PCOS

Vitex can be a great help for women with a number of different conditions and in a number of different situations. However, we do not recommend Vitex to  those who have been diagnosed with PCOS, except in one specific circumstance, which we will explain below.

Vitex is a fantastic tool - it’s well-researched and evidenced as being helpful for women with problematic menstrual cycles - but, as with any herb or supplement, it does not have a chance of helping you if it’s the only thing you choose to change about your daily routine. Any kind of period or cycle-related problem needs to be addressed from a functional medicine perspective - food first, then supplements, then specifically targeted lifestyle hacks, which means living in your FLO. Supplements of any kind are best seen as a way to super-charge your other efforts with diet and lifestyle changes. They are never a solution in themselves.

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Why most women with PCOS shouldn’t use Vitex

Vitex increases progesterone levels by increasing LH (luteinizing hormone) levels, and it suppresses prolactin levels. The result is increased ovulatory cycles. This sounds like a perfect scenario for PCOS sufferers, but there’s a problem. Vitex can actually worsen PCOS for some because their LH levels are already high. If you know your LH level is high (if you don’t know, ask for a hormone panel blood test from your doctor), you should not use Vitex. Most women have the kind of PCOS that is insulin-resistant and comes with high LH, and should avoid Vitex.

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When you should take Vitex if you have PCOS

If you have PCOS with normal LH levels and high prolactin levels, you might consider using Vitex. You can have your prolactin levels tested by your doctor. This kind of PCOS has a different root cause, usually inflammation from allergens like dairy and gluten, or as the result of using the birth control pill. Vitex in this case can help to suppress prolactin levels and increase ovulatory cycles.

But Vitex is a slow-acting herb. You will need to commit to taking it for up to 3 months to see any change in your cycles or improvement of symptoms. Be sure to purchase Vitex from a reputable, long-standing supplement company like Gaia, so you know you are getting a potent formulation, without fillers.

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What to take instead of Vitex to manage your PCOS

There are several kinds of PCOS, but these two supplements will work for any woman with the condition. They will work best in conjunction with the FLO Living diet and lifestyle protocol.

• Cinnamon - we suggest taking the cinnamon supplement from New Chapter. Cinnamon is a proven natural treatment for insulin-resistant PCOS. You can also add cinnamon to your oatmeal, eggs or beans and make it part of your meals.

• Magnesium - Try a topical form of magnesium, like those created by Ancient Minerals, or you can opt for the powdered form from Natural Calm. Magnesium is an essential mineral that most of us are deficient in, but it’s a proven treatment for improving insulin resistance.

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The best way to avoid overindulging on Thanksgiving is to keep your own needs front and center throughout the holidays. That doesn’t just go for Thanksgiving either, but also all the holiday parties and celebrations to come.

When you have been working to restore your hormonal health and have committed to your goal of banishing your PMS, or managing your PCOS, or preventing your horrible period cramps each month, then a desire to overindulge, binge, or eat hormonally-toxic foods is less likely to come from within you, and more likely to be down to pressure from family and friends to do as they do and forgo your health for the sake of preserving tradition. It’s hard enough to turn away the mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes covered in marshmallow, the cookies, the cocktails, but it can be even harder when you’re a lone health ranger in your family.

There’s no need to hurt yourself with food. The holidays are about coming together and spending time with those you love. Be a good “host” to your body during this time. Don’t feel pressured to be a good guest or a good host to others by eating and drinking in a way you know will cause you suffering later.

As women we tend to be socialized to be people-pleasers. I’m here to say, you don’t need to make everyone happy at the expense of yourself. You deserve to put yourself and your health goals first, whether that’s your desire to conceive or your desire for clear skin - if it’s important enough to you that you’re here reading this, it’s important enough that your friends and family support it. It’s a great opportunity to practice holding firm healthy boundaries and compassionately sharing your new point of view with those willing to hear.

That said, I want you to feel good even if you have overindulged this Thanksgiving! So here’s how to detox from 3 of the most common holiday experiences.

Carb Overload

You’ve eaten too much white bread, mashed potatoes, or pastry-heavy desserts. The gluten and the sugar are endocrine disruptive and you need to off-set your exposure if you want to avoid symptoms like an irregular cycle, missing period, acne, mood swings, cramps and more.

How to detox

Have a “Paleo day” post Thanksgiving to prevent a cycle of carb-cravings and limit the damage to your hormones. For breakfast, have eggs with coconut oil. For lunch, have some of that leftover turkey with avocados and greens. Have a cup of bone broth, too. Steer away from the grains and gluten-free carbs today and give your gut the break. Take a fiber supplement to sweep out the white flour residue. It’s always a good idea to take a brisk walk right after eating carbs - it’ll help your body use up the glucose for fuel.

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Sugar High

Sugar causes hormonal havoc - mood swings, PMS, missing periods, infertility. There’s not much good I can say about the white stuff.

How to detox

Resist reaching for “the hair of the dog” sugar-wise and eating some dessert for breakfast. Sugar is highly addictive, so you’re best to turn to the “methadone-like” alternatives of sweet potatoes, butternut squash, parsnips, and yams to curtail your cravings and bring you down gently without the withdrawal anxiety, moodiness and stress. Interval training (fast walking followed by a slower pace) will help you today.

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Excessive Alcohol

A glass of good red wine won’t hurt you, but 3 or 4, or even worse, hard alcohol cocktails, and your body’s hangover will continue way beyond the headache. Alcohol raises your estrogen levels, and makes liver function more sluggish, leading to estrogen dominance - the root cause of many hormonal health issues.

How to Detox

You’ll want to concentrate on detoxing your liver so it can go back to processing your hormones and avoiding build-up. Take a B vitamin supplement and a high-dose vitamin C supplement in the morning. Drink lots of coconut water throughout the day. You can also whizz up my liver detox juice: combine a handful of spinach, 4 stalks of cucumber, half a bunch of cilantro, one-third a bunch of parsley, half a lemon with rind, half a green apple, and a small carrot in a blender or juicer. A hatha yoga class will help you sweat it out.

This Thanksgiving will be the first that my daughter (now just over 2 years old) will eat a real Thanksgiving meal. I just know she’ll be curious and excited to try everything on the table. And I’m looking forward to introducing her to some of my favorite recipes and the tradition of giving thanks and gratitude. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it allows me to indulge in amazing food that’s totally hormone-friendly and hormone-supportive. I can take a whole bunch of my favorite ingredients - like sweet potatoes and organic turkey - and make some really nutritious, nourishing dishes. I like to keep it simple cooking-wise, so I can spend more quality time with my family, as that, to me, is what this holiday is all about.In last year’s Thanksgiving post, I highlighted for you the importance of eating breakfast on Thanksgiving morning. Many of us are inclined to skip it. But, as much as you can, you should try to stick to your normal eating routine of three meals per day, instead of eating nothing or snacking on appetizers until a big, oversized, Thanksgiving dinner at 4pm. Eat a good breakfast, and serve your meal at the normal time - like 1pm. Then, later that day, you can have the dessert or a second plate of leftovers. This pattern is essential to maintain blood sugar balance, and, as a result, hormonal balance. You’ll enjoy the day more too as you’ll avoid that hangry feeling as well as the post-binge bloat.

My Thanksgiving meal plan

I make the entire Thanksgiving dinner the day before. The day of Thanksgiving I just put my turkey in the oven at 6.30am and then later on, warm up all the delicious sides in the oven. That way I can concentrate on enjoying my time with my family. Plus we get to eat at 1pm, rather than waiting until late afternoon. We’ll start our meal with a cup of homemade bone broth. Check out my recipe. It’s really the perfect Thanksgiving appetizer.Dinner will consist of: An organic turkey and, instead of mashed potatoes, a special sweet potatoe smashed roots recipe, and instead of green bean cassarole, my green beans dish with fennel. I’ll have a side of stuffing made from from buckwheat, apples, onions and herbs. My cranberry sauce recipe is so easy - just cranberries, juices, and honey. Plus a little helping of sauerkraut to help the microbiome along with this larger-than-normal intake of food. For dessert (which usually I save for the evening), we have apple cobbler made with coconut oil and cinnamon. My daughter will happily try out all of these dishes - she’s already a fan of green beans! What will you be eating this Thanksgiving? Share your recipes in the comments or on social media with #FLOholiday 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 Vitex? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Is Your Period Healthy?

How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign - your period. The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future. Click here to take The V-SIGN TYPE™ Quiz NOW

A new study on a male hormonal contraceptive injection sparked a discussion this week that drew focus to the kinds of side effects women experience from their birth control methods. The male study participants suffered mood changes, acne, and suppressed fertility post-trial. These side effects were viewed by the researchers, and experts, as reason enough to halt the study completely. Women, unsurprisingly, took to social media to vent their outrage - these are the exact same side effects women experience on the currently available female hormonal contraceptives. They’re also the kind of side effects unfortunately frequently dismissed or played down by doctors. Many of you commented on our FLO Living Facebook page with your own stories and shared concerns about the burden placed on women to prevent pregnancy. Multiple studies on female hormonal contraceptives have concluded that women do experience unwanted side effects. I was glad to see the reaction this week - women being honest about their experiences, demanding to be taken seriously, and saying “enough is enough.” Women do not deserve these side effects any more than men do. Every year new brands, types, and formulations of hormone-based birth control are released and women are pressured to use them. We are conditioned to believe that suffering is part of being a woman and so we tolerate more than we should, and instead we should have a zero tolerance policy on feeling bad in our bodies. As I watched this conversation unroll, I wondered how many women know that these side effects - mood changes, acne, suppressed fertility post-pill - are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the negative impact hormonal birth control has on the female body. We are quite familiar with the short term, sometimes near-immediate, negative effects - like bloating, weight gain, mood swings and nausea - but fewer of us are aware of the long term impact of hormonal birth control, the kinds of issues it can be difficult to reverse even when you come off the pill, and can impact your long term health.

The long term side effects of hormonal birth control for women

1. Damaged microbiome - hormonal birth control acts just like an antibiotic in your gut, destroying the essential microbiome balance. If your doctor prescribes the pill for PCOS specifically, you will find it will only worsen the problems of weight gain and insulin sensitivity, because of the impact on gut flora. Just recently research revealed the pill can trigger Crohn’s, a symptomatic disease of imbalance in the microbiome. The microbiome is a new frontier for medicine, and more and more research is getting published that shows a healthy microbiome is necessary for good physical and psychological health. Repairing a damaged microbiome, while not impossible, takes time. The impact of the pill on the microbiome will last long after you stop taking it without concentrated, focused actions to replenish good gut bacteria.
2. Increased inflammation - if you are prescribed the pill for cramps, PMS, or other common period problems (as many women are), you should know that those issues result from hormonal imbalance and inflammation in the body. The pill does not treat these root causes, but can mask the symptoms you experience. This puts you at higher risk of the big diseases of inflammation - heart disease, cancer and dementia - later in life. You need to tackle cramps and PMS as soon as possible, from a functional medicine standpoint, with the right food and supplements.
3. Micronutrient deficiency - hormonal birth control prevents the absorption of micronutrients, vitamins and minerals. It robs your body of B vitamins, magnesium, and vitamin C in particular, which has short and long term impacts on your health. These are essential for hormonal health and can lead to infertility issues post-pill. Once you’re micronutrient deficient, and prevented from absorbing what you need even from additional supplementation, you are set up for poor physical and mental health. It takes a nutrient dense, targeted diet after stopping using hormonal birth control to replenish your body’s reserves and repair the avenues of absorption.
4. Suppressed ovulation - research has shown that consistent ovulation protects women’s long term health, especially when it comes to avoiding issues like osteoporosis, heart disease, heart attacks, and breast cancer (all top killers of women). Hormonal birth control (except, sometimes, the hormonal IUD) suppresses ovulation. Suppressing ovulation for years, decades even, has long term consequences, even if ovulation returns shortly after you come off the medication. Exposure to synthetic hormones plus a lack of exposure to the body’s own hormone cycles is the root cause. Ovulation is important, not just for when you want to conceive.
5. Masked reproductive health issues - the pill is not a real treatment for reproductive health issues - from PMS to PCOS. Hormonal birth control can help manage symptoms for some women, but it is only a band-aid solution. This can be dangerous, because it can mask issues long term, if women are not diagnosed prior to being prescribed hormonal birth control. Once you come off the method, the problems will return and potentially have worse symptoms than before, as well as becoming harder to treat and resolve. It’s better to tackle these problems head-on and not wait until you’d like to conceive or suffer the long-term health consequences.

