Saturday 14 September 2013
Thursday 12 September 2013
3 Foods That May Be Ruining Your Sex Life
Anyone who’s ever spent the better part of their Sunday in a pancake-induced coma/state of despair knows there’s a definite link between what you eat and how you feel.
Which probably means you also know that there’s a link between your nutrition and your sex life. Husband-and-wife team Dr. Brian Clement and Dr. Anna Maria Clement are experts on this very connection—and their book, 7 Keys to Lifelong Sexual Vitality, explores everything from sex-boosting recipes to how to improve your fertility using food (more on that to come in another post!).
Some of their info stopped me in my tracks…or rather, in the middle of my dinner.
THE CULPRIT:
The bacon cheeseburger
THE DANGER:
The saturated fats you’ll find in most cheeses and fatty meats clogs your arteries…not exactly news to you. But did you know that the first arteries usually affected are the penal and vaginal arteries? They’re small, which means they quickly collect plaque—so even if you’re still looking svelte despite your close personal relationship with the McDonald’s drive-through guy, your sex life might be suffering. Not to mention, has anyone ever felt particularly sexy after polishing off a giant burger?
The saturated fats you’ll find in most cheeses and fatty meats clogs your arteries…not exactly news to you. But did you know that the first arteries usually affected are the penal and vaginal arteries? They’re small, which means they quickly collect plaque—so even if you’re still looking svelte despite your close personal relationship with the McDonald’s drive-through guy, your sex life might be suffering. Not to mention, has anyone ever felt particularly sexy after polishing off a giant burger?
Related: 4 Surprising Effects of Fast Food
THE CULPRIT:
That box of grab-and-go muffins
That box of grab-and-go muffins
THE DANGER:
Let’s face it, you’ve probably never heard a good word about trans fats…and processed baked goods are loaded with them. In addition to clogging arteries, trans fats have also been linked to reduced testosterone levels (which means lower sex drive).
Let’s face it, you’ve probably never heard a good word about trans fats…and processed baked goods are loaded with them. In addition to clogging arteries, trans fats have also been linked to reduced testosterone levels (which means lower sex drive).
Related: Top 12 Dangerous Muffins
THE CULPRIT:
Your soy latte
Your soy latte
THE DANGER:
Soy-based products are high in estrogen, which can cause male sex drive to take a nosedive. Rumor even has it that Buddhist monks eat tofu to help curb their sex drives! And it’ll affect more than just how lusty your guy is feeling…it may also affect your chances of having a baby: a 2008 study in the Human Reproduction journal found that soy can lower sperm count.
Soy-based products are high in estrogen, which can cause male sex drive to take a nosedive. Rumor even has it that Buddhist monks eat tofu to help curb their sex drives! And it’ll affect more than just how lusty your guy is feeling…it may also affect your chances of having a baby: a 2008 study in the Human Reproduction journal found that soy can lower sperm count.
What Are the Health Benefits of Orgasms?
Stress Reduction
Orgasms allow your body to produce oxytocin, a cuddling hormone that also is a fantastic stress reliever. The amount of oxytocin released by the pituitary gland reaches its height a few minutes after ejaculation.
Lower Blood Pressure
Many studies have found that frequent orgasms are great for your heart health. For women in particular, orgasms help reduce blood pressure levels.
Wednesday 11 September 2013
10 Foods Guaranteed To Make You Fat
The figures are shocking:
- 2/3 Americans over age 20 are overweight
- Nearly 1/3 of Americans over age 20 are obese
- Worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980.
Obesity is now classified as a disease by the American Medical Association (AMA).
See how many people become obese every second: World Meters Info Obesity
Eric Schlosser in his book “Fast Food Nation” says that the annual health care costs in the United States from obesity is close to $240 billion.
We can’t afford to be overweight and obese. Let’s learn how to do something about this now! Start with learning which foods make us fat.
10 Foods Guaranteed to Make You Fat
1. Artificial Sweeteners:
Diet soda does have less calories and less sugar than regular soda. This doesn’t mean it’s healthy. A study found that people who drank two or more diet sodas a day had six times the waistline compared to those who skip the diet cola.
Research has also shown that NutraSweet, one of the most popular artificial sweeteners, leads to the same surge of insulin as white carbs (see No 7 food below) –- because of sweetness detectors in the small intestine.
2. White sugar is full of calories that sabotage healthy eating and prime your palate to crave sweets.
The world is filled with sugar addicts. When our blood sugars are high we are high. When our blood sugar is low, we feel totally run down and exhausted and want more sugar. Sugar has no vitamins or minerals, just lots of fat-building calories. Watch out for hidden sugars!
3. Cheese can be a fattening food.
Poor digestion causes weight gain! Fat has nine calories per gram, protein and carbohydrates have only four.
The most fattening food in the world is considered to be cheese fries.
4. Gluten rich foods are fattening but so are most common gluten free packaged products.
Read the labels; they are full of starch and sugar. A study discovered that it was easy to eat too many slices of bread in one sitting.
5. Potatoes were found to be the top food making us fat.
All forms were found to be fattening. Every serving of fries eaten in a day was linked to weight gain of more than three pounds, while eating an extra serving of potato chips led to a gain of 1.69 pounds.
6. Alcohol blocks the body from burning fat.
Alcohol increases the release of the hormone cortisol that breaks down muscle and retains fat. The loss of muscle can slowdown metabolism making it easier to gain weight. Also, alcohol causes a drop in testosterone in men, a hormone which helps burn fat.
Fat metabolism can be reduced by as much as 73 percent after only two drinks of vodka and lemonade in a one hour time period. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition). Alcohol dehydrates the body which needs to be hydrated to build muscle and burn fat.
