for literally THOUSANDS of women, the world over.

How to stop your period ruining your Valentine’s Day

I know Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and you might feel you are heading straight for a period-sabotaged day, regardless of what lovely romantic plans you and your partner have cooked up. I want to give you some effective, practical solutions so you can look forward to February 14th, or any other special day on your calendar that happens to coincide with a visit from the PMS fairy or Aunt Flo. If you’re in your luteal phase right now (or premenstrual, as it’s also known) here are 3 things you can do in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day (or any special day) so you feel good and enjoy the opportunity to connect with your partner. Then, for the day itself, I have a couple of suggestions to help you cycle-sync your Valentine’s Day to fit your mood.

What you should do if you’re PMS’ing on Valentine’s Day

1. Eat PMS-fighting foods. Fill your meals with foods rich in B vitamins, magnesium, calcium and fiber. This will rebalance your hormone levels and make the luteal phase transition smooth and easy. I’m talking about millet, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, squash, apples, dates, chickpeas, walnuts, beef and cod (you can find a whole grocery list of suggestions for this phase in my book “Woman Code”).
2. Listen to your cravings. Do you desperately want chocolate? Then have some chocolate! Good quality, organic, 70% dark chocolate is a PMS-combating superfood packed full of magnesium to alleviate anxiety, insomnia, and bloating. If you crave pasta, soda or coffee - I’ve got you covered there too with healthy, satisfying alternatives that won’t make your period a problem.
3. Schedule in some self-care. If you usually love your me-time when you’re on your period, schedule some of this in before it arrives this month so you don’t miss it and can still benefit from that important time out. Having some alone time will make being with your partner on Valentine’s Day so much more enjoyable for you and for him! Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? Create some at-home spa treatments and be your own Valentine for the night! Or celebrate “Galentine’s” Day by having a girls night in with the kind of best friends who leave you feeling refreshed and positive.

What you should do on Valentine’s Day If You have your periodI usually suggest that during the menstrual phase women take their me-time and let their partner get his fill of guys’ nights out, so they can have some space to themselves. However, Valentine’s Day and other special days are all about connecting with others, so this is not always possible or desirable. That said, you can cycle-sync your Valentine’s Day to fit your hormone cycle and align what you choose to do to celebrate with how you will be feeling. Here are a couple of things you can do to make the day a time for real, genuine connection and love.

1. Shift your thinking about sex. I know some women are uncomfortable with full sex when they’re on their period and that’s a big reason we might see our periods as potentially sabotaging our anniversary, vacation or Valentine’s Day. Of course, it’s absolutely fine to abstain when you’re menstruating and find other ways of connecting with your partner through touch. But you can also certainly do everything but actual intercourse for a sexy evening too - perhaps take a bath together, engage in the 5 C’s of self-pleasure together and just be with each other physically, with the pressure off. You might find you enjoy it even more!
2. Romantic Evening At Home. I don’t know about you, but I don’t enjoy restaurants when I’m pre-menstrual or on my period - food is so commonly over-salted, it makes me mad and it makes me feel bloated! Get some cycle-synced restful, introverted, us-time by eschewing the rush to make reservations and get dolled up for a big night out and instead just stay home. If you power through the standard romantic evening because you feel you have to when you’re not in the mood, you’ll only feel grouchy and tempted to displace that frustration onto your partner. It’s so much better to create a comfortable, cosy night in, whether that means cooking together, or playing card games, or watching a movie. You don’t need to be in a fancy restaurant to feel romantic.

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

I want to hear from you!

First, how do you feel about getting your period on special occasions? Second, do you feel like you never know when you’ll get your period? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Feeling Frazzled, Bloated, and Unsexy?

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

Lena Dunham has made the news again this week with her hormone issues. First of all, I think her willingness to share about her issues with her hormones is game-changing for women. Only by taking these issues out of our individual hiding places, can we find a better way forward. Her story is unfortunately all too common. So many women with one condition can quickly develop a secondary one – in her case, endometriosis and then an ovarian cyst. It's all caused by the same root causes.

What happened to Lena

Here’s what happened to Lena – she developed what is known as an Endometriomas. Endometriosis causes endometrial tissue to migrate around the body and attach to other organs and sometimes this tissue will attach to the ovaries and form a growth which becomes a Endometriomas cyst. A cyst like this on the ovary can grow to be very large and cause the ovary to twist, causing a lot of pain. When a large Endometriomas cyst ruptures, as we heard happened to Lena, it can cause internal bleeding – this is why she was rushed to hospital for surgery. She may have experienced symptoms prior to the rupture like pelvic pain and a sense of pressure in her abdomen, but she would also have recognized these symptoms as related to her long-standing Endometriosis.There are other kinds of ovarian cysts beyond those caused by endometriosis. When ovarian cysts are suspected to be growing women are usually told to either wait to see if symptoms arise or if the cyst goes away on its own, to take birth control pills to prevent more cysts developing, or to have surgery as Lena did. It’s possible Lena had a ovarian cystectomy which means the surgeon left her ovary intact. However, sometimes this is not possible, which means she may have undergone an oophorectomy - removal of the affected ovary. From my knowledge, experience and expertise, conventional treatments like the Pill are not effective enough. How do we know this? Lena is still dealing with her endometriosis symptoms, enough to cancel her promo tour of Girls, and using the Pill did not prevent her from getting an ovarian cyst that grew large enough to rupture. Frequent pelvic exams can catch signs of ovarian cysts early, but they will not prevent them from happening. I have helped many women prevent cysts from growing to the point of rupturing, and I have helped women make their cysts disappear all together! This is just all so unnecessary if we learn how to care for our bodies in a pro-period, female hormone-centric way.

What can we learn from Lena’s experience and What should you do next?

The Pill is not the magic bullet to our hormonal issues. We have to address the underlying causes of our estrogen overload with food. We have to get in action around partnering with our hormones to do all that we can to avoid surgery.In order to truly manage our hormones, we can't rely only on pills. We have to deal with the root cause food and lifestyle issues that are creating our hormonal chaos. And we have to take consistent action to minimize their effect. Here’s what you need to be aware of and what steps you should take next:

1. Estrogen overload of the body from chemical exposure - When estrogen is too high, it can promote the formation of these cysts. Read more here about where these chemicals may be coming from in your life and start making swaps to natural products.
2. Not the right micronutrients available in our diet to break down estrogen - Without these nutrients, estrogen continues to build up in the system and stimulate a cyst to grow. Read more here about how to start supporting the liver long term to keep estrogen moving out of you successfully.
3. Not eating the right foods at the right time for each phase of our cycle to optimize the hormonal ratio each week to eliminate symptoms - This is such a critical step. For example, during your 2 peak estrogen surges during your period, the Cycle-Sync™ method makes sure you’re eating foods at those exact times that maximize estrogen metabolism. You’ve got to get in sync with your body’s hormonal patterns with food and that’s exactly what the WomanCode Online program teaches you to do.

What’s possible instead when you take the natural approach?

Just read the story of one woman, Heidi, who found Flo Living just in time to prevent having Lena’s experience. She worked with me and made her cysts dissappear. “So as I lay on the table, with no expectations, the technician tells me, “The cyst on the left ovary is gone” and then “Oh! The one on the right is gone, too!” I’m in shock. I’m elated. And as a tear rolls down my cheek, I’m in awe of the power…the power this body has to heal itself. How amazing is that! If I treat it right (if I treat ME right), then amazing things will happen.”Don't wait and get caught off guard by a ruptured cyst. You can prevent this from happening - please take a moment now to check in with you body on 2 questions:What is your period experience?As I said, when your hormonal system is not working properly, it can cause a domino effect, producing more period problems and even autoimmune issues from the same hormonal imbalance. Lena had endometriosis, but I’m sure she did not expect to deal with a ruptured ovarian cyst. However, this is all connected and has the same set of root causes. Take a good look at your current period problems and examine the severity of your symptoms. If you are dealing with bad PMS or PMDD, major cramps, wacky bleeding, and you have a diagnosed condition like PCOS, Endometriosis, or Fibroids AND you haven't done anything beyond taking the Pill to help yourself and avoid symptoms, then you might be at a higher risk of developing an ovarian cyst than you realized.Are you eating an endocrine disruptive diet?Ultimately, look at your diet, is it full of dairy, gluten, animal fats, alcohol, and sugar? This will continue to set you up for estrogen imbalance and make you much more susceptible to symptoms and developing secondary conditions like ovarian cysts.This is why I created the FLO Living protocol to help every woman maintain the optimal healthy balance of hormones that keep us symptom free and able to make our body our happy place again.If you think you're at risk - the best place to start is with the FLO Living 4-Day Hormone Detox - to immediately bring down toxic estrogen levels.Sending Love and FLO to Lena's ovaries and yours.Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, have you had an ovarian cyst? Second, did you have a prior period problem before developing the cyst? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma, share this article on social and support Lena!