I know that many women depend on hormonal birth control to avoid unplanned pregnancy, which is why I have already outlined the best non-hormonal contraceptive options. If you are currently taking the pill or using another form of hormonal birth control, please follow my steps to transition off, as this will help you avoid the negative fall out for your health and a return of any symptoms you may have experienced before.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 use the pill? Second, have you experienced side effects? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Is Your Period Healthy?

How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign - your period. The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future. Click here to take The V-SIGN TYPE™ Quiz NOW

In previous posts I’ve explained the real dangers of coffee (and all caffeinated drinks) for women and told you exactly how to detox from your coffee habit. There’s no way around it - coffee is toxic for women. All those studies that hit the headlines about the positive benefits of coffee, seem to pale in comparison to the latest findings. When it comes to one important issue, both men and women need to listen up - and that’s how coffee impacts fertility.If you’re trying to conceive, and especially if you’re dealing with the kind of issues that impair your fertility like irregular periods or PCOS, then you need to put down that Starbucks cup. Whether you want to get pregnant this month or next year, this is too important to ignore. If healthy regular ovulation, hormone balance, perfect periods, and having a baby one day are essential to you, then research says you need to ditch the coffee.Look, I know how hard that sounds. I used to love my coffee. But I realized it was not worth it and that, in the end, I didn’t need it like I had been told. I stepped out of the coffee culture and felt so much better for it - better sleep, better periods, less PMS. It was vital, because as a PCOS sufferer I knew that any external hormone-hampering was only going to cause me health issues, both short and long term. For some women, coffee is the only endocrine disruptor they haven’t yet expelled from their lives - the chemical-laden shampoos are gone, the cleaning products are all-natural, they say no to plastics - but coffee is hard to give up, it’s become as all-American a ritual as baseball and Thanksgiving.

How coffee increases infertility

• 3 cups of coffee a day consumed by women or men increases the risk of miscarriage dramatically - by 74%
• Caffeine is associated with sub-optimal or suppressed fertility and, therefore, difficulties conceiving
• Drinking caffeinated beverages during early pregnancy (before you may know that you’re pregnant) increases the risk of early pregnancy loss
• Caffeine is considered an impairment to fertility alongside alcohol and smoking
• Men who drink 2 of more cups of coffee a day had a lower chance of conception via IVF
• Coffee disrupts ovulation by increasing cortisol levels and stressing the adrenals
• Coffee depletes vital vitamins and minerals needed for ovulation and healthy fertility (including absolutely necessary B vitamins and folate) and coffee’s acidity causes gut health problems

Rather than waiting until you want to conceive, you might as well detox from coffee starting today. You’ll see a rapid improvement in your whole cycle experience - including less PMS symptoms, less cramping, easier periods, more regular cycles, and better moods, all as a positive consequence of leaving your hormones and ovulation undisrupted and unharmed by caffeine. 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

Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!

First, are you a coffee addict? Second, are you struggling to conceive? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

How to get pregnant over 35

In my special report, Getting Pregnant Over 35, you’ll learn:

• The 7 most common things that compromise your fertility and why they block pregnancy.
• Why IVF and egg freezing do not guarantee success and how to improve your conception chances with both.
• Which tests, beyond the hormone levels, you need to take to know if you’re ready to conceive.

Click here to download Getting Pregnant Over 35

If you have PCOS you are probably more than aware of all of the possible diets there are out there that are promoted for weight loss, and in a previous post I have looked at each of these diets in detail to examine their pros and cons. Most diets that you hear about, from Paleo to Macrobiotic, are not actually researched and designed for women’s bodies. They do not take into account women’s biology, our menstrual cycles, our changing pattern of hormones - instead they are modeled on male biology and that’s why they are far more effective for men.

Why women need a different kind of diet

Precisely because many of these diet protocols are not made for women, they often fail women - although some may have initial weight loss, usually this is not sustained. A study from 2012 revealed that during the luteal phase of a woman’s menstrual cycle (that’s the week pre-menstruation) women purchase much more food than they do during their follicular phase (the week after your period). To many of you, this research will come as no surprise - we know we feel more hungry during our pre-menstrual days, and that we may eat more, and may therefore buy more food. This makes sense because we need more B vitamins to help us support the corpus luteum and progesterone production.  Perhaps you also have specific cravings during this time in your cycle. You might have noticed you don’t feel the need to eat that much during the first half of your cycle, but heading towards your period your hunger seems to increase and your need for food as fuel, to sustain your energy, to prevent you from feeling “hangry,” is increased.

The reason most diets for PCOS don’t work

Most of the diet protocols out there do not take this information into account. Most diets proposed for those with PCOS are low-glycemic and this kind of eating plan is hard to maintain. It feels easy to do during the first half of the cycle, but once you’re pre-menstrual it’s impossible to sustain and adhere to. During the luteal or pre-menstrual phase you need more nourishing, filling, satisfying foods to prevent cravings and the desire to reach for unhealthy carbs or sugar. This is why the FLO Living protocol of Cycle Syncing your eating habits has helped so many women to lose weight and keep it off - it takes into account that you will want and need to eat different foods during your pre-menstrual phase and need foods that provide enough of the nutrients your body requires. Building this information into a diet designed for women specifically allows you to avoid the usual drawbacks of other diets and the usual obstacles and difficulties that can arise - like feeling super hungry, binge-eating, distracting cravings, and feeling deprived. When you feel hungry and do not nourish your body in the second half of your cycle, you throw your hormones off-balance and create erratic blood sugar levels. Most diets don’t supply your body and brain enough of the micronutrients that they need to create balanced appetite control-neurotransmitters and balanced metabolism-boosting hormone levels. The FLO Living protocol supports appetite control and boosts your metabolism, because it increases essential micronutrients and balances your hormones.Cycle Syncing your diet means eating different foods in different phases of your menstrual cycle - your menstrual phase, follicular phase, ovulatory phase, and luteal or pre-menstrual phase - as well as cooking foods in different ways (roasting, baking, sauteing, raw) according to those hormone patterns.

How to start Cycle Syncing your diet

If you’re interested in Cycle-Syncing your diet here’s how to get started:

1. Know where you are in your cycle - if you have irregular cycles due to PCOS it can be hard to know exactly where you’re at in your cycle one week to the next. But, even if you currently haven’t had a period for months, you can still start Cycle Syncing by starting with the foods I recommend for the follicular phase and following the moon phases.
2. Start by focusing on a few of the foods I recommend for each cycle phase and build from there, adding in more and more foods as you get used to this way of eating and planning meals. You don’t need to do everything all at once, it may take a few months to get into the habit of Cycle Syncing your eating. All of the foods I recommend are outlined in my book “WomanCode” in an easy-to-understand chart. They are broken down into food types like vegetables, protein, and grains, with plenty of possible variety.
3. Get to grips with stocking your fridge weekly with the foods you need for each upcoming cycle phase. Cooking by the FLO Living protocol is not complicated. I personally keep it super simple and cook on just two days per week, parsing out the ingredients for different meals on the other days.
4. Once you have begun Cycle Syncing your diet, you can start Cycle Syncing other elements of your life to increase your success with weight loss - especially how you work out from one cycle phase to another. Women need to eat and exercise differently in pre-menstrual phase. Over-exercising during the premenstrual phase can actually prevent you from losing weight.

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, do you have irregular cycles? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good period karma and share this article on social ;)

Is Your Period Healthy?

How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign - your period. The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future. Click here to take The V-SIGN TYPE™ Quiz NOW

If you’re planning to get pregnant in the near future or even just in a few years time, it’s helpful to know your current fertility status. Many of most common reasons women have trouble conceiving are reversible, treatable health issues. Spotting the signs early that you might be dealing with infertility issues will help you to conceive when you want to and avoid some of the stress that can come when it isn’t happening how you expected it to. Our bodies give us signals that we might come up against problems when we want to get pregnant. Knowing what these signals and signs are puts you on the path to resolving the problem and boosting your fertility. Start early on the process of treating and resolving an infertility sign and you can then feel more confident that when you want to have a baby, you’ll have a much higher chance of success.

I always advise that women take at least a year to prepare themselves and their bodies for conception and pregnancy. If you have a hormonal imbalance like irregular periods or PCOS that you know could be an obstacle to pregnancy, then this prep time is essential. I have a protocol created for women looking to conceive for this very reason - it’s a holistic protocol that ensures you’re feeding your body what it needs for ovulation and healthy fertility, to sustain a pregnancy, as well as getting you in the right mindset to create a new life.

But if you’re reading this right now and thinking, “I haven’t tried to get pregnant yet, but I’m worried I could be infertile” then believe me, I get you. Women spend years trying to avoid getting pregnant, but we also worry that we won’t be able to get pregnant and have children when that time does come. It can be a real source of anxiety and worry. Knowing the early signs of infertility issues is key to allaying these fears. These signs are not life-sentences, they can be turned around and you can return to healthy fertility and have no fertility issues. It’s just the first step to  knowing exactly what you’re dealing with.

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The 5 early warning signs of infertility

1. Early warning sign: Brown spotting before your period starts - your period is a fantastic indicator of your fertility status. Its color, consistency, length and the spacing between your periods can help you to understand many underlying health issues. If you have brown spotting in the days before your period really starts, this can indicate low progesterone levels. Low progesterone levels can be a risk factor for infertility and miscarriages. You may be able to get pregnant, but have trouble sustaining a pregnancy.

‍FLO-fix: B6 supplementation and eating a lot of B6-rich foods is a very well-researched way to increase your progesterone levels.

2. Early warning sign: Irregular cycles - again, your period is a great indicator of your fertility status. If you have irregular cycles, then you may not be ovulating and are probably experiencing cycles when you don’t ovulate at all. This is vital information - to get pregnant you need to ovulate, and you need to have sex during that fertile window of your cycle. If every other cycle is an anovulatory one, this can be a real infertility issue. Just because you have a period, it does not mean you are ovulating.

‍FLO-fix: Learn how to track your ovulation signs so you can really get to the bottom of if and when you are ovulating. The two most common causes of irregular cycles (without a PCOS diagnosis) are sugar and stress. If you have irregular cycles as part of a PCOS diagnosis, the FLO Living protocol is going to help you manage this issue. I’m a PCOS sufferer myself and Cycle Syncing® my diet allowed me to conceive my daughter at 37 years-old, on my third try.

3. Early warning sign: Chronic yeast infections, Bacterial Vaginosis, undiagnosed Chlamydia - it’s always a good idea, prior to conceiving, to get a full check up on STDs and STIs to make sure you do not have undiagnosed, symptomless chlamydia or anything else. The low-level inflammation caused by Bacterial Vaginosis is linked to the prevention of fertilization of the egg, spontaneous miscarriage, and a higher risk of preterm birth. Chronic yeast infections and urinary tract infections suggest your vaginal and gut microbiome is off-balance, which can trigger more inflammatory response.

‍FLO-fix: Aside from a full STD check up with your doctor, I recommend natural treatment protocols for yeast infections and urinary tract infections, no antibiotics. You can also reverse Bacterial Vaginosis with supplements and the support of the FLO Living protocol.

