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Sexual Healing for Women:
Women's hectic lifestyles are definitely interfering with their love life and sexuality. Pressures on women are enormous as they may be wife, wage earner, lover, mother, chauffeur, care-giver, teacher, and volunteer---not to mention chief cook and bottle washer! Over 80% of women visiting their doctors today, put chronic tiredness at the top of the list of their health problems. Sound familiar? Some of the signs of reduced sexual arousal response in women are:
o Reduced frequency of sex
o Loss of ability to reach satisfactory orgasm
o Loss of vaginal lubrication/painful sex
o Hot flashes or any other signs of estrogen
deficit, like unexplained torso thickening
o Too tired and no desire to initiate sex
o Circulation problems
After menopause, many women feel far more spontaneous and far more connected to a loving partner. Maturity brings experience and relaxation into sexuality. Psychological factors may govern our rate of sexual activity, but once a woman's libido is awakened, it responds until she dies.
ITÕS ALL ABOUT SEXUAL CHEMISTRY
Sexual chemistry is for real! For women, the entire process of sexual function begins in the brain, which is often described as a womanÕs largest sexual organ. The hypothalamus gland deep in the brain acts as a switchboard to manage her incoming sensory perceptions of sight, smell, and touch. Her glands in response to those senses release hormones. The nervous system sends blood to her pelvic area and tissues become warmer and more sensitive. The adrenals release adrenaline, her heart beats faster and as her pulse races, she breathes deeper to take in more oxygen. Her sexual fluids are secreted. The brain responds by releasing endorphins and she feels even more pleasure. Her muscles contract rhythmically around and in her vagina and uterus. Her heart rate quickens and her breathing becomes even deeper. (If youÕre a woman who is out of shape, here is another reason to tone up. The orgasmic experience can be even more intense, if you have good muscle tone and circulation.)
So, as you can see, the entire sexual experience is orchestrated by truly sophisticated conversations that take place between a woman's brain, her senses, nerves, glands, blood vessels, muscles and sexual organs. The state of a woman's health plays a major role in the sexual process.
Here is how some lifestyle factors wreak havoc on women's sexual chemistry:
Stress - All nerve responses are impaired by stress. Stress can hopelessly interfere with a woman's ability to become aroused or to achieve full sexual satisfaction.
Lack of proper sleep - Fatigue keeps glands from functioning optimally and dulls arousal, desire and satisfaction during sex.
Environmental toxins - Additives, preservatives, dyes and artificial flavorings in our food, chlorine and fluoride in our drinking water, pesticides on our fresh produce and chemicals, are everywhere. They not only pose a threat on their own; they also create nutrient deficiencies, especially in minerals and trace elements needed for sexual health.
Tobacco - Smoking wipes out energy, by limiting body oxygen and thus stamina. It damages blood vessels that provide the increased blood flow needed for arousal. It assaults the body with literally hundreds of toxic substances. Nicotine, carbon monoxide, lead, cadmium, and benzopyrene are just a few that find their way into our bodies through cigarette smoke. We also lose crucial nutrients, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A and carotenes, important for strong sexual function.
Caffeine - Caffeine stresses the adrenal glands, which provide the material for hormones. A new study shows that caffeine actually decreases testosterone, killing libido. For many women, it interrupts the menstrual cycle. Caffeine increases muscle tension, too, making it hard to relax.
Alcohol - Alcohol impairs sexual response by dulling the senses. Like caffeine, it appears to impair testosterone production, needed by both men and women for normal libido.
SEXUAL HEALING WITH HERBS AND NUTRITION
Herbs work differently in men and women for sexual enhancement. While men are worrying about what turns them on, women are more aware of what turns them off!
One of the things that turns women off is painful intercourse. During reproductive years, estrogen stimulates the cells lining the vagina to maintain proper moisture. But after menopause, the vaginal lining may become thin and dry due to reduced circulating estrogen. Intercourse may become painful, and a woman may experience increased susceptibility to vaginal infection. Herbs can often come to the rescue.
For immediate relief, I recommend the topical use of vitamin E oil, or an oral extract of a Chinese herb, dendrobium, to produce more fluid in the membranes. Panax ginseng also helps the body produce fluid. Taking vitamin E internally helps improve blood supply to the vaginal walls.
