The stresses of everyday life can take their toll on our health, and let’s face it, our sex lives. Sex can be the last thing on our minds! Whilst de-stressing is a help, there are practical steps you can take to avoid having to think of more creative excuses than the predictable ‘I’ve got a headache’ line.
For most people sex drives vary over time and may decline with increased age. However, our sex drives appear to be decreasing overall. Sex drive is not a simple matter and is not just generated by the initial feelings of excitement when you first get together, there are other important factors that play an essential part in a healthy sex life.
Surveys are showing that nearly a third of women never reach orgasm and a fifth don’t enjoy their sex life. Also, although many men suffer from erectile dysfunction (not being able to have or sustain an erection), many more are finding that their libido is low in the first place. Sex drive is primarily driven by hormones and over the last 50 years there is growing evidence that hormone related problems are on the increase, including infertility and cancers.
Other important factors contributing to the decline in libido include stress. Although the body needs its stress response to deal with everyday life, if stress is prolonged or extreme, the response can have negative effects on many aspects of health including hormone balance.
Simple Tips To Improve Your Sex Life
For centuries, alchemists have searched for the ultimate sexual elixir. Although a magic potion is yet to be discovered, there are practical steps that can be taken to improve your sexual health. Giving your libido a direct boost includes, amongst other things, ensuring good hormone balance.
Oestrogen dominance will affect your sex life as inadequate levels of progesterone have a direct effect of the libido so ensuring good levels is vital. Other factors include:
• Avoiding stimulants such as coffee, tea, alcohol, cigarettes and sugary foods and drinks can go a long way to stabilising your body’s response to stress
• Essential fatty acids (EFAs) from fish, nut and seed oils are also important for hormone production and effective hormonal messaging.
• The body’s main stress response comes from the adrenal glands, which rely on a good supply of several nutrients to work efficiently. An important one is vitamin C, others include B5.
• Research has found that men low in zinc are low in testosterone
• B3 is a vasodilator, enhancing blood flow to sex organs and essential for pituitary function which controls hormone balance.
Helpful information:
Unfortunately libido can be a tricky one to get right as so many factors, both physical and emotional, can be involved. However, we do know that progesterone can increase sex drive in women, so many women find it helpful to supplement with it.
If you also have vaginal dryness however you may find a combination cream such as 20-1 more effective as that has both progesterone and oestrogen.
https://www.bio-hormone-health.com/2015/06/01/when-sex-is-painful-what-can-you-do/
https://www.bio-hormone-health.com/2019/01/23/10-ways-to-boost-libido/