One area of health and wellness that I haven’t talked about it sexual health. Sex is a part of our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. It’s part of the healthy lifestyle that you’re creating for yourself. And that’s why it’s important to make changes to your physical health that will not only improve your mental and emotional health, but to your sexual health and sex life as well!

Having good sex, and having orgasms is important for your relationships and for your quality of life. However, 40% of women of a reproductive age report some type of sexual dysfunction (lack of desire, lack of arousal, inability to orgasm, and pain). There are many, many factors at play. But there are definitely several factors that can be improved with healthy lifestyle change.

Metabolism, Insulin, & Blood Flow

Metabolism and sexual health go hand-in-hand. The way that your body produces and manages energy has a huge impact on your blood flow. Insulin resistance presents a whole host of health problems. But one of the issues is that it reduces blood flow. And blood flow is everything when it comes to sexual function.

Blood flow affects the levels of hormones like testosterone and estrogen. You obviously need blood flow for arousal, but do you know how much blood flow affects your nerves and your ability to feel? You also need blood flow to your brain so that it can send signals to tell your body what it needs to do.

Your metabolism is affecting your hormones, your insulin levels, your blood flow, and thus your sex life. So what can you do?

Increase your blood flow!

So what steps can you take to increase your blood flow?

1. Exercise. If you want to improve your blood flow, focus on the source and strengthen your heart. Whether you want to focus on thirty minutes of moderate exercise or 10,000 steps a day, move your body! And stretch your body after. Stretching also helps your circulation.
2. Nutrition. Eat leafy greens high in nitrates and foods high in omega-3 fatty acids. Both of those promote the release of nitric oxide, which dilates your blood vessels and increases blood flow. 
3. Stop with the sugar already. I’ve written so many articles on the problems with sugar and fructose. But diets high in sugar lead to metabolic issues and insulin resistance. Cutting down or cutting out the sugars in your diet is one of the most positive things you can do for your health.
4. Reduce stress. Or learn better ways to manage it. Stress elevates your blood pressure and mental stress can also cause your blood vessels to constrict. It can also affect your sleeping and eating habits which then leads to metabolic issues.
5. Hydrate. It is estimated that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Dehydration is one of the most preventable medical conditions in the world. Drinking water normalizes blood pressure, stabilizes the heartbeat, and promotes healthy circulation

Looking at that list, there’s nothing on it that isn’t just a part of making healthy changes. That’s the thing about working towards a healthy lifestyle, it’s connected to every aspect of your life. It doesn’t matter why you decide to make changes, whether it’s because you want to feel better in your body, because you’re tired of being overwhelmed and overworked, because you want to do more physically, or because you want a better sex life. Whatever your reason is, making sustainable, healthy changes will affect every facet of your lifestyle.

So what’s holding you back? You are in charge. And you are capable of greatness and happiness and you deserve the lifestyle you want. Get some support and start working towards it today.