Maybe its diet or stress or drugs!
If you’ve noticed you have a reduced sex drive or an exaggerated sex drive, it may be time to take a look at your habits (6 essential choices) and how they affect your hormones- before things get worse!
Lets look at under-active libido – for men and women. The first suspect is medication of any form, which tends to affect normal hormone function, i.e. heart meds, blood pressure meds etc… To see a change in libido in cases of medication you need to handle the contributing factors that make the medication necessary. See my blogs on stress, diet and the 6 essential choices 🙂
The next thing to suspect is diet: excess protein and carbohydrates (starches, bread, pasta, candies, rice, chips, etc.) cause changes in insulin levels which changes blood flow to the brain and reproductive organs. Research has shown how reducing carbohydrates can help regulate blood sugar metabolism & the endocrine system, which leads to the benefit of a healthy libido.
Stress, or as we call it, SEMO (Sub-Consciousness Emotional Memory Override) is our next topic. Patterned beliefs in the subconscious mind greatly affect how we perceive ourselves and others. Body size, shape, contour & color are only a few programmed beliefs about what is attractive or not. Culture, media & religion can also hypnotize into our brain inaccurate beliefs affecting our libidos through the HPA system.
Cortisol which is a stress hormone, is produced during stimulatory experiences to either perceived or an imagined threat. An increase in libido is commonly thought to be due to excess testosterone, yet in many cases it is due to an excess of cortisol-which is a driver of anxiety. So the more stressed a person becomes the more anxious they become, which leads to using sex as a release for anxiety. Testosterone driven libidos are generally gentler, more focused on moods, lighting and the whole experience as testosterone is an androgen (as is estrogen & progesterone) and a by product of a balanced system-lifestyle, diet and supplements.
If you’re thinking “what about anabolic steroid abuse and increased libido”? My question is are they secure in themselves before they go down this path of hyper-modulation, or are they already in a decline of anxiety and cortisol imbalance?
Food allergies that produce a inflammatory reaction can also lead to cortisol imbalances. Soy, dairy, corn, wheat and eggs are a common suspect.
So what’s the course of action here? Ask yourself are you at balance (or ask your spouse/significant other) and if you are too high or low, get started at our office for a better BEST libido.
In Health & Service,
Dr. Roland F. Phillips Jr., BA, BS, D.C