FLO Living Blog

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

We believe that no woman should suffer simply because she has a period.

And we also know that it’s not always possible to get access to functional and holistic healthcare solutions — sometimes they’re too far away and most of the time they are way too expensive.That’s why we offer phone and Skype consultation sessions with our FLO coaches.All of our expert FLO coaches have been trained by Alisa on top of being certified health coaches and licensed acupuncturists. And they are all qualified to help you find the right next step for you in getting out of hormonal chaos and into your FLO. Work with a FLO Coach and find your customized plan to solve your period symptoms.

Click here to book your counselor consultation

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

The Problem With Conventional Wisdom on Birth Control

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

The Rise in Synthetic Birth Control Syndrome

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

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

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

Debunking The Pregnancy Fear

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

Where You Can Go From Here

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

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

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

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

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

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

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

Break a sweat before dawn or bust a move after work? Lunch time lunges or late-night laps? It’s the age-old question that so many women struggle with, but few can confidently answer: what’s the best time of day to work out?I’m about to demystify this dilemma for you, but let’s begin by stating the obvious: women are not men. Obvious? Yes. Always acknowledged? Don’t bet on it. When we look at research measuring exercise performance at various times of day, it’s so important to understand that the majority of these studies focus on male subjects. This was pretty neatly summed up in 2010 New York Times article called “What Exercise Science Doesn’t Know About Women”: “Scientists know, of course, that women are not men. But they often rely on male subjects exclusively, particularly in the exercise-science realm, where, numerically, fewer female athletes exist to be studied. But when sports scientists recreate classic men-only experiments with distaff subjects, the women often react quite differently...In the meantime, female athletes should view with skepticism the results from exercise studies that use only male subjects. As Dr. Rowlands says — echoing a chorus of men before him — when it comes to women, there’s a great deal that sports scientists ‘just don’t understand.’”

How Women Can Time Their Workouts

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

How Long Should Your Workout Really Be?

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

My Go-To Exercise Schedule For Women

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

Menstruation

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

Follicular Phase: The week or so after your period

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

Ovulation (mid-cycle)

Workout: Intense cardio, dance, or bodyweight circuitWhen: Early morning - you’ll have tons of energy during this time of the month, so take advantage of that natural high! Your testosterone is higher during this phase, so whatever you do, feel free to go all out!

Premenstrual/Luteal Phase

Workout: Pilates, yogaWhen: Keep it early during the first half, and then transition into the early evening. You might still feel full of energy during the first days of your luteal phase, so feel free to keep kicking butt in more intense workouts early in the day. But if you start to experience PMS symptoms in the days before your period, it’s time to tone it down and switch to Pilates or strength training in the early evening. Restorative (yin) yoga before bed can also be hugely helpful in combatting issues like moodiness and bloat. But the only real way to nip those symptoms in the bud for good is to fix the hormonal issue once and for all. If you’re ready to kiss symptoms goodbye forever, then MonthlyFLO is for you!Happy, hormone-friendly workouts, ladies! Alisa

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

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

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

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

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

‍The Real Deal Behind Hormonal Acne

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

‍Elimination is Key

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

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

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

1)You have a micronutrient deficiency.

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

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

2) Your liver is congested.

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

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

3) You’re eating pro-inflammatory foods.

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

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

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

4) Your cycle is out of whack.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why The Holidays Wreak Havoc On Your Hormones

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

How to (Easily) Detox From Holiday Hormone Havoc

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

Tame Your Cravings

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

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

Click HERE to download your masterclass

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

Accessing your hormonal powers

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

Creating period rituals

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

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

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Why do a hormone detox?

Your skin will glow:

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

Your mood will soar:

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

You will shift your relationship with food:

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

You’ll feel creative and calm:

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

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Adding in a micronutrient boost with the right supplements can take your hormone detox to the next level. We highly recommend incorporating our Balance by FLO Living Hormone Supplements to your plan. Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!

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

The problem with acne prescriptions

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

How to treat acne without medications

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

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

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

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

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

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

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

The One Big Reason You’re Still Struggling With PMS

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

The Best Natural Supplements to Prevent PMS

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

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

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

Additional Natural Supplements to Prevent PMS

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

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

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

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

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your Guide to Interpreting the Color of Your Period Blood

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‍The best foods to eat during your period:

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

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

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

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

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

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

To your FLO,

Alisa

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

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

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

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

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

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

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

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

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

Which Deficiency Type are You?

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

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

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

The Micronutrients You Need More Of

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

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

Why Supplements Are Important

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

Balance by FLO Living Supplement Box

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

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

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

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

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

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

The top magnesium-rich foods

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

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

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

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

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

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

We believe that no woman should suffer simply because she has a period.

