What you eat, how much you eat, and how often you eat certain foods can affect your energy levels, blood flow, and hormones—all of which are key players in your sex life.
Here are five ways that diet can ruin your sex life—and what exactly you can do to improve your performance, according to Ordinacija.
Too much 'junk'
A healthy heart equals healthy sex, says urologist Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt. Like any other training, training in the bedroom requires strength and endurance. In other words, any eating habit that is bad for your success in the gym is also bad for your sex life. When your heart is in trouble—for example, your arteries are clogged—it can cut off blood flow to your penis, opening the way to erectile dysfunction (ED).
A diet high in unhealthy fats and added sugars can make the problem worse.
It's common knowledge that obese men have lower levels of testosterone, the sex drive hormone, explains Dr. Brahmbhatt.
The cure?
Eat foods full of whole foods rich in a variety of nutrients and exercise at least 150 minutes non-fasting. Anything that helps reduce the amount of fat in your body will help naturally increase testosterone levels, says Dr. Brahmbhatt.
Decaffeinated coffee
Your daily dose of coffee plays a bigger role in bed than you think. This is because caffeine intake can affect your circulation.
A big part of sexual health is about increasing blood flow, since better blood flow means better erections, says Joshua Gonzalez, a urologist specializing in sexual medicine.
Too much alcohol
Alcohol is a depressant, so it can numb feelings of sexual stimulation and change blood flow to and from your penis. Heavy drinking can lower your testosterone levels while raising your estrogen levels, which can lower your libido, worsen your mood, and make it harder to have an orgasm, even when you can get an erection, Dr. Brahmbhatt explains.
Sugar is a sex life killer
a diet high in sugar to affect your overall cardiovascular health, which in turn affects the health of your penis. Stick to natural sugars, such as those found in fruit. When it comes to added sugars—like those in sodas and baked goods—don't take in more than 36 grams a day.
Giant portions
Piling food on your plate not only makes you gain weight, but it also sets you up for a major energy slump.
If you overeat, especially on carbs and sugar, you're likely to experience a drop in energy and feel too tired to do anything but lie on the couch or sleep, says Dr. Brahmbhatt.
Instead of three large meals, aim for four or five smaller meals a day, full of protein and slower-digesting carbohydrates that are full of fiber, such as oats, quinoa and vegetables.
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