4. Early warning sign: Poor gut health - by this I mean Irritable Bowel Syndrome, gut dysbiosis, frequent bloating and discomfort, and leaky gut syndrome. Your gut health is of vital importance to your fertility. If you have any of these issues right now then you will likely have problems conceiving. The health of your estrobolome (which is part of your gut health/microbiome) is key to your hormonal balance. A poorly functioning estrobolome can cause estrogen dominance that will set off the “stress axis” in your body and cause infertility at an early age.

‍FLO-fix: I recommend cutting some foods completely out of your diet - including “the white stuff” - aka sugar, dairy, and gluten. You need to eat fermented foods daily and take a really good quality probiotic.

5. Early warning sign: Premature aging - are you in your 30s and experiencing premature signs of biological aging like vaginal dryness, sagging skin, brittle nails, hair loss? These can be indicators that you will struggle to get pregnant. When we age too quickly, it's because we are not supporting our body’s production of healthy hormone levels. This can set us up for infertility at an earlier point than we expect. It can also be an indicator that egg quality may be suffering. You can enter perimenopause and have the process speed up in your mid-thirties, leaving you less time in which to choose to conceive. This is especially important when many of us are delaying getting pregnant until our mid to late 30s.

‍FLO-fix: Get your hormones tested so you can see the data on what you might be dealing with. Start taking my 5 favorite anti-aging supplements. Then feed your body the nutrients it needs to continue making a good supply of hormones well into your late 30s, delaying these symptoms of premature aging.

The FLO Living protocol includes a gluten-free diet plan, and I personally have been gluten-free for many years. If you have irregular periods, PCOS, acne, mood swings, bloating, infertility issues, then you will benefit from going gluten-free. This does not mean you have Celiac disease - it is far more likely that you have a common gluten sensitivity. Gluten is not good for your hormonal health, which is why I recommend removing it from your diet when you follow the FLO Living protocol. From my experience, women who commit to this overcome their health issues much quicker and with more success.

How gluten affects your hormones and your health

From a hormonal standpoint, a gluten sensitivity means that gluten causes inflammation in your intestines. That inflammation causes cell connections in the lining of the gut to break down. These tiny gaps allow microscopic food particles to pass through into the bloodstream undigested.The body reacts to this with an immune response. This increases inflammatory markers in your system as a whole. That inflammation signals to the adrenals that there is now an increased element of internal stress. Over time, that creates an increase in cortisol secretion and disrupts thyroid hormones, insulin secretion, and ovulation. This is when the hormonal dysregulation happens and symptoms from increased PMS to infertility can present.

Gluten vs. Glyphosate - why you should avoid gluten

Even if you don’t think gluten has an affect on you - perhaps you’ve gone through an elimination trial or observed your body’s response - you need to consider the impact of glyphosate. Wheat is sprayed with glyphosate-based pesticides (or RoundUp) here in the US (and some of Europe where there is a movement to ban this pesticide, with some countries already implementing the ban). Exposure to pesticides in wheat, in addition to the gluten, elevates estrogen levels and can worsen pre-existing hormonal conditions or create new ones. This pesticide(like all pesticides) is xenoestrogenic (meaning it contains synthetic estrogens). It will disrupt your hormones and cause hormonal health issues like irregular cycles, PCOS, and infertility. Stephanie Seneff, a senior research scientist at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, has evidence to show that Americans have been shown to have 10 times this chemical in their urine as Europeans.

How to give up gluten

If the idea of giving up gluten is horrifying to you then, take it from someone who’s been gluten-free before it was “cool” - it’s a great time to go gluten-free! These days you have so many options - I love that my local Le Pain Quotidien serves amazing gluten-free loaves and that Food for Life makes tasty black rice-based gluten-free bread. That said, I prefer not to rely on gluten-free packaged foods (which can come along with lots of unwanted, unhealthy additives) and stick to good quality gluten-free bread plus whole grains. Here’s how I make gluten-free work for me:

• I keep a good loaf of gluten-free bread on hand for tartines for breakfast (this is how I get over my sandwich-envy, really the only thing I miss).
• If I do eat a bite of gluten - which is very rarely - or if my husband insists on having it occasionally for himself, we only choose organic sourdough bread. The fermentation process makes the grains more digestible and less reactive in your intestine. The organic flour ensures it is pesticide free.
• I eat wholegrains every day, Cycle Synced to the FLO Living protocol (brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, oats, millet). This combats those carb-cravings. I also eat lots of sweet potatoes, carrots, and lentils.
• I soak all my grains overnight in apple cider vinegar to break down the phytic acid they contain, which can block nutrient absorption. This makes the micronutritients more bioavailable.
• I use coconut flour to make all my baked goods - pancakes, brownies, banana bread - so I don’t miss out on the desserts and treats I love, but also so I can fill myself with gut soothing lauric acid from the coconut flour and oil.
• If I find eating gluten is unavoidable for some reason (a restaurant meal, or a friend’s dinner party, or you eat it by mistake) then be sure to make yourself my gut-healing smoothie recipe to have every day for a few days after. Take a teaspoon of mangosteen powder, the same of chlorella, the same of spirulina, a tablespoon of flax, ¼ tsp each of ginger and turmeric, a handful of blueberries and some banana, and a splash of almond milk, 1 tsp coconut oil and whizz up in your smoothie maker. This will offset the impact of the gluten on your gut health and help your liver to process the glyphosate.

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

Good things come in threes:

I want to hear from you!First, do you think you’re gluten sensitive? Second, do you have infertility issues? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good period karma and share this article on social ;)

Is Your Period Healthy?

How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign - your period. The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future. Click here to take The V-SIGN TYPE™ Quiz NOW

Coffee is toxic for women with hormonal issues. We live in a culture that not only encourages coffee consumption, but celebrates it, with a whole industry built around emphasizing the necessity and purpose of coffee as something like a lifestyle choice for women (ever seen those “but first coffee” tees, mugs, and memes, for a start?), so this might come as a shock. The information we receive about the healthiness of coffee is confused by the fact that the majority of scientific research focuses entirely on men alone. Men can drink coffee, that’s true. But, women should avoid caffeine entirely. We are not biological compatible with caffeine and caffeine is a root cause of many common women’s health problems. However, coffee addiction is real. As someone who used to love coffee - the morning ritual, the taste, everything - I know it’s not as simple as turning off a switch to stop drinking coffee. There’s the psychological dependence, and then there’s the physical dependence that makes caffeine addiction a situation that requires a detox strategy.

Why coffee is bad for women

If you’re skeptical about my assertion that coffee is toxic for women, let me give you a quick rundown of the reasons here. I have written more extensively about this in a previous post.

• Coffee promotes the creation of cysts in the breasts and ovaries
• Coffee, like alcohol, stays in a woman’s system for longer
• 1 cup of coffee disrupts your hormones for 24 hours
• Coffee depletes your body of essential nutrients and minerals
• Coffee is acidic and this negatively impacts your gut health
• 3 cups a day increases infertility rates in men and women!

So, coffee, it’s just not worth it I’m afraid when you are already struggling to regain your optimal endocrine function. We women need to start a backlash against coffee to regain our hormonal health and vitality.

How to detox from coffee

Here’s how to detox from coffee without getting any withdrawal symptoms and without feeling you’re losing out on energy reserves. If you follow these steps you won’t find you feel bad coming off caffeine and you will feel much less inclined to go back to it.

1. Decide to detox at the right time in your hormone cycle - and that’s your ovulation phase when you have the most natural energy reserves and feel buoyant.
2. Nourish your adrenals with adaptogens that help combat stress like rhodiola, ashwagandha and maca root powder. I like maca root powder from The Maca Team. Jarrow’s Adrenal Optimizer is also a good option for a range of adaptogens in one supplement.
3. Use magnesium to replenish your mineral reserves, balance your mood, and combat any headaches you might experience. I recommend Epsom salt baths or topical magnesium.
4. As well as your usual B-complex, take added B5 and B12.
5. Rehydrate with coconut water that is rich in electrolytes.
6. DO gentle exercise like walks and yoga, but avoid heavy cardio in the week or two after stopping coffee.
7. Eat a really good, big breakfast every morning, which will give you fuel for the whole day.

The best alternatives to coffee

So now you’re off the coffee, what can you drink instead? At home in the morning to replace that great taste, and also when you’re out meeting friends, and all those other times when everyone else seems to have a coffee cup in hand.

• Kukicha or “twig” tea doesn’t taste like most herbal teas and in fact has a very similar taste to coffee that’s kind of nutty.
• Maca root powder in warm non-dairy milk with a little raw honey as a sweetener - it tastes coffee-like and helps with your detox
• A herbal tea with dandelion root
• Burdock root tea

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 coffee addiction? Second, do you have low energy? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Is Your Period Healthy?

How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign - your period. The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future. Click here to take The V-SIGN TYPE™ Quiz NOW

Maca root is an adaptogen, which means it can help your body to “adapt” to stress. Maca can also help balance hormones, as it supports your endocrine system. One of the key benefits of maca is its ability to boost fertility or support infertility problems. Natives of the Andes mountains (where maca is grown) have long used maca as a fertility aid. Now maca is a well-known superfood worldwide. We’re hearing a lot more about how it can help women who are having trouble conceiving. There are a few ways in which maca can boost fertility and there are also particular times in a woman’s life when she will most need maca as a supplement.

How maca treats infertility

1. Maca increases sex drive and can be used as a natural aphrodisiac for men and women. It does this by boosting testosterone levels and supporting healthy ovulation.
2. Maca gives you energy - and we all know that any journey to conceive requires a whole lot of energy! Coffee can cause fertility problems, so maca provides an alternative source of long-lasting energy. Maca stabilizes blood sugar levels and supports your adrenals.
3. Maca is very rich in many of the vitamins and minerals you need to conceive. This nutritional profile contains amino acids, fatty acids, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, iron and phytonutrients. While you also need to eat an overall nutritionally-dense diet, maca is a great way of increasing your intake of essential fuel for ovulation and conception. It’s a one-stop shop for so much that your body needs.
4. Maca is shown to increase sperm production, motility and volume, as well as prevent erectile dysfunction.

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The best time to use maca‍

The best time to use maca is when your body is not producing the hormone levels it should. Anyone who is experiencing infertility issues can use maca, but these times in a woman’s life are when her body may need the most support.

• If you've recently come off the birth control pill or other hormonal birth control
• If you're over 35
• When you’re planning your second child (maca should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women - but if you have had a baby and are experiencing secondary infertility, maca is a good choice)

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Important to note: You should NOT take maca if you have an allergy to iodine, Hashimoto’s, or experience thyroid nodules or growths, as it contains significant amounts of iodine.  You should also be cautious with maca if you are androgen sensitive, in the case of some expressions of PCOS.

Of course, using maca alone without also eating a nutritionally-dense diet and avoiding fertility-harming dairy, gluten, alcohol, coffee and sugar will not have much of an impact on your body. You need to view maca as a great supplement that heightens the impact of a wider fertility-boosting diet.

Here at FLO Living I have a specific protocol for women trying to conceive and I have previously shared some of my fertility-specific advice on the blog. Maca is not a miracle cure (I’m afraid, nothing is!), but it can help you with infertility. It just won’t do this if everything else in your diet and lifestyle is working against your goal.

Just check out FLO grad Diane’s story to experience why you need more than maca to conceive.

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The right kind of maca to use

If you’re experiencing infertility issues, try taking maca with your partner! Women should look to take “red” maca and men should be taking “black” maca. You want to select a brand of maca that contains the level of glucosinolates you require to get the beneficial effects on your fertility. Watch out for the many other products that will come on the market as maca becomes more popular, not all of them will be good quality. Quality is key.