Need more Hormone Help?

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

Ovulation can come with a lot of fabulous side effects like a boosted sex drive, abundant energy, heightened senses, and an overall feeling of optimism and well-being. However, for some women, the ovulatory phase can also bring unwanted and uncomfortable symptoms like bloating, cramping or pain in one side, spotting, breast tenderness and uneven moods. The good news is you can treat the symptoms of ovulation naturally!

Identify the Ovulation Phase Based on Symptoms

If you have symptoms during ovulation, then chances are excellent that you also experience symptoms during your premenstrual week as well as difficulty with menstruation. This is because the root causes of symptomatic ovulation will also create problems throughout your cycle - like PMS symptoms or a crampy period. If you get these symptoms around ovulation or if they start then, only to stay with you until your period arrives, then you are experiencing a hormonal imbalance. And, just as I believe all women deserve the perfect period, I believe all women should feel wonderful when they’re ovulating and get to bask in all of the benefits this time of your cycle can and wants to give.  

Looking at your cycle as a whole and shifting your eating patterns and lifestyle choices to live more in harmony with your hormonal Flo during every cycle stage is vitally important. Each phase is connected to the others and there’s really no such thing as spot-treating an individual phase. However, there are effective, natural treatments that specifically target the sorts of issues that can arise in the ovulatory phase.

If you are worried that you might not be ovulating or you’re having trouble tracking your cycle, go straight to my simple guide for knowing where you’re at.

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How to treat your ovulation symptoms naturally

The source of your symptoms can be found in estrogen dominance - your body has too much estrogen swimming around your blood stream and you are not processing the excess efficiently. This leaves you with too high levels of this one hormone, which causes an imbalance in your progesterone production, leaving you with low progesterone levels. Solving your ovulation symptoms, therefore, is all about supporting your body in generating, processing, and eliminating estrogen. Read the following list of ovulation symptoms and see what you can do to address them:‍

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Bloating During Ovulation

The Flo-facts - Magnesium deficiency causes your body to retain water and salt, leading to that bloated feeling. Another culprit might be stress, as heightened cortisol has the same impact.  

‍The Flo-fix - I recommend you dose yourself with a daily supply of good dark chocolate (you’ll want 70% dark and organic). A 100 gram serving has half of your day’s need of magnesium. Drink coconut water to help with the water retention. Then, whizz up my “Anti-Bloat-ini” juice that combines 1 beet, 4 celery stalks, ½ a cucumber, 2 stalks of kale, ½ bunch cilantro, and 1 lemon. It’s full of natural diuretics, tissue salts, and liver detoxifiers.

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‍Spotting During Ovulation

The Flo-facts - Spotting is always something you should pay serious attention to. A little blood in your cervical fluid around the day of ovulation is not anything to be too concerned about (it’s actually the result of the egg breaking free). However, if the spotting continues, it could indicate a cervical polyp. You want to have any non-menstrual week bleeding assessed by your gynecologist immediately.  

‍The Flo-fix - Roll back your exposure to synthetic estrogens in cosmetics and beauty products, which can lead to excess estrogen levels in your body. Nourishing your liver will support the balance between your estrogen and progesterone levels - you can do this with a weekly “Liver Lover” smoothie of ½ cup mango, ½ a green apple, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple, 1/2 cup coconut water and 1 cup of cilantro.

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‍Pain/Cramping During Ovulation

The FLO - facts:  Pain during ovulation has an actual name - it’s called Mittelschmerz - German for ‘pain in the middle’.  Cramps are caused by an improper balance of prostaglandins and excess estrogen. Often times, it can be indicative of other conditions. For example, if the pain is severe you may be dealing with endometriosis or ovarian cysts, either on their own or due to PCOS.

‍The FLO- fix As with period cramps, reducing the amount of caffeine, alcohol, and dairy you take in throughout your cycle is going to make a significant and positive difference to ovulation pain. But getting more omega 3 fatty acids in your diet is key to ridding yourself of the mid-cycle pain.

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!

In a recent column for the New York Times, Nicolas Kristof asked, shockingly, “Are you a toxic waste disposal site?” In this article he writes, “Even if you’re not in Flint, Mich., there are toxic chemicals in your home. For that matter, in you. Scientists have identified more than 200 industrial chemicals — from pesticides, flame retardants, jet fuel — as well as neurotoxins like lead in the blood or breast milk of Americans.”Kristof goes on to talk about the “pre-pollution” of babies in the womb and the “toxic stress” in our bodies from being exposed to dangerous chemicals each and every day of our lives. Then, just last week, the Food and Drug Administration announced they would be testing our food for the presence of a herbicide called glyphosate, which is the main component of the most commonly used weed killer or pesticide worldwide. Consumer groups have claimed that glyphosate residue can be found in both breast milk and commonly eaten foods. Independent research suggests glyphosate can have serious health implications.A recent meta-analysis study revealed that organic meat and dairy products are actually more nutritious, with 50% more omega 3 fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are important for women’s hormonal health- whether from meat or from vegetarian sources like flax seed. Although I avoid dairy products (aside from eggs), I do eat meat and this research has bolstered my long established decision to buy organic, grass-fed meat only.For many years I have advocated buying organic food and using organic beauty products and cosmetics, as well as avoiding toxin-laden cleaning products for your home. I have followed the growing body of research and known that being vigilant in these areas is vitally important for our health. Many hormonal health issues are worsened by the introduction of outside endocrine-disrupting chemicals like pesticides.

Here’s how pesticides impact your hormonal balance. Pesticides...

• add synthetic hormones to your body (like xenoestrogens)
• congest your liver, making it harder for your body to process and eliminate excess hormones
• confuse the hormonal conversation your body needs to have to create balance and avoid symptoms and diseases
• can increase infertility
• can make the growth of fibroids worse
• can impair ovulation
• can damage thyroid function
• just to name a few…..

Studies show that eliminating the pesticides found on food from your diet by going all-organic for just two weeks has a hugely positive impact on your body. There are certain foods you must only and always buy as organic – such as celery, peppers and tomatoes, all greens, berries, melons, pears and peaches (see my book WomanCode for the full rundown). Other produce you can be a little more relaxed about, but personally as a hormonally-sensitive person, I prefer to make my whole grocery list organic-only. I encourage all women to follow an organic protocol in every area of their life at least 80% of the time. If you do this, the other 20% of the time your body will be much better prepared and primed to cope with the additional disruption. If you’re not doing this now, but otherwise eating healthily and exercising regularly, you may still be suffering with PMS, cramps, PCOS, fibroids, endometriosis or other hormonal imbalance symptoms. If you needed more convincing, the fact that this growing body of research has now got the New York Times and the FDA sitting up and taking notice should be enough of a push for you to make the change your body needs.It is my view that buying organic produce, although certainly more expensive than buying non-organic, pesticide-laden produce, is an investment in your health long term and will save you money on medical expenses down the line. Local farmers markets can be a way to pick up organic fruits and vegetables at more affordable prices, as well as signing up for a local CSA delivery from a farm in your area. If you’re looking to heal hormonal health issues or get pregnant in the near future, going organic is a decision that will reward you for years to come. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, do you eat organic only?Second, do you have symptoms of estrogen overload? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

When it comes to libido, women with PCOS have one of two experiences - there are those who have a relatively high sex drive and those who experience a very low sex drive. If you want to enjoy a healthy, pleasurable sex life you need to work with the PCOS libido you have to make sure you’re getting what you need. As a result of working with so many PCOS sufferers, and being a former PCOS sufferer myself, I have developed strategies that allow women with high or low libido to reinvigorate and reinvent their sex life and relationship from a basis of cycle awareness and hormonal understanding. Here at Flo Living I often hear women with PCOS say that they just “don’t feel like a woman” - is this a feeling you connect with too? The source of this unease is your testosterone levels and how high testosterone can push you to stay in your masculine energy all of the time. Or, alternatively, it can be sourced in how low testosterone can make you feel disinterested in sex and the person you love, in either case making you feel unfeminine. As a former PCOS sufferer myself, I personally had the high testosterone/high libido experience. In this post I’ll talk you through how this made me develop a unique approach to my relationship. Those two types of PCOS in regards to sex drive look like this:

• Low libido - due to low testosterone levels and high sex hormone binding globulin levels (SHBG). Women experiencing this do not usually have other symptoms like acne and hair loss/unwanted hair growth.
• High libido - due to high testosterone levels and low sex hormone binding globulin levels (SHBG). Women with this kind of PCOS will normally have issues with acne and hair loss/unwanted hair growth.