And we also know that it’s not always possible to get access to functional and holistic healthcare solutions — sometimes they’re too far away and most of the time they are way too expensive.That’s why we offer phone and Skype consultation sessions with our FLO coaches.All of our expert FLO coaches have been trained by Alisa on top of being certified health coaches and licensed acupuncturists. And they are all qualified to help you find the right next step for you in getting out of hormonal chaos and into your FLO. Work with a FLO Coach and find your customized plan to solve your period symptoms.

Click here to book your counselor consultation

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

The Ingredients to Avoid At All Costs

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

• A

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

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

Having a Trusted Supplement Source Matters Most

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

Why Supplements Are Important

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

Balance by FLO Living Supplement Subscription Box

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

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

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

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

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

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

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

We believe that no woman should suffer simply because she has a period.

And we also know that it’s not always possible to get access to functional and holistic healthcare solutions — sometimes they’re too far away and most of the time they are way too expensive.That’s why we offer phone and Skype consultation sessions with our FLO coaches.All of our expert FLO coaches have been trained by Alisa on top of being certified health coaches and licensed acupuncturists. And they are all qualified to help you find the right next step for you in getting out of hormonal chaos and into your FLO. Work with a FLO Coach and find your customized plan to solve your period symptoms.

Click here to book your counselor consultation

You can change your period. That’s right. You can actually change your whole period experience and you can change it so that your period is different, better, by next month. This sounds miraculous, but it’s actually very matter-of-fact, logical, evidence-based, and science-supported.

If you have an awful period - I’m talking cramps, heavy bleeding, PMS-orama, acne, bloating - it does not have to stay that way. We have been fed this myth that your period is just your period and it will be that way til menopause, just as it was for your mom and her mom before that. That myth prevents women from taking action when they could and should.In this post, I want to tackle some of those things that make a period unpleasant and horrible to deal with. All of these issues can be dealt with using these outlined period hacks.

You can use diet and lifestyle changes, along with some supplements, to be rid of your cramps, your heavy bleeds, your headaches, fatigue, and irritability, rapidly. Every phase of your cycle should feel good and you definitely should not feel horrible for half of the month due to PMS and your period. Bio-hacking isn’t just for the boys! You can use food and lifestyle switches to improve how your body is performing. You’ll see quick, satisfying, and freeing results. My Monthly FLO program incorporates all of these hacks, and provides a hormone-supportive meal plan, along with tailored support for your specific period plight.

5 life hacks for a better period

Trade in your cow dairy - Cow dairy (containing A2 casein and, often, synthetic hormones and, often, from cows fed with GMO corn and soy) is a cause for heavy bleeding during your period. Switching your cow’s milk dairy for goat and sheep dairy, or, even better, nut milks and grain milks (there are so many great alternatives out there now!), will quickly cool the inflammation in your body. Even if you’re only using cow dairy in your tea, it’s best to make that switch. You’ll have lighter, easier periods from this one simple change. The Monthly FLO protocol encourages dairy detox and going dairy-free, but goat and sheep’s can be a great transitional choice as these contain the less hormonally-disruptive A2 casein.

Self-medicate with chocolate - dark chocolate that is! Dark chocolate is full of magnesium which is fantastic for headache, PMS and periods, as well as for combatting the fatigue that can descend around that time of the month. Eat more of it after ovulation, but you can benefit on every day of your cycle.

Switch out your morning coffee - coffee is toxic for women. I know that’s hard to hear, but it is, unfortunately, true. I recommend a caffeine detox and switching out your morning coffee (and all your coffees!) for a turmeric-infused golden milk latte with coconut oil. This will help with cramps directly as it is deeply anti-inflammatory and helps you create the pain-relieving prostaglandins your body needs to fight off uterine contractions. Skipping the caffeine from now on will show marked improvements in your period overall.

Choose new period products - did you know that your regular, mainstream tampons can make cramps worse? Not to mention the increased chance of irritation and infection. I recommend switching to an organic, all-cotton, no-chemicals-included brand because regular tampons contain concerning unknown ingredients alongside their pesticide-laden cotton. Making sure that you’re using products that are safe, protective, and period-friendly for that week per month, every month, can really make a difference to your experience.  

Keep a period journal - even if you find it hard to journal every single day (I get it, I don’t do this either), I highly recommend journaling just around the time of your period. This is when your hormones are primed to provide insights, intuitive thoughts, new perspectives, and a desire to make changes. Sometimes that energy can bring about irritability or annoyance with issues that have been nagging at you all month long, but suddenly seem so much more urgently in need of your attention. Journaling can help you to explore and examine those issues that arise. You can find the context for your feelings and figure out what you want to do next.

