On the one hand it is said that men think about sex every few seconds. On the other hand there is a multi-billion dollar industry in pharmaceuticals for treatment of erectile and sexual dysfunction, especially for men over 50. Obviously there is a significant disconnect between the desire to perform compared with the ability to perform effectively.
The human sexual response is incredibly complex and is influenced by many elements including psychological, physical and environmental factors. Aphrodisiacs have been promoted to increase libido and sexual performance for over 5000 years. The term Aphrodisiac is named after the Greek Goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite and has over time included many and varied foods, drugs, drinks, scents and devices.
Chilies and Spicy Foods have been thought to be an aphrodisiac since it produced sweating and increased heart rate similar to that experienced during sex.
Other items such as Ginseng (which translates to "Man root"), Oysters and Rhinoceros horn have earned a reputation as Aphrodisiacs primarily due to their physical resemblance to the external genitalia.
However, given the complexity of the sexual response it is unlikely that any one element will work in all circumstances or work at all. The multitude of spurious claims made by promoters of so called aphrodisiacs prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue a declaration in 1989 that there was no scientific evidence that any of the over the counter aphrodisiacs work to cure sexual dysfunction.
While there may be no magic potion that will cure all forms of sexual dysfunction there are many commonsense dietary rules that could impact positively on libido and sexual performance.
It is an almost a self-evident fact that a diet that promotes general health and well being will also promote sexual health and sexual performance. Anyone who has suffered a simple ailment such as the common cold will testify that libido and sexual desire are the first casualties of a lack of general well being. It's extremely hard to feel "sexy" or sexually aroused when other bodily functions are not at par. Blood flow to sexual organs is an integral part of the arousal process in both males and females. As a result a diet that promotes heart and circulatory health will almost inevitably improve sexual performance.
Obesity is another killer of libido and sexual performance for men and women over 50. It impacts in many ways. Firstly, obesity is often associated with plaque build up in arteries that affect circulation of blood through the body including the genitalia. This not only decreases sexual performance but may also reduce sexual pleasure. Secondly obesity is also a risk factor for erectile dysfunction and low testosterone levels. Studies at the University of Columbia Medical School have shown that weight reduction can lead to increased levels of testosterone and consequently improved sexual performance. On the other hand too little fat in the diet may not be a good thing either. Some fat is required for the production of hormones. Hence it is important to strike a sensible balance.
There are also certain other specific foods that are credited with an improved sex life while others are to be discouraged.
Alcohol in moderation may lower inhibitions and help to set the mood. However, when consumed to excess although it may heighten desire it definitely impairs sexual performance.
Chocolate contains a compound called phenylethylamine that triggers the release of dopamine a chemical that is also released during orgasm. As a result chocolate can promote feelings of euphoria and enhance pleasure.
Chilies can stimulate the nervous system, which in turn may accentuate the sense of sexual arousal. This may be achieved through the release of endorphins in the brain.
Ginger is believed to have a similar stimulant effect that improves circulation to the genitals.
Honey is rich in the mineral Boron that helps the body utilize the hormone estrogen.
Oysters may be good for you after all. Their magic powers however have nothing to do with their appearance. Instead it is their zinc content, which is valuable. Zinc is essential for production of testosterone and zinc deficiency may cause prostate problems in men. Healthy zinc levels are also vital to maintain sperm counts for men over 50.
Soy is credited with benefits in combating the effects of PMS and Menopause in women over 50 and may help improve vaginal lubrication by better utilizing estrogen. Soy is also believed to promote prostate health.
There may not be any magic potion to create a raging libido and sexual desire and performance may be affected by many factors besides what men and women over 50 eat. However, the evidence seems clear -Maintaining a generally healthy diet and supplementing it with certain foods in moderation can have a positive impact on sex life.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Body Building: Don’t Get Ahead of Yourself
by Wayne M
All young and beginning rookie bodybuilders look at the Muscle and Fitness, Flex and Men's Health magazines and see all those big, tough muscular guys advertising bodybuilding supplements to reduce fat, make you stronger and to make you BIGGER.
This is all-good and gives you great motivation but young teens like myself once did think that the supplements make you big. Little do we know that those professional bodybuilders do a hell of a lot of hard work in the gym and most properly take a few things that they do not advertise.
You must realize that to get big and look good you must do the hard work- you must pay your dues first! Then you will reap the rewards so to speak.
What I am trying to say is if you're under 19 and haven't been serious about lifting weights before, but you are now, start weight training first for about 2 - 3 months before buying supplements.