7. White Carbs (white rice, pasta, white bread, and starches) are fattening because they are high glycemic index foods.
A study suggests that such carbs are a problem for people wanting to lose body fat. Findings show that consumption of the wrong carbs creates body fat. Ludwig and his colleagues at Children’s Hospital Boston
8. Fats and Oils are fattening especially when they come as deep fried foods and baked goods.
Fats and oils also contain 120 calories per tablespoon. Even olive oil has lots of calories even though it has significant health benefits.
9. Processed Foods are loaded with calories and almost no nutrients!
Diet microwave meals and frozen meals are high in sodium and calorie-rich fat to preserve flavor. Eating them causes you to retain water in your arms and legs, leaving you puffy.
Research by the London University College team, suggests that a diet high in processed food increases the risk of depression.
10. Processed meats (lunch meats, bacon, sausage, hot dogs) are high in calories, fat and sodium.
Sixty eight percent of bacon’s calories come from fat, almost half is saturated fat and each ounce has 30 milligrams of cholesterol.
Too much salt in your body leads to water retention and bloating. NO amount of processed meat is considered safe to eat, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.
We are the result of what we eat.
Let’s not short change our body with foods high in fat, sugar, and chemicals. If you are still eating many of the foods listed above, simply start decreasing the quantity until you are in control. (Every bit helps!)
How do you decrease the “bad” foods. It’s simple. Increase the GOOD ones!
Everyone already know the good foods: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and quality proteins. If you needed to choose the best food group, it would be vegetables.
Tuesday 10 September 2013
Sexual Dysfunction’s Underlying Cause
My favorite thing to do is teach and last weekend I was lucky to have the chance to give a presentation to 50 physicians about working with their patients’ sexual dysfunction issues. I thought it would be easy since I spend so much of my days thinking, researching and talking about ways to become more sexually healthy, but in fact I was surprised how much I still had to learn as I was obliged to organize my rambling knowledge into a cohesive 90 minute talk. It is daunting to cover the vast swaths of dysfunction that make up the landscape of so many people’s experience with their sexuality. Pain with sex is almost more common than not in a lifetime and the silence that overwhelms the symptoms makes healing through education all the more difficult.
One of the most enlightening aspects of educating ourselves about our sexuality is that just as in other areas of cognition, what we don’t know about or have language to describe disappears from view. It turns out that this is precisely the case when it comes to the largely unknown anatomical structures of the internal clitoral organ system. Contrary to popular belief, the clitoris is not just a small button that sits on the top of the vagina — the external glans, containing over 8000 nerve endings and connected to 15,000 more throughout the pelvis is the proverbial tip of the iceberg. In fact the clitoral organ structure closely resembles the male sexual structures with long legs that reach deep into the vagina.
It wasn’t until the 1990s that research was done that elevated the clitoris from an external place to an internal organ system and not until 2011 that we had an accurate sonographic image. So even today, most women have yet to discover this complex and profound organ system they are carrying around. One of the researchers Dr. Pierre Foldes duly noted the truth that these internal organ systems only exist for women who know they are there and are working at cultivating their sensitivity … Thus the long standing arguments about the veracity of the g-spot.
This lack of self knowledge about our sexual selves and the complexity of our sexual functioning is not limited to the clitoral anatomy. There are almost as many men who struggle to control their ejaculations and ability to have an erection as there are women who suffer with a range of constriction and dryness issues that make sex painfully disappointing. It is the utter silence and discomfort about breaking our silence that keeps us locked away from the healing sexual capacity that lives in each of us.
Here is the takeaway: we cannot begin to evolve in places that remain hidden. The solution to almost all sexual dysfunction begins with open dialogue, not suppression.
Replacing the archaic cloak of shame that has too long been associated with this aspect of humanity can only heal us. Anna Freud famously said, “Sex is something you do, sexuality is something you are.” Waking up sexually starts with breaking the societal barriers that are silencing your questions and desires. At least with the people you trust most deeply, dare yourself to wake up to the sexuality you are.
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5 Ways to Make the Most out of Your Vacation
Schedules. Stop making daily plans for a couple of days. Try to fly by the seat of your pants for a day or two. We often over-plan our vacations to the extent that it becomes stressful to stay on track. Now, how is that fun and rejuvenating?
Your car. Yeah, you probably need your car to get to the hotel, plane, et cetera. But, once you’re there, ditch it. Sure, you could drive down to the beach, but your car is just insulating you from new and exciting experiences. Instead, try to bike, skate, canoe, walk, or jog everywhere as much as possible. Not only will you feel great, but you will be helping the earth AND opening yourself up for new experiences and opportunities.
Your diet. Leave your meat-and-potatoes meals at the bus stop. A vacation is the time to get outside of your comfort zone. Try to adopt local customs and try different cuisines when you are vacationing. Who knows, you may discover your new favorite food! Just going to the beach? Try something you’ve never had before, even if it is as commonplace as a new flavor of ice cream.
Electronics. Everyone knows this one. Unplugging for a couple of days can reboot your system, so to speak. Electronics are stressful because they force us to multitask — an unnatural activity. Shut down your iLife for a couple of days, and remember what the world looks like beyond the retina screen. Who knows what wonders you will rediscover beyond the plugs?
Playing it safe. Take risks that you don’t normally take. Try a new activity, like rock climbing, or go out and meet new people. Maybe eat some spicy food. The risk doesn’t have to be dangerous, per say, but it should be beyond your comfort zone. It will pay off.
Go enjoy the last rays of summer and make the most of them. One great experience can alter your perspective on life and improve your future.
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