Having a healthy sex life is a great way to stay fit, happy and
connected with your partner. While having sex is a natural function for
human beings, there are times when both men and women suffer from a low
sex drive. This can be a slightly awkward topic to discuss, since people
find it difficult to admit and they are afraid of their partners'
reactions. If you have been experiencing a low sex drive, it does not
mean that you are any less of a man or a woman. Instead, you should
examine your daily routine to see if there are things that have been
killing your libido without you realising it.
If taken in small amounts, alcohol can actually improve your sex drive and give you confidence. Drinking too much on the other hand is bad for your libido, because it can cause erectile dysfunction and hamper orgasms. Too much alcohol is known to affect men especially, inhibiting testosterone production in the testes, affecting sexual performance and causing premature ejaculation.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant, and it can decrease your desire for sex. While consuming caffeine in moderation is all right, drinking too much of it on a regular basis can lead to over-stimulation of the adrenal glands. This floods your body with hormones that are usually associated with stress, which negatively impact the libido and sexual performance.
Certain foods have a negative impact on your libido. Soya products like soya nuggets, soya sauce and tofu hamper men’s libidos and even cause them to develop “man boobs”. Similarly, products with refined carbohydrates and sugar can also lower testosterone production in men. Certain red meats that have been injected with hormones can also affect men’s hormone levels, killing their sex drive.
When you exercise, your body releases endorphins and this triggers a subsequent release of hormones that boost your libido. Exercising more will help you improve your flexibility and muscle strength, both of which will help your sexual performance. Exercise also improves your blood circulation, so that all parts of your body, including your genital regions, get better blood flow.
Too much exercise
While most people are aware that getting too little exercise is bad for their libido, they don’t realise that exercising too much is equally bad. Extreme amounts of exercise can cause various eating and psychological disorders that can negatively impact your sex drive. Working out in moderation will keep you healthy and make you feel desirable.
Excess weight
Being overweight can put a lot of strain on your internal organs, which in turn can have a negative impact on your sex drive. Being overweight can also lead to various problems like heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, all of which are bad for your libido. Taking up a diet and exercise regime can help both you lose weight, become healthier and improve your confidence, all of which will help boost your libido.
Watching pornography and masturbating too often can cause your sex drive to decrease. This happens because watching pornography triggers the release of dopamine, the hormone associated with sexual pleasure. If this occurs too frequently, your brain stops responding to it, making it harder for you to get aroused. Try to maintain a healthy pattern of masturbation and avoid overdoing it.
Relationship problems
If there are unsolved issues between you and your partner, you may find it difficult to be intimate with them. Your body and mind are very much in sync and so if you are upset or angry with them, you may not be able to feel any sexual desire for them at that time. Communicate with your partner and solve what issues are between the two of you so that you can resume sexual relations once more.
Routine
Sometimes couples can get stuck in a rut, doing the same things over and over again. This could cause both men and women to lose interest in the activity. Trying new things in the bedroom, paying attention to what your partner likes and communicating your own preferences can help liven things up. It may be a good idea to leave your comfort zone and try something new.
Parenthood
Having children can put a damper on your libido, especially if you have just had a child. Taking care of a newborn baby is a 24-hour job and exhaustion can hamper your libido. Women are especially affected at this time, since their hormones can be volatile after childbirth. Furthermore, their bodies release a hormone called prolactin during the months that they are breastfeeding. While prolactin stimulates milk production, it hampers sex drive.
Busy schedule
The daily grind takes a toll on you, leaving you tired, exhausted and not in the mood for sex. Timing also plays a role in this, since it is possible that one partner may be tired on a day when the other is in the mood to make love. Sleep deprivation directly affects hormone production, killing your sex drive and making you sluggish.
Stress
Closely related to sleep deprivation, stress is a major factor that can negatively affect every part of your health, including your sex drive. Stress can come from any source – family, work, friends, financial pressure, etc. Like sleep deprivation, it directly hampers hormone production. Exercise is the best way to counter stress, since endorphins will give you a happy rush that is a great stress buster.
Medication
Certain medications are known to have negative effects on your sex drive. Drugs like anti-depressants, lithium, benzodiazephines, antihypertensives, cardiovascular drugs, and lipid-lowering meds like gemfibrozil, could also lower sex drive. With men especially, medications that are intended to treat conditions like prostate cancer can lower testosterone production as well.
Depression
One of the first signs of depression is a failing sex drive. If you start to feel low, uninterested in the things that you used to love and exhausted all the time, then you should consider seeking professional help. The complication with depression is that anti-depressant medications often hamper your libido further.
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