A man's libido absolutely depends on the state of his health. A healthy lifestyle has the greatest impact on his sexual ability and enjoyment. Every man can develop his sexual potential to its utmost no matter what his age!

Problems that contribute to a man's sexual dysfunction:

Stress - All central nervous system responses are impaired by stress, including those of the brain and endocrine glands - the very same glands involved in Stages I and II of a man's sexual process. Long-term stress can
hopelessly interfere with a man's ability to achieve full sexual satisfaction or to even become aroused at all! Prolonged recreational drug use lowers libido and stresses adrenal glands, creating lower energy levels. Stress also affects sperm production and motility. Body stressors, like heavy metal or radiation exposure, damage sperm as well.

Lower your stress levels with herbs like ginseng and regular exercise. Exercise is critically important for a man's sexuality. Find something physical you enjoy. Then, DO IT THREE TIMES A WEEK!

Poor nutrition - High fat meals suppress testosterone, depress libido, and make erection and ejaculation more difficult. See my sexuality boosting diet at http://healthyhealing.com/SEX-Men-LibidoDiet.html

Environmental estrogens - Environmental estrogens enter the body through pesticides and hormonally enhanced meat and dairy foods. Eat organic meats, produce and dairy products as much as possible to reduce the load of environmental estrogens on your system.

Smoking - Smoking interferes with your body's use of zinc. Smoking just two cigarettes a day also constricts blood vessels, impairing circulation and the ability to achieve erection. Chewing tobacco is just as bad. If you are still smoking, isn't that enough to make you want to quit?

Too much alcohol - Alcohol consumption (in excess of two beers a day, two glasses of wine, or one mixed drink) can significantly increase prolactin, which leads to prostate and breast enlargement in men.

Drink wine in moderation. For most men, that means 2 to 3 glasses at mealtime, 2 to 3 times a week.

Obesity - Did you know that fat in a man's pubic region actually decreases the available length of his penis? That's right! Most of the penis lies rooted within the abdominal fat, with only a small stub protruding. Losing 35 pounds of excess weight can translate to an extra inch of penis! Excess fat also blocks your arteries and ruins your ability to become erect. If you are overweight, work to lose that excess body fat!

Lose pounds to gain inches! Many men can correct their weight simply by improving their diet.

Low zinc - Zinc is perhaps the most important single nutrient for a man's sexuality. It is crucial for the production of sperm and seminal fluid. Clinical studies show that men who supplement zinc experience a dramatic increase in testosterone levels. Zinc also reduces the pituitary's formation of prolactin, a hormone that stops testosterone production.

Have a zinc-rich meal every day. Promise yourself some food from the sea every day. Fish and seafood also provide essential fatty acids to protect your heart and improve circulation. Or have two handfuls of pumpkin or sunflower seeds or nuts; or a cup of peas or beans. If you like liver, it's rich in zinc. If you like toasted wheat germ, sprinkle a tablespoonful on your cereal, salad or soup for more zinc.

Drug reactions - Doctors rarely mention the many ways that drugs interfere with sex. They worry (and rightly so) that men will be reluctant to take a drug that they know could interfere with this basic human drive. So, sexual
side effects are hardly ever discussed when drugs are prescribed. Besides lowering libido, drugs can cause drowsiness, lethargy, confusion, depression and weight gain. Some drugs have a direct impact on brain chemistry.

Neurotransmitters, the brain's chemical messengers, are critical to sexual interest, performance and enjoyment. A wide range of medications – like antidepressants and high blood pressure medications – disrupt neurotransmitters, interfering with a man's ability to achieve erection or reach orgasm. The result is extreme frustration - imagine the outcome if neither you or your partner know a drug is to blame?!

If you are currently using medications that rob you of your sex life, find a good holistic physician and work out the lifestyle problems you have. In many cases, you may not need to resign yourself to a life without sex. If you think sex-robbing drugs don't apply to you, take a look at the long list of current drugs that do just that .

Lack of exercise - Exercise reduces tension, depression and anxiety. It increases self esteem, positive attitude, the capacity for joy, mental acuity, aerobic capacity, energy, and libido. Even a brief aerobic workout can point your mood towards lovemaking and encourage more intense orgasms. Most men have no idea how closely regular exercise is linked to their sexual performance.

During exercise, the body produces endorphins - the "feel-good" chemicals that increase arousal and orgasm intensity. This sexy effect reportedly lasts 1 hour or more after just 10 minutes of activity. In one new study, 78 healthy but sedentary men were studied during nine months of regular exercise. The men exercised for 60 minutes a day, three days a week. Every man in the study reported significantly enhanced sexuality, including increased frequency, performance and satisfaction.

Rising sexuality has even been correlated with the degree of fitness improvement! The results were clear: The higher the level of physical fitness a man is able to attain, the better his sex life.

Cardiovascular disease - Great sex for men depends on clear arteries. Most men know that being overweight increases their risk for heart disease but cardiovascular disease will destroy a man's sex life long before it kills
him. Reason: when blood vessels are blocked, a man can't get the proper engorgement needed to achieve an erection.

Reversing atherosclerosis means better blood flow - and that translates to better erections and more sensitivity to touch. Those nerve endings that bring you so much pleasure during sex depend on good blood flow to be fully
sensitized. Circulating blood disperses hormones, which regulate sexual function and response. And, of course, your heart has to be strong for the deep body, physical activity of lovemaking.

Change your diet. Avoid fatty fried foods and red meat. Eat more vegetables and salads. Again, exercise, exercise, exercise!

Copyright 2003 Traditional Wisdom, Inc. http://healthyhealing.com/index.html