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

There are so many myths about our periods out there, where to start? All the mythology surrounding menstruation is predicated on misinformation. Misinformation that was passed down generation to generation, maybe even directly from your sister or mom to you. Sometimes myths have arisen to fill in our gaps in knowledge about our own bodies, and sometimes they’ve been created to keep us from that knowledge. These period myths direct the way we behave and act towards not just our periods, but also our whole hormone cycle; they direct us to feel a certain way about our female bodies. It’s very likely that you hold some negative assumptions about your period and cycle as a whole, because that’s just what you were told to think from a young age. This doesn’t reflect poorly on you at all, it’s not easy to separate ourselves from any kind of social conditioning and we all, every one of us, have to do the work to unlearn things that keep us from our truth. Even if you’ve now got to a point where you feel more positively toward your period, there’s always a comment or conversation, a headline or TV plot, that drags you back to feeling that the period is a bad, gross, and annoying occurrence. I know many women who feel positively about their period still will admit that they feel they’d rather not have one and feel that it’s part of the bad deal of being a woman. The idea that periods are inherently a burden is so ingrained into our society it’s really hard to create any space for a different perspective.From your first health ed class at school to those basic human reproduction biology books to glossy magazines to religion to how your mom talked about - it’s nearly impossible for you to come out of young adulthood with a good opinion about your body and female reproductive system. Much of this serves to make you feel like a passive victim of your period, of your body - a victim who can do absolutely nothing about their period plight. If you want to hear me dig deeper on these myths have a listen to this podcast recording of my workshop at the Cycles+Sex event in NYC.

5 period myths busted

• PMS is normal - this myth is so harmful, as it leaves so many women suffering unnecessarily with premenstrual symptoms, from mood swings to bloating to acne. PMS is used against women too, to dismiss our feelings, opinions, and judgements and to put us in the “hormonal” box (as though men don’t have hormones too!). I have renamed PMS, Prioritizing MySelf, and if more women did this, fewer would have these symptoms. PMS is absolutely triggered by diet choices (coffee, sugar, dairy, dieting, juice fasts, and low fat fads), but it’s also triggered by the wider suppression of feminine energy. The premenstrual phase can actually be a time of insight, clarity, and directives - it can fill you with a can-do, will-get-done attitude and a desire to clean house, literally and metaphorically. When women live in their FLO, PMS disappears, because PMS, although commonplace, is not how we are designed to operate an only arises from an imbalance of estrogen to progesterone during the luteal phase. The truth is simply that ratio can be improved with food - period.

• You’re supposed to have cramps - I often hear women say that we’re supposed to have cramps, or that we’re wired for them, or that it’s just women’s lot in life to suffer with period pain. I hate to hear this, because it’s simply not true. Did you know that while your body has 1 type of prostaglandin - PgE2 - which causes uterine contractions and, so, period cramps; your body also has 2 types of prostaglandin – PgE1 and PgE3 – that actually exist to counteract the contractions and are antispasmodic i.e. natural pain killers. Your body has twice the capacity for pain relief as for causing period pain! So your job is just to support your body in making of the good prostaglandins by providing the building blocks (food) it needs to do this! How awesome is that? There are dietary triggers for cramps, just as there are for PMS problems, and in both cases you can avoid it all by eating more of what your body needs, when it needs it.

• You still have a period on the pill - the bleed you experience when on the birth control pill is a withdrawal bleed and not physiologically the same as menstruation. The pill, if you take your monthly break, actually creates a false period, for no other reason than...marketing! Originally it was thought women would be freaked out if they didn’t bleed at all and that this would stop them from using the pill. To have menstruation, you need to be ovulating, and the pill suppresses ovulation. Without ovulation your hormones cannot do the dance they need to do to get you to the point of a period. Suppressing your periods comes with side effects and health dangers.

• You don’t need to have a period - every so often an op-ed circulates in which some expert argues that women don’t need to have a period, that it’s somehow outdated or unnecessary, or even unhealthy to have a period! This myth is based in misinformation. Ovulation, and therefore menstruation, is important for ensuring bone, heart, and breast health and protecting women against some of the most common diseases. If you’re skipping periods due to PCOS, or you have irregular cycles, you will also be experiencing a host of symptoms from acne to mood swings to weight gain alongside this. ACOG recommends that menstruation is tracked as the 5th vital sign of a woman’s health, and, if periods are missing, it is considered an indicator of a health issue. A regular period is something to celebrate - it shows your body is healthy and happy! Your period can be observed for color, consistency, length and other symptoms to reveal a lot about your hormones and health - take my Period Type Quiz to find out more.

