By Catherine of Butternutrition.com
Trouble in the bedroom? Your diet may be to blame.
According to a 2011 study analyzing the role of sexual satisfaction in marriages, “The role of sexual satisfaction has been highlighted as a metaphorical barometer of relationship satisfaction, indicating that sexual satisfaction is vital in an intimate relationship, possibly even a “make or break‟ factor.” With sexual satisfaction playing such a significant role in a healthy marriage, a healthy hormonal balance is paramount; a foundation to a healthy sex life that must not be ignored!
With this in mind, it’s important to make sure you’re eating enough of the nutrients or “raw materials” that your body needs to MAKE your sex hormones. Here’s a quick look at some important sex drive reducers and increasers:
Sex drive reducing factors:
- High estrogen/low progesterone: signs of hormonal imbalance
- Poor digestion: your body isn’t actually able to absorb nutrients from your food
- Low fat diet: low fat diets lack an adequate amount of fat soluble vitamins that are needed to manufacture your sex hormones
- Low calorie diet: your body needs calories to tell it conditions are safe for reproduction
- Low nutrient diet: especially a diet low in cholesterol, vitamin A, vitamin E, and zinc
- Stress: acute or chronic stress will alter sex hormone production to instead make MORE cortisol to fight stress!
Sex drive increasing factors:
- Adequate cholesterol in the diet:
- Cholesterol is a powerful antioxidant found in animal foods, but it’s also manufactured in your body. It’s estimated that your liver produces 80% of the cholesterol that you need, but 20% comes from the foods you eat.
- Diet high in fat soluble vitamins:
- Sufficient calories & carbohydrates:
- Healthy thyroid levels are dependent on adequate nutrition, especially enough calories and carbohydrates. According to Dr. Ray Peat, PhD, “Thyroid is the best way to regulate the system, keeping libido up, making orgasms satisfying.”
- Diet high in “whole animal” proteins:
- Eating a balance of proteins that mimics eating the whole animal helps to keep your liver and thyroid function optimal.
If making your sex hormones was a math equation, it would look something like this (although this is highly simplified):
Cholesterol + Vitamin A + T3 (active thyroid hormone) = Sex Hormones
Increasing the nutrients in your diet to allow your body to more efficiently manufacture sex hormones can be a game changer in the bedroom!
Looking for more real food strategies to balance your hormones? Find them here.
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