Foods that boost the libido

Bananas and cucumbers may stir certain anatomical associations in your mind, but which foods really boost your libido?

Think of foods that tantalise the taste buds and stimulate the senses. Think juicy peaches, big, ripe bananas, slippery, wet oysters, succulent strawberries and the delightful experience of slowly undressing sweet lychees revealing their sensual softness within. Avocados and figs, resembling the testicles, have been historically associated with passion, oysters have been hailed as the all-time aphrodisiac and chocolate is a lovers' favourite, so let's take a closer look at the nutrition behind the titillation.

Sexual health and therefore passion, is dependent upon healthy hormones and feel-good brain chemicals being produced. Firing at the right moment (referring to the hormones!) is crucial.

Testosterone plays an important role, in women as well as men, in sexual desire. Nutrients such as essential fatty acids, amino acids, zinc and B vitamins are team players in the delicate act of stoking your fire. If any of these nutrients are missing, your hormones will be effected and it is probable that your fire may resemble an ember rather than a raging inferno.

Nutrients for your libido

• Zinc increases testosterone for healthy libido and encourages proper sperm production. In fact, the RDA (15mg) of zinc may be lost in just one ejaculation. (As zinc is also needed for healthy skin, it doesn't take rocket-science to figure out why acne affects many teenage boys, who spend much of their time “losing zinc”!).
  Best zinc foods: pine nuts, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, seafood, oysters.
  
  
• Tyrosine, an amino acid, is needed for dopamine production to enhance sexual desire. Foods: chicken, turkey, oysters.

• Essential fatty acids are the building-blocks of hormones, so stock up on the “good fats”. Almonds, walnuts, seeds, oily fish, avocados, hemp and flax oil.

• L-arginine, an amino acid, is responsible for increasing nitrous oxide, which is needed to create blood flow for erection in a man, and to enhance the sexual experience, in a woman.
  Top arginine foods include almonds, chocolate and peanuts.
  
  
• B vitamins, particularly B6 & B5, support a healthy stress response. Stress has a detrimental effect on sex drive, so managing stress levels and providing specific nutrients to support the adrenal glands, will do wonders for your libido.
  B vitamin foods: whole grains, almonds, pine nuts, seeds, oats, avocado, brown rice, eggs, green leafy vegetables.

Eating for passion

Focus on vegetables, oily fish, chicken, oysters, oats, nuts and seeds. Snack on raw almonds to increase energy for a night of passion and don't forget chocolate, it's the all-time classic libido food. Women love it and we all know that it mimics the feeling of being in love and an increase in endorphins. The darker the better to increase antioxidants and minmise sugar and other non-aphrodisiac ingredients. Use warming herbs like cayenne pepper and ginger to increase blood circulation.

Avoid saturated fats, refined white carbohydrates, processed and fried foods, as these play havoc with the hormones, clog up the arteries (depleting blood flow to all body parts) and dampen down the libido. Whilst a little alcohol may help get you in the mood, too much can ruin your performance and with “beer googles” removed, you may wake up with less than you bargained for!

Jo Rowkins dipNT MBANT, Nutritionist.

www.awakeninghealth.co.uk

Are you constantly tired? - how nutrition can help

Chronic fatigue is a complex condition with many possible contributing factors, resulting in medical doctors struggling with treatment of this common "syndrome". A condition is labelled a syndrome when there are multiple, seemingly unconnected symptoms with no obvious cause.

Nutritional therapy begins to look at the bigger picture. Chronic fatigue syndrome can be viewed as a jigsaw puzzle, whereby each piece that makes up the whole picture is addressed in turn.

Factors that may contribute to chronic fatigue include:

-Toxicity

-Sluggish liver function

-Nutrient deficiencies

-Immune system challenges, especially previous viral episodes, such as glandular fever

-Adrenal fatigue

-Thyroid issues

-Food intolerances

-Heavy metal toxicity

-Constipation and digestive issues, such as Candida

-Stress

-Anxiety

-Anaemia

Commonly in chronic fatigue, there will be a history of antibiotic use that had lead to compromised excretory functioning of the body and increased toxicity. There may also be nutrient malabsorption as a result of unhealthy bowel terrain, due to the lowering of friendly bacteria in the intestines. With excess toxicity and lack of nutrient absorption, many other imbalances may occur, as the body struggles to receive all the building blocks it needs for optimum health.