My own high testosterone levels had an impact on every area of my life - energetically it led me towards living predominantly in my masculine energy. I began to consciously balance this out by practicing ways of connecting to and nurturing my feminine energy. I found this much more satisfying in my romantic relationships, so I could feel like I was receiving more from my partner in and out of the bedroom. So, how do you know if you’re experiencing a masculine/feminine energy imbalance personally and in your relationship due to high testosterone levels?

• You feel disconnected from your emotions.
• You find it difficult to receive focused touch from your partner.
• You find it hard to verbalize your feelings to your partner.
• You feel like you have to take the lead in your relationship in general

If you have low sex drive as a result of low testosterone levels then you may also be experiencing these symptoms:

• fatigue
• vaginal dryness
• insomnia
• gaining weight around your middle
• problems retaining muscle mass

For more on low testosterone or “low T” visit my previous post.Now, to stay balanced in my relationship, I just let my cycle take the lead so I’m always dancing in a balanced way between my masculine and feminine energies. I find I like to take charge in the bedroom when I’m in my ovulation phase and my testosterone levels are at their peak. During this time I get the most pleasure out of being in charge and being proactive about my desires. During the rest of the month, however, I prefer to be the one who is pursued! Here are the strategies I use in my own life and those I recommend to my Flo Living clients:

Low libido with PCOS

Leverage your Peak Testosterone TimeUse what’s happening with your body to your advantage. If you have low testosterone levels, your testosterone production will still find its peak when you’re in the ovulation phase. So start by tracking your cycle so that you know when you’re ovulating and can plan ahead! Make the most of that time. Clear your calendar! Plan a few date nights with your partner and let him in on the secret! Then make sure you focus on the foreplay, because it might take you a little longer to feel ready, especially when you are not in your ovulation phase. Spend some time getting to know what feels good for you and then teach your partner what you need. Make more testosterone naturallyTo increase your testosterone levels and lower SHBG maximize zinc and saturated fats in your diet. Avocados are a wonderful source of bioidentical testosterone and beans and seeds are packed full of Zinc (although you could also supplement with 50mg daily).

High libido with PCOS

Practice Receiving PleasureConnect with your feminine energy. It’s not fun or pleasurable to always be the one who is leading, initiating, and dominating in a relationship. It can bring about resentment if you’re never in “receiving” mode in your relationship - being pursued, wooed and adored by your partner! Getting into the mode of receiving pleasure from your partner can boost your mood and health. There are many ways you can practice connecting with your feminine energy.Lower Your Sensitivity to TestosteroneTo lower testosterone levels and increase SHBG try saw palmetto extract daily which is anti-androgen (androgens are “male” hormones) and also anti-inflammatory. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that women who ate walnuts increased their levels of SHBG and those who ate almonds decreased their free androgen levels. In study published in the Iran Journal of Reproductive Medicine, women who were given omega-3 supplements saw their testosterone levels decrease. Instead of supplements you can increase salmon in your diet. Women with both types of PCOS libido will certainly benefit from cycle-syncing their relationship, alongside their diet and wider lifestyle choices. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, has PCOS affected your sex life? Second, which do you experience - a high or low libido? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Feeling Frazzled, Bloated, and Unsexy?

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

A new large-scale study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests a diet high in the fiber found in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of breast cancer in women. Breast cancer risk was 12%-19% lower for those women who ate adequate fiber during their early 20s. Eating a high level of fiber during adolescence was associated with 24% lower risk of developing breast cancer before menopause.The research authors summarized: “Sex steroid hormone levels are strongly related to breast cancer development and a diet high in fiber has been hypothesized to reduce breast cancer incidence by inhibiting reabsorption of estrogen, thus decreasing circulating levels.”What does this mean? Essentially - estrogen levels in your blood stream impact the development of certain cancers, including breast cancer. Eating fiber lowers the amount of estrogen in the blood by allowing your body to process and eliminate the excess efficiently, leaving you less susceptible to cancer. There are 4 important points I believe we can all learn from this new research and start acting on today:

1. Estrogen dominance is a primary cause of female reproductive cancers. It is also one of the root causes of PCOS, endometriosis, PMS, cramps, heavy periods, depression, and more. If you have any of these mentioned hormonal imbalance-related health issues, even if it’s just a week of bad PMS symptoms each month, then you are very likely to be at a higher risk of developing breast cancer according to the NIH’s Biocycle Study. Increasing your fiber intake as the research suggests will heal your hormones and reduce this risk. PMS in the form of mood swings, depression, anxiety, and bloating is not and never has been “normal” - it’s actually one of your body’s very loud ways of telling you something is wrong.
2. Eating enough fiber in your teen years can decrease your breast cancer risk by 24%. How we eat throughout our lives has an impact on our risk of disease in the future. Making the right choices now will ensure a smooth transition through perimenopause, menopause and into a healthy, happy old age. This study suggests what young women consume during adolescence is an important factor in their long term health. I would go one step further and say our lifetime health begins to be mapped out while we are still in the womb. I know that soon there will be more research that points to this. Preparing for pregnancy, eating well during pregnancy, and supporting our daughters in establishing good dietary habits will go a long way to helping us roll back the progress of cancers in next generations. As women we are all part of this continuum; more and more research shows that how our mothers ate, and how we eat, will affect our daughters and their daughters.
3. Show your teenager what you do to keep your period healthy and hormones balanced. A 24% lower risk of breast cancer in these times is a big deal. If you have a teen daughter, niece, sister, or goddaughter start teaching them about the importance of nurturing their hormones and living in awareness of their cycles. Many teens are now put on the Pill, which destroys the microbiome, making fiber absorption difficult and hampering the benefits of increased fiber intake (and that’s just one side effect). The Flo Living protocol works just as well for curing teenager’s heavy periods, irregular periods or cramps as it does for adult women’s cycle issues.
4. Eliminate all sources of xenoestrogens to further reduce your risk. We all require fiber to successfully eliminate excess estrogen from our blood. We can gain this excess estrogen from many sources - including the syntethic estrogens that can be absorbed through cleaning products, cosmetics, shampoos, and plastics. It takes a conscious effort these days to avoid letting your body build up a toxic level of estrogen. The first step is to not load your body with more estrogen than it needs to begin with. The second is supporting your liver with your food choices so it can work to detoxify your blood. The third is eating fiber so those excess hormones can bind in your large intestine and be eliminated quickly (ie. you do not experience constipation, storing the hormones for longer than is beneficial and increasing your exposure to the risks of estrogen dominance). Fiber works like an internal Swiffer to clear out your large intestine. Aim to include 25 grams of fiber as part of your meals, per day.

Which brings me to telling you about the best sources of fiber that you should be eating every day to lower your risk of breast cancer. These 3 foods contain a good amount of fiber as well as the other vital vitamins and minerals - such as glutathione, B vitamins, and C vitamins - you need to help your liver process the excess estrogen so that it can be transported to the large intestine and then eliminated quickly. The research study shows that the best way to get cancer-preventing fiber is through fruits and vegetables, rather than grains and beans (although these are also an important part of a healthy diet). There are other foods with higher levels of fiber per serving, but these 3 are both fiber-rich and liver-supporting and therefore work as a double, or even triple, threat to hormone-related cancers. Pro tip - all of these can be part of a delicious smoothie!

1. Broccoli (approx 5 grams per cup, cooked) - this green also contains the phytochemicals sulphorophanes, indole-3-carbinol and D-glucarate which are critical liver detoxifiers.
2. Flax seeds (approx 4 grams per 2 tablespoons) - a great source of omega-3 fatty acids (which reduce the insulin resistance that can suppress liver function) and lignans (which bind to estrogen receptors and prevent absorption of excess estrogen), as well as fiber.
3. Pears (approx 5 grams per medium fruit) - pears, and apples, contain the flavonoid phloretin which impairs cancel cell growth, along with lots of fiber.

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

I want to hear from you!

