Has your relationship been a bit rocky lately? Perhaps you and your partner’s sex drive has been a bit off? Are you finding it difficult to motivate yourself to have sex?
If you answered yes, you’re far from the only one. Many people find themselves becoming less driven to have sex.
The cause of a low libido can vary. Stress, depression, age, unhealthy lifestyles, sleeplessness, and health conditions can all play into why your sex drive is lacking. Whatever the cause is, there ARE ways to get that libido up and running again.
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Why does it matter to have a healthy sex life? Sex is a great way to boost your overall health.
It helps forge and strengthen the intimate relationship with your partner, relieves stress and tension, and just generally feels good. A diminished sex drive can cause tension in a relationship, and it can be easy to settle into a sexless partnership when you’re both busy with your lives.
Whether your libido is running a dry spell, or you and your partner are losing the magic in the bedroom, there are ways you can combat your diminishing sex drive for both of you and heat things up in the bedroom.
1. Exercise
Believe it or not, regular exercise can actually boost your libido because it increases blood flow in the body, especially blood flow to those reproductive sex organs.
Hitting the gym may just be the thing that gets you going, and you can bring all that hot and sweaty energy to the bedroom.
2. Plan a date night
The reason you and your partners’ libido may be diminishing is because of the lack of excitement in your relationship. Maybe things have gotten too comfortable, or you’ve both been focused on other things. Organize a fun date night for both of you to enjoy each other’s company. Rekindle that romance with a sexy romantic evening that will get you wanting to reignite that sexual desire.
3. Check your medication
Sometimes, there are prescription medications that can significantly lower your sex drive. This can include birth control pills, but other culprits can be drugs prescribed for high blood pressure, gastroesophageal reflux disease, anxiety, and depression. If you think your medication might be the problem, talk to your doctor to see if there’s another treatment with fewer side effects.
4. Create a steamy environment
It’s easy to let the kids, or even a messy room, prohibit you and your partner from getting in that sexy mood. Set up the bedroom specifically for a romantic night. Set the mood with something sensual, such as candles or music. Creating a sexy atmosphere will help you both get in the mood for some romance.
5. Use lubricant
It’s hard to get in the mood if sex is dry and painful. Try experimenting with different lubricants to add some sleekness and make things even more sensual. There are plenty of different kinds of lubricants with various scents and tastes that are sure to heat things up and add some excitement.
6. Try to de-stress
A common culprit of a lessened libido is high levels of stress, so whether you’ve been running around with work or are busy trying to keep up with the kids, a good way to increase your sex drive is to find some time to destress. Take a nice bubble bath or go to the movies with just your partner. Sex will be a whole lot more desirable once you’ve been relaxed and have released that extra tension.
7. Eat a balanced diet
An unhealthy diet and lifestyle can contribute to a lower sex drive. The Journal of Sexual Medicine actually determined a link between high cholesterol and women who find it difficult to become aroused or orgasm. Health issues like high cholesterol make it difficult for blood to flow to those genital regions, which results in a decreased libido. Try to incorporate some heart healthy foods into your diet, like fruits and veggies for example, and ease up on the junk that can clog your arteries.
8. Eat aphrodisiacs
Research has indicated that particular vitamins can help increase the libido and enhance sexual function.
Foods such as avocados, almonds, strawberries, and oysters are just a few examples of foods that can help you get in the mood.
9. Communicate with your partner
If you and your partner haven’t been able to have sex, you may be looking at a deeper underlying issue in your relationship. Communicating thoroughly with your partner about intimacy can help broach the reasons your sex drive may be decreased. Try to examine what turns each of you on, and make a plan to create a sexual experience that will please both of you.
10. Try some herbs
There are some natural herbal remedies that have been thought to increase sex drive and improve sexual function. For example, gingko biloba is an herb that is known to improve blood flow to the sex organs, increasing arousal and the ability to have orgasms. Experimenting with different herbs may help boost your desire to do the deed.
11. Try any of these foods that might improve your libido
There are many different foods you can try that can naturally and safely increase your libido. Here are some of the most popular and effective options to consider:
Oysters
To begin with, oysters have been a common food associated with libido for centuries, and in particular, raw oysters are considered to be a very effective aphrodisiac. Oysters contain a high amount of the mineral zinc. Zinc is a nutrient that plays an important role in testosterone and sperm production in men.
Oysters are also rich in dopamine, which is a hormone that is important for the libido. Raw oysters on the shell are a popular food served in resorts and hotels, and for good reason. A couple can serve the oysters to each other in their mouths for a more sensual experience.
Celery
Celery is very high in a hormone called androsterone.
This hormone gets released by a male through his perspiration. Exposure to this hormone through a man’s sweat is considered to be a powerful aphrodisiac for women.
Avocados
Avocados are rich in folic acid, which is a nutrient that is helpful in energy production and protein metabolization. Avocados are also rich in vitamin B6, which helps to increase production of hormones in a man.
Potassium is also found in large quantities in avocados, which is critical for regulation of a woman’s thyroid hormones. In addition, all of these nutrients are important for overall libido in both men and women.
The Aztecs actually used to call the avocado tree the “testicle tree,” because the fruit actually looked like testicles to them. When you consider the shape of the avocado, it actually makes sense that they thought that.
Nuts
Nuts, especially almonds, are rich in EFAs or essential fatty acids. These fats are considered very healthy fats and play a vital role in the production of male hormones.
The scent of almonds is also thought to be an aphrodisiac for women. You can purchase almond scented candles, soaps, and bubble baths that can help you get her in the mood.
Bananas
Besides their somewhat phallic shape, bananas contain a number of nutrients that can help increase libido.
First, bananas are rich in the enzyme called bromelain, which is believed to heighten libido and help men who have impotence.
Bananas are also rich in potassium, which is essential for hormones and energy. In addition, bananas are a rich source of B vitamins, which are vital to energy production in the body.
Eggs
It makes sense that eggs would be associated with increasing libido, considering that eggs are a part of reproduction and are a sign of fertility in many cultures.
Eggs are high in B vitamins, including vitamin B5 and vitamin B6. B vitamins help regulate hormone levels and help with the body’s response to stress, both of which are critical to libido.
Chocolate
Chocolate is a well-known food that helps to increase libido, but most people are not exactly aware of what makes it is so helpful. Chocolate contains a chemical called phenylethylamine. This chemical has been shown in studies to help the body produce a feeling of love or being in love.
Chocolate, particularly the dark kind, is rich in antioxidants, which are helpful for overall health, including libido.
In addition, chocolate contains an alkaloid called theobromine, which has a similar effect on the body as caffeine.
Garlic
Garlic may be more known for giving you stinky breath, but it can also be helpful in increasing your libido. Garlic contains a substance called allicin, which helps to bring more blood flow to the sexual and reproductive organs. You do not need to eat something with garlic in it to take advantage of garlic’s libido-increasing powers.
There are garlic oil capsules available which you can easily swallow. There are even tablets that contain the active ingredient in garlic with the odor completely removed.
Figs
Figs are a fruit that is rich in amino acids. Amino acids are helpful to the libido and are also known to help increase stamina in the bedroom.
The eating of figs can also be quite sensual. The supple feeling of the skin, the shape, and the color on the inside can all be a big turn-on for some people.
Strawberries
Strawberries are often served with chocolate or whipped cream as a dessert on a romantic date or on a honeymoon, and there’s a good reason for this.
Strawberries contain antioxidants but are more treasured as a sensual fruit due to their shape, color, and taste. Other fruits that are considered to be sensual include mangoes, peaches, and berries.
Many of these fruits also contain nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, which are important for sexual and overall health.
