If you sometimes feel that your sex life is not what you’d like it to be, you’re not alone, says Dr Pam Spurr
A recent survey found that many women are lacking the sex drive they desire. In fact, eight in every ten women admit that they have experienced a loss or lack of sex drive at some point in their lives. Busy lifestyles can leave us feeling tired and stress can also have an effect on our emotional and physical wellbeing. Life stages such as the menopause and childbirth can have an impact on our libido too.
As a self-help expert, life coach and agony aunt, I regularly talk to people who are experiencing challenges in their relationships and sex often comes up. Here’s how to recapture the romance in your relationship and boost your libido naturally.
Eat well
The right nutrition has a huge impact on your general health and wellbeing and so it’s no surprise that eating foods that are good for you should help your sex life too. Does a 3pm energy slump sound familiar? You need to get more whole grains in your diet. Try eating nuts, cereals and brown rice as they deliver slow-release energy, keeping you fuller for longer too. They are also packed with B vitamins, which are important for energy production. Avoid sugary snacks as they will lead to energy highs and lows throughout the day. Foods such as oats, leafy green vegetables, oily fish, adding spices like ginger and chilli to dishes and dark chocolate have also been shown to have libido enhancing qualities.
Go natural
As well as eating foods that boost desire, there are now natural supplements that can help. Natural desire booster Lady Prelox combines plant extracts and amino acids found naturally in our bodies. The natural ingredients work together to improve blood flow and reduce tiredness and fatigue, giving women the natural desire boost they may need and also increasing sexual pleasure. Pharma Nord’s Omega 7, which is derived from the sea buckthorn berry, can also help with intimate dryness, experienced by 42 per cent of women at some point in their lives, and making sex uncomfortable.
Stress less
As stress and tiredness are often the reasons for a dwindling desire for sex, it’s important to take some time out for you. Try a new hobby such as yoga or pilates to relax and unwind. Go for a short walk after work to clear your head. When you return home you should feel re-energised and the worries of the day will be left behind. Exercise also releases mood-enhancing hormones so you may feel happier and sexier too!
Mix it up
Try to avoid a sense of routine when it comes to your sex life. While it can be difficult to be spontaneous if you have a busy schedule, take small steps to bring some excitement into your week. Do you struggle to stay awake past 9pm and climb into bed, sleepy-eyed every evening? Well sex at this time is unlikely to work for you. Try surprising your partner when you first get home from work. Or get close to each other first thing in the morning when you’re more refreshed. If you have been together some time, it’s likely you will have found what you think is the ‘perfect formula’ for sex but remember to try something new once and a while. Also lead by your behaviour, bring back some of the flirting from your early days. And re-boot the romance between you with loving compliments, little gifts and creating extra time together.
Don’t compare
In the survey, one third of women said that comparing themselves to others has affected their state of wellbeing. We regularly hear stories of women enjoying their sex lives, leaving us with the idea that everyone has a more exciting sex life than us! Almost two thirds of women will suffer from some form of sexual challenge during their lifetime. If this is you, remember you’re not alone. Sexual challenges are not spoken about enough and there will be many women in your situation.
Remember to also explore other underlying causes for lack of sexual desire like potential medical issues, healing rows with your partner, or taking steps to get rid of excess stress in your life. If you have any concern that a medical issue is underlying the lack of desire, do see your GP.
To test your libido visit ladyprelox.co.uk.
Dr Pam can be found at drpam.co.uk or @drpamspurr on Twitter.