Cell membrane integrity and antioxidant status are other considerations. Often mitochondrial function (the powerhouse of the cell responsible for producing cellular energy) is depleted, and by increasing good quality fats in the diet, such as omega 3 oils, the body will build better cell membranes for optimum cell function. Antioxidants protect the cells from any oxidative damage and are crucial for optimum health and vitality.

Get your energy soaring again.

A nutritionist will begin to investigate how many underlying factors are present via detailed information gathering, during consultation, and a variety of tests, such as hair mineral analysis, comprehensive stool analysis and food intolerance testing to name a few. Once the contributing factors have been determined, the nutritionist can then set to work on getting things back into balance with therapeutic use of foods and supplements, as well as lifestyle supporting factors.

For example, often in chronic fatigue, there is heavy metal toxicity from amalgam fillings in the teeth. If a hair mineral analysis test shows a high mercury reading, then a heavy metal detox plan would need to be set in place, and if the adrenal glands are depleted due to high stress levels or from a previous stressful incident, a treatment plan may be formulated to provide nutrients for optimum adrenal hormone output, as well as addressing lifestyle factors such as relaxation and exercise. Specific supplements at the correct dosages can work wonders in getting specific bodily systems back into balance again. All of the above contributing factors can be addressed and corrected effectively with nutrition.

Eating for energy

Avoid high-salt, high-fat, and high-sugar foods that leave you feeling sluggish and tired. It may be tempting to reach out for high-sugar foods as they perk you up for a short time, yet your energy levels will soon drop due to a sudden dip in blood sugar levels, which always comes after a sugar “spike”.

Eat frequently but in small portions for a steady supply of energy to your body. If a low blood sugar levels are zapping you of energy, it's crucial to observe a low glycaemic diet to control your blood sugar swings.

Eating natural foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, leafy greens, legumes, raw seeds, nuts, whole grains and oily fish like salmon and mackerel will help to increase your energy levels.

Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids especially mineral water. Just a slight dehydration in the body can drastically reduce energy.

Supplements may be needed to restore energy levels and these may include B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, probiotics, a good multivitamin & mineral, iron if anaemia is present, antioxidants, CoQ10 and specific formulas, such as adrenal support nutrients or anti-Candida herbs, to treat specific underlying issues that have been identified.

Often we are looking for a quick-fix and do not stop to consider what is really happening in the body. The vicious circle in chronic fatigue is that low energy leads to low motivation, lack of drive and lack of inspiration to start looking at the bigger picture. This is where the nutritionist can help. There really is no “one-glove-fits-all” remedy for this complex condition and, as it has usually built up over time, with many different contributing factors, working slowly on finding the reasons for the fatigue and dealing with them one by one, may take some time but it will be well worth the effort once the body begins to be restored back to its original vitality. The body is constantly striving for perfection, for a state of balance. To awaken perfect health within ourselves – it's our birthright.

Jo Rowkins dipNT MBANT, Nutritionist.

www.awakeninghealth.co.uk

Love your liver - tips for a cleaner you

Be gentle on yourself with some easy detox tips. An efficient liver function is crucial to health, and to support this process, it is vital that many key nutrients are included in the diet. · Nourish your liver - eat a variety of whole grains, vegetables, raw nuts, seeds, quality, lean protein. and drink fresh lemon in water  · Keep things simple - avoid red meats, animal fats, sugars, refined foods, caffeine and alcohol. They burden the system and over-work the liver · Eat your greens - cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, contain idole-3-carbinol needed for effective metabolic clearance of toxins · Make your plate a rainbow! - for an array of antioxidants · Minimize your chemical load - opt for organic, unrefined foods to avoid chemical pesticides and  additives and switch to natural skin and body care products · Relax! - the body cannot effectively rejuvenate without proper relaxation. Set aside some time daily to rest and be silent. Yoga and deep breathing techniques encourage proper relaxation Like everything in nature, your body is constantly striving to be in a state of balance. Embracing life's sensual pleasures is part of being here in this physical world, so relax, take stock, find your balance. Drink, eat, nourish, detoxify, be healthy, but above all, have fun with it. Encourage your body to be a grander, greater version of itself and delight in the healthy pleasures of life. You will shine.

Welcome to awakening health

Awakening health is all about providing the body with what it needs for optimum vitality, wellbeing and inner peace. 


The body has its own intelligence. It is constantly striving for perfection, for a state of balance.


Awakening health is about restoring the body back to its natural balance, to awaken perfect health. Our birthright.

Jo Rowkins dipNT MBANT, nutritionist.

www.awakeninghealth.co.uk