I wanted to take a minute to say thank you to you! Thank you for reading the FLO blog, for participating in the discussions, and sharing our articles and information with your friends. I hope you find information that has helped to change your health and your life. There is more and more research mounting that supports the fundamental tenants of the FLO lifestyle. As well as the mounting scientific studies that back up the FLO protocol as the right method for preventing and treating PCOS, PMS, infertility, fibroids, and other hormone-centric health issues. But this is not news and we’ve been breaking this news to you for years.I’m also proud to have been able to bring you groundbreaking research in the fields of nutrition and functional medicine, often long before that information has hit the headlines in the mainstream. As a graduate of John Hopkins University and a health advocate for many women, I see it as my privilege to keep on top of the latest game-changing investigations and studies and bring them to you. And I am always very happy when I see research that we’ve shared with you eventually become viral stories from the New York Times. It is my pleasure to make sure FLO Living followers are kept not just up-to-date, but ahead of the curve when it comes to what’s happening in women’s health because I want you to be healthy. I want you to enjoy feeling good all month long which is how your body is designed to function. Knowing what to avoid when making choices is just as important as knowing what to eat to balance your hormones and avoid major health risks.I wanted to put together a must-know list of findings from the most major groundbreaking research that we at FLO Living have shared regarding women’s health.

1. Menstruation is now a 5th Vital Sign of Health - In December 2015 ACOG announced its recommendation that menstruation be viewed as the 5th vital sign (alongside blood pressure et al.) and be charted and tracked for information on a woman’s health. Back in 2013 I went on the Dr. Oz show to tell the nation to look at their period’s color, consistency, and flow in order to find out more about their hormonal health, fertility and the health of their cycles. I have long advocated an active and observant relationship with the female cycle as an entry point to treating many health issues from PMS to PCOS. I recently developed the V-Sign Quiz, which provides immediate health advice and information based on easily observable indicators provided by your period.
2. Sugar is Killing You - Just this month, September 2016, we’ve seen mainstream acceptance of knowledge I have worked with for many years - that good fats are healthy and an important part of any diet, and sugars are the real cause of weight gain and health problems. The FLO living protocol contains a lot of good fats from nuts, seeds, avocados, coconut oil and fish oil, but I recommend zero sugar, including most sweeteners aside from a small amount of coconut nectar or honey or a date or two!
3. Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Products Disrupts Hormones - This year has seen an explosion of media coverage on toxic chemicals in everyday products like nail varnish, furniture, household cleaners, cosmetics and their harmfulness has consistently been connected back to hormonal disruption. In my book WomanCode, which came out in Spring 2014 I encouraged women to cleanse their bathroom cabinets and cleaning closets of non-natural products in order to gain hormonal balance and good health. I’ve written about it on my blog many times too in the last few years.
4. Tampon Chemicals Increase Health Issues - Chemicals in tampons and pads are increasingly being scrutinized for their health risks. I have discussed the potential for regular tampons to cause problems with your vaginal and hormonal health.More and more women are choosing either menstrual cups, organic, 100% cotton pads and tampons,  or period panties, over regular femcare products with increased focus in the media on the potentially harmful chemicals in those dominant brands. I wrote a post on my Diva cup back in 2012 and it’s great to see such widespread and vocal period-centric campaigns get answers in the form of innovation and education.
5. Low Fiber Intake Increases Cancer Risk - Early in 2016 a new study revealing a diet high in fiber could combat the risk of breast cancer was widely reported. One of the pillars of the FLO Living protocol is increasing the healthy function of the liver via fiber intake, in order to help the body process excess estrogen that can build up if not eliminated (due on the xenoestrogens in so many products). Excess estrogen is a root cause of reproductive cancers in women.
6. Metformin Increases Dementia Risk    - The research is piling up that connects use of the common PCOS medication Metformin and cognitive decline (a precursor to dementia). I have long advocated for the exhaustion of all natural treatments for PCOS for women, prior to choosing to try this medication. PCOS is often very treatable without turning to drugs. And I always encourage those who do choose to use this medication to plan on taking it short term only, to be sure to avoid these side effects.
7. Triclosan is Dangerous for Fertility - The FDA recently banned the use of chemical triclosan (commonly found in antibacterial soaps but also toothpaste). This story went viral with many shocked by the decision. I personally was not shocked, in fact, I have been talking about the dangers of triclosan for many, many years and have flagged up it’s endocrine disruptive properties and the link to increasing infertility rates. But be careful, they just said it would still be ok to use it in toothpaste, but you are in the FLO community, so you will be better prepared to shop safely.

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 surprised by any of this research mentioned here? Second, have you used Metformin? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good period karma and share this article on social ;)

Is Your Period Healthy?

How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign - your period. The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future. Click here to take The V-SIGN TYPE™ Quiz NOW

I used to deal with both depression and anxiety as a symptom of hormonal imbalance rooted in my PCOS. Cycle Syncing my diet and my lifestyle and getting in touch with the rhythms of my hormones was groundbreaking when it came to my emotional health and well-being. Not only did paying attention to my hormonal cycle help me to understand why I was experiencing anxiety, it also helped me to learn how to prevent my anxiety from continuing.

Choosing natural remedies like anxiety-fighting foods and supplements was a big part of this process, but Cycle Syncing was the foundation. It’s a practice I come back to again and again to recalibrate my emotions, refine my self-care, and listen to the feedback my body gives me every day.

As I have said in a previous post on anxiety women are 60% more likely to experience anxiety than men. There are obviously many possible real-life reasons for this, however there’s also a biological core - our hormone cycles. This is why women can experience different kinds of anxiety at different times during their menstrual cycle, triggered and perpetuated by hormonal imbalances.

As we’ve already looked at supplements to prevent anxiety and lifestyle hacks for treating anxiety, in this new post I want to focus on how your anxiety fits into your cycle and what that can tell you about what’s going on with your body and what it needs to stop you feeling anxious.

The 2 kinds of hormonal anxiety

Once you begin to Cycle Sync your life you will be able to know where you are in your hormonal cycle week to week. The follicular phase (the week after your period ends will feel different to the ovulation phase or the luteal phase (your premenstrual week) or the menstruation phase. Higher awareness and attention will give you the opportunity to understand your anxiety issues more deeply and from there know how it needs to be treated and prevented. To discuss anxiety I separate the cycle into 2 parts - the first half and the second half. The first half would include the follicular and ovulatory phases; the second half would include the luteal and menstruation phases. It is uncommon to experience anxiety during ovulation (if and as long as you’re ovulating) or during menstruation (which usually provides relief from negative emotions). Hence, here I refer to the follicular and luteal phases only.

‍Follicular phase anxiety - if you experience anxiety during your follicular phase, that is the week after your period has come to an end, then you are experiencing low estrogen levels or estrogen deficiency.

‍Natural remedy - Pomegranate seed extract is a great source of phytoestrogens that will help increase your natural levels of estrogen. I do not like to recommend well-known phytoestrogens like soy, because of the potential harmful effects caused by their processing. However pomegranate seeds are a great alternative to boost overall estrogen levels.

‍Luteal phase anxiety - if you experience anxiety mostly during your luteal phase, this is the week before your period, then you have low levels of progesterone or a progesterone deficiency. Anxiety may be part of what you see as PMS or premenstrual symptoms, along with other issues like depression or acne.

‍Natural remedy - B6 will help to increase your progesterone levels. B6 is vital for your body to create the corpus luteum that makes and releases all of your progesterone. There are B6 supplements, and I encourage all women to take a B vitamin complex daily, however you can also increase the amount of B6-rich foods that you eat, like wild-caught tuna fish, bananas, grass-fed beef, chicken, spinach, sweet potato, garlic and salmon.Throughout your cycle focus on increasing good fats and proteins in your diet - these will help your body to stabilize your hormones and keep your brain chemistry balanced. Gut health can be a root cause of many mental health problems, so it’s important to support the microbiota that manufacture happy hormones like serotonin and dopamine by eating fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and pickles every day. Without a foundation of Cycle Syncing your eating, sourcing from a protocol of proteins and fats and hormone-balancing ingredients, your anxiety will struggle to respond to any one kind of natural remedy. But adding these super-effective natural remedies into your routine, layered on top of a holistic and hormonally-supportive diet, will do wonders for your well-being.

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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

The secret to increasing your metabolism is helping your hormones to help you! It’s perfectly possible to naturally boost your own metabolism with the right foods, supplements and lifestyle hacks. There’s no need to turn to pills or potions - in fact, long term, these will only do damage to your ability to lose weight and keep it off. Your need to be in hormonal balance and not have a hormone deficit to allow your metabolism to be speedy - it needs fuel, but the right kind of fuel! Doing the kinds of things we have come to assume will help us to lose weight - like eating very little and exercising a whole lot - actually works against the female fat-burning system. It’s why when you and your partner go on a diet together, doing the same things, your partner always seems to drop the pounds like crazy and you’re left with depressingly little to show for your efforts! You need to stabilize your blood sugar and calm your adrenals to rev your metabolism, and the path to this for women is hormonal harmony.The FLO Living protocol has a built-in appetite control system that prevents you from ever feeling hungry enough to binge or crave unhealthy foods. It provides the nutrients your body needs to have a speedy metabolism. Of course, weight loss here at FLO Living is never our end goal, it’s only one part of how hormonal imbalance can support your health and well-being. Eating and living in a way that increases your metabolism, has the amazing side effects of making you feel great and managing any cycle-related issues you may have - from PCOS to PMS.

4 ways to increase your metabolism naturally

These are my favorite core ways to increase your metabolism that are easy and simple to incorporate into your life today and every day. This combination of food focus, supplements, and lifestyle fixes will increase your metabolism naturally and for the long term.

• The best metabolism-boosting supplement:  Iodine

Your thyroid is what gives your metabolism its fire. Love and care for your thyroid and it will work wonders for you. Take Gaia Thyroid Support daily. It is a seaweed-based iodine source that supports whole thyroid function (don’t use this if you have an iodine allergy or have Hashimoto’s). Many of us are actually iodine deficient, mainly because we are using additive-free salt and the most common hormonal imbalances (as well as leaky gut issues, SIBO, and pregnancy) can all impair thyroid function. The ovaries contain a lot of iodine in themselves and they need it to function healthily and bring about ovulation. Anovulation can cause many hormonal symptoms, including weight gain. Seaweed is an excellent source of iodine. Underactive thyroid conditions are very common for women and often go undiagnosed, despite really difficult symptoms.

• The best metabolism-boosting food: Greens

Estrogen dominance can cause your body to store more fat. This is when your estrogen levels are high and your progesterone levels comparatively low - you have, essentially, a hormonal imbalance, and one of the most common kinds. Eating more cruciferous vegetables like kale, collard greens, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts will raise your level of DIM (Di-Indolyl-Methane), which is the perfect estrogen dominance regulator. Try to have a small serving with every meal - I like to saute greens in coconut oil and have as a side to my breakfast, lunch and dinner.

• The best metabolism-boosting fat: Coconut Oil

Good fats are your friend. Fat sources that contain MCT’s – medium chain triglycerides - are necessary fuel for your metabolism. They heal the underlying hormonal issues that slow your metabolism down and make it sluggish. I call coconut oil my secret weight loss weapon. Just 1 tablespoon a day keeps me slim. It is thyroid supportive, essential for the transportation and processing of your hormones, and heals gut inflammation and leaky gut issues. A 2002 study published in the Journal of Nutrition revealed that coconut oil can increase energy, help with weight control and keep you feeling fuller and more satisfied for longer.

• The best metabolism-boosting lifestyle hack: Flush Cortisol

De-stress! Stress suppresses your metabolism function. Feeling stressed, and getting little sleep as a result, increases the hunger hormone ghrelin and decreased levels of satiety hormone leptin. Getting up and moving, even if just for a quick dance break between work projects, will lower your cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and help to prevent adrenal burnout. Prioritize a good night’s sleep with a sleep routine of the kind you’d establish for your own child - read a book, turn off all screens, take a calming bath with epsom salts and truly rest. You have to take small actions throughout the day, every day, to flush out excess cortisol - moving, sleeping, and orgasms are the best methods for this. If it gives you pleasure, it’s good for your stress levels. 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 no sex drive? Second, do you have other hormonal symptoms? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Is Your Period Healthy?