People will say I am crazy--that's fair enough--but hear me out. If you have never lifted seriously before you will make gains, you will make gains in your size, fat loss and muscularity in the first 2- 3 months that even without supplements you will notice and so will all your peers. After the first 2 - 3 months you will steady out and struggle to put on the same gains as the first 3 months.
After paying your dues for the first 3 months, lifting heavy and safe doing all the compound exercises to put on the mass and lose the required fat, you should consider your basic supplements.
Although you can get some supplements, do not buy 3-4 supplements at once. You should start with the most used supplement PROTEIN POWDER. Buy some protein powder first and start using it. Take it 2 - 3 times a day. This will help rebuild the muscle and promote muscle growth, as well as help meet your daily protein requirements.
Then, after about 2 weeks to a month get some CREATINE. Creatine is produced naturally in the body, although in minimal amounts so taking creatine will give you greater energy in your workouts and your muscles will grow. Creatine has been researched and has shown the best results. The number of compliments it has received has won the world over. It is the most popular supplement going. Creatine does have a couple of drawbacks; however, creatine maximizes water intake by the muscles, thus meaning you have to drink more water (1-2 gallons per day (4-6 liters)). Also, you must load with Creatine. I have found you can load 2 ways with Creatine: 1. the way on the back of the pack (the directions) or 2. take 20 grams (week 1), 5 grams (week 2), 10 grams (week 3), and then 5 grams (week 4). After the forth week have a rest for a minimum of 1 week, but no more than 2 weeks and then start over.
Also buy some MULTIVITAMINS. These are crucial for bodybuilders and especially for teens. We are still growing and we need more to help us recover from activity. Get a good multivitamin idea from the forums. They have some good ones.
Those are the 3 main supplements for us teens to try and get our hands on. Remember, taking supplements aids weight training, weight training does not aid supplement intake. This means that supplements don't make muscles grow. The time and intensity in the gym does, along with proper food at home or school.
Hope this helped.
Article Source: http://www.articles-heaven.com/articles/?Body-Building%3A-Don%92t-Get-Ahead-of-Yourself&articleid=12622
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Foods That Give Men And Women Over 50 Energy
It's really unfortunate that the vast majority of the population turns to stimulants instead of looking to whole foods for a boost of invigorating energy. I guess part of the problem is that humans are generally lazy and would rather take the "magic pill" to fix all their problems.
But when it comes to having more energy the irony is that the stimulating foods such coffee, sugar, and energy drinks actually fatigue your body in the long run. Sure they give you a quick jolt of energy but then their real effects are felt as they wear down your adrenal glands, disrupt your blood sugar, and create a huge crash after the initial high. Essentially they are drugs. They are not foods that give us energy.
Ok, then, what are some natural foods that will give you long-lasting energy?
Well, you may want to consider that no single food will give you more energy than your overall diet. Sure you could add in some of the energy foods I describe below, but if your diet is horrific to begin with, then you will not see the sustained level of energy that you want.
Instead of searching for "miracle" energy foods your goal should be to eat a diet that consists of foods that are vibrating at higher energies. This means eating more raw living foods. When a food has not been cooked, it maintains its natural energy properties (not to mention all of its other nutrients). Thus, when you eat raw foods, you're giving your body direct energy from the ultimate source - the sun - as most of these foods will be plant-based, and the sun is where they get their energy.
The closer you eat to the bottom of the food chain, the more nutrition and energy will you acquire. Think about it - it takes more of your energy to digest animal meat than it does to digest a green vegetable, right? Plus, this green veggie will have the maximum amount of living energy versus a dead animal carcass.
Thus, to have more energy, you need to follow a high energy diet. After that, you can start to knit pick and see which specific foods give you more energy, if at all.
To help you get started, here is a list of some my favourite energizing foods:
- wheat grass - if you haven't tried wheat grass then you're missing out on some big time energy and nutrition. Growing it and juicing yourself can be a bit of a pain but you can easily get a "shot" at most health food stores or juice bars. 1 oz of wheat grass juice packs more nutrition than 2.5 lbs of green leafy veggies!
- raw cacao (nibs or powder) - incredible source of magnesium, antioxidants, and life force. These give me a natural high that can last for hours without the subsequent like you would get from coffee and caffeinated beverages.
- goji berries - another incredible source of antioxidants and polysaccharides that improve cell-to-cell communication. I actually combine these with my raw cacao nibs and complementary tastes work really well together.
Remember that although these foods provide incredible nutrition they are the like the healthier version of coffee and other quick fixes. The key still remains to follow a raw foods diet, as much as possible, that will provide you with tons of life force, alkalinity, and nutrients to help your body thrive.