First, do you have a family history of breast cancer?Second, do you suffer with PMS or the other estrogen related conditions mentioned?Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

So, you’ve taken all of my advice on the best foods to boost your sex drive and long since banished your vibrator from the bedroom, now you’re all fired up and ready for the Best Sex Ever, but….your man just isn’t feeling it. Not tonight. Not this week. Not for a while.Men find themselves suffering from low sex drive for similar reasons to us ladies. Just as you have a hormone cycle that works on approximately a monthly rotation; your partner has a hormone pattern for every 24 hours. Men experiencing suppressed testosterone production won’t experience the peaks they’re supposed to and will start to feel less interested in sex, be less able to get and sustain an erection, and find sex less enjoyable. This time of year we can get overwhelmed by advice on ways to feel hotter, but I want to give you a practical, realistic, long-game solution to a flagging sex life. Especially as you and your partner get older, you will need to make a conscious effort to boost your sex drive and he needs to do the same, that is -  if you want to keep the passion burning until your 50th wedding anniversary! To help you do this I have some lifestyle tips along with a solid, one-day meal plan that will ensure when your man returns home from work that he’s feeling energized, relaxed, happy and sexy, so that you can make the most of your meticulously planned, much-anticipated date nights.

First of all, my lifestyle suggestions for you and your man:

Plan your date earlier in the week - If you only get one night to yourself per week (or per month) because of the demands of growing kids or growing businesses then instead of focusing on that big, cliched Friday Night event, schedule your date night for a time when you both are less likely to feel tired and wired from the week - Tuesday or Wednesday are my favorite days for a date night, for this reason as we still feel rested from the weekend. Also, it’s so much easier to get a great reservation and the pressure is off from the start! Get good quality sleep the night before - No different to you, your man needs good quality sleep the night before if he’s going to produce enough testosterone to feel energized and sexy the night of. We all know great sex is a great sleep enhancer, but it’s a cycle in itself - to have great sex you need to not feel fatigued, so start with the sleep. Plus low testosterone can lead to insomnia; addressing this with his diet will set you on the path to pleasure. Make sure he has a relaxing bedtime routine - devices off early, cut back on caffeine, and spot treat those sleep troubles.Jump for your love - It’s not just a great song from the 80’s! If your man comes home for work stressed out and unable to switch from work mode to home mode, get him on an urban rebounder for ten minutes. Jumping up and down on the rebounder will release and lower the stress hormone cortisol that is pumping through his body, bringing him down to a calmer place and most importantly allowing him to be stimulated by testosterone. Sexy Time Timing - Syncing your relationship to your hormone cycle has so many benefits. You create this dance of energies where each of you take on the leadership and the receptive role at different times. It’s good to be the one who’s on the receiving end of your partner’s leadership sometimes – it makes sure we stay open to receiving love and pleasure too.If you align with your hormones you’ll find there’s a right time for an adventurous date, a right time for sharing your hopes, dreams and desires, and a right time for sex...yes, that would be 3pm, in the middle of the afternoon! Afternoon delight, indeed. This concept I teach went viral in December from the daily mail to Details magazine - men wanted to know when the peak sex time is - and it turns out it’s hormonally driven - of course!BUT if that’s impossible with your work schedules - try first thing in the morning after a really good date night, instead of just before you both go to sleep. That’s when your hormones and his hormones are in perfect harmony to make it the hottest sex it can be! Now, onto that meal plan. Food is vital for sustained passion in a relationship. Feed yourself and your man in a way that supports your hormones and you’ll see and feel the benefits. Food really is the BEST foreplay!

My one-day sex-boosting meal plan for your man

Breakfast - make it a big one with both eggs and oatmeal on the menu. This will stabilize his blood sugar for the rest of the day and keep him feeling even. Try some of my breakfast ideas - but rather than just one, pick two to serve up in the morning.Lunch - pack your man a really tasty wholegrain sandwich for work, with real turkey or roast beef (not deli meat) and avocado (a natural source of bioidentical testosterone) plus some folate packed baby spinach. Throw in some snacks to keep him going through the afternoon - sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews and an apple. Bonus snack that he eats to make you more attracted to him - YES - Add in some celery sticks - when men eat celery they send out a pheromone called androstenol that will make him extra-attractive to you that evening. It’s the same pheromone commonly used in colognes! This lunch will help his body to make more testosterone, stabilize his blood sugar and reduce his stress levels. Dinner - Salmon roasted with a spicy mustard sauce and asparagus on the side. Add some cayenne pepper into that sauce to increase circulation and blood flow. Asparagus contains aspartic acid which boosts libido, plus it also has a reputation as a “natural Viagra” to prevent erectile dysfunction 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,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, do you suffer with low libido?Second, are you getting good sleep? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Feeling Frazzled, Bloated, and Unsexy?

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

If you’re dealing with a hormonal condition like PCOS, you’ve probably tried every health trend on the planet. Juicing, fasting, low-carb, , vegan diets — sound familiar?

Your instincts are spot on. When it comes to restoring hormonal balance, food IS medicine. But the truth is that many of today’s health food fads only make hormonal symptoms worse.  If you’re “eating healthy” but still experiencing symptoms of endocrine chaos, one of the culprits might be on your plate.

In the past few years, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) has been in the public eye like never before. Thanks to celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Daisy Ridley, women around the world who are coping with the condition finally feel less alone.

As a former PCOS sufferer, I couldn’t be happier to see PCOS making headlines. I experienced everything from agonizing acne and weight gain to sleeplessness, depression, and more. It was only after years of trial, error, and frustration that I was able to successfully reverse my hormonal imbalance with one powerful tool that’s too often overlooked in conventional medicine: Food.

Why Cutting Out Dairy and Sugar May Not Be Enough to Heal Your PCOS

If you’ve been diagnosed with PCOS, you’ve probably heard over and over about the dangers of sugar and dairy. And, it’s true: these two foods are unparalleled in their ability to wreak hormonal havoc (caffeine is another nutritional villain when it comes to hormones, so it’s best avoided, too).  

To get your period back, clear your acne, stop hair loss, and lose weight  you’re wise to keep sugar, dairy, and caffeine out of your diet. But you’ll also want to take a close look at the other foods and beverages that might be sabotaging your success.  

When you’re willing to dig deeper and root out the hidden “healthy” foods that undermine hormone balance, you’ll make leaps and bounds in easing symptoms.  

Some  “Healthy” Foods May Make Your  PCOS worse

Before I made it my mission to fix my hormones and help other women do the same, I had no idea that some of the foods I believed to be "healthy" were actually making my problems worse. Now, I see how shocked my clients are when I tell them that some of the hyped-up health foods in their grocery carts might be  hindering their progress in reversing symptoms.

For women with PCOS, it’s important to know which “healthy” foods to avoid. If you’re hormonally-sensitive like I am, these foods—foods that can be healthy for others—have a stronger effect on you can make the symptoms you desperately want to be rid of even worse.

The 5 “Healthy” Foods You Have to Quit ASAP To Beat PCOS

So what are the 5 foods to avoid if you have PCOS? Allow me to play mythbuster and highlight the foods you probably never thought could have an impact on your ovaries:

1. Artificial sweeteners. The quest to give up sugar—and get off the blood-sugar roller coaster— is so important. In all the years I’ve worked with clients, I’ve rarely met a woman who is struggling with hormone issues who isn’t also struggling with blood sugar issues. But in the quest to ditch the sweet stuff, we often turn to sugar substitutes, which come with their own problems.

One cause for concern is the intensely sweet flavor of these synthetic substitutes. When we rely on them heavily, they can hijack of our taste buds and make more complex flavors, like those found in vegetables and low-glycemic fruits like berries, less appealing—and the fewer whole, real vegetables and low-glycemic fruits we eat, the more we deprive the liver of the phytonutrients it needs to function optimally. The liver processes and eliminates used hormones from the body; when it doesn’t get the phytonutrient support it needs, it struggles to eliminate estrogen and other hormones from the body, contributing to hormonal imbalance.

For some women, I include stevia in this category. It’s not artificial, but, in some traditional societies, folk wisdom holds that regular intake of stevia is a form of birth control. For women who aren’t hormonally-sensitive, small amounts of stevia probably won’t have a profound effect on their fertility or cycles. But for those of us who are hormonally-sensitive PCOS sufferers, it’s best to err on the side of caution and choose a different sweetener, especially if you’re currently heaping spoonfuls into your herbal teas throughout the day.

2. Red meat. Paleo diets have become as trendy as intense boot camp classes (exercise is a whole other important part of the equation...) in recent years. And all too often, women with PCOS are advised to eat like cavemen, subsisting mostly on lots and lots of protein-packed meat to lose weight and counteract the damaging effects of sugar. But here’s the deal: In my experience, if you have PCOS, following a Paleo diet will not bring about weight loss and it certainly won’t bring back your period.  A high protein diet causes a decrease in the production of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which is vital to reducing testosterone levels — something that’s critical in PCOS recovery.

