When I have male patients come into the office seeking help with erectile dysfunction or female patients with low libido issues, I am often surprised by their adverse reaction to some basic health and lifestyle questions. It really should not be a huge stretch of the medical imagination to connect getting three to four hours of sleep per night, and then not feeling all that frisky the next day – just ask any new parent.
TCM preaches looking at human body as a fully integrated system, with what happens to the parts affecting the whole and vice versa. Thus before looking at a potentially injured branch, we want to see what’s going on with the whole tree.
Sleep, diet, and of course, stress levels, all play a very active role in the levels of sexual desire of individuals. Relationship issues get thrown into this pot as well, making the entire subject a great lens through which to view your overall health. What happens though, when we have for all intents and purposes, a healthy human being, in a positive relationship situation, with low stress levels (we’ll pretend they live in Switzerland), and he or she still has libido issues?
TCM breaks sexual difficulties down into two separate categories:

1. Difficulty achieving arousal
2. Difficulty maintaining arousal

The best way to describe the differences in these two situations is to use your car as an example:

1. Do you have difficulty starting your engine?
2. Halfway to your destination do you run out of gas?

In situation one, there is a lack of “spark”. In situation two, there may be plenty of spark, but someone doesn’t have enough “fuel” to keep the fire going.
Difficulty in achieving arousal, for both men and women falls under the heading of “yang deficiency” or a lack of yang. Yang is the upward, outward, explosive, more male of the energy systems and if it has been all burned up through poor diet, lack of sleep, stress, or otherwise living in an adrenalized state, then simply adding some yang tonics should do the trick. (while the patient hopefully addresses the underlying lifestyle issues)
Difficulty in maintaining arousal, again for both men and women is most likely a combination of “yang deficiency” and “qi deficiency”. Qi is the energy that we use every day.
Per Thomas Boldt, licensed acupuncturist, “When you wake up in the morning and feel great, you are full of qi. When you wake up in the morning and feel like going right back to sleep, you are not.” Winnie the Pooh and Mr. Boldt would get along famously.
TCM has fantastic herbal remedies for both situations. Let’s take a look at a few:
Yin Yang Huo or Horny Goat Weed:
The name pretty much gives this one away, and it’s a fantastic herb that can be taken by itself by both men and women. Yin Yang Huo is said to tonify or strengthen both the yin and the yang of a person, so this is a great herb for both sexes. If we boost up someone’s yang without addressing their yin as well, we may dry them out – you don’t want to suddenly blare Metallica at full blast without making sure there’s a little bit of Marvin Gaye in there too. Ya feel me?
Yin Yang Huo is a leaf that can be steeped into a tea all by itself and enjoyed throughout the day and/or right before the lights go out (or stay on). Unlike its Western counterpart, drinking a glass of Horny Goat Weed tea will not leave you squirming in your seat or with the ability to break blocks of ice without the use of your hands. It will however, put a little bit of umph in your evening when needed.
Wu Wei Zi or Schizandra:
More specifically for the ladies, Schizandra or Wu Wei Zi is a famous tonic herb used by Chinese royalty for decades. Wu Wei Zi is said to astringe or keep vital fluids from leaking out of the body. It can be added to the above herb or taken singly as well. It’s slightly on the bitter side and a little bit goes a long way flavorwise.
General Nutrition:
What should you do if you don’t have access to a licensed herbalist or herb store? Not an issue. TCM, like most holistic medical systems, believes heavily in the use of food as a means of modifying internal situations.
Paul Pritchford in his great book Healing With Whole Foods, advocates both sexes adding any of the following into their diet to spice up the noontime quickie:

• Cloves
• Fenugreek Seeds
• Fennel Seeds
• Anise Seeds
• Black Peppercorn
• Ginger (dried preferred)
• Cinnamon Bark
• Walnuts
• Black Beans

Astragulus and Ginseng:
If endurance is more of an issue than being able to get out of the gate, adding Astragulus (Huang Qi) and/or Ginseng (Xi Yang Shen) to any of the above herbs and spices will help you get to the end of the event in good measure!
Please remember that no system in your body works in isolation; so if your libido is low, take a look at your whole health picture. Remove all of the useless societal judgments placed on a decreased sex drive and do some research and experimentation. Most importantly, communicate with your partner what you’re going through and be open to thinking outside of the box. Go get some.

A healthy sex drive is a natural part of an individual’s makeup, so if you are experiencing low sex drive it’s important to investigate the causes with your doctor.
Fortunately, however, there are a number of natural home remedies that can not only boost your sex drive but will also improve your mood, help you look and feel better and raise your overall energy levels as well.
An apple a day
Most people will remember their childhood days where their parents would force them to eat an apple saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. So proving that right consuming an apple with honey can work wonders for low sex drive.
Do it at home: To prepