Up your
libido.
Simple ways to perk up
your sex drive
A low libido is not the end of the world. It just seems that way. After all, an active satisfying sex life is not only fun, but is a fabulous
way to keep feeling and looking young, according to Karen Singer, M.D., hormone specialist and anti-aging physician at LivingYoung
Center. In spite of this fact, she says that diminished sex drive is one of the most frequent complaints she hears in her practice.
The good news is there are many things you can do yourself to bring your libido up to speed. The first step is understanding what the
libido is and how it works. There are two parts to the libido: the mind and the machinery. Of the two, the mind/brain is the mightier of
the body’s sex organs. It is the brain that produces the chemicals and hormones that trigger feelings of love, attraction, arousal and
orgasm. Without these “feelings” to feed the machinery, the machinery just doesn’t work like it should.
This article presents some simple things you can do to restore the passion, excitement and youth-enhancing benefits a healthy libido
provides. Some of these methods will stimulate production of hormones that influence the libido, such as testosterone. Both men and
women depend on optimal testosterone levels for best performance (yes, women have testosterone too.) Testosterone production
declines naturally with age making diminished libido a common complaint among older people. However, this decline can be accelerated by smoking, heavy drinking, gaining excess weight, and lack of physical activity.
In some cases testosterone levels are abnormally low and totally beyond the scope of the individual to fix. How do you know if that’s
the case? At LivingYoung we offer a Basic Testosterone Test. Dr. Singer will evaluate the results of this inexpensive blood test which
may indicate a need for Testosterone Therapy which is basically testosterone supplementation. This a common solution for a common
complaint. But let’s take a look at some DIY methods to lift your libido.
If you want a livelier sex drive, eat libido-lifting foods
Research has shown that what you eat, or don’t eat, has a direct effect on your sex drive. Some foods provide nutrients essential for
the production of sex hormones, feel-good hormones such as Serotonin, Dopamine and other endorphins. These are the libido-lifting
foods. Wouldn’t it make sense to find out what they are and then eat lots of them? For example, dark chocolate-covered strawberries are a libido-lifting food. The dark chocolate contains phenylethylamine and tryptophan (a building block of serotonin involved in sexual arousal). The strawberries are rich in Vitamin C, important to the proper functioning of the sex
organs.
Did you ever wonder why Italians have such renown as romeos? The Mediterranean diet contains many libido-lifting foods,
like olive oil, garlic, nuts and seeds. You are what you eat. Eat libido-lifting foods and you may notice a very welcome change. See
a partial list of these aphrodisiac foods on the next page.
If you want a livelier sex drive, eat libido-lifting foods (cont.)
Try this: bypass McDonald’s this week and cut down on the alcohol. Instead,
fill your diet with libido-lifting foods. By Saturday night, you may find yourself
pleasantly surprised to discover your libido has come back from the dead.
Libido-Lifting Foods
Green leafy vegetables: some call spin-
ach natural Viagra. Rich in Vitamin E, manganese and zinc … all essential for nourishing the sex hormones
Bananas: Rich in Vitamin B, bananas con-
If you want to get physical, become more physical
Sexual activity is strenuous work, burning 170 calories per hour (or portion thereof depending
on your stamina). Stamina and energy are key to frequent and satisfying sex. Without these
essential ingredients, low libido easily rears its ugly head making you too lethargic or sleepy to
pursue physical contact. The solution? Become more physically active. Many people resist the
idea of working out, but you may be more motivated if you knew that strength and resistance
training definitely boost testosterone levels which in turn turns up the libido.
Whenever you break down and rebuild muscles by lifting weights or doing pushups, you produce
a spike in testosterone production. That alone is worth the effort. But consider these additional
benefits: vigorous exercise increases performance, range of motion and endurance. It boosts
your mood, confidence and energy levels. Exercise relieves stress and improves blood flow to all
the right places.
Try this: before hitting the sack, spend 30 minutes doing some strength and
resistance training exercises. Exercise causes testosterone to spike. After
your shower, you will pumped up in more ways than one.
If you want to boost your libido, change your mind..
Be aware that the libido is fairly fragile, dependent on harmony among the emotional, mental,
and physical aspects of the body. While good nutrition and exercising address the physical
needs of the libido, it’s easy to overlook the role our emotional and mental states play. Stress,
anxiety about sexual performance ,low self-confidence and boredom all are ways the mind can
sabotage the machinery.
To keep passion alive and the libido strong, you might have to change your mind about your self
image or about the way you’ve always done things. Things really can get old and boring after 10
or 20 years or whenever the honeymoon is over. Here are some fresh ideas that might spice up
the romance.
vert carbohydrates into energy, a necessary
bedroom ingredient. They also stimulate the
production of hormones, especially testosterone.
Seeds: such as flax seeds are rich in
Omega 3 fatty acids, a hormone stabilizer.
Olive Oil: This mono-unsaturated fat is the
answer to female organism problems. Be
generous in its use.
Seafood: Rich in Omega 3 fatty acids,
seafood enhances dopamine levels in the
brain’s pleasure center. Oysters, loaded
with zinc, enhance the prostrate gland,
boosting testosterone in men.
Dark Chocolate: contains Phenethylamine
(a stimulant related to amphetamine) that
relaxes the body making it pleasurably intoxicated. Dark chocolate helps the body
release serotonin, the stress-busting, moodaltering hormone that can turn you on.
Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, whatever kind of
nut you like will increase your energy and
stamina,
Garlic: this odiferous little food has long
had a reputation for stimulating the sex
hormones.
Vitamin C: Strawberries, kiwi, citrus, etc. …
all C-rich foods tune up the sexual organs.
Spicy spices: Chili pepper, ginger and red
chilies can heat up the bedroom due to their
ability to increase blood circulation, sending
it where it needs to go.
 Pay attention to what stimulates your senses. It could be a certain smell, taste, image or music. Incorporate these stimulants
into your bedroom. Electrify the mood with candles instead of a 75 watt bulb.
 Reduce stress. Children, relationship problems, work overload and financial issues are common sources of stress. It’s important to recognize the stressors in your life and take steps to reduce them. Temporary stress might be relieved by a soothing
massage; ongoing stress may need more drastic measures such as relationship counseling or a different job. Changing your
mind about what is stressing you is the first step toward alleviating it.
 Vacation sex is almost always awesome. Find the time to take a relaxing vacation soon and do it often.
 Break the routine. If you are used to having sex after watching the 10 o’clock news in bed, stop. First of
all, watching the news is a depressant. If you want to build excitement, start subtle foreplay early in the
day. Then ramp it up later on the patio sofa, in the backyard tent, back seat of your car or on a moonless
beach (be discreet on this last one. The sea turtles are watching!) If you customarily don’t bother with
foreplay, change your mind about that too.
 Eliminate distractions. Kids are distracting; take them to a sitter. Don’t let Fido or Mittens into bed with
you. Remove your mother-in-law’s picture from the bedside table. Put your electronics — all of them — out
of earshot.
 If your partner’s willing to go from mild to wild with you, try role playing. Don’t you remember playing
“Doctor” as a kid? And remember, whipped cream is not just for sundaes.
The point is when you change your mind about the ways things have always been done and you try out-of-the-ordinary ideas, freshness blows excitement into the libido and into a relationship. Your partner may be surprised but being surprised is a relative of being titillated. And as every successful lover knows, titillation is the libido’s best friend.
If these simple ideas don’t do the trick, simply call for a free consultation with our Hormone
Specialist. Medical science has found exciting, effective ways to end a relationship with a low
libido. Give us a call at 727-319-6884 and we’ll share what we know.
©2013 LivingYoung Center, LLC