Plus, many women with PCOS have a specific genetic problem known as the methyl-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene mutation. Eating Paleo when you have the MTHFR gene mutation can create too much of an amino acid called homocysteine, which can cause an increase in PCOS symptoms.

Upping meat intake is also often coupled with decreasing carbohydrates and this is a real issue for PCOS sufferers. Recent research suggests that PCOS may be connected to autoimmune thyroid disease (poor thyroid function) and your thyroid needs the glucose from good carbohydrates (like quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat rather than glutento function optimally.

3. Raw kale. When eaten raw, all cruciferous vegetables contain substances called goitrogens that suppress thyroid function (or cause hypothyroidism) which contributes to PCOS. As a rule of thumb, it’s always a good idea to cook kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, bok choy and cabbage before eating. One easy way technique is to saute them in a pan with a little coconut oil.Don’t worry about celery, romaine lettuce, beet leaves, and chard — you can eat those in their raw form to your heart’s content;they don’t contain this goitrogen chemical.

4. Soy. It’s pretty common for women to swap in soy for dairy when they ditch milk, but this exchange isn’t a good one. Soy isn’t your ally if you have PCOS because it contains "phyto" or plant estrogen that acts like estrogen in the body—and eating too much of it confuses your body into thinking it has enough of the real deal in supply. This sends a signal your endocrine system to slow down estrogen production, subsequently slowing the production of luteinizing hormone (LH), and effectively shutting down ovulation.

5. Cooking oils like canola, sunflower, and vegetable oils (and synthetic spreads, like margarine). Unhealthy fats are bad news for hormonal harmony. For one, eating too many unhealthy fats crowds out our consumption of healthy fats, which are important for maintaining healthy levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Cholesterol is a precursor to all the body’s steroid hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and FSH. Simply put, and contrary to media reports about cholesterol in recent decades, we need cholesterol to make some of our most important hormones.

Vegetable oils and other cooking oils, like sunflower oil, are high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids. We need to consume both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids through diet (the body can’t produce them and we need them to live), but the problem is that the Western diet is flooded with omega-6 fatty acids—and tragically short on omega-3 fatty acids. When omega-6s are disproportionately high in the body relative to omega-3s, its a recipe for inflammation, which is the archenemy of hormonal health and overall health.

Canola oil presents its own set of problems. It’s higher in omega-6s than omega-3s, like other vegetable oils (though not by as high a margin), but the real causes for concern with canola are GMOs and toxic processing. The vast majority of the plants from which canola oil is harvested are genetically modified—and the oil is extracted by heating and crushing the plant seeds and then mixing them with hexane. In addition to being classified as a neurotoxin by the CDC , hexane and other organic solvents like it, drive up inflammation and interfere with endocrine health. .

Non-food bonus tip for hormonal balance!

BONUS:  Ditch staying up late to binge your favorite TV show or finish a work project. Food isn’t the only thing that affects hormones. Regularly skimping on sleep is a sure-fire way to throw blood sugar off balance, put your adrenal system into overdrive, and send a whole bunch of suboptimal signals to your endocrine system. Prioritize good sleep the way you do healthy eating, and your hormones will thank you.

to your FLO,

Alisa

Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, do you have PCOS?

Second, have you tried giving up sugar and dairy?

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

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

You may be familiar with some of the side effects of hormonal birth control, like depression, blood clots, and weight gain. You might also know that birth control pills, which are often prescribed for things other than contraception—like irregular periods or acne—aren’t the best solution for managing symptoms. In fact, the pill ultimately makes symptoms like acne worse.But hormonal birth control has other, more far-reaching consequences. Specifically, taking the pill can wreak havoc on your love life. I know that probably sounds far out or completely made up, but the idea that hormonal birth control has real consequences for your love life comes directly from the scientific research, which I outline in detail below.

And when you think about it closely, it makes a lot of sense. The pill messes with hormone production and balance by introducing a stream of synthetic hormones to our systems—and because hormones impact how we perceive other people and how they perceive us, it stands to reason that our interactions with everyone—and specifically romantic partners— would be tipped sideways by a steady stream of synthetic hormones. In other words, hormones help us interact with the world. When we introduce a whole new set of hormones to our delicate bodies, it can shift our desires and perceptions on a fundamental biochemical level and have far-reaching romantic consequences.

How the Pill Ruins Love

Here are 5 of the ways that the pill might be messing with your love life:You like the smell of guys or girls who are wrong for you romantically. When our hormones are balanced and healthy and when (biochemically speaking) we’re on the hunt for a baby daddy (which means you! It doesn’t matter if you never want kids or if you aren’t attracted to men. If you’re ovulating, your body goes through the biochemical hunt for a good reproductive partner every month), we are primed to be attracted to men to whom we are genetically dissimilar, which lowers the chance of miscarriage and increases the likelihood of having a healthy baby. It also tends to make for more satisfying sex and happier relationships.

Studies show that if you are on the pill, you are more likely to gravitate toward men who smell like you (possibly because the pill simulates pregnancy and pregnant women are drawn toward nurturing and supportive biological relatives, or folks who smell like them). In this way, the pill acts like an anti-cupid, steering you away from your ideal romantic match. You become less attractive to the opposite or same sex. Pheromones are chemical messengers released by the body—and research shows that women’s pheromones can, quite literally, cast a spell over men and women when it comes to romance. Pheromones act as a sort of ‘love potion’ when they are released, increasing a person’s attraction to a women. But studies show that the pill stops production of these attraction-enhancing pheromones, and that might have negative consequences for your romantic and sexual life. It might make your attraction to your current partner disappear (gasp!). If you start a relationship when you’re on the pill then you may find, if and when you come off, that you’re no longer attracted to your partner. One study found that unless your mate is considered conventionally good-looking by evolutionary standards, you may then find them unattractive after you quit taking hormonal birth control. Here is what study author Michelle Russell told Time magazine in 2014:“Women who choose a partner when they’re on hormonal contraceptives and then stop taking them will prioritize their husband’s attractiveness more than they would if they were still on it. The effect that it would have on her marital satisfaction would carry more weight.”

It can suppress your sex drive. A woman’s sex drive should peak around ovulation, but the pill prevents this from happening. Not only that, but the synthetic hormones in hormonal birth control deplete your testosterone reserves, which, along with balanced hormones, is a key to your sexual desire and enjoyment. Research has linked oral contraceptives with female sexual dysfunction, including less frequent sexual activity, arousal, pleasure, and orgasm, and difficulty with lubrication. Oral contraceptives have also been linked with recurrent yeast infections—and there’s nothing like a yeast infection to sink one’s sex drive. It can lower your mood (which decreases your chances of getting in the mood).The pill has been linked to depression and anxiety, particularly in those women who may have a history of mental health issues. And many women are put on the pill for what’s actually a bad case of PMS—which can be addressed naturally—only to find that it makes their mood swings worse. For some, these mood changes manifest themselves as a bad case of the “blahs,” or just kinda feeling “meh” about everything (otherwise known as anhedonia). Women are supposed to feel a range of emotions throughout their natural cycle, and being in touch with the ebbs and flows of your feelings can actually enhance your relationship. Feeling so-so about everything all the time doesn’t lend itself to romance. When you’re feeling blah, you’d just as rather watch TV than make-out with your sweetheart. If the pill’s deleterious effects on dating are making you question the use of oral contraceptives for contraception or as a medical treatment, follow my protocol to transition off the pill. If you’re going to stay on the pill a little while longer, you can start this protocol now to ensure the switch is smooth and that you avoid seeing the return of any prior symptoms.

If you are on the pill for contraception, don’t forget about non-hormonal contraception choices. And if you want to learn more about potential side effects of hormonal birth control, including cancer risk, check out my special FREE Birth Control Rehab report.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

Last month ACOG (the American Committee of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) published a report recommending that teenage girls, their parents, and their clinicians consider the menstrual cycle as the “fifth vital sign” of health. In this landmark announcement, this group of women’s health experts suggested that teens keep track of their periods and develop cycle awareness to help clinicians with early diagnosis of reproductive health issues like PCOS, thyroid disease, and endometriosis, which can be indicated by abnormally long cycles, excessive bleeding, or lack of periods entirely. The report includes guidelines on what should be considered outside the normal range when it comes to a teen’s cycle experience - from the onset of periods, to cycle length, to duration of the flow.The ACOG report states: “By including an evaluation of the menstrual cycle as an additional vital sign, clinicians reinforce its importance in assessing overall health status for patients and caretakers. Just as abnormal blood pressure, heart rate, or respiratory rate may be key to diagnosing potentially serious health conditions, identification of abnormal menstrual patterns in adolescence may improve early identification of potential health concerns for adulthood.”HALLELUIAH!! I would have loved THAT to have been part of my conversation as a teenager with all my period issues! I’ve long known the menstrual cycle to be a signifier of our health (you can read my own guidelines on what it means to have a “normal” period here), but I also know the menstrual cycle is the key to developing and nurturing our health.