Herbs with phyto-estrogen properties also exhibit a tonic effect on the female sexual system, and improve blood flow to the female organs. They are useful for decreased sexual function, atrophic vaginitis and hot flashes.
Dong quai is an estrogenic herb that alleviates hot flashes and vaginal atrophy during and after menopause. Coumarins, naturally occurring substances found in dong quai, exert action on the uterus, increasing circulation, and tonification.
Licorice rootÕs phyto-estrogens have a normalizing effect on the body for fluid retention, breast tenderness, abdominal bloating, mood swings and depression. Its action on the adrenal gland helps maintain energy levels. Caution: can be known to mildly raise blood pressure.
Black Cohosh, a phytoestrogen, antispasmodic and nervine, helps relieve menstrual cramps, menopausal hot flashes and uterine conditions.
Chaste Tree Berry has a normalizing effect on sex drive. Stimulates production of progesterone by balancing abnormally high estrogen levels. It is helpful for depression, headaches, premenstrual acne, breast tenderness, cramps and bloating.
False unicorn is a uterine tonic for female infertility and frigidity that aids in production and circulation of estrogen and progesterone.
Squaw vine a uterine tonic & relieves congestion.
Siberian Ginseng restores body balance, both physically and biochemically. It is often considered more suitable for women than panax ginseng because it influences the hypothalamus by modulating hormonal release.
Panax Ginseng estrogen-like effects on the female reproductive issues. Prevents vaginal atrophy.
Ashwagandha Ayurvedic herb with ginseng-like activity...works well for women because it is a gentle energizer, not as overheating as panax ginseng.
I believe an herbal compound is a better choice than any single herb. A compound offers broad spectrum support to act as a system toner to keep the female body female. A compound to enhance sexuality for women through hormone support might include dong quai, damiana, licorice root, burdock, red raspberry, sarsaparilla, ashwagandha, oatstraw, nettles, dandelion, yellow dock, rosemary, hawthorn, peony, angelica root, fennel seed, ginger root, rose hips chamomile, cinnamon, rehmannia
Along with herbs, a woman's diet is critical to her sexual readiness, her libido and her sexual responsiveness. A good, gland-boosting, hormone-balancing diet has to be part of your program.
––Eat whole grains, rather than white flour.
––Organic fresh fruits and vegetables provide nutrients for more sexual vitality: asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, carrots, peas, and yams. Add tropical fruits, avocado, mango, papaya, citrus fruits, bananas, apples, pears, plums, peaches and nectarines.
––Soy foods and legumes, like green beans, provide plant chemicals to nourish and strengthen the blood vessels and support better hormone levels.
––Sea vegetables may be the best "aphrodisiac" foods for women. The potassium and iodine in sea plants boosts a failing libido better than any other food by supporting the thyroid gland, critical to women's health.
––Stay away from red meat, eat poultry that is hormone and antibiotic-free, drink pure water.
––Eat cold water fish.
Make lifestyle changes.
––Practice stress reduction techniques.
Something as simple as soft music, a 3-day
weekend, even just quiet alone time with her
lover, can turn a womanÕs thoughts to love.
––Go to bed earlier. Get 8 hours of full sleep
every night.
––Women who quit smoking find they enjoy an
increase in frequency of intercourse.
––Limit your caffeine intake. If you decide to quit
coffee, try green tea in the morning instead.
––Limit alcohol to one glass of red or white wine
with dinner.
––Get a massage at least once a month
––Exercise every day
Most of a woman's blocks to having great sex are physical, stemming from an unhealthy lifestyle, poor nutrition, stress and burnout, or the side effects of prescription medicines. These are serious problems, but they are problems she can do something about. Even if her sexual challenges stem from emotional issues, good nutrition and healing herbs can make a tremendous positive impact in sexual arousal, response and satisfaction.
Find romantic weekend kits for men and women, and more at: http://www.healthyhealing.com/
©2002 Traditional Wisdom, Inc. Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D. is the author of the best selling book, Healthy Healing - A Guide To Self-Healing For Everyone, and the new, Cooking For Healthy Healing Cook Book Set o 888-447-2939 Mon-Fri, 9 to 5 Pacific Time.
The products, services and advice contained in this article are intended solely for informational and educational purposes and not as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional if you have questions about your medical health.
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