• You can’t change your bad period - when you get a cold, what do you do? Do you just let it run its course or do you do something? Most of us will up our vitamin C, sleep more, eat some good chicken soup and take care of ourselves to get better. When your period isn’t feeling good - i.e. you have cramps, heavy bleeding, spotting etc - we tend to just think that’s how things are for us, and that there’s nothing that can be done about it. We act this way because we’ve bought into the myth that there’s nothing you can do about a problem period, that if you have awful periods then you have them until menopause, just like your mom and grandma did. But it’s just not true, because you can take action and change your period. You don’t have to be a passive victim to your period plight. There are simple, matter-of-fact steps you can take and you will see results by your next cycle. My Monthly FLO program tackles all these problems head on with a combination of diet changes, supplements, and lifestyle hacks.

Now you’ve had time to reconsider these preconceptions, why not pass on the enlightenment? Share this with a friend, have that chat with someone you care about - ask them what they’ve come to believe about periods. It can be hard to combat myths and misinformation alone, but together we are unstoppable! Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!To your FLO,Alisa

We believe that no woman should suffer simply because she has a period.

And we also know that it’s not always possible to get access to functional and holistic healthcare solutions — sometimes they’re too far away and most of the time they are way too expensive.That’s why we offer phone and Skype consultation sessions with our FLO coaches.All of our expert FLO coaches have been trained by Alisa on top of being certified health coaches and licensed acupuncturists. And they are all qualified to help you find the right next step for you in getting out of hormonal chaos and into your FLO. Work with a FLO Coach and find your customized plan to solve your period symptoms.

Click here to book your counselor consultation

If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you have PCOS and you are currently seeking or undergoing treatment for that diagnosis. Welcome, I’m glad you found The FLO Living Hormone Center! I am certain you’ve read up about PCOS and are well in the depths of self-education. Perhaps you’ve seen a doctor already, or you will soon. In this post I want to outline some lesser known facts about PCOS, as well as put some misconceptions to rest. Having worked with thousands of women over almost 2 decades, I’m aware that what a woman does not know about her diagnosis can definitely limit her ability to get the results she wants. I know what results a woman with PCOS wants, because I used to be that woman. Before I put my PCOS into remission, I wanted my weight to be stable like you do, and I wanted my period back, I wanted my skin to clear, I wanted to know I would be able to get pregnant when I was ready, and overall I really wanted to feel happy, just like you do. I remember what it was like to want that so badly. I also remember what it felt like to be frustrated by the options I was presented with.It’s totally understandable that we often say yes, and quickly, to the medications offered. Sometimes it’s the only option presented to get you further toward these goals. Sometimes the sheer number of goals is so overwhelming, it seems like only a medication is going to help. As a woman who, after much consideration, turned down those medications, and who, now sees no sign of PCOS in my yearly blood tests, year-in-year-out, I have been where you are and I am now where you want to be. Seeing both sides, I hope I can bring you some clarity and insight to help you move forward. How did I put my PCOS in remission? I developed a natural, evidence-based, science-backed, hormone supportive protocol. At first, sure, it wasn’t as easy as popping a pill, but it did feel really good to take control, immediately. I learned the skill of working with food and lifestyle changes, and pretty soon my protocol became second nature to me, an integrated part of my life that takes little effort or forethought to just happen. And the bonus is it requires that I practice a lot of self-care and self-nourishment. My default setting is - how can I take really good care of myself? As opposed to, how can I just settle for whatever nourishment I can get.So, take a minute, read on, and consider the right path for you to reach those goals.

5 facts you need to know about your PCOS

• Metformin doesn’t work for everyone - this medication is commonly offered to women with PCOS regardless of the fact that it’s only been researched as a treatment for one specific type of PCOS (the insulin-resistant kind). It’s also offered to women prior to proper diagnosis of PCOS, who haven’t undergone both the blood test and ultrasound to confirm. This is because it’s considered something of a silver bullet in the mainstream medical field and it’s certainly easy, simple, and quick to prescribe. Some women are led to believe it’s some kind of weight loss wonder drug, and it’s not. It might, at first, feel like a relief to know there exists a medication for PCOS, however I suggest you dig deeper before taking this route. Metformin comes with side effects, from digestive distress to some scary long term issues like cognitive impairment. As with most silver bullet medications, Metformin doesn’t usually come with many guidelines, but it should - if you decide to take it, it needs to be short term prescription and you need to be making diet and lifestyle changes simultaneously for real change to happen inside and out.

• The pill isn’t a good treatment - the pill is not a medical treatment. It can manage some symptoms, but it’s actually only a band-aid solution that ignores the root cause. This mean when you come off the synthetic hormones, symptoms will return and potentially be worsened by the triggered hormonal imbalance from taking it and suppressing your own hormone production for any period of time. The pill comes with a load of side effects, too, both short term and long term. So not only is it not addressing your health issue, it’s adding in some more to the mix. .

