A lot of the time when we talk about health and wellness, our minds and assumptions immediately jump to thinking about our physical body and our mental state, forgetting the absolute importance of sexual wellness.
After all, having a good and satisfactory sex life is just as important, and should be treated as such: both in day-to-day life and conversations, and in the health and wellness community, too.
Having a fulfilling sex life has a range of benefits, not just in our personal lives and relationships, but in terms of our overall health, too. You’d be surprised just how influential this area of our life is in other areas of wellness, actually.
Feel like you could improve your sexual wellness? You're not alone
If you’re feeling like your sex life is a little lack lustre, or you’re just up for exploring something new and increasing your libido and health, it may surprise you to know that the foods you eat and the nutrients that you consume are, and will have a huge effect on your body (and your libido and fertility, too).
So, this Valentines day, what better way to celebrate the holiday of love, than to highlight an ever-important focus on sex and sexual wellness? So strap in, we’re about to talk healthy sex habits, sexual wellness and fertility, too.
It’s time to increase your libido, one meal at a time.
The benefits of increased sexual wellness
You may be surprised at the length of the benefits of a healthy sex life. The benefits are so extensive, in fact, that we had to cut the number of benefits down so that this article didn’t just turn into a bullet-pointed list.
Yes, really.
Some of our favourite benefits of increased sexual wellness include:
- Lower stress levels
- Increases feelings of closeness with your partner
- Gives you a boost in energy
- Reduces anxiety
- Boosts your overall health
- Improves your mental health
- Increases your self esteem
- Increased libido
- Decreases your depression
- Lowers your risk of heart disease
How is nutrition and sexual wellness linked?
Now you’ve learned about (just some) of the benefits of increased sexual wellness, you’re probably desperate to find out just how you can reap some of those benefits.
The answer? Nutrition, baby. It’s all about the food. Vitamins for sexual health are pretty important, after all.
It all comes down to one simple fact. The food that you put into your body, determines how it functions. And not only does it determine how it functions, but it determines how well it functions, too. This means that if your diet consists of high sugar foods, excess fat, too much salt and all those other unhealthy aspects, you’re causing a lot of damage. That damage extends to your sex life, too.
The two things that you want to make sure you’re getting into your diet are Vitamin E (which is commonly found in almonds, peanuts, and a whole load of vegetables), and something called flavonoids.
Flavonoids are a lot more common than you may have initially thought, and are a group of plant chemicals that are found in fruits and vegetables. Oh, and red wine. And chocolate. Win win.
Our favourite foods to boost your sex life
For the biggest boost of Vitamin E and a range of Flavonoids, make sure you’re getting the following:
- Berries and cherries
- Citrus fruit
- Nuts and seeds
- Root vegetables
- Dark chocolate
- Fish high in Omega 3
Aside from this, you're going to want to implement The Fit Protein into your life. One of the main active ingredients, maca, is a proven aphrodisiac, and so a great way to add an extra boost to your sexual wellness-loving diet and routine in an easy, delicious and convenient way.
General health and wellbeing aside, females, this part is for you. Nutrition for fertility is super important. If you’re trying to get pregnant, one of the best ways to improve your fertility is through your diet and lifestyle. Make sure that you are eating foods that are high in folic acid and Vitamin C (you might want to check out The Glow Booster) to make sure your diet is well-balanced.
Improving your sleep can improve your sexual wellness, too
Whilst food and nutrition is important, don’t think that this is the be-all-and-end-all when it comes to sexual wellness. Oh no, improving your sleep can improve your sexual wellness, too.
Sleep coach Max Kirsten has long-spoken about the detrimental effects that a lack of sleep can have on your sex drive. In fact, even getting 30-60 minutes less sleep a night than you are used to (or need) can greatly reduce libido, desire for sex, and attraction to others. Ouch.
Don’t just stop at nutrition, though
Whilst we’ve seen that making healthy food choices and improving your nutrition and diet can have greatly positive impacts on your sexual wellness, libido and fertility, why not take things up a notch? For the best results, you need to pair your nutrition with exercise, too.
Well, are you really surprised? A good diet requires exercise too. Come on, you know that.
Aside from improving your overall mood, exercise (especially cardio) is a great way to boost your blood flow, which is absolutely necessary for libido, particularly in men. Regular exercise leads to an increased blood flow, a greater sex drive and hey-presto, improved sexual wellness.
How to improve your libido and sexual wellness
If you’ve stumbled across this article because you are struggling with your libido in particular, welcome! Considering all of the above, there are some other great tips and tricks you can follow when it comes to improving intimacy, too. Here are some of our favourite ways to increase your libido…
- Get enough sleep
- Reduce your alcohol consumption
- Reduce your stress levels
- Practice mindfulness, everyday
- Remember to communicate with your partner
- Get regular exercise
- Quit or cut down on smoking
Summary
All in all, it’s pretty clear that there are a number of things that feed into our sexual health. From nutrition to sleep and exercise too, it’s really important to take care of yourself in all areas of your health to ensure that you are leading a healthy and happy lifestyle, and sex life, too.
This Valentines Day (and every day after that), make sure that you’re making yourself, your health and your relationship a priority. A healthy and happy body is always the goal, and a fulfilling sex life is absolutely a huge part of that.
