Better sleep, less stress, enhanced immunity, improved circulation—what’s the secret? Have more sex! Research continues to show that regular sex is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, offering numerous physical and emotional benefits. Yet many women, especially those in their midlife and later years, aren’t getting enough. Whether your mood could use a boost or you need a little extra physical support, these natural solutions can help.
Use a natural lubricant. Due to natural hormonal changes that occur later in life, some women experience uncomfortable dryness or pain during intercourse. This is easily remedied by using a good personal lubricant. It’s important to choose a product free of harsh chemicals and hormone disrupters that can be absorbed into your boyd. Try water-based Aloe Cadabra Personal Lubricant, which is 95 percent organic aloe vera, or Honey Girl Organics Personal Lubricant, which is free of parabens, glycerins, fragrances and petroleum products.
Get in shape. Aerobic and resistance training can significantly contribute to your overall sexual health. Pelvic floor exercises, in particular, can enhance your sexual energy by strengthening the muscle that not only holds your internal organs in place, but also contracts when you experience orgasm. These exercises, better known as Kegels, can be done to strengthen both fast- and slow-twitch capacity.
Fast-twitch fibers become stronger when you squeeze your pelvic floor and hold for two seconds, release for two seconds, and repeat this ten times. Your slow-twitch fibers are strengthened when you squeeze your pelvic floor and hold for ten seconds, release for ten seconds, and repeat this ten times. If you do these exercises on a daily basis, you can not only strengthen this very important pelvic muscle, but also increase circulation to your pelvis, decrease your risk of incontinence and increase your sexual responsiveness.
Clean up your diet. Your body’s ability to maintain healthy sexual energy is closely tied to your general health, and diet, of course, plays a big part. Focus on eating clean, minimally processed foods consistently. There are also some foods that may help support sexual well-being. These include sweet potatoes, hemp seeds, acai juice, pumpkin seeds, pomegranates, cruciferous vegetables, flax seeds, mangosteen juice, shiitake mushrooms, coconut oil, chia seeds and blueberry juice.
Avoid libido-diminishing foods. Besides aiming to eat well, there are some foods you may want to avoid. They can have the opposite effect of aphrodisiacs, potentially decreasing your sex drive if consumed too frequently. Well-known examples include sugar (which increases the stress hormone cortisol and may decrease your natural capacity for sexual arousal), fatty foods (they can shift your moods, causing you to feel lethargic), alcohol (which may affect sex hormones, dull sensory awareness and hinder sexual performance), trans-fats (which can have deleterious effects on the production of hormones) and caffeine (which breaks down testosterone, important for both women’s and men’s sexual energy).
Try supportive herbs. Herbal aphrodisiacs have been used for centuries to help fan the flames of passion. If you think you could use some extra support with sexual response, try an herbal supplement such as ArginMax for Women, which contains the amino acid L-arginine plus vitamins, minerals and herbs to support natural sexual functioning.* Hot Plants for Her also is a good herbal product for supporting healthy sexual desire.* Remember, a change in your lifestyle, and especially your exercise and diet program, can be paramount to the success of any herbal or nutritional product.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.