About the Author
Yuri Elkaim is one of the world’s leading holistic nutrition and health experts. If you want to lose weight and live your healthiest and most energetic life ever, then you can learn more about his raw food diet book, Eating for Energy and get started with a FREE 6-part Energy Secrets e-course by visiting EatingforEnergy.ca today.
But when it comes to having more energy the irony is that the stimulating foods such coffee, sugar, and energy drinks actually fatigue your body in the long run. Sure they give you a quick jolt of energy but then their real effects are felt as they wear down your adrenal glands, disrupt your blood sugar, and create a huge crash after the initial high. Essentially they are drugs. They are not foods that give us energy.
Ok, then, what are some natural foods that will give you long-lasting energy?
Well, you may want to consider that no single food will give you more energy than your overall diet. Sure you could add in some of the energy foods I describe below, but if your diet is horrific to begin with, then you will not see the sustained level of energy that you want.
Instead of searching for "miracle" energy foods your goal should be to eat a diet that consists of foods that are vibrating at higher energies. This means eating more raw living foods. When a food has not been cooked, it maintains its natural energy properties (not to mention all of its other nutrients). Thus, when you eat raw foods, you're giving your body direct energy from the ultimate source - the sun - as most of these foods will be plant-based, and the sun is where they get their energy.
The closer you eat to the bottom of the food chain, the more nutrition and energy will you acquire. Think about it - it takes more of your energy to digest animal meat than it does to digest a green vegetable, right? Plus, this green veggie will have the maximum amount of living energy versus a dead animal carcass.
Thus, to have more energy, you need to follow a high energy diet. After that, you can start to knit pick and see which specific foods give you more energy, if at all.
To help you get started, here is a list of some my favourite energizing foods:
- wheat grass - if you haven't tried wheat grass then you're missing out on some big time energy and nutrition. Growing it and juicing yourself can be a bit of a pain but you can easily get a "shot" at most health food stores or juice bars. 1 oz of wheat grass juice packs more nutrition than 2.5 lbs of green leafy veggies!
- raw cacao (nibs or powder) - incredible source of magnesium, antioxidants, and life force. These give me a natural high that can last for hours without the subsequent like you would get from coffee and caffeinated beverages.
- goji berries - another incredible source of antioxidants and polysaccharides that improve cell-to-cell communication. I actually combine these with my raw cacao nibs and complementary tastes work really well together.
Remember that although these foods provide incredible nutrition they are the like the healthier version of coffee and other quick fixes. The key still remains to follow a raw foods diet, as much as possible, that will provide you with tons of life force, alkalinity, and nutrients to help your body thrive.
About the Author
Yuri Elkaim is one of the world’s leading holistic nutrition and health experts. If you want to lose weight and live your healthiest and most energetic life ever, then you can learn more about his raw food diet book, Eating for Energy and get started with a FREE 6-part Energy Secrets e-course by visiting EatingforEnergy.ca today.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Can Folic Acid Levels Really Regulate Dementia In Men And Women Over 50?
Some experts are suggesting that men and women over 50 should decrease their intake of folate or folic acids to below the Recommended Daily Allowance, or RDA for short, levels.
But, is the reduction of folic acids to below RDA levels really sound advice?
The answer is "probably not" and to understand why you can start by looking at a study of dementia in the elderly that was published recently in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
In this study scientists looked at 518 people over the age of 65. At the start of the study and again at the end of the study they measured the levels of folic acid, vitamin B12 and homocysteine. Then they followed the people in the study for two full years.
The findings by the scientists at the end of the study were really interesting; forty-five people had developed dementia. Of these, thirty-four had Alzheimer's disease, 7 had vascular dementia, and four had "other" types of dementia. As expected, dementia was more likely in those who were older, relatively poorly educated, inactive, and had deposits of a protein called ApoE. For those who do not know, ApoE is a protein which combines with fats (lipids) in the body to form molecules called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are responsible for packaging cholesterol and other fats and carrying them through the bloodstream.
From these findings, there is a really striking point in that those people who had low blood levels of folic acid at the beginning of the study were almost 3.5 times more likely to develop dementia! Now this was a relatively small study and it would be fairly easy to ignore except that there are at least four or five other studies over the past few years that have come to the same conclusion.
Due to this published study and other research, it now appears to be fairly clear that folic acid deficiency in people over 65 predisposes them to dementia, so it makes absolutely no sense to recommend that men and women over 50 get less than the RDA level of folic acid in their diet.
As one may guess, there is a lot of scientific deliberation that goes into setting the Recommended Daily Allowance levels for vitamins and minerals. So, one should be very wary of any recommendations that one should take single nutrients at levels far above the RDA. But, also one should be wary of recommendations to purposely consume any nutrient at levels below the RDA.