How to help the teen in your life

If you are the mother, aunt, sister, or godmother of a teenage girl, this report contains crucial information that I believe ought to be conveyed with the same importance as instructions on how to use a tampon or pad. Most of us are comfortable now with sharing the latter with teens - gone are the days when teens would be shocked and horrified by the arrival of their first period, I hope - but all of us adult women, we need to support the younger generation now beyond the practicalities. A great book to help start a teen on this journey is “Cycle Savvy” by Toni Weschler (who wrote the comprehensive cycle knowledge bible “Taking Charge of Your Fertility”). Of course, it’s a little like what they tell you in the airplane safety schpeel - “help yourself before you help others.” Or - lead by example! If you’re living in your Flo and reaping the benefits then you are better equipped to support young women in learning, appreciating, and understanding their menstrual cycles. From this position you can give the gift of hormonal imbalance to others. As the mother of a daughter, I am thrilled that this report was created by ACOG. Although I know that, when the time comes, I will teach my daughter the art of cycle tracking, cycle awareness, and cycle syncing, I am happy that now a certain standard of care when it comes to young women’s reproductive health will become the expected practice. I am glad that we are finally seeing the period as indicator of our overall health and well-being, rather than just something to be suffered through, ignored, or hidden away. That said, there’s one thing missing from this otherwise encouraging report that concerns me, and that’s how these reproductive health issues will be treated, once they are diagnosed.

When the Pill is the problem

Early diagnosis is an important step forward in how we care for women’s health. However, if the primary or only treatment offered to teen girls is the birth control pill or hormone-based IUD, then we are missing out on a huge opportunity to truly help our young women. If the teen in your life is dealing with reproductive health issues like those mentioned in the report, then consulting a doctor is an important part of getting her back on track. However, we must always question the prescription of hormonal birth control as it never treats the health issue, but only masks the symptoms. Once your teen decides to come off, and this might be years down the line, she will discover the health issue will return and possibly be worse than before. If the teen in your life is dealing with very common problems like acne or PMS then the Pill is not the answer there either. Again, it will only mask these issues, not solve them. Although it can be very tempting to reach for these drugs to put a stop to the problem, it’s important to know that doing so can set a young women up for a lifetime of side effects (such as depression, low libido, anxiety, hair loss, cancer risk, and even life-threatening blood clots) and suppressed functioning of her endocrine, metabolic, and immune systems. It really can have a serious domino effect for her health.

Finding your Flo as a young woman

The source of hormonal imbalance issues in teen girls is mainly diet, exposure to synthetic estrogens in everything from cosmetics to shampoos, and stress. While some cycle irregularity is normal during teenage years (your reproductive system does take a few years to mature) we should not be seeing the symptoms to the extent that we are in new generations. Teaching teens to be conscious of their cycles AND teaching them to live in harmony with their hormones will go a long way to saving them much suffering. Although this is not an area I detail extensively in my book “WomanCode,” teen girls can absolutely follow the exact same Flo Living diet and lifestyle plan outlined there from the time they begin cycling. As I recommend for all women, start simply by layering foods in a cycle-synced pattern and build from there. What if a girl’s first period were not only met with a care package of tampons and pads, but also a copy of “Cycle Savvy” and “WomanCode”? If you’re reading this thinking of the teen daughter who is possibly in your future, it’s good to know that the gift of hormonal balance can be given when she’s still in the womb. Prepping yourself for a healthy pregnancy will be one of the best things you can do for your daughter. But, if you’ve come to Flo Living already with a pre-teen or teen in the family, then know that it’s never too late to start living in and loving your Flo. Share your journey with her, she’ll surely thank you for 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!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, have you shared Flo Living with your family? Second, what do you wish you knew as a teenager? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

Scientists have discovered a hormone, residing in the liver, that is responsible for controlling your sugar cravings. Go science! The hormone has the delightful name of FGF21 or fibroblast growth factor 21 and sends signals to the brain to suppress hankerings for the sweet stuff. Research has shown that administering this hormone (to monkeys and mice) has the effect of stopping a desire for anything sugary. In fact, the animals responded by reducing their intake of sugar by an impressive 7 fold. Essentially this hormone tells your body when you’ve had enough sugar and don’t need any more. We’ve known for a while that hormones have control over appetite but ‍

FGF21 is specifically safeguarding our appetite for sugar.The new findings have caused scientists to consider the possibility of creating a drug that mimics the hormone’s effect on the body - thereby assisting the diabetic and obese in regaining their health. But what should you take away from this latest research?  Well, it’s going to be a long time before that drug is created and comes to market. Not only that, but it’s my belief that for most women there is an easier, simpler and more healthful way of curing your sugar cravings and it’s something you can start on today.

Curbing your sweet tooth with food

If you want this liver-based hormone FGF21 to work for you and suppress those sugar cravings then you need to develop excellent liver function. A humming liver is going to support the work of FGF21 and naturally increase your ability to satisfy your sugar gremlins with just a healthy couple of dates or some honey in your tea. No more being overwhelmed to binge on cookies! To get to this place you need to be using food on the daily to control your blood sugar levels so that your liver can function at its best. You know, it’s actually totally normal to have some sugar cravings. Glucose is your brain’s only source of fuel so you actually need a form of the sweet stuff to keep the cogs turning. However, at the root of all hormonal imbalance issues you will find poorly regulated blood sugar. Most women I meet through Flo Living are experiencing the dramatic peaks and troughs of blood sugar mismanagement. Solving this issue is the starting point for living in your Flo. Blood sugar mismanagement means the sugar gremlins become sugar bullies and push you to seek out too much sweet stuff to keep your energy levels high and prevent crashing out. The liver and pancreas function to regulate our blood sugar levels and eliminate excess hormones and toxins. I’ve been preaching this for years. Therefore - smooth, controlled blood sugar stasis allows your liver to complete its other necessary duties, including processing excess estrogen so that you can avoid one of the main causes of many hormonal balance issues and other female diseases - estrogen dominance. If your liver and pancreas are too busy figuring out your blood sugar issues, then they won’t ever be able to concentrate their efforts on getting rid of all of the synthetic estrogens we absorb every day in the form of plastics, cleaners, beauty products and more, which lead to health problems like endometriosis, PCOS, acne, cramps, infertility, and PMS. Improving your blood sugar stasis and liver function will support the amazing FGF21 hormone in doing its important work.

My 5 step plan to make more FGF21 and beat your sugar cravings

The key to curing your sugar cravings is food. Let food be thy medicine here. You don’t need to wait for the FGF21-inspired drug (with who-knows-what side effects…)  You can use food to make more of this hormone today and fix your burning desire for the sweet stuff.

1. Eat the Right Sugar on Purpose. Even if you have stabilized blood sugar, you’re going to crave sweetness at some time or another. Not all sugars are created equal, but in the end anything that tastes sweet will have an impact on your blood sugar. You need to get smart about how you satisfy your sugar gremlins and not let them become bad-for-you sugar bullies. I have several go-to recipes for sweet treats that I turn to when I’m feeling the need. As a rule, honey and coconut nectar are my two favorite sweeteners, as, for me, they have the lowest impact on my blood sugar levels.
2. Time Your Breakfast Right. You need to eat breakfast within 90 minutes of waking up. Choose a good-size, protein rich breakfast with eggs and smoked salmon. Research has shown a big breakfast prevents hormonal imbalance issues like PCOS and infertility, as well as protecting you from developing type-2 diabetes.
3. Supersize your lunch. Your biggest meal of the day should be lunch. Incorporate a complex carb like black beans, a source of good fat like avocado and sunflower seeds and a generous helping of glutathione-heavy vegetables like carrots, broccoli, spinach or asparagus, drizzled with olive oil. Glutathione is an antioxidant that detoxifies the liver.
4. Make a Liver Lover Smoothie. Detoxing your liver doesn’t involve deprivation, in fact I want you to add a delicious smoothie to your weekly meal plan. Cilantro contains a property called linalool that helps to cleanse the liver. I have perfected a smoothie recipe that brings in cilantro plus glutathione heavy mango and apple. Blend: ½ cup mango, ½ a green apple, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple, 1/2 cup coconut water and 1 cup of cilantro.
5. Avoid Hidden Sugar. There are many hidden sugars that you might be missing, especially when it comes to picking out any packaged or supposed “health foods.” New dietary guidelines encourage limiting sugar intake of any kind to just 10% of your daily calories. Although I don’t agree with all of the new recommendations, I believe they’re spot-on with this one, but we need to be even more careful than that. 200 calories from sugar per day is a lot - more than one 12 ounce can of soda. We really should be avoiding white sugar completely. Be aware of where sugars hide - it can be  in unexpected places, like fruit-based smoothies that don’t incorporate the fruits’ fibre, which are often as bad for you sugar-wise as eating a brownie! The sugar industry has given the white stuff a lot of new names to try and baffle us into consuming more than we should. Check out the documentary Fed Up, it’s a real eye-opener.

