A low libido can be a symptom of an underlying medical issue. Parkinson’s medication, certain brain conditions, depression and mania can all affect libido.
If sexual urges are interfering with your life between the sheets, a psychosexual and relationship therapist can help you discover what’s contributing to them and learn coping skills.
1. Eat Right
A well-balanced diet is essential for healthy living. Low libido may be caused by nutrient deficiencies. Consuming a balanced diet of whole foods, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats can help to support hormonal balance and a lustrous libido.
Certain foods and beverages may decrease libido by lowering the body’s natural serotonin and dopamine levels. Foods to avoid include refined sugar, caffeine, and fatty or oily foods.
It’s also important to limit your alcohol intake. While a small amount of wine or a cocktail can enhance the mood, excessive drinking can have the opposite effect. Alcohol depresses libido in both men and women, and can interfere with your ability to achieve and maintain an erection.
2. Exercise
Libido varies greatly from person to person and can change throughout the course of your life. If you find that your libido is low, there are many ways to improve it. Exercise is one of the best options because it increases sex drive in both men and women. A good workout can also help reduce stress, which can be a big contributor to low libido.
HIIT (high intensity interval training) is one of the most effective exercises for boosting libido. These types of workouts are short, but intense, with periods of rest in between sets. They can also help to reduce the levels of cortisol in your body, which is a hormone that decreases testosterone and can lead to low libido.
However, too much exercise can also lead to a decrease in libido. If you’re training hard for a competition or aiming to perform at the gym, it might be better to limit high-intensity workouts to a few times per week.
3. Quit Smoking
In addition to reducing your alcohol intake, you should also quit smoking to kill your libido. Smoking causes the blood vessels to narrow, which decreases blood flow to the penis and other parts of the body. This affects a man’s ability to get an erection and reduces the secretion of testosterone, which is necessary for sexual function. In women, poor blood circulation can also reduce vaginal lubrication, which can dull the sensation of arousal.
Smoking also reduces hormone levels, which negatively impacts a woman’s and man’s libido. It’s therefore a good idea to quit smoking, especially if you plan on having children.
If you notice that your libido is low, talk to your doctor about ways to increase it. They may recommend changing your diet, reducing or eliminating certain medications, taking herbal supplements, or doing exercises such as yoga and deep breathing. They may also recommend reducing stress by finding ways to manage your daily activities, such as limiting your time spent on chores and other commitments.
4. Reduce Alcohol Intake
It’s no secret that drinking too much alcohol can be detrimental to your physical and mental health. It is estimated that more than 2.3 billion people around the world have some form of alcohol dependency, and for many, the habit can have negative effects on their sex drive.
While many people believe that alcohol acts as a kind of love potion and boosts sexual desire, research shows that it actually decreases libido by interfering with normal hormonal balance. This is especially true if you drink more than 14 mixed drinks per week.
Additionally, excessive alcohol consumption can also cause delayed ejaculation. This is because it decreases blood flow to the penis and increases angiotensin, a hormone linked to erectile dysfunction. If you are struggling with an alcoholic drink problem, it’s important to seek professional help from a therapist. Get started today with BetterHelp’s free online therapist search and assessment.
5. Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is important to keep you healthy, and this is particularly true for your libido. A lack of sleep can lower testosterone levels, causing low libido. Getting the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep every night can help boost your libido and improve the quality of your orgasms.
Having a good night’s rest can also reduce stress levels, which is another major cause of low libido. When you are stressed, your body releases cortisol, a hormone that decreases libido in both men and women.
Some medications can also affect libido, including ones used to treat depression and high blood pressure. If you are taking medication and experiencing a loss of libido, talk to your doctor about it. Depending on the cause of your decreased libido, they may be able to adjust your dosage or switch you to a different medication that does not impact sex drive.
6. Reduce Stress
A lack of interest in sex can be due to many things, including fatigue and stress. If you feel that your libido has gone on the fritz, try to lower your levels of testosterone (the primary sex hormone) by doing things like exercising more frequently, taking up new hobbies and spending time with friends. In addition, it is important to get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is a known contributor to low libido in both men and women.
Stimulants like caffeine, nicotine and drugs such as cocaine and heroin can also decrease libido by elevating heart rate and blood pressure. Certain medications like antidepressants, antipsychotics and chemotherapy drugs may lower libido as well. If your libido has gone AWOL, talk to a therapist who specializes in relationships or psychosexual issues. A therapist can help you identify the root cause of your lack of interest in sex and learn how to cope with it in a healthy way.
See Also:
