Honey, I’m Out of Hormones

As we approach Valentine’s Day, it seems like an appropriate time to talk about sex, or more specifically a woman’s (diminishing) sex drive as she ages.  According to Genie James, M. M.Sc., author of the new book, In the Mood Again: Use the Power of Healthy Hormones to Reboot Your Sex Life – at Any Age,  this lack of desire, or loss of pleasure is caused not by too much stress, fatigue, or embarassment over drooping body parts, as some experts would have you believe.  The reason your sex life is in the toilet (as she puts it) is due to a shift in our bodies’ hormones – which begins as early as our 30s (and continues to go south for the next three decades). She wrote this book, she says, to tell everyone how to safely and naturally turn back your sexual clock.

Ms. James, who is Executive Director of the Natural Hormone Institute,  and co-author with Dr. C.W. Randolph of From Belly Fat to Belly Flat: How Your Hormones Are Adding Inches to Your Waist and Subtracting Years from Your Life , writes that  by the time you’ve hit your 50s and you’re in menopause , your body is truly out of hormones. “Progesterone production has slipped to almost zero, estrogen levels are in the toilet, and … testosterone production has shifted from a regular flow to an erratic dribble.”  At this point, she says  ”we need a full-court press approach to rejuvenate your hormone health and restore your sex life.”

So, what does Ms. James recommend?

• Add a herbal testosterone booster (such as Peruvian gingseng or nettle root) to your over the counter  bio-identical progesterone and estrogen regimen.
• Better yet, see a physician who can analyze your hormone levels, determine your specific hormone deficiencies and prescribe an individualized dosing of bio-identical hormones.
• Eat more foods rich in essential fatty acids (salmon and mackerel) and L-arginine (flaxseeds, nuts and dark leafy green veggies) and zinc.
• Start weight lifting. An exercise program that works your large muscle groups such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses and rows increases testosterone levels. (who knew?)

Ms. James explains in her book that SEX IS GOOD FOR YOU.  It can give you a better body, improve heart health, reduce stress and make you calmer and, make you a nicer person! Apparently, sex releases a hormone called oxytocin that has been shown to cause people to act in more kind and loving ways.

Have a romantic Valentine’s Day!