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

‍

To your FLO,Alisa

How do you start your day? Do you hit the snooze button until you have to dash out the door, breakfast-less and barely awake? Or do you lay in bed scrolling through emails on your phone and getting stressed about what’s ahead? Your morning routine, or lack thereof, can have an impact on the rest of your day. If you start the day anxious, hungry, and over-caffeinated, you probably know all to well that you won’t be able to perform to the best of your abilities at work or when it comes to any of your plans. But not only that, you’re also setting yourself up for the kind of jagged blood sugar and cortisol overdrive that will inevitably trigger hormone imbalance, leaving you open to symptoms such as PMS, missed periods, cramps, bloating, acne and more. How you choose to start your day impacts your whole month in this way - one too many bad mornings can spell disaster for your period.

How to become a morning person

It doesn’t have to be this way! Mornings can be a moment of peace and sanctuary when you ready yourself for the busy day. We always hear that there are “morning people” and those who hate mornings. I think some of what goes into this is how well you sleep. Feeling energized and positive at the day’s start, of course, has a lot to do with whether you got enough rest. But, that’s not the whole picture. You can also put to waste a good night’s rest rapidly with a rushed and hectic morning. You know those women you see serenely sweeping through the office, getting it all done, then gliding home in the evening to a fulfilled, satisfied, relaxed evening? They’ve probably got their mornings handled. Changing your morning routine can be the first key step to happiness, to healing your hormonal health issues, and to getting you on the path to perfect periods. Mastering the morning is kind of a major life skill. I’d even go as far as to say that a good morning routine is life-changing!

Why I have more than one morning routine

Now, here’s where I differ. I don’t have the same morning routine for every single day. No, of course not. You are not in the same physical, mental, or emotional space every single day. You are a woman and, so, you are cyclical. To get the most out of your mornings you need to go with your Flo and not try to enforce a strict pattern that just won’t feel good all of the time. Changing your morning routine to fit your hormone cycle is like taking a regular morning routine and super charging it for the demands of modern womanhood! It also makes sticking to a routine so much easier, because the routine for that day should fit how you’ll be feeling when you wake up. Plus, being cycle-aware in regards to your morning routine provides an immediate blueprint for you to follow through. So, this means that I actually have one morning routine for the first half of my cycle and one morning routine for the second half of my cycle. It’s that simple, but it’s so effective.

My morning routine for the first half of my cycle (from post-period to ovulation)

1. I wake up and drink a tall glass of lemon water
2. I stretch out my body with some light yoga practice before I start putting together my breakfast
3. I make a smoothie with a blend of avocado, blueberries, spinach, flax, almond milk, and cinnamon
4. I then sit down at my desk and assess the to-do list I have put together the night before. In the evenings I always feel super ambitious about what I can achieve in one day, but when the morning comes I do allow myself to reality-check that list. I immediately take one or two items off the list. Doing this really feels like a relief in a way and that boosts my confidence and energy for the day ahead.
5. I take a moment to connect to my heart in some way before I start my work - this might mean a call to a friend, a cuddle with my daughter, or some meditation.

My morning routine for the second half of my cycle (from post-ovulation to the end of my period)

1. I wake up and drink a raspberry leaf hot tea
2. I stretch out my body with some light yoga before I make breakfast
3. I choose a more carb-heavy breakfast for this time of my cycle, with a grain-base like buckwheat or quinoa plus eggs and sauteed greens
4. I take some time to do a little introspective self-evaluation. I might call a friend to work through something that’s been bothering me or sit down to journal for a while. I want to get out what I’m feeling right now and address it in a way that works and feels best.
5. If I wake up feeling a little cranky and off-balance, I will write a quick 5 item gratitude list to shift my energy and feel revitalized. If this crankiness is overwhelming and hard to move past, then you should think about reassessing your diet and lifestyle and try a new way of living in your body for your next cycle.

Creating your morning routine around your cycle is a great way to start the process of cycle-syncing your life. Here at Flo Living I teach women to layer in cycle-syncing habits - from eating the right foods for your hormones, to switching your work outs, to embracing a cycle-aware outlook on your relationship - rather than trying to transform everything all at once. And, once you see the benefits to your mood, your energy, and your period health from making this change to your mornings, I know you’ll want to shape the rest of your day in the same way. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, do you struggle to feel awake in the mornings? Second, what’s your current morning routine? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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

I think by now we all understand that weight loss is an on-going, every day commitment to a healthy diet and lifestyle and that the fads won’t fix anything. However, it sure can be hard to not get caught up in the hype of all these new year diet deals and workout wonders that come our way.

I think every single one of us has probably, at some point, gotten seduced by a new weight loss book, a new year bootcamp, a January re-commitment to the local gym, or even some late night call to buy the latest, greatest workout equipment for your home (those shaking weights! the electric shock belly wrap!).

If you’ve gained a few pounds over the holidays - heck, if you’ve gained a few pounds over the holidays on top of the few pounds you gained during the last holidays - it can cause a feeling of panic and dread. We resolve to turn ourselves around and we get strict, restrictive, and punishing with our bodies, trying to beat them back into a slender, slim shape. We deprive ourselves of food, we exercise intensely, we cleanse and skip meals, we avoid all temptation, and we feel miserable. ‍

So, we know what doesn’t work, right? But that leaves us with one burning question - if we want to lose weight, what exactly DOES work?

‍I have lost 60 lbs 2 times in my life (and in a relatively short period of time - a matter of a few months). The first time I was in my ‘20s, the second time was just recently, in 2014, after I had my daughter. Now, my friends tell me I am slimmer and younger looking than before I had my baby.  

More important though, to me, than fitting in my clothes is how good I feel in my own skin. And that doesn’t come from seeing a certain number pop up on the scale, that comes from a near 20 year relationship with my body that honors the 4 phase-centric hormonal needs of both my body and my spirit.

‍I did none of the things we are normally encouraged to do at the start of a new year to shed those pounds. In fact, during those 2 weight loss periods:  

• I did not diet and I never felt deprived of food
• My only exercise was walking

How did I do it? Good question!

Crash dieting and excessive exercising works against the hormonal science of your body - it increases and worsens hormonal symptoms like PCOS, PMS, cramps, heavy bleeding, and endometriosis. It sets you up, as a woman, for a cravings-plus-bingeing rollercoaster and a flagging, subpar metabolic system. It causes you to quit trying to lose weight before you reach your goal, because you feel awful and you can see clearly that it is not working.

All of the diets you hear about do not work longterm for women and have the potential to make your hormonal symptoms worse! Too much animal fat, diets that are protein heavy, too few carbohydrates - none of this helps us ladies to achieve lasting weight loss. You may shed the pounds at first, but you bet that same month your period will be a nightmare or you’ll have the worst PMS.

What your body wants and needs desperately is homeostasis, not deprivation. Your body craves balance and hates extremes. This means any diet that involves cutting down and cutting out or wildly fluctuating eating patterns is only going to cause your body stress - the kind sourced in your blood sugar stability and your adrenals - that will actually make your body hold on to fat for dear life, and then start signalling health breakdown with all kinds of symptoms.

So, what’s my weight loss secret?

Why, living in my Flo, of course! This lifestyle consists of 2 essential parts.

‍First - I feed my hormones what they need to keep my metabolism humming.

‍I understand what my body needs so that my blood sugar remains stable and my adrenals calmed. I know how to feel full and satisfied all day, every day and how to supercharge my metabolism. I nourish my body to make and process my hormones in a way that keeps everything humming along nicely.

