What causes a low libido? For women it can be complicated to determine. If you are going through the peri-menopausal years or post menopause, declining hormones could be a culprit.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition including but not limited to diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure can also cause your sex drive to be inhibited. Medications can cause low sex drive such as anti-depressants. Fatigue and pregnancy as well.
There are emotional reasons that cause low libido- stress, relationship issues, financial issues, job stress, depression and anxiety. For women, if you’re not relating with your partner on an emotional level this can deter those amorous feelings, any type of unsettled conflicts or fights and of course, infidelity. With all that said, it is very complicated.
I’m going to give a broad practice to support in raising your libido. You will have to determine the root cause if it’s mostly emotional or physical and use the recommendations accordingly.
Way of life Recommendations for Low Libido
- First and foremost, you must control stress levels and avoid overbooking yourself. When you are stressed certain hormones are released such as cortisol and this throws off the delicate hormone balance.
- Smoking and alcohol also play a role in decreasing sex drive.
- Exercise increases human growth hormone as well as testosterone levels. Human Growth Hormone (HGH) helps to improve lean muscle mass, reduce body fat, improve memory, reduce fatigue, promote a restful sleep and in turn with these benefits will increase sex drive. The type of exercise that is best to increase HGH is burst training. It’s actually quite easy to do and only takes a short amount of time.
How to burst train-It’s high intense short bursts (20-60 seconds) and then rest for 20-60 seconds. Do this for no more than 5-8 minutes. For example, run as fast as you can for 30 seconds then walk for 30 seconds... run for 30 seconds, walk for 30 seconds. Repeat this for 5-8 minutes depending on your level of fitness. Your fitness level will determine how many seconds you should burst train. If you’re not as fit as you would like to be, start with 20 seconds intervals Increase seconds as you become more fit. This is my favorite type of exercise. I use a jump-rope, sometimes run, and other time I like to run stairs; run up, walk back down…repeat.
What to Eat to Increase Libido- Nutritional Recommendations
- You want to keep your blood sugar levels stable so eating protein at every meal is a great way to stabilize blood sugar.
- Sugar is not your friend. Any type of refined carbohydrate is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, causing an increase in blood sugar and insulin levels. Examples of refined carbs- bread, crackers, cookies, muffins, pancakes and candy to name a few. If you need to sweeten something you’re much better off using stevia. Stevia does not spike insulin levels. If you do not like stevia, another sweetener to replace sugar is xylitol. However, some people do get digestive side effects when they consume too much of this.
- Eating a diet high in omega 3 fats such as salmon, flaxseeds, chia seeds, cooked spinach, walnuts and seafood and soybeans.
- Drink a lot of filtered water!
- Any foods that have zinc in it. Zinc increases testosterone. Pumpkin seeds, shellfish (especially oysters), red meats, poultry.
- Stay away from fried foods!
- Some fruit to help libido- Blackberries, watermelon, bananas, pomegranates, avocado and blueberries
- Some veggies to help libido- spinach, celery, asparagus, sweet potatoes, beets and carrots
- Ginseng tea, and green tea
Essential Oils to Increase Sex Drive
Use in bath, few drops on pillow or an essential oil diffuser. My favorite essential oils for increasing libido are: Ylang Ylang, Jasmine and Neroli
Supplement Recommendations:
Ther are many natural supplements available for increasing your libido. Here are a few adaptagenic herbs, vitamins and phospholipid.
Phosphatidylcholine– Main role is to form neurotransmitters, vital for memory and brain function. Also been linked with reduced blood flow and circulation as well as decreased libido. 50-75 mgs daily
Vitamin C – 1000 mgs daily
Magnesium - If your levels are low, take approx 300 mgs daily
Nettle Leaf- Improves vitality. Approx. 100 mgs daily
Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea)- Increases sexual function - 100 to 400 mgs daily
Cordyceps- Made from the fermented Cordyceps mushroom. Improves energy and libido - Approx. 750 mgs. daily
If low libido is due to stress- find a good adrenal support formula. Also, good for stress/low libido is Ashwagandha – approx. - 300 mgs daily
Supplements like food, are medicine. When you start taking supplements, you want to use them only for a short period of time. Think of them as medicine serving to compensate for a deficiency. This is why it’s vital to get to the root of the problem so you’re not taking any type of nutritional supplements or herbs for longer than necessary. Speaking as a nutritionist, its paramount to get your nutrients from whole food. However, we all have gaps such as food aversions or unhealthy diet. So, it’s not practical to expect everyone to have a perfect diet especially, if you don’t have knowledge of what foods to eat for a well-balanced nutrition based on your own individual needs. If you fall into this category, I offer a customized nutritional plan that will analyze your diet, lifestyle, health history, goals and so much more to help you get on the right track. Here’s a link for more detailed info: Customized Nutrition Plan
As for a detox-cleanse that I would recommend for assisting with a low-libido issue, if you are 35-50 years old The Starlet Detox would be a good one. Another great Detox- Cleanse to assist is our 6-Day Heavenly Body Cleanse.
I hope this information is helpful and if you have any questions feel free to email us at info@asterelliott.com
Much love,
Aster