• There are different types of PCOSspectrum in mind. Some women might have one, two, or all three at any time.

• You can get pregnant naturally - at 22 I was told Iand not be able to conceive naturally, because of my PCOS diagnosis. I was shocked and extremely upset that my choices were limited at that age. Yet, at 37 I was able to conceive naturally, and after trying just a few months! I now have a child. And I am no fluke, I have helped thousands of women put their PCOS into remission and conceive naturally when ready. You can start ovulating again by feeding your body the right fuel, at the right time, to build hormones and calm your internal ecosystem. You won’t need to rely on IVF just because you have PCOS.

• You can put your PCOS into remission - PCOS is not a permanent situation, you don’t have to forever be taking pills and managing symptoms, you can move forward and feel good. It doesn’t have to lead to worse problems down the line like heightened risk of cancer or diabetes. One of the most empowering facts I think you need to know if that you can change your health status! You. Not a pill or a doctor, but you. You have that power and capability. Start with the Monthly FLO program, this will set you up to see very rapid results of the kind you so want - weight loss, clearer skin, mood stabilization. It’s a natural protocol designed by a woman with PCOS, for women with PCOS. You can experience your own transformation! I didn’t do anything to put my PCOS in remission that you are not equally able to do starting today.

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

We believe that no woman should suffer simply because she has a period.

And we also know that it’s not always possible to get access to functional and holistic healthcare solutions — sometimes they’re too far away and most of the time they are way too expensive.That’s why we offer phone and Skype consultation sessions with our FLO coaches.All of our expert FLO coaches have been trained by Alisa on top of being certified health coaches and licensed acupuncturists. And they are all qualified to help you find the right next step for you in getting out of hormonal chaos and into your FLO. Work with a FLO Coach and find your customized plan to solve your period symptoms.

Click here to book your counselor consultation

The FLO Living protocol has its foundation in the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle. Many women are only familiar with one or two phases of this cycle - usually menstruation and the premenstrual phase. Menstruation is obvious, because that’s when we bleed, and the premenstrual phase tends to come with many negative connotations as well as lived symptoms that make up our understanding of PMS - like mood swings, cravings, bloating, and acne.

Yet, there are 4 full phases of the menstrual cycle throughout which your hormone levels dance and interplay to release an egg, prepare your uterus for pregnancy, and finally, prepare for a new menstrual cycle. Every phase has different hormones that are peaking and others that are on their low ebb. Every phase carries with it a different energetic pattern or focus that hinges on the fluctuation of your hormones.

The FLO Living protocol is about tapping into that shifting energy to get the most out of your hormones, and your life. In this series we’ll look at the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle and, starting with the follicular phase, share what you can expect to learn from the Monthly FLO program, about harnessing your hormones for your health and happiness.

Once you know the basics, you will discover how the Cycle Syncing® Method can make your menstrual cycle your power center & your best asset all at once!

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The follicular phase: the hormone science

The follicular phase is when your body is developing follicles in your ovary, ready for ovulation to occur. High amounts of the aptly-named follicle stimulating hormone is flooding your body at this time. Of the follicles that are being stimulated, one will burst to release the egg or ovum at ovulation. Estrogen is also peaking as it spurs on your uterus to prepare for a potential fertilized egg. Luteinizing hormone is released to support the follicles to maturation.

The follicular phase begins on the first day after the end of your period bleeding. It is the first day of your cycle and sometimes called Cycle Day 1 or CD1.

The length of your follicular phase can vary because ovulation can be delayed for days, weeks, or months because of your body’s inability to undertake the task. In a healthy cycle, the follicular phase would last 7-10 days, but your body needs help in achieving healthy cycles. There is a food & hormone connection - too little and our cycles will stop; too much of those hormone-disruptive foods and we will not ovulate; too little of the hormone-boosting foods and we won’t make enough hormones.

The Monthly FLO program provides a meal plan that will fuel your body to stimulate those follicles, ensuring the return of ovulation and regular menstrual cycles. Find out if you’re ovulating and where you are in your cycle today

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The follicular phase: the energy science

Once you have menstrual cycle awareness, you will notice that you feel differently throughout your whole cycle. Download our MyFLO app to tune into your body and get reminders of where your hormones are at and how best to harness them for your benefit.

During the follicular phase, your physical energy is at its height. You have more stamina, you feel less tired, you can workout without much fatigue, you can tackle long hikes and long work meetings without flagging. You will be happy to socialize and pack your schedule with activities, and you’ll have the reserves to conquer it all.