The majority of diets you hear about cause out of control hormones and erratic blood sugar levels that come from their restrictive eating patterns - they rob your body and brain of the micronutrients that they need to create balanced appetite control-neurotransmitters and balanced metabolism-boosting hormone levels. Flo Living supports appetite control and boosts your metabolism, because it increases essential micronutrients and balances your hormones.

The solution you’re looking for is eating the foods your body needs for each phase of your menstrual/hormone cycle. This way you can optimize the levels of nutrients your body wants to balance the vital hormones that keep your metabolism working efficiently. You will, in fact, be revving your metabolism to keep you slim. When you eat in sync with your hormones, you will feel satisfied, less tempted by foods you should avoid, and happy to continue this “diet” (or lifestyle shift) for years to come.

‍Second - I channel my energy and health into playing a bigger game.

‍It’s not very interesting to play a continuous game of weight gain and weight loss. Of resolutions and self sabotage. You are so powerful, you are physiologically designed to create new life from the void in any way you choose. We’ve heard enough stories from the front to know that telling ourselves that we’ll be happier and live the life we dream about after our jeans are a certain size, is a lie.

The essential question to ask yourself is not how much weight do you want to lose, but what do you want to do with your life, with a body that is energized and focused on that purpose.  For me, my body is my true partner, my GPS system.

‍I allow my body to guide me on the journey of my soul, my passion, and my purpose, I’d be lost without her wisdom, support, and intuition.  

‍As a result, I’m super motivated to keep my frequencies clear so I can receive that guidance, which is so critical in playing a bigger game in my life. Health is not the destination, it’s the road you take that dictates how much fun you’ll have on the way.

‍

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

It’s the start of a new year and everywhere you look - TV adverts, billboards, magazines, new books, social media - it’s a fat-busting frenzy. Diets, old and new, are trying to draw you in with promises of fast weight loss. However, a myriad of research reveals that the majority of dieters (we’re talking over 90%) will inevitably put all of the pounds they lose back on and then some extra too. That’s not to say that you should feel depressed or defeated by this news. The motivation to lose weight, feel good, and take charge of your health is a good one and deserves to be congratulated. You’re feeling fired up to tackle your goals afresh, and that’s great news. Go you! I just don’t want to see you seduced by the kind of diets that don’t concern themselves with your longterm health and well-being. I want to be the voice of reason here, for a minute, and let you know that the fad diets you’ll be hearing about this month are not good for women’s hormonal needs and they simply don’t offer lasting weight loss.

The problem with dieting

Most diets involve either cutting out or cutting down dramatically on major food groups and restricting calories while simultaneously undertaking a rigorous exercise regime. The thing is that both of these strategies are highly problematic for your health, very difficult to sustain, and terrible for your hormones! Common diets like Paleo, Raw, even Macrobiotic can make hormonal health issues like PCOS, PMS, infertility, endometriosis, cramps and heavy bleeding become much, much worse. I’ve lost 60 lbs myself not just once, but twice in my life - the first time in my early 20s and the second time after giving birth to my baby daughter. So, I’m not coming out as the voice of reason here without the practical skills and experience to back it up! Believe me ladies, I’ve been there! What your body wants and needs desperately is homeostasis, not deprivation. Your body craves balance and hates extremes. This means any diet that involves cutting down and cutting out or wildly fluctuating eating patterns is only going to cause your body stress - the kind sourced in your blood sugar stability and your adrenals - that will actually make your body hold on to fat for dear life, and then start signaling health breakdown with all kinds of symptoms.

The diets that don’t work for women

Here’s a look at the kind of diets I know you’re hearing a whole lot about this month. None of these diets address female biology (most of them are even designed only with male biology in mind). All of them concentrate on a simple equation of calories in versus calories out, which, as research shows, is not sustainable for most people longterm (ie. the pounds will inevitably come piling back on). Paleo Diet - a high animal fat diet is the worst possible choice of estrogen-dominance based hormonal health issues like endometriosis. Bacon is just not good for your ovaries. Sorry! Yes, we need fat and protein, but too much and the wrong kind is hard for the body to breakdown in all of the places where estrogen is peaking. Women do need to eat fat to lose fat, but animal fats are not the way to go to achieve this. A study from Harvard researchers showed that women were 39% more likely to experience cycles without ovulation (a cause of estrogen dominance, as the body is not producing enough balancing progesterone) if they ate a lot of animal protein. However, the women who had the highest intake of plant protein were much less likely to experience a lack of ovulation (and therefore estrogen dominance issues), than those women who hardly ate any plant proteins.Ketogenic Diet – a high in protein, lower fat, no carbs diet again. While there is a lot of great research on the benefits of fasting on long term health, when you’re in the midst of a hormonal condition, this is a really tough road to go down. Having tried this out myself as an experiment I can say that although this might feel great at first, partly because you feel like you’re doing the perfect ‘proper’ diet plan, when your hormones shift mid cycle it is near-impossible to fight your impending carb cravings. You will fall off the wagon and carb-loading ensues. Any diet that is very low in omega 3 fats can also increase period cramps and heavy bleeding at the end of your cycle. While we certainly want to avoid carbs like sugar and wheat, we can choose to eat small amounts of soaked and properly prepared whole grains like quinoa, buckwheat and brown rice, which are important to our hormonal balance if we struggle with blood sugar stability (most women do) or adrenal fatigue (also very common). Vegan/Macrobiotic Diet – this diet is high in grains, higher in soy protein, with moderate fats. If you choose to be vegan for ethical reasons, I totally get that. However, you will want to do an excellent job of cooking your food and having enough soaked grains and legumes to get adequate absorbable protein, as well as supplementing for amino acids. This is a great diet for cleaning up house internally – decreasing inflammation all around. But the glycemic impact and lack of amino acids can be problematic for hormonal conditions. We need the amino acids from protein to make our hormones. Too many processed grains can create a lot of gut dysbiosis and can decrease absorption of all the key nutrients that are required for hormonal balance. And of course, if you’re insulin resistant, have PCOS, this diet can make your symptoms worse.Master cleanse/Juice cleanse based Diets - a diet that requires an extreme calorie restriction is going to cause major issues for your blood sugar stability. If your blood sugar is peaking and troughing like crazy your body is not converting sugars properly (and remember many juice cleanses are fruit sugar-heavy). Juice that you buy or make at home with a regular juicer often separate out and remove the fiber of the fruit and vegetables (which is needed for your body to better process the fruit sugars) and as such what you’re drinking, if it’s a fruit heavy juice, is just pure sugar and looks no different to your body than a glass of Coca Cola. When fasting like this, your body has none of the nourishment it really needs - protein, good fats - to make hormones or breakdown hormones. You might lose weight, but then it will come back and that fluctuation will cause your body stress and create an inflammatory response. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy a good green juice, I do! I just sync how and when I juice to my body’s needs and I never only drink juice.

So, are you ready to ditch the diets?

I have been where you are. I’ve tried all the diets and nothing worked. Once I gave up the fads and started following my hormonal patterns and feeding them what they need, everything started working. I’ve lost a lot of weight twice, and in a very short period of time. I’ve done this by following my Flo Living protocol and I have helped many other women do the same. The Flo Living lifestyle is really the only eating plan that works for women long term - it takes the weight off and keeps it off, while not compromising your health, your mood, or your overall well-being. ALL of these diets I’ve mentioned above cause out of control hormones and erratic blood sugar levels that come from their more extreme eating patterns - they rob your body and brain of the micronutrients that they need to create balanced appetite control-neurotransmitters and balanced metabolism-boosting hormone levels. Flo Living supports appetite control and boosts your metabolism, because it increases essential micronutrients and balances your hormones.But more than all of this, these diets don’t feel pleasurable. They don’t put you into a positive relationship with your body where you are eating, listening, and responding to how your body reacts to what you’re putting in. These diets are not based on your unique female biochemistry, they’re based on experiments that don’t take into account the effects on mood, energy, and appetite throughout the menstrual cycle. Ultimately, these diets are hard to stick with and they end up making you feel bad about your willpower and about your body. Enough is enough! The solution you’re looking for is eating the foods your body needs for each phase of your menstrual/hormone cycle. This way you can optimize the levels of nutrients your body wants to balance the vital hormones that keep your metabolism working efficiently. You will, in fact, be revving your metabolism to keep you slim. When you eat in sync with your hormones, you will feel satisfied, less tempted by foods you should avoid, and happy to continue this “diet” (or lifestyle shift) for years to come. You want to lose weight, feel great and take charge of your health, right? Flo Living is the only diet created for women, created for you.Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, have you tried any of the mentioned diets? Second, are you hoping to lose weight this year? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Need more Hormone Help?

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