Bringing Sexy Back.... by Eating Healthy!!

There are a lot of rumours online about things that can help your sexual health. Many of these things are just rumours with very little evidence to prove that they are helpful. Today we are going to look at a few essential vitamins and minerals that have some evidence showing that they are needed for sexual health. 

Vitamin A is used in changing cholesterol into steroid hormones. Steroids are used in the production of sex hormones in both men and women. So if you want to have a healthy sex drive you need to eat foods with adequate vitamin A. These foods include eggs, liver, and milk as well as some meats like poultry and seafood

Vitamin B6 is also needed for sex hormones – but in particular is related to the decrease of prolactin hormones – which are a good things because prolactin in high amounts causes a decreased sex drive. Many food preservatives found in processed foods can decrease B6. You should also pay attention to B6 if you are taking in plenty of alcohol. Foods that contain B6 include liver, nuts (especially walnuts), wheat germ, brown rice, yeast and salmon.

Today we are going to spend some time Mythbusting!

Is 8 cups of water necessary? recommended?

NO and NO

Water is used by your body for many different processes and we constantly lose water via urine, bowel movements, perspiring and breathing. These losses need to be replaced. Your individual needs will greatly vary and may be even MORE than this amount! For example if you are working outside or exercising your perspiration amounts might increase, and therefore your water needs would as well. The 8 glasses of water was part of an ‘8x8’ health promotion campaign (8 glasses of 8 ounces of water) that was partially funded by bottled water distributors!!

Healthy Eating not Dieting

Dietitians of Canada say that fad diets eliminate many foods and food groups. The fads and cleanses that circulate the Internet do not have evidence on health or weight loss claims they make. Dieting could have harmful effects on the body, which is why it is important to eat nutritious meals. Often people engage in dieting because they want to lose weight however diets may give short term weight loss but it is not a long term solution. To maintain a healthy weight eating healthy and managing portion sizes is the key.  Spokesperson for Dietitians of Canada Krista Leck Merner recommends using smaller plates and containers and measuring out what a portion size looks like on your plate. More so than fad diets no products or pills are going to cause weight loss.  

For many the motivation to diet or eating healthy is weight loss. It is important to remember that the best way to maintain health is to eat nutritious foods and eat enough for your body. Steady weight loss is a sustainable change rather than dramatic weight changes. Diets that limit you to certain food and quantities restrict you from food groups, which deplete essential nutrients for your body’s functioning (Eat Right, 2014). Also eating a specific combination of foods will not cause you to gain or lose weight. Lastly, the best pairing with healthy eating is regular physical activity to maintain a healthy weight.