Inside your body, it’s the beginning of a creative process - building to the potential creation of a new life (although, the energy is the same whether you’re planning or avoiding pregnancy at this time). It’s all about ideation, inspiration, project planning, and your whole self emerging  in this new cycle, onto a new path.

During this time, as part of my Cycle Syncing® Method, I like to map out what I want to achieve in the weeks ahead of me. I set my intentions, I write down my goals and desires, I use my planner to draw up my schedule. If you’re more of a visual learner - you can use this phase to create a vision board for your new cycle. I carry a purple notebook with me during this phase, knowing that inspiration may strike at any time with new ideas for FLO Living.  

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The follicular phase: the Cycle Syncing® science

For your career: Begin a new project; host a brainstorming session with your team; take the team out for a celebratory dinner; welcome new teammates or employees; network; apply for a new job; start a new side business or creative project  ‍

For your social life: Say yes to all invitations, especially new experiences (a new exhibit, a band you’ve never seen, a new dance class, something outside of your usual comfort zone); pull a late-nighter and go out dancing with friends; try a new activity with your partner to bring you closer together; workout or hike with friends

For your workouts:  Go hard on the cardio; try a bootcamp week; start a new kind of workout that’s complex or challenging for your body and brain; go on a yoga retreat

For your romance: Have a few date nights with your partner; do something new that you’re both curious to try; get experimental with your sex life; go on a dating app and meet someone new

Once you have menstrual cycle awareness, everything in life just FLOs. You’re choosing to work with your body, instead of against it. Cooperating with your hormones, hand-in-hand, leads you to getting all the best out of your life. Your body and mind is primed for these activities and it will all come easily and eagerly to you. Your body is encoded with the creative process happening inside your ovaries during the follicular phase via your hormone patterns.

First, recognize that you already feel this way during this phase - know it, love it, embrace it as part of your life. Second, give yourself the permission to do things that feel the most natural for you during this phase. Taking this step means banishing stress, moodiness, fatigue, and frustration - and leads straight to feeling more in your FLO every single day.

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We believe that no woman should suffer simply because she has a period

And we also know that it’s not always possible to get access to functional and holistic healthcare solutions — sometimes they’re too far away and most of the time they are way too expensive. That’s why we offer phone and Skype consultation sessions with our FLO coaches.

All of our expert FLO coaches have been trained by Alisa on top of being certified health coaches and licensed acupuncturists. And they are all qualified to help you find the right next step to get out of hormonal chaos and into your FLO. Work with a FLO Coach and find your customized plan to solve your period symptoms.

Click here to book your counselor consultation

Learn What to Eat to Prevent Ovarian Cysts

Functional ovarian cysts often develop and grow in relation to hormonal shifts. Hormonal imbalance issues can cause these cysts to grow much larger and even painfully rupture. Ovarian cysts can shrink and disappear without surgery or drugs, simply by creating an internal hormonal environment that keeps their development in check and under control.

It's common to not even realize that you have ovarian cysts until they stir up symptoms, as the result of growing larger or rupturing. The choices you begin to make today can help you avoid this from happening, especially if you do currently have smaller cysts. The early warning signs of hormonal imbalance, as a precursor to ovarian cyst growth, include period and cycle-related issues like PMS, missing periods, irregular cycles, and cramps.

Any woman who is experiencing estrogen overload or estrogen dominance - one of the most common hormonal imbalance situations - is at risk of developing ovarian cysts that become symptomatic. The symptoms of ovarian cysts range from bloating to frequent urination. Oftentimes, a woman who experiences a ruptured ovarian cyst will go to the ER with a lot of pain and a fever. Unfortunately, due to a lack of women’s health awareness, she will often be treated for appendicitis instead. The best way forward is to take control for yourself now, so you are not dependent on receiving emergency treatment down the line.

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How to shrink ovarian cysts

Natural remedies from a functional nutrition standpoint are highly effective for preventing cysts and shrinking cysts you may already have. We have seen women reverse their diagnosis of ovarian cysts, shocking their doctors and themselves by how effectively their body is capable of resolving this issue, when given the tools it needs to do so.

Any woman with a hormonal imbalance can take these actions with their diet as a preventative care measure, even if you currently do not know if you have ovarian cysts. Women deserve to understand the ways that nutrition and food interact with our hormonal health and well being. Even though every body is different, there are still ways that we can learn together how our food and symptoms can be related as well as how to make changes to improve our lives.

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Here are 5 strategies you can take to combat ovarian cysts:

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1. Release excess estrogen - green vegetables like Brussels sprouts, kale, collards, broccoli, and cabbage contain DIM (Di-Indolyl Methane) which is very effective at helping the body process and eliminate excess estrogen. Try to have a side of these veggies at every meal - whether that’s sautéed collard greens with your eggs at breakfast or broccoli with your bison burger for dinner.