How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign - your period. The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future. Click here to take The V-SIGN TYPE™ Quiz NOW

Magnesium is critically necessary to treat all hormonal imbalance issues - including PMS, PCOS, thyroid conditions, perimenopause, anxiety, and adrenal fatigue. It is the one sure-fire supplemenst we always recommend. In our experience, there is not one woman we have met who has not needed a boost to her magnesium levels.

Magnesium is magic for your hormones. It is a foundational support to all hormone functions in the body - without it you will not produce hormones at levels you need, and ovulation will become irregular. If you’ve just arrived at this website and you know you have a hormonal imbalance (even if you don’t yet know), and you want someplace to start, start with magnesium!

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How to know if you are magnesium deficient ‍

Our bodies literally get rid of magnesium when we are stressed because magnesium is a stress-preventer (evolutionarily, this makes sense - in generations past, if you were stressed it was usually because of an immediate threat to your life. Your body doesn’t want you to feel relaxed in those moments, so it gets rid of this chilled-out, sleep-aiding mineral).

The reality is that we are all too stressed, too much of the time these days. With busy schedules, nonstop demands, as well as both perceived and real concerns coming at us, we live in a state of chronic stress. If you lead a pretty regular life - that is, you work, you juggle jobs, you worry about your finances, you worry about your kids, and you have trouble sleeping - then you do not have enough magnesium, plain and simple. There are other reasons you’re likely magnesium deficient - aside from stress - including your intake of sugar (sugar requires magnesium to be processed in the body, so every time you eat sugar, your body is wasting magnesium), and how much coffee you drink (studies have shown that caffeinated drinks force your body to excrete magnesium).

Basically a lot of the things many of us do every single day - get stressed out, drink coffee, eat sugar, stress some more, sleep little - cause us to have a deficiency in magnesium.

The benefits of magnesium

These are some of the ways in which magnesium is vital for your hormonal balance and overall health, and why it is critical to supplement when dealing with PMS, PCOS, adrenal fatigue, anxiety, a thyroid disorder, perimenopause symptoms, and really any issue relating to your hormone cycle.

1. Cortisol regulation – magnesium calms your nervous system and prevents the creation of excess cortisol, the stress hormone. When your stress hormonal system is in balance, your levels of progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, FSH and LH will be too.
2. Blood sugar balance – magnesium helps to control insulin production and reduces sugar cravings, and as such, prevents blood sugar spikes. This is vital when it comes to healing hormonal issues like PCOS.
3. Thyroid support – magnesium helps the production of the thyroid hormone and, as an anti-inflammatory, prevents thyroid disease.
4. Sleep aid – magnesium will make sure you get to sleep and stay asleep through the night. It also prevents chronic urination, which can be a sleep interruptor.
5. Hormone creation – magnesium actually makes your hormones progesterone, estrogen and testosterone, so if you’re getting into perimenopause or are just coming off the Pill and your levels are low, it’s a great help to your body.

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How to boost your magnesium levels

There are many foods that contain magnesium, including good quality dark chocolate and sunflower seeds (which is why I have a bit of both every single day), but I do suggest supplementing with a more direct approach to make sure you’re getting the levels of magnesium you need. You can do this by using either:

• Epsom salts - add two cups of epsom salts to a bath a couple of times a week and you will receive sufficient magnesium (and a nice relaxing bath, preventing magnesium-zapping stress!).
• Topical oil - I recommend Ancient Minerals that you apply directly to your skin. Applying magnesium to the skin helps with absorption as you avoid the gut, which can compromise absorption if your gut health isn’t great.

Now I’m in my late 30s, the topic of sex drive post-35 is my lived experience! I know that once we women reach our mid-30s, our careers are often in full swing, we might be juggling one or two young children, we’re maybe renovating our dream home, or trying to tackle an additional passion project outside of work - all in all, we are busy and we are tired! It’s no surprise we’re lacking in energy. The thing is - none of these factors that are making us busy and tired are going anywhere, they’re all here to stay, and will possibly even amplify and grow and intensify in our 30s and 40’s. And we don’t want any of these factors to go away - this is living life to the fullest - it’s just a shame our sex drive seems to slip out of the picture so easily. So, when it comes to your sex drive after 35, what’s a woman to do? How can you turn the clock back to make sure you’re still having a healthy sex life? I’m going to super simplify this right down - I know you’re pressed for time. If you follow my suggestions you should have your juicy sex drive back.

How your sex drive changes after 35

It’s important to note that the nature of your sexual desire, from a biological standpoint, once you’re 35 and up shifts and changes.

• Before 35 your desire is driven primarily by the biological impetus to reproduce. You should be experiencing libido peaks around ovulation, when your body is tipping you to have sex at the optimal time to get pregnant. The desire should feel physical, and unavoidable. Testosterone and estrogen peaks around ovulation to create the ultimate love potion.
• After 35, your body is not as strongly driven in this direction. Instead of your body keying you to want sex, you may find you need to key your body to want sex and that kind of desire comes from your relationship with your partner and creating a sexy situation for your desire to grow. Your need to set the scene will take precedent, as will the need for foreplay. If your hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone) are in balance then you will still have that physically-sourced desire, but if those hormones are out of balance, this can lead to a steep drop in your sex drive.

There are two ways you can keep your desire at a healthy level, regardless of how that desire changes. Your sex drive should still be present and accessible to you after 35, and you should feel interested in and open to the possibility. The way to keep that interest alive is to give your body what it needs to boost the hormones that power your libido. It’s also about making sure you have the energy. If you’re just plain tired all of the time and have no energy then it won’t matter to you how much you feel you are interested - you’d rather be in the bath with a good book or asleep than having sex.

How to boost your sex drive after 35

There are two focus points for keeping your energy levels up and maintaining a healthy sex drive after 35. By honing in on these elements each day with the right foods, supplements and routines, you will really help yourself to have a great sex life far beyond 35.

1. Stabilize your blood sugar - keeping your blood sugar stable throughout the day will keep your energy up into the evening and prevent that 7pm couch crash. Eat every two hours, avoid sugars and most sugar substitutes, and detox from coffee and try a maca root-infused smoothie instead. Imagine your blood sugar level as a calm horizon line - you want to avoid as many waves and spikes in that line as possible. Waves and spikes mean dips and crashes and these pummel your energy levels, leaving you falling asleep 20 minutes into that romantic comedy you really wanted to watch for date night. Stable insulin levels also lead to balanced cortisol and DHEA ratios that increase testosterone production, and make you feel sexier.
2. Prioritize good sleep - I can’t say it enough, you need good sleep, and especially when you have so much to handle (what’s that old adage? If you have time to meditate - meditate for 10 minutes. If you have no time to meditate - meditate for an hour). The only way you can be at your optimal best, for your family, your friends, and your boss, is if you are well-rested. Follow my tried-and-tested sleep hygiene protocol. As someone who’s mom to a 2 year-old and living in the middle of Manhattan (the city that never sleeps!) - believe me, my advice on this really works! Good sleep improves your insulin response (see my point above re: blood sugar!), keeps your cortisol levels in check, and stimulates your body to produce good levels of testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. The better your levels of these hormones, the more you will experience your natural libido.

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 low sex drive? Second, do you think you might be in perimenopause? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good period karma and share this article on social ;)

Is Your Period Healthy?

How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign - your period. The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future. Click here to take The V-SIGN TYPE™ Quiz NOW

The question I hear most often from women is, “What is the best diet for my PCOS?” It’s usually followed up with a run through of all the popular diets, “Is Paleo the best diet for PCOS? How about Low Carb? How about Macrobiotic? Vegan? Weight Watchers? Raw?” The great news is that when you’re looking for the best diet for your PCOS, usually you’ve already come to realize that you need to treat the root cause of this health issue with the right foods. That realization, in itself, is a huge step. Perhaps you’ve tried Metformin and it just didn’t work for you, or you only ever wanted to use this medication short-term. Now, every body is different, and your PCOS may be different from your sister’s PCOS or your friend’s PCOS, but there are certain guidelines, diet-wise, that all women will benefit from following. I have helped many, many women with all kinds of PCOS (different symptoms, different life stages, different experiences) to manage their symptoms long term and feel better within weeks with the FLO Living diet. But first, let’s look at these guidelines and what the best diet for PCOS must include if it’s going to work. Here are some of the problems with popular diets if you have PCOS:

• Eating too much animal protein (I’m looking at you Paleo, Atkins!) can prevent ovulation. It increases the amount of estrogen in the body, creating hormonal imbalance. A Harvard School of Public Health study showed women who eat more animal protein than plant protein ovulate less frequently. We need protein, yes, but we actually don’t need all that much - excess consumption of protein actually converts to sugars. It’s hard for the female body to breakdown all that meat, especially when your cycle is at peak estrogen levels already.
• Most women with PCOS struggle on a Low Carb diet (hi, Atkins, Paleo, South Beach, etc!). While it’s important to recognize that there are bad carbs (white bread, pasta, potatoes) and good carbs (whole grains), and while it’s important to avoid gluten on the whole, cutting back carbs can make a PCOS sufferer feel even worse, because it kicks in blood sugar instability. I suggest brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat on a daily basis, and when you get to your pre-menstrual phase you’ll be thankful for the option of sweet potatoes! It can feel easier to stop eating carbs in the first half of your hormone cycle (the follicular phase), but the shift that happens in the second half makes low carb diets unnecessarily punishing.
• A diet that is too reliant on grains for protein and for feeling full and satisfied - like a Vegan or Macrobiotic diet - can create gut dysbiosis and decrease absorption of all the key nutrients that are required for hormonal balance, especially if your grains are not processed properly - ie soaked. If you have PCOS, this will make your symptoms worse. Whole Grains are great, but not in large amounts. Grains can stop you from carb-loading or feeling the craving for bad carbs like white bread and pasta, but you need to be careful for to go crazy with grains either! You only need a half cup serving at one time.
• Any diet that encourages calorie-restriction (Weight Watchers, Raw, etc) will cause spikes and crashes in your blood sugar, making your PCOS symptoms much worse. Processed foods increase inflammation and often contain foods that are toxic for your hormones like pesticide-laden vegetables, dairy, gluten, and non-organic, GMO, processed soy. Many fresh juices contain as much sugar as a glass of Coca Cola and are treated by your body exactly the same way. Whole foods are a much better choice for women with PCOS and any woman who is hormonally-sensitive. The stress that calorie restriction puts on your body provokes an internal inflammatory response. For the most part, these diets can only be followed short term, and then you will be primed to over-eat, even binge, when you have the chance. Many studies have shown calorie-restriction diets simply do not work longterm.

When I first developed the FLO Living protocol I was experimenting on myself. Believe me, I tried all of the diets I’ve mentioned here, first. I found what worked for me and my PCOS - the foods that manage my symptoms of weight gain, acne, and depression. Over the years, I’ve worked with thousands of women with PCOS of different kinds and I’ve honed and refined and perfected my diet protocol to support them all in overcoming their own symptoms to move forward, feeling better. I have followed up with my clients over the years and seen them continue with the FLO Living diet long term without a problem. They’ve carried it through their lives and never feel restricted or deprived or, importantly I think, hungry! These other diets - Paleo, Macrobiotic, Calorie-restriction, Fasting - are not based on your unique female biochemistry, they’re based on research that doesn’t take into account the effects on mood, energy, and appetite throughout the menstrual cycle. Essentially, they were created for men and male biochemistry, male hormone patterns. No wonder they don’t work for women with PCOS!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, which diets have you tried already? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ;)

Is Your Period Healthy?

