Lifestyle Therapy
Certain elements in our daily lives can lead to lack of sexual desire, inability to achieve orgasm and affect our overall health. Here are a few of the most problematic:
Stress
All nerve responses are impaired by stress, including those of the brain and endocrine glands. Stress can hopelessly interfere with a woman's ability to become aroused or achieve full sexual satisfaction.
Consciously practice stress reduction. Something as simple as soft music, a long weekend, or even just some quiet alone time with her lover can turn a woman's thoughts to love. For stress reduction techniques and natural stress reducing programs, see my booklet, Stress & Energy.
Lack of proper sleep
Fatigue keeps glands from functioning optimally and dulls arousal, desire and satisfaction during sex.
Go to bed earlier. Get 8 hours of full sleep every night. Sometimes a short course of the antioxidant hormone melatonin can help a woman get better sleep; 1 to 3 mg are all that she needs reset her biological clock. Melatonin has even had study results for breast cancer prevention.
Environmental toxins
Americans are bombarded with an enormous number of artificial chemicals every day. We're plagued with additives, preservatives, dyes and artificial flavorings in our food chlorine and fluoride in our drinking water, even pesticides on our fresh produce! Chemicals are everywhere. They not only pose a threat on their own, they also create nutrient deficiencies - especially the minerals and trace elements needed for sexual health.
Eat organic foods. Stay away from red meat. Eat poultry that is hormone and antibiotic-free. Drink pure water.
Tobacco
Smoking is no good for anybody's love life. It wipes out energy by limiting body oxygen and, thus, stamina. It damages blood vessels, which provide the increased blood flow needed for arousal. Tobacco assaults the body with literally hundreds of toxic substances. Nicotine, carbon monoxide, lead, cadmium, and benzopyrene are just a few that find their way into our bodies through cigarette smoke. Moreover, we lose crucial nutrients, vitamins (C, E, A) and carotenes - all important for strong sexual function.
Women who quit smoking find they enjoy an increase in frequency of intercourse. Plus, it's a great way to improve your long-term health.
Caffeine
Caffeine stresses the adrenal glands, which provide the material for hormones. A new study shows that caffeine actually decreases testosterone, killing libido. For many women, it interrupts the menstrual cycle. Caffeine also increases muscle tension, making it hard to relax - important for sexual enjoyment.
Limit your caffeine intake. If you decide to quit coffee, try green tea in the morning instead.
Alcohol
Alcohol impairs sexual response by dulling the senses. Like caffeine, it appears to impair testosterone production, needed by both men and women for normal libido.
A glass of red wine can help a woman relax, and it's loaded with flavonoids that improve circulation. But a glass or two should be the limit if you are romantically inclined.