2. Detox your liver - while so many products are marketed to us as detoxifying, the truth is quite simple - you need to eat to support your liver function, and the best way to do this directly is through food. Eat more eggs for essential bio-available protein, glutathione-heavy veggies like avocados and asparagus, and selenium superfoods like brazil nuts and oatmeal.

3. Fiber up - a diet high in fiber has been shown to decrease the reabsorption of estrogen in the body, lowering the incidence of estrogen-related health issues which include cysts & breast cancer. Fruits and veggies are the best sources of fiber for this purpose. Add fiber-rich flax seeds to your salads, soups & smoothies. Enjoy a fiber-full pear every day as a snack.

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4. Be good to your gut - fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, or pickles help your body manage estrogen levels. The estrobolome (a set of gut bacteria or gut genes) produces an essential enzyme that helps metabolize your excess estrogen. Giving your gut what it wants and needs to process estrogen and maintain hormonal balance is vital.

5. Practice Cycle Syncing® your nutrients - there are 2 peak estrogen surges during your cycle that need to be responded to and controlled with your food choices. The Cycle Syncing® Method targets these surges with foods and supplements that contain the micronutrients your body wants, in order to benefit from the estrogen it does need. It also helps process the excess estrogen it does not need. This ensures these surges stay as spikes in estrogen, and do not become long term estrogen dominance. You simply stock your fridge and pantry with foods specific to each phase of your hormone cycle, to address this common hormonal problem.

It's possible to take your health into your own hands and heal your ovarian cysts, naturally. With the right tools, you can move towards greater hormonal balance and a healthier life. Flo Living is here to help.

Your body sends you signals every single day - some of them you listen to, and some of them you might not be hearing. For example, you know you’re allergic to something if you start sneezing or itching, you know when your bladder is full, and you know when you’re hungry or thirsty - all because your body let’s you know through some obvious, and less obvious, signs.

But when it comes to the signs of hormonal imbalance often we may notice the problem, but assume it’s either a) normal or b) something we just have to put up with. Women tend to be socialized to believe that having hormonal symptoms is part of being female and having a female body, and that nothing can or should be done about it. It really saddens me to know how many women suffer year-in-year-out, not realizing their hormonal imbalance issues are not normal and are very treatable.

There are signs of hormonal imbalance that many, many women experience - but this doesn’t make them normal or necessary. Sometimes it’s helpful to think to yourself - “If my husband or boyfriend was going through this, would they put up with it?”

3 signs your hormones levels are not right

1. The second half of your cycle is PMS-central

If you seem to have terrible PMS between ovulation and the start of your period, the whole time or just a part of it, then your body is yelling at you loud and clear. Feeling moody, sad, anxious, or just miserable is not normal (although many women are in the same situation) and it’s not necessary. If you dread this time of the month knowing you’re headed for a big fight with your partner, a falling out with friends, or just a lot of nights home alone feeling bad - take note. It doesn’t have to be this way. Your body is asking you to do something - and that something is to support it with the right foods and supplements so that your hormones come back into balance.

I live a PMS-free life and you can too! In fact, I have renamed Pre-Menstrual Syndrome as Prioritizing MySelf - as this is the time in my cycle when I like to do extra self-care and really take care of my body and my mental health.

‍Estrogen dominance is often the root cause of PMS problems - you can start lowering your estrogen levels today with foods and supplements. Using the MyFLO app you can get tailored advice in your pre-menstrual phase, prompting you to eat the foods that will support you hormones and to practice the self-care techniques that will sooth all your symptoms.

2. Your period starts and ends in brown spotting

If you see brown blood as the marker of the beginning of your period or if your period tapers off into brown spotting, or if you have both of these menstrual experiences, then you are experiencing a hormonal imbalance. The brown blood is actually leftover from the last time you menstruated. Many women don’t even think to look at their period - or feel grossed out by doing so - which is a shame because you can learn so much from observing the color and consistency of your menstrual blood.

Low progesterone levels prevent your period from starting and stopping as bright red flow, how it should be. You can start boosting your progesterone levels today with foods and supplements. You can also take my Period Type Quiz to discover more about what brown spotting means for your health.

3. You have to be on hormonal birth control to get a regular “cycle”

You may not be aware of this, but when you’re on most forms of hormonal birth control you do not have a period. The bleeding you experience is actually called a “withdrawal bleed” and is not, physiologically speaking, the same as menstruation. So, hormonal birth control doesn’t really “give you” shorter, lighter periods - it stops your periods completely and replaces them with withdrawal bleeds.