How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign - your period. The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future. Click here to take The V-SIGN TYPE™ Quiz NOW

I have helped so many women to get pregnant - women that have been told they are infertile, who have been told IVF is their only option, who are in their 40s and think a baby would be more than a miracle for them - simply by advising on how to eat the right foods at the right times to boost fertility and increase the chance of conceiving. I have done this by sharing my fertility recipes, utilizing the foods I know provide the nutrients your body needs to make hormones, process hormones and eliminate excess hormones - leading you to healthy consistent ovulation and strong fertility. I myself conceived at the age of 37, despite being told in my 20s that, because of PCOS, I was unlikely to conceive naturally. The FLO Living protocol I created fixes the hormonal imbalances behind many issues of infertility. When a woman comes to me wanting to get pregnant I get her started on the protocol, and I recommend she adds in specific fertility-boosting superfoods.

A recipe to increase your fertility

I want to share with you here one of the fertility recipes I always pass along to my clients. As you know, I like to keep cooking super simple and easy and this recipe is no different. Without a whole lot of effort, you can make yourself a fertility recipe that works for lunch, a snack, or even as a fancy dinner party appetizer. The endive in this recipe contains a compound that improves cervical health. The kale and bok choy contain calcium and magnesium, which help your body to manufacture and utilize estrogen and progesterone - creating hormonal balance. Turmeric helps improve blood flow to your ovaries. Smoked salmon contains omega 3 fatty acids that help with conception. It’s the perfect recipe for a belly ready to conceive. Of course, you can also eat each ingredient on its own to increase fertility.If you’re interested in more fertility recipes and fertility foods check out my recommended top 3; be sure to make yourself a big breakfast every day; and check out my other essential tips to optimize your fertility.

A fertility recipe for baby-making

Baby Making Bites6 oz smoked salmon2 stalks kale and 1 baby bok choy sliced into ribbons1 bunch endive, leaves separated1 tsp turmeric powder1 T olive oillemon juice (to taste)sea salt (to taste)Toss kale ribbons and bok choy ribbons in a bowl with juice from 1 lemon and sprinkle with 1 tsp turmeric and ½ tsp sea salt. Allow this mixture to sit for a few hours, or even overnight to allow the lemon and salt to soften the greens. Before serving, toss with a drizzle of olive oil.In each leaf of endive, place a scoop of greens and top with a strip of smoked salmon.This is a bite. Good enough to serve at parties even if you are not trying to get pregnant!Show us your photos of you enjoying your baby making bites on Facebook and Twitter and we’ll share the best ones - tag with #babymakingbitesAlways 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, have you tried IVF? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good period karma and share this article on social ;)

Is Your Period Healthy?

How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign - your period. The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future. Click here to take The V-SIGN TYPE™ Quiz NOW

Do you experience sore, tender, painful breasts during your pre-menstrual phase? This is one of the most common PMS symptoms and it can be very uncomfortable. In fact, the creator of the period panties Thinx, Miki Agrawal, recently shared that she too experiences this PMS issue. If the discomfort and pain you experience is cyclical and has become an indicator that your period is coming any day soon, then it is caused by your hormonal shifts (it’s also called cyclical mastalgia). Breast pain and tenderness is usually rooted in excess estrogen or estrogen dominance. A surge of estrogen at a higher level than is healthy produces the swelling and soreness. Inflammation in the body caused by inflammatory foods (like dairy) has a negative impact on your estrogen receptors, making them more sensitive to excess estrogen and increasing the likelihood you’ll experience breast tenderness. The glands in your breast swell before your period (this is why you may have noticed your breasts look bigger when you’re expecting your period) and they trap fluid in the breasts. Breast soreness is basically like menstrual cramps, but in your breasts, instead of your uterus! Breast pain is “normal” in that many women do experience this, however having breast soreness every cycle suggests your body is estrogen dominant. The BioCycle study concluded that women who experience premenstrual symptoms like breast tenderness (and have estrogen excess) are at a higher risk of serious health issues in later life, like heart disease and cancer.The very good news is that these symptoms have natural remedies and treatments that really work, founded in your diet and specific supplements. I have helped many women overcome breast tenderness within just a couple of cycles, along with all other PMS symptoms.

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The best natural remedies for breast tenderness

• Vitamin E - this vitamin is an antioxidant that reduces inflammation in the breast tissue. It also helps your body to release cytokines, which repair the damaged tissues. You can take vitamin E as a daily supplement, but you can also increase the number of vitamin E-rich foods in your diet, including almonds, sunflower seeds, spinach, chard, kale, avocado, mango, and kiwis.
• Evening Primrose Oil - this essential fatty acid acts as an anti-inflammatory aid by preventing the release of prostaglandins, which cause breast pain and menstrual cramps. Pick a good quality supplement to take every day. If you also experience other PMS symptoms you can also choose from my recommended supplements for treating everything from insomina to mood swings.
• Quit coffee - caffeine (from coffee, black tea, green tea) increases cyst formation in the breasts (as well as the ovaries, creating PCOS). It’s also inflammatory, depletes vitamin reserves, and causes hormonal imbalance. I recommend giving up coffee if you want to move past all PMS symptoms from bloating to anxiety.
• Eat to prevent estrogen excess - you can resolve estrogen dominance with your diet choices. My three-point plan for eliminating excess estrogen includes eating more fiber-rich foods, supporting your microbiome health, and loving your liver with detoxifying foods. The FLO Living protocol is shaped to prevent estrogen excess and treat progesterone deficiency.

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

To your FLO,

Alisa

We ladies need protein! It’s funny how protein is most often associated with male health and fitness, when it’s actually essential for female health too. I have created a range of go-to high protein snacks for myself that I keep on hand every day. Protein in our food is used to make the amino acids that then go on to manufacture our hormones. So we need protein to make hormones. We need protein to be hormonally balanced and healthy - avoiding estrogen dominance and progesterone deficiency. I’m a big fan of snacking, as someone with insulin-resistant PCOS I know the importance of keeping my blood sugar levels in check and preventing insulin spikes. Regularly eating, including snacks, is vital for me to feel, and look good, and avoid all the potential symptoms of PCOS from depression to weight gain. Yes, even weight gain. Often when we’re looking to drop some pounds, we stop snacking, and this can have the opposite effect. Nearly every women I work with through FLO Living has blood sugar issues that need addressing. High protein snacks are a super easy, simple way to make sure you’re getting enough protein for your hormones, and for keeping those hormones happy.We all need to use our food to stabilize our blood sugar throughout the day. Doing this will give you boosted energy, even moods, better focus and concentration, improved sleep, and bring down your stress levels! Importantly, eating the right kind of high protein snacks between your meals supports your body in making, processing and eliminating excess hormones - this biological effort and energy that might otherwise be routed to dealing with blood sugar mayhem.

The best high protein snacks

• I recently came up with a fantastic protein smoothie recipe. I love this smoothie for after my workouts. It includes: sacha inchi powder, moringa powder, spirulina, ginger, mangosteen, cinnamon, flax seed, a splash of almond milk, frozen blueberries and a drop of maple syrup or a date for sweetness. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
• Nut-based, raw, vegan desserts are so popular these days and there are some great recipes out there. My favorite is a raw, vegan, lemon tartlet - you can make smaller versions of this recipe for a snack. With desserts, always use the kind of sweetener that won’t spike your blood sugar, like coconut nectar or honey or a tiny amount of maple syrup. You never need as much sweetener as the recipe suggests either, I find.
• My new favorite protein bars are Amrita Health Bars which comes in flavors from chocolate maca to apple cinnamon. They are free of soy and gluten, non-GMO, and organic. The protein comes from brown rice, sunflower and sesame seeds - and added ingredients to the base, like maca.
• Eggs are the perfect protein for women. Despite the myths we’ve all heard, eggs do not cause high cholesterol - sugar does that. The high quality fat (you must eat both the yolk and the whites) in an egg actually protects you from heart health problems and makes it the most bio-available, easily convertible source of protein around. I love to make hard boiled eggs for an on-the-go snack.
• Sunflower butter is packed full of protein. Spread sunflower butter on apple slices or gluten free bread or crackers. I’ll often have sunflower seed butter on gluten free toast with my afternoon tea.
• If you’re working out at a gym or taking classes and on the run, you can always fill a water bottle half with almond milk and half with water, then add a good protein powder like sacha inchi to the mix. This will give you a quick source of easy protein.  

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 lose weight?  Second, do you suffer from mood swings? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good period karma and share this article on social ;)

Is Your Period Healthy?

How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign - your period. The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future. Click here to take The V-SIGN TYPE™ Quiz NOW

Apple cider vinegar has some very specific, very important benefits for your hormones. I like to take a small dose of apple cider vinegar regularly, often as a shot, particularly before carb-heavy meals or when I'm in my luteal phase.

• Apple cider vinegar helps your body to convert the proteins found in food into usable amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks for many different bodily processes, including the creation of your hormones. So, in drinking a shot of apple cider vinegar you’re actually giving your body what it needs to make hormones and addressing any imbalances between estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
• Apple cider vinegar balances your blood sugar, preventing blood sugar soars and crashes and supporting healthy, consistent ovulation. It improves overall insulin sensitivity, especially if you’re eating a high-carb meal that day. This is especially important for women with insulin-resistant PCOS.
• Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid which helps your body to draw nutrients out of the foods you eat. That same acid can help block the absorption of starchy, processed carbs, too.
• Apple cider vinegar balances acid/alkaline levels in the body, allowing good bacteria to flourish in your microbiome. Your microbiome houses the estrobolome, where excess estrogen is processed and eliminated from your body, preventing estrogen dominance.

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How I also use Apple Cider Vinegar

• In cooking - I rarely use balsamic vinegars when making salads - instead I use apple cider vinegar with lemon juice to make dressings. I also drizzle it over sardines and sometimes even add it to a smoothie.
• In my beauty routine - I even use apple cider vinegar as a rinse for my hair to combat dry scalp and dandruff, usually after a coconut oil mask! I do the same after I use a face mask, applying apple cider vinegar as an astringent to tighten my pores.
• When cleaning my house - I use apple cider vinegar as a household cleaning agent to get my kitchen and bathroom sparkling.

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The best kind of apple cider vinegar

I use Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar - it’s raw and organic, the highest-quality apple cider vinegar. And because it’s never heated or filtered, it retains all its goodness so it can successfully bring you all the benefits I mentioned above.

It's important to make sure that the Apple Cider Vinegar has “the mother” - that's the live fermentation sediment that contains all the good stuff that creates the health benefits. Bragg is always made from fresh, organic apples. It’s a versatile vinegar with a crisp, tangy taste. The difference between any other vinegar and apple cider vinegar is the “mother.” This cloudy sediment (you can see it in the bottle) includes small amounts of proteins, enzymes, amino acids, and fiber, as well as plenty of good bacteria for extra probiotic power. That’s where the acetic acid comes from.

Because Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar is unfiltered and unpasteurized, it’s far more effective than other kinds of apple cider vinegar.

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Right now, turmeric is the hottest spice around, and I’m not talking about spicy-hot! Turmeric lattes, golden milk, golden lattes have hit the headlines, becoming the most sought-after, talked-about drink, since, well, activated charcoal lemonade?! But turmeric-infused hot beverages is a trend I can really support. I’ve been drinking golden milk for years myself to benefit from its hormone-balancing, hormone-supportive qualities. The most popular recipes you’ve probably seen include turmeric, coconut oil, and a non-dairy milk like almond. I have my own personal spin on this recipe that I particularly like and will share below. The turmeric turns the milk a delicious deep golden color, hence the name, and now this is popping up on menus at health-conscious restaurants and cafes all over the country. Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow are singing its praises, and hip eateries like Cafe Gratitude have made it a staple of their menus.

How turmeric is hormone-balancing and fertility boosting

There are many ways you can give the basic golden latte recipe a twist, including adding in other spices that would be in my personal top 10 of the most hormonally-supportive - like cinnamon, cumin, ginger, cayenne, cardamom. All these spices are known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as “warming” and “drying” spices. Warming foods are viewed as specifically beneficial to boosting fertility. A deficiency in “yang” is believed to be bad for the reproductive organs, uterus and ovaries, which as a result become “cold” and “dampened.” Essentially this is about circulation of life-giving blood flow. Certain spices, like turmeric, improve circulation to all organs - including the uterus and ovaries. The better the blood is flowing, the more oxygen is present, the better their health - boosting fertility. The FLO Living protocol is partly based on this ancient TCM understanding of the energies of foods - it is why I recommend raw foods for the follicular phase, but warm, roasted, and warmly spiced foods for the luteal phase.

The health benefits of turmeric

Turmeric (specifically the curcumin in turmeric - which is what makes the spice yellow/golden) is lauded as superior in its healing properties to common medications. Looking at the research, you can see why.

• Curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory, which has benefits for treating gastro-intestinal issues and period pain.
• It is also blood sugar stabilizing, which is important for all women who are hormonally-sensitive and suffering with everything from PMS to PCOS.
• Because turmeric increases blood flow to the uterus it can also help with regulation of periods and supporting the development of healthy periods.
• Curcumin has been shown to decrease and slow the growth of uterine fibroids as a result of its anti-inflammatory properties.
• Studies show it can be protective against the development of breast cancer and ovarian cancers.
• Curcumin may also be beneficial to those women suffering with endometriosis.

How I use turmeric - and my turmeric/golden milk latte recipe

I drink my golden latte every day in the late afternoon, however there are a few other ways I like to incorporate turmeric into my diet.

• “Red eggs” - I sprinkle turmeric on my poached eggs or mix the spice into a scramble for breakfast using coconut oil
• When I cook beans I always add a teaspoon of turmeric to the saucepan
• I saute my collard greens and kale in coconut oil with turmeric on top

My golden latte recipe  - I keep a batch of homemade “golden paste” in my fridge at all times to make this simple and easy for a daily drink. I like to incorporate making a golden latte as part of my relaxing, grounding period rituals too. “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 milk ingredients1 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.

If this seems like too much work for you and you’d like a shortcut (I’m all for making more time for yourself), Gaia has created a ready-made golden milk powder - all you need to do is add the milk! 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 period cramps? Second, are you suffering with endometriosis? Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good period 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!

Don’t you just hate UTIs? It’s one of the most common bacterial infections around and so many women have to deal with the discomfort, pain, and irritation on a regular basis. That’s because UTIs are often recurrent and it’s not simple to be rid of them completely. The bladder is the perfect closed environment for bacteria to thrive, unfortunately. You may be susceptible to getting a UTI after sex or maybe you can’t get away with wearing anything but plain cotton panties - either way, a persistent, recurring urinary tract infection is utterly unpleasant. You’re always worried when it might hit, and when it does you miss work, can’t go far from a bathroom, and generally feel miserable. So, what’s a woman to do?

What is a recurrent UTI?

There’s a difference between getting a UTI every once in awhile when you’ve been dehydrated or wearing your yoga pants too many days in a row, and experiencing a recurrent UTI situation. A chronic UTI condition can be seriously debilitating and unfortunately about one in five women are thought to experience this health issue. When you have a UTI more than twice in six months, it is called recurrent. If you experience three UTIs over time you are more likely to continue to have more UTIs in the future and get into a recurrent UTI situation. The placement of a woman’s urethra and rectum sets us up for being much more likely candidates for recurrent UTIs than men, which is why it has perhaps come to be seen as a predominantly female health issue. The bacteria E.coli is usually the cause of this infection. A UTI can come about in any part of your urinary system - but when the infection is only in the bladder it remains relatively mild and treatable via natural means. The symptoms of a mild infection are probably known to us all - that burning sensation when you urinate and pain in the bladder region and lower back. If and when the UTI spreads to the kidneys it can cause serious health problems. At this point the infection will require antibiotics for treatment. When this happens the symptoms then transition to nausea, vomiting, and a high fever. However, if you can catch a UTI early, by being vigilant of symptoms, and fastidious about utilizing effective natural treatments, then you will be in a much better position to both avoid stop a UTI in its tracks and prevent a recurrent UTI situation.

How overuse of antibiotics can cause recurring UTIs

As you may already know, I am no fan of antibiotics. They destroy the super important microbiome, which plays such a crucial part in keeping your body - including your vagina and bladder - populated with good bacteria versus bad bacteria. They suppress the immune system which makes you more susceptible to infections too. Antibiotics become essential when a UTI spreads to the kidneys. At that time it’s necessary treatment. But my goal would be to avoid getting to that situation and to prevent a recurrent UTI situation. When we take antibiotics at the first sign of a UTI or use them as a preventative measure, we set ourselves up for a disrupted and dysfunctional microbiome. More and more research is showing us that the microbiome is crucial for long term endocrine health. The reason UTIs can be reoccurring is that many women take antibiotics early as the treatment for a mild bout, which is a band-aid solution at best, and this creates a vicious cycle of a disrupted microbiome, increases your risk of developing yeast infections, and then your internal ecosystem is vulnerable to reoccurrence. So you don’t get rid of the UTI completely, and it comes back with a vengeance! Again and again. There are some causes of recurrent UTIs that you probably are aware of already - underwear made of synthetic material, tight clothing like leggings or jeggings, not urinating immediately after sex (how romantic, right?!), sitting in chemical-laden bath bubbles, soaps, bath bombs, using scented wipes, and especially douches, which are the absolute worst and completely unnecessary. Your vagina is designed to clean itself, thank you very much! Although I wouldn’t recommend any of these things - you ought not be so very sensitive to them, and the reason your body is and reacts with a UTI is because of subpar microbiome health and poor immunity.

The early signs of a UTI

If you know the early symptoms of a UTI, especially if you’ve experienced them several times previously, then you can take action quickly and avoid antibiotic treatment. The early signs are bladder twinges before or after urinating, a more frequent urge to urinate, pressure in the bladder, slight burning in the urethra, and a slight dull ache in the lower back. If you experience these signs then you need to jump to it with the protocol I outline below. The thing NOT to do, is to brush off these little symptoms, but jump on them right away, so that you reduce the risk of it developing into full blown kidney infection, for which you will absolutely need antibiotics.

Pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding and UTIs

If you are susceptible to UTIs or have experienced a recurrent UTI situation and you’re now pregnant, or planning to get pregnant, you have to let your OB know that you want to avoid antibiotics. - and for good reason, as there is research that links pre-natal antibiotic exposure to childhood obesity. You can get the AZO UTI testing strips for at home daily monitoring so you can be sure to get an early start on natural treatment. Follow the same protocol outlined below. The reason you need to be this vigilant is that the risk of preterm labor increases when a UTI progresses to a kidney infection. Since giving birth, I too have experienced recurrent UTIs. I've been nursing now, no bottles, on demand, for almost two years. This means I have the hormone levels of a postmenopausal woman essentially (very low estrogen). These hormone levels make you more susceptible to chronic infections of the bladder and the vagina, due to lower levels of bacterial-balancing estrogen. Avoiding antibiotics is a top priority of mine because I don't want them ending up in my breast milk and disrupting my daughter's microbiome. Study after study is coming out about how critical the microbiome is for long term endocrine health. I see it as my job to take care of myself and my child in a way that doesn't cause future health issues. That’s why I practice the protocol outlined below, and why I’m vigilant about avoiding infection and watching for the signs of an early infection. Other hormonal issues like PCOS, amenorrhea, and perimenopause, which present with estrogen levels on the low side, can also increase your vulnerability to experiencing chronic UTI’s.

My effective, natural treatment strategy for recurring UTIs

I suggest a four stage strategy for getting immediate relief and effectively preventing a recurring, chronic UTI. To note: For my strategies to treat yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis visit this previous post.

1. Cranactin - take an activated cranberry compound every day alongside your regular favorite supplements. Double dose every time you have sex that day and for a few days after, if this is something that triggers your UTIs (usually more common with new partners rather than long term partners, or when you stop using condoms).
2. Jarrow’s Fem-Dophilus probiotic - take a daily, good quality probiotic designed for vaginal and urinary tract health. Again, double dose as above if needed.
3. D-Mannose - this supplement supports a healthy urinary tract. Take daily and double up as needed. You can take this every 3 hours. You can also have your partner take this to protect you from any E.coli bacterias he may be carrying.
4. Baking soda - drink one teaspoon of regular baking soda in a glass of water each morning. This will help to balance your internal pH.

In the background to this strategy you need to be addressing your microbiome health and immunity levels. You can boost your immunity and support your microbiome to give your body the helping hand it needs in combatting UTIs. The Flo Living protocol has, baked in, microbiome and immunity consciousness and when taken up by those with recurrent UTIs it speeds up their recovery and stops the infection (as well as yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis) in its tracks. All I can say is: Ahhhhhh! Relief at last!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 get UTIs? Second, have you previously used antibiotics? 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!

In previous posts I’ve covered the many sides of acne prevention from a natural, pharmaceutical-free perspective, including the foods you need to avoid, the supplements that will help, and exactly why I never recommend the birth control pill as an acne treatment. But in this post I want to talk about the right skincare routine and products for women suffering with hormonal acne. I used to be a woman suffering with acne - as you know, I had terrible, painful cystic acne all over my face, chest and back as the result of my PCOS and hormonal imbalances. I’ve tried everything. And while I know that preventing acne is a task that must go more than skin-deep - you have to address your diet and lifestyle habits too - I also now know the absolute best products that prevent acne. These products are also hormone-safe, of course. Your skin is your largest eliminative organ, so you have to be very picky and choosy about what you put on it. Whatever goes on your skin, seeps into your pores and your bloodstream. You skin needs to function at its optimal level to help you eliminate excess hormones and other toxins too, and the right skincare products will support that. If you would like more information on the root causes of hormonal acne and adult acne as well as extra support from me on how to prevent acne based on specifics like your age, where on your face or body acne appears, and when you get the most acne, listen to my “Get Gorgeous Skin - Clear Acne Naturally” webinar.

My favorite skincare products for preventing acne

Topical, rapid treatment - use a product that contains sulfur, but won’t dry out the area, if you have lumps, bumps, cystic acne, or a zit emergency! The Naturopathica's Moss Treatment Mask can be used as a monthly mask or just dab a small amount on the acne area and leave overnight. Sulfur, is also found in veggies like kale, and is safe for your skin and safe for your hormones. Everyday facial wash - a gentle moisturizing scrub is the way to go, and it’s much better for you than benzoyl peroxide-based cleansers that go straight through your liver and add to your body’s toxic load. Alba Botanica’s Daily Detox Cleanser is a great choice. Moisturizer - dry, parched skin is actually more prone to acne than well-moisturized skin, which is why moisture zapping products like Proactiv don’t work for long, if at all. I use 100% pure, organic Aloe Vera gel (which is also anti-inflammatory) - Desert Essence has a hormone-safe product. If you live in a very dry climate or have naturally dryer skin then pick a heavier moisturizer that’s super creamy and calendula-based like Naturopathica’s Calendula Hydrating Cream. Face mask - fruit acids used during the luteal phase can help with skin renewal and regeneration. I use the Naturopathica's Pumpkin Enzyme mask in my pre-menstrual phase to support my skin during that commonly acne-prone time.Sunscreen - most of us are not outside in direct suns much of the time and we need that sunshine for essential vitamin D absorption, which is vital for our hormonal health and fertility. I use a zinc-based, physical block sunscreen on my face if I’m at the beach or on a day hike and will be out in the sunshine for a long time. Because of the endocrine disruptive chemicals in regular sunscreens, I prefer to rely on a UV-protective sunhat, sunglasses, and a mineral pressed powder that contains zinc oxide on my vulnerable areas - my nose and chin (like those products made by Jane Iredale) if I’m just out and about on a normal day in New York City.Scalp treatment - if you experience acne, it’s very likely you also have dandruff issues. For this I recommend using regular baking soda on your scalp when your hair is wet, before you shampoo. Scrub baking soda into the scalp, then rinse with water, then shampoo your hair, and then rinse again with Apple Cider Vinegar. Other than that, a gentle, everyday shampoo that is aloe vera based is great - try Shikai Everyday. You can also use the essential oil Neem on your scalp, which is full of moisturizing fatty acids and very soothing. Finally, try a deep scalp treatment once a month with antimicrobial and antifungal, organic coconut oil. 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 hair loss or an overgrowth of hair? Second, do you have acne? 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!

