Leaping libido
Before you resort to pills, patches, or creams — whether natural or synthetic — there’s a simple, effective, proven way to improve your libido. Exercise.
Think of all the things we already know exercise can accomplish for your body: Improved blood flow and circulation, better muscle strength and tone, increased flexibility, improved cardiac endurance and function, lower stress levels. It doesn’t take a genius, or even a scientist, to figure out that every benefit of exercise can also have a positive impact on your sex life. Not to mention the only “side effects” of exercise are better health, and the occasional sore muscle.
One of the biggest barriers to sexual function, particularly in women, is stress and fatigue. Exercise has been shown effective in relieving both these conditions. Endorphins combat the “stress hormone” cortisol and help promote an overall feeling of well being. Studies have also shown that getting in better shape promotes a healthier body image, which in turn can increase your feelings of desirability.
Exercise also naturally increases your body’s own production of testosterone, which is the primary hormone driving libido in both men and women.
So if you’ve been meaning to start an exercise program but just haven’t found the motivation, perhaps the lure of an improved sex life will do the trick. You don’t need to go into Olympic training to get the benefit — in fact, heavy exercise can decrease testosterone levels. But just 10 to 30 minutes a day of moderate to strenuous exercise, along with some stretching and deep breathing, ought to be enough to help you see an improvement.
Bundle of nerves
Q: My wife has Parkinson’s disease and until recently she was a fairly active 72-year-old. But last year she began having problems with diabetic neuropathy. She really suffers with this and I am looking for some suggestions on how to manage both of these conditions so she can go back to living a more normal life.
JVW: Neuropathy, or nerve damage, is often a painful reality for many diabetics and is one of the hardest conditions to treat. Unfortunately, most conventional treatments don’t work — but there is hope in some alternatives.
Studies have shown that evening primrose oil (EPO) offers significant relief of neuropathy symptoms, including improvement of function in motor and sensory nerves, and muscle strength. Researchers think this is due to its high concentration of GLA (gamma-linolenic acid), which is produced in the body from certain foods. Diabetes interferes with the production of GLA so supplementing with EPO makes sense. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting properties so people on blood-thinning drugs or aspirin need to exercise caution when taking EPO.
For Parkinson’s disease, I usually recommend coenzyme Q10 and vitamin B2. In one study of 80 people with Parkinson’s, coQ10 supplementation was shown to reduce the deterioration of function and the degree of disability. The same applies to vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin.
A Brazilian study found all 31 of its Parkinson’s subjects to be deficient in riboflavin even though they were eating adequate amounts of food containing this vitamin. But after supplementing for six months they experienced a 30 percent improvement in motor skill capacity.
There is also a breakthrough therapy that I covered extensively in the April 2004 issue of Nutrition & Healing. It’s called MME (Magnetic Molecular Energizer). MME takes the technology of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and turns it around to transmit rather than receive powerful electromagnetic energy. This allows the body faster and previously unheard of healing. It is particularly effective with the nervous system, which is affected with both diabetic neuropathy and Parkinson’s.
For more information or to find an MME center contact the Advanced Magnetic Research Institute (AMRI) International at (800)265-1119 or visit www.amri-wa.com.
What is…an endorphin?
The release of endorphins is one of the primary benefits of exercise. Discovered in 1975, endorphins are the body’s natural version of opiates such as morphine and codeine — without the addictive side effects. At least 20 different types of endorphins, which are secreted by the pituitary gland, have been identified, and they are produced by a variety of stimuli.
High endorphin levels are not only powerful pain relievers, but they also alleviate the negative effects of stress. In addition to exercise and physical activity, some foods stimulate endorphin production, such as capsaicin (hot peppers) and chocolate.
Not coincidentally, sexual activity secretes endorphins and thus can alleviate stress. If you can break out of the catch-22 of being too stressed out to have sex, having sex could help you to feel less stressed out.
Sources:
Meston CM, Gorzalka BB. “The effects of immediate, delayed, and residual sympathetic activation on sexual arousal in women.” Behav Res Ther 1996; 34(9): I-II.
Esposito K, etal. “Effect of lifestyle changes on erectile dysfunction in obese men: a randomized controlled trial.” JAMA 2004; 291(24): 2,978-2,984
Shults CW, et al. “Effects of coenzyme Q10 in early Parkinson disease; evidence of slowing of the functional decline,” Arch Neurol 2002; 59(10): 1,541-1,550.
Coimbra CG, Junqueira VB. “High doses of riboflavin and the elimination of dietary red meat promote the recovery of some motor functions in Parkinson’s disease patients.” Braz J Med Biol Res 2003; 36(10): 1,409-1,417