Hormonal birth control also does not regulate your cycle, because you don’t experience a cycle. However, this is what we’ve been taught and is often how we’re presented with the pill, patch, or ring as a way to solve our period problems. Hormonal birth control is also not a true medical treatment for PCOS, ovarian cysts, fibroids or any number of hormonal health issues - it can help manage symptoms for some, but it does not actually resolve the problem. Meaning, when you come off the birth control, the problem will return. Synthetic hormone-based medications have so many side effects, both short term (IBS, increased allergies, fatigue, anxiety) and long term (heightened cancer risk, blood clots and stroke, nutrient deficiency).

It’s best to transition off hormonal birth control safely and discover what is the root cause of your hormonal health issue and set about treating it with a natural protocol. You can start my MonthlyFLO program while still using hormonal birth control and it will ease and smooth your transition off, ensuring less symptoms and withdrawal effects.

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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

1 in 5 women will develop fibroids in their lifetime. Fibroids are noncancerous growths in the wall of the uterus that can cause heavy bleeding, painful periods, prolonged menstruation, back pain, and much more. Fibroids are most common in women in their 30s, particularly African American women, as well as those with a relative (i.e. mom, aunt, sister) who also has fibroids. The one factor in whether you become or already are that one in five is your diet and this factor you can change today.

Fibroid growth is connected to hormonal balance, specifically the problem of estrogen dominance - this is why women who experience fibroids often find they shrink or disappear post-menopause when estrogen levels are lower. By changing what you eat you have the power to change your hormone balance and reverse an internal ecosystem currently functioning with estrogen overload.

This very common health issue is usually resolved with a prescription of the birth control pill or hysterectomy. However, the birth control may manage symptoms, it will not prevent fibroids from returning once you decide to go off, and Post Pill Syndrome can bring about worsened estrogen dominance, not to mention the myriad side effects of synthetic hormone replacement. Hysterectomy also has side effects, short and long term, for women’s health and can lead to heightened risk of the top cause of premature death for women - cardiovascular disease.

To have an impact on fibroid growth, shrink fibroids, or prevent fibroids in your future you need to focus on supporting your body is processing, eliminating, and detoxing from excess estrogen. You can do this by supporting your liver function, boosting gut health, and decreasing inflammation in the body. The first step is to remove those food that trigger fibroid growth and symptoms. The next step is to fold into your daily diet the right foods and supplements that will allow your hormones to rebalance and stay in harmony.

The worst foods for fibroids

• Dairy - much regular dairy is full of the artificial hormones including synthetic estrogen, given to dairy cows to make them grow and produce unnatural amounts of milk, which will add to your high-estrogen environment. The antibiotics in regular dairy also has a destructive effect on your microbiome, which is essential for estrogen metabolism. Dairy is also an inflammatory food leading to increase in symptoms with fibroids. Plus most cows in the US are fed with soy, a estrogenic food. A pillar of the FLO Living protocol is removing dairy from your diet and detoxing. The much safer choice if you must have dairy is organic goats’ or sheeps’ milk, cheese, and yogurts as these do not containing the problematic A1 casein.

• Processed red meat - processed red meat from factory farmed cows, injected with antibiotics and fed with soy, is another food type to avoid if you have fibroids. The one study that found consumption of processed meat increased the likelihood of fibroid growth, also showed that a high intake of fruits and vegetables can have the opposite effect. The FLO Living protocol recommends small amounts of red meat eaten during certain hormonally-specific times in your menstrual cycle, allowing for a varied diet and a controlled enjoyment of red meat, always organic and grass-fed.

• White bread, pasta, potatoes  - eating refined carbohydrates is no different to eating piles of sugar, both increase insulin causing blood sugar imbalance which is a primary factor behind imbalance hormones. On top of that, gluten is inflammatory and messes with the delicate balance of the microbiome where much of your estrogen is metabolized and processed. The FLO Living protocol is primarily gluten free and instead holds a range of whole grains as the replacement. Wheat crops are treated with the pesticide glyphosate (a hormone disrupter and estrogenic in the body) to such a high degree that it’s hard in the US to find a crop that hasn’t been contaminated. From my experience, most women who are experiencing hormonal health issues are also gluten-sensitive.

• Caffeine + alcohol - over-consumption of coffee and alcohol,  which for women means just 2 cups of coffee or  2 high caffeine drinks a day or a glass of wine every night, can overload and strain the function of your liver, hampering it in its ability to process and eliminate excess estrogen. The liver plays a vital role in hormone balancing and when it’s busy getting rid of coffee and alcohol, it cannot play its part to the fullest effect. Just a couple of glasses of wine significantly raises your estrogen levels. Coffee suppresses ovulation, thereby suppressing production of progesterone and producing an estrogen dominated hormone imbalance.

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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