Here at Flo Living headquarters I speak with many women suffering with PCOS who have either been offered Metformin and decided against it or have tried Metformin and it’s not worked for them. If you have a diagnosis of PCOS it’s very likely that at some point your doctor has suggested Metformin. I personally was what would be considered the “perfect” candidate for this treatment when I was in my 20s and suffering with PCOS - overweight, struggling with acne and a complete lack of periods. However, I never tried it myself - instead I created a protocol for myself that became Flo Living. I’ve since helped many women manage their PCOS successfully with this protocol, just as I did my own diagnosis. That said, I speak with women so often about the Metformin option that I want to share my perspective with you. Although I do not dismiss the option completely, I do have some caveats and concerns.

What is Metformin?

Metformin is a first-line medication for those suffering with type 2 diabetes. It is also presented as a treatment for PCOS sufferers who are also overweight or obese. Not all PCOS sufferers have weight gain as a symptom, it depends on the kind of PCOS. Women with the kind of PCOS that causes weight gain are usually insulin resistant. Metformin reduces overall insulin levels. Insulin resistance is when the cells of your body become resistant to the hormone insulin, preventing glucose from entering your cells to be used for energy, and instead causing soaring levels of sugar blood stream bringing about diabetes, pre-diabetes or insulin-resistant PCOS. The connection between insulin and PCOS is blood sugar regulation. We hear about this most commonly with diabetes, but it’s also very important with PCOS. An unstable, constantly spiking and crashing, blood sugar prevents ovulation - this causes symptoms and conditions like infertility, depression, anxiety, acne, and weight gain. For PCOS suffers, Metformin is often prescribed alongside the birth control pill to manage symptoms. Both only mask symptoms as band-aid solutions and do not address the root cause.Should I take Metformin? Most of the research studies that have examined Metformin as a treatment for PCOS show differing and conflicting results. This is probably because Metformin is given to women with a PCOS diagnosis regardless of the kind of PCOS they have and regardless of whether they’ve been properly diagnosed (some women are diagnosed with PCOS when they actually have a different condition - you need both a blood test and ultrasound to confirm). Insulin resistant PCOS is very, very common, but it’s not what every woman has. Women with insulin resistant PCOS will also have been told they are pre-diabetic or borderline diabetic and be overweight or obese.

What can you expect if you take Metformin?

Metformin is not a miracle medication (unfortunately there are NO miracle drugs). If you take it you will not instantly see an end to your symptoms and drop all the weight you have gained. If you have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic and you want to move away from this diagnosis as quickly as possible, then you could decide to take Metformin. This might be the case if you are hoping to get pregnant. Entering pregnancy with insulin resistant PCOS and pre-diabetes will unfortunately set you up for increased risk for gestational diabetes, increased pregnancy weight gain and the worsened health risks that go along with that, having a bigger baby, and therefore higher likelihood of needing a C-section to deliver your baby. Guidelines if you choose to take MetforminI only recommend you take Metformin within these guidelines -

• Take Metformin as a short term triage for a pre-diabetes diagnosis.
• Start taking Metformin already knowing your exit plan from this treatment.
• Simultaneously change your diet and lifestyle to improve insulin resistance (including strictly managing your blood sugar levels and sugar intake, and increasing exercise to lose weight). You may lose some weight if you do both, and you should lose your pre-diabetic status within this timeframe.
• Start the Flo Living protocol so that when you go off Metformin you do not slide back to your previous lifestyle habits, regain the weight, and go back to the pre-diabetic state. The Flo Living protocol will alleviate symptoms of PCOS long term and support regular ovulation and regular periods. It will also prevent sugar cravings, manage your blood sugar levels, and help you to lose the weight.

It’s important to note that I have worked with many women for whom Metformin has not worked at all. They’ve taken it, experienced the side effects, and seen no improvement in their condition - the PCOS or the symptoms of PCOS. I would highly recommend regulating your blood sugar levels with the Flo Living protocol and prepping your body for a healthy, happy pregnancy ahead of time, instead of taking the Metformin route.The side effects of MetforminEven if Metformin does not work for you, it can still cause side effects. The most common side effects are stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Metformin is not recommended for women with liver disease which is a real problem as many PCOS sufferers have what is known as “fatty liver” - not liver disease, but has similar aspects. Research has also connected Metformin with brain and cognitive impairment.

Women’s success stories post-Metformin with the Flo Living protocol

As I said, I’ve helped many women who have tried Metformin and found it did not help them as they hoped to then come off, manage their PCOS, lose weight, reverse their pre-diabetes, and get pregnant. “Both doctors immediately recommended prescription drugs as an antidote to resolve this issue and prescribed Metformin. Within two days of taking it, I developed severe symptoms and side effects that impacted my GI tract and well being. I knew I needed a change and was willing to seek alternate therapies. I attended a Flo Living seminar. After applying the principles that I learned, I have had my period ever since AND…drum roll...my hormonal level are completely balanced and my diagnosis of PCOS was reversed!” - Judith“I’ve had acid reflux, heal pain, irregular periods, and basically I’m a sugar addict. I have also had a hard time dealing with stress, anxiety, and depression. This program has taught me how to eat and helped me get off medication. I was on Metformin for PCOS, which I’ve stopped taking since starting my program, and I got my period this morning for the second month in a row! Sometimes I’d gone for years without getting my period, so this is incredible. I’ve lost almost 2 sizes – my old size 22s don’t fit at all. I’m now wearing a 20 and soon it will be an 18, since the 20s are a bit big. I signed up for the 3 month program and just decided to extend it for another 2 months since I really want to stay on track and learn more.” - MickiAlways 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 Metformin? Second, have you recently been diagnosed as pre-diabetic? 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!

There is one common hormonal imbalance I see again and again in my Flo Living practice. Women come in with the symptoms, signs, and health conditions that are rooted in a specific instability in their hormonal ecosystem. These signs include common symptoms like PMS, hormonal acne, ovarian cysts, fibroids as well as conditions like PCOS and Endometriosis. That hormonal imbalance is estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance is the root cause of so many hormonal health issues. If you’re a longtime reader of this blog you will have heard me use the term “estrogen dominance” many times. I want to dig a little deeper in this post into what estrogen dominance means, how you can know if you have estrogen dominance, and what you can do to address the imbalance and get your hormones working in harmony.

What is estrogen dominance?

Estrogen dominance happens in the body when there is estrogen overload or too much estrogen in relation to progesterone. This happens as the result of the foods we eat, the products we use, stress, poor sleep, and other environmental factors. It can be very hard to completely avoid estrogen excess, because we are surrounded by endocrine disruptors - in everything from our furniture to our nail polish.

When your body’s elimination system is working at a subpar level - the result of a lack of micronutrients, a disrupted microbiome, and inability to deal with an unnatural level of toxins - it cannot process and eliminate this excess estrogen efficiently. A body nourished with nutrient dense and hormonally-supportive foods has a better chance of coping with and managing the synthetic estrogens we’re surrounded by, but many of us are not eating in a way that supports and bolsters our elimination system. This leads to a toxic build up and hormonal soup swimming around your body - throwing your delicate hormonal balance out of whack and triggering symptoms.

The other side of this coin here is progesterone deficiency - if you have too much estrogen in your bloodstream, your progesterone levels will be low in comparison.

What are the signs of estrogen dominance?

Once you discover the symptoms of estrogen dominance it’s hard not to see the signs all around you - in your own cycle experience and the difficult, uncomfortable PMS and period symptoms of your friends. That’s because many, many women are experiencing estrogen dominance, because their bodies are not equipped to cope with the incoming estrogen overload. Here are some of the signs of estrogen dominance:

• PMS - pre-menstrual symptoms from moodiness to bloating
• Fibroids
• Ovarian cysts
• PCOS
• Endometriosis
• Weight gain
• Infertility
• Heavy periods
• Irregular periods
• Early onset puberty (before 12 years of age) in yourself and/or your daughter(s)

The long-term health impact of estrogen dominance

As well as the symptoms you will currently be experiencing if you have estrogen dominance, there are long-term health effects for those struggling with this hormonal imbalance. Over the years and decades, a persistent estrogen overload increases the risk of many diseases and health issues including:

• Female cancers, particularly breast cancer
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Dementia

Treatments for estrogen dominance

The reason you have not heard about this from your doctor and she has probably never diagnosed you with “estrogen dominance,” despite your symptoms, is that there’s really only one treatment provided by an OB/GYN for all of the health issues I mentioned above and that’s the birth control pill. When you visit an OB/GYN they tend to only be able to tell you what you already know - that you have certain symptoms and you don’t feel good as a result. They don’t often tell you exactly why you’re experiencing these symptoms. And the how to deal with the symptoms is always the birth control pill.

Of course, the path to you getting better begins with understanding why this is happening in your body. Even if you now know (or you’ve long known) that you have estrogen dominance, the most helpful part of naming the problem is knowing that you now need to take immediate action to address the root causes. Addressing the root causes is the key to moving past symptoms and feeling better. And the birth control pill does not address the root causes. It is only a band-aid for those symptoms - it may help to stop some symptoms or manage them some of the time, but when you eventually come off it will leave you even more sensitive to excess estrogen, setting you up to experience the same problems and potentially at worsened levels.

‍Estrogen dominance: Not just a women’s problem

‍These days we also see a lot of men dealing with the symptoms of estrogen dominance. They’re exposed to the same environmental factors as us and their bodies are often no better equipped to deal with the excess estrogen and eliminate it efficiently. For men, this brings about low testosterone levels (instead of low progesterone levels). You may have seen ads on TV for “Low-T” treatments for men. Men dealing with high estrogen and low testosterone will also gain weight, experience moodiness and irritability, get bloated...all of those issues we usually associated as only “female” in nature! Men also need to nourish their bodies so that their elimination system works at an optimum level and to increase their testosterone levels (especially as they age).

‍How to treat estrogen dominance naturally and effectively

‍The natural treatment for estrogen dominance is also the most effective and the longest lasting. This is because it gets down to the root cause, changes your hormonal ecosystem, and supports your elimination pathways. Following the Flo Living protocol sets your body up to combat all that incoming estrogen and helps it to deal with some of the unavoidable sources that inevitably come your way.

• Eat more fiber - there are 3 foods that contain a good amount of fiber as well as the other vital vitamins and minerals – such as glutathione, B vitamins, and C vitamins – that you need to help your liver process the excess estrogen so that it can be transported to the large intestine and then eliminated quickly - broccoli, flax seeds and pears.
• Support your microbiome - a set of good gut bacteria and certain bacterial genes, called the estrobolome, produce an essential enzyme that helps metabolize estrogen. Your microbiome is part of the elimination system that is vital in ushering hormones out of the body. Eat fermented foods daily like kimchi and sauerkraut and take a probiotic.
• Love your liver - Eggs, Glutathione-heavy vegetables like carrots, spinach and asparagus, plus cilantro are all great liver detoxifiers and boost the whole elimination system’s function. Try my special cilantro-based juice once a week.

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