But, is the reduction of folic acids to below RDA levels really sound advice?
The answer is "probably not" and to understand why you can start by looking at a study of dementia in the elderly that was published recently in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
In this study scientists looked at 518 people over the age of 65. At the start of the study and again at the end of the study they measured the levels of folic acid, vitamin B12 and homocysteine. Then they followed the people in the study for two full years.
The findings by the scientists at the end of the study were really interesting; forty-five people had developed dementia. Of these, thirty-four had Alzheimer's disease, 7 had vascular dementia, and four had "other" types of dementia. As expected, dementia was more likely in those who were older, relatively poorly educated, inactive, and had deposits of a protein called ApoE. For those who do not know, ApoE is a protein which combines with fats (lipids) in the body to form molecules called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are responsible for packaging cholesterol and other fats and carrying them through the bloodstream.
From these findings, there is a really striking point in that those people who had low blood levels of folic acid at the beginning of the study were almost 3.5 times more likely to develop dementia! Now this was a relatively small study and it would be fairly easy to ignore except that there are at least four or five other studies over the past few years that have come to the same conclusion.
Due to this published study and other research, it now appears to be fairly clear that folic acid deficiency in people over 65 predisposes them to dementia, so it makes absolutely no sense to recommend that men and women over 50 get less than the RDA level of folic acid in their diet.
As one may guess, there is a lot of scientific deliberation that goes into setting the Recommended Daily Allowance levels for vitamins and minerals. So, one should be very wary of any recommendations that one should take single nutrients at levels far above the RDA. But, also one should be wary of recommendations to purposely consume any nutrient at levels below the RDA.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Fitness For Fun
By Richard Moore
If you'd rather have teeth pulled than hop on an exercise bike, you're not alone.
Finding the motivation to squeeze your bottom into a pair of Lycra shorts is just too much to bear after a exhausting day at the office. So what's a weight conscious person to do?
You want to get more active, but you want it to be fun too. What's so unreasonable about that? Nothing. What's more, there are plenty of ways to feel the burn that means you don't have to go within a mile of that nasty, mean old gym instructor.
And while you may not get an aerobic workout with most of these activities, you can see how they will add up to affect your overall activity levels and help you tone up - as you have a bit of fun too!
Activity Boost Level: Mild
Kiss Me Pucker up with a loved one and your heart will start racing. Put a bit of oomph into it and you'll not only get flushed, you'll be working it that part harder too.
Laugh It Off Laughing is thought to improve your immune system and skin condition. Rent a good comedy or get together with a friend who really gets you giggling to feel the immediate benefits.
Make Love Boost your activity levels by making whoopee. And, if you feel in a frisky mood, a particularly vigorous session can give you a really good aerobic workout.
Scream for Your Team The last time you screamed for your local sports team you'll have felt your blood pumping. If you watched last year's Stanley Cup Final, even better!
The Write Stuff An hour spent furiously scribbling can really give you an energy boost, especially if you're concentrating hard.
Activity Boost Level: Moderate
Sing Hallelujah Believe it or not, a rousing sing song can give you a decent workout - just make sure you belt it out at full volume.
Have a Tinkle If you're musically minded, playing the piano is good for toning those muscles - choose something energetic like rag-time or a dramatic classical piece to really feel the benefits.
Do a Delia Have a dinner party for six people or more. All that furious cooking chopping and grating will really give you a rush! Have a look at our recipe section for inspiration.
Get Under the Hood If you're handy with a screwdriver, mending your car gives your day a bit of extra activity - especially if making heavy repairs.
Milk a Cow Milking by hand can really get your heart pumping. Slight snag - first find your cow.
Activity Boost Level: High
Do It Yourself Both woodwork and plumbing will give you a decent activity boost - now there's a handy way to lose weight and check things of your "to do" list too!
Child's Play Young kids never seem to sit still. Take a leaf out of their book and go play; it's not just great for family bonding, you'll also feel the burn after a bit! Try a half hour game of energetic soccer or some backyard gymnastics.
Disco Diva Put on your sparkly skirt and head for the dance floor - a good half hour boogie will tone your whole body.
Move House If the prospect of changing homes is getting you down, be cheered by the fact that shifting and carrying furniture is quite a strenuous workout. So get packing!
About the Author
Richard Moore is the Founder an President of Everything Health and Beauty! For Men and Women Our WebMall is quickly becoming one of the most trusted and easy to use collection of shopping stores to create a fun and relaxing online shopping experience...and we are constantly searching for other stores with quality products, great prices and top notch customer service.
http://www.everythinghealthandbeauty.9k.com
Saturday, August 15, 2009
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