PCOS Research - What You Need to Know!

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

Need more Hormone Help?

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

FLO Living Tips for a Healthy Thanksgiving Holiday

Our tips for a healthy Thanksgiving holiday will help you stay in the FLO! Start by modeling your plate to include these delicious elements:

What you must remember: Please eat breakfast! Starving yourself until the big meal will only make things worse by causing a huge blood sugar dip, which will result in you wanting to eat anything and everything you can find! Make or bring your own sweet dish. Baked apple crumble, gluten free pumpkin bread, and non-dairy coconut cream pie are among the many healthy dessert options you can make. You’ll feel great knowing your dessert isn’t loaded with sugar, and your guests will love it too! Don’t overdo the bread. There are too many other good things to include (see template above) that won’t leave you feeling bloated or ready for a food- coma, as too much bread or stuffing can do. Fill up on gratitude. Don’t forget the main message of the holiday: Giving thanks. Even if your family can be a stress-inducer, see if you can consciously choose to see the beauty and gratitude in everything around you, and don’t be afraid to share it!

Ready for more food support?

Don’t forget that recipes like these are only one part of an entire system designed to help you eat in sync with your cycle all month long!Stay in the loop and get more recipes like these by subscribing to our complimentary weekly women’s health newsletters:[gravityform id="3" name="Get on the road to hormonal health!" title="false" description="false"]

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

‍

Indulge, relax, and enjoy bath time!

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

Some of the benefits of bathing with salts include:

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

‍

How To: Reap the Advantages of Sea Salt Water Baths

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

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

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

First: Monitoring Your Cervical Health

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 Natural Remedies for HPV and Cervical Health

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

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

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

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

Whether you're trying to conceive now or just thinking ahead and wanting to best prepare your body for optimal fertility, we know the journey can feel a bit dull or mysterious at times...We hear questions like this all the time:

"What can I eat to boost my chances of conception?"

"Do I need to worry about my diet if I still have to take the IVF or IUI route?"

And the answer is that your diet has a huge impact on your fertility, but rather than "worry" about it, educate yourself and get proactive! You can boost fertility with food! How you eat and how you treat your body now will affect your fertility journey, whether it's natural or medically supported.

To get you started, here's a spice you might already have in your pantry that will support your reproductive health and boost your chances of getting pregnant!

What is it? Turmeric!

This warming and bitter spice has been clinically proven to improve the vascular health of the ovaries, as cited by Dr. Drew Tortoriello of the SHER Institute for Reproductive Medicine. It is also powerful in decongesting the liver and acting as a natural anti-inflammatory, which are both important for your hormonal health.Ways to use turmeric:

• Use the ground, dried turmeric spice on your eggs, sweet potatoes, or in soups or stews
• Get a supplement like Turmeric Force by New Chapter
• Juice it! You can buy the whole turmeric root (looks similar to ginger root) and make a juice - check out Tera Warner's recipe here, or purchase our favorite pre-made Turmeric Juice here.

Want even more ways to support your diet and fertility?

Access the first step of our protocol here for free!

And tell us below where you are on your fertility journey so that we can best support you!

We want you to be a part of the FLO Living Revolution! Jump into the conversation! Join us on Facebook and Twitter, comment on our blog, and to really join the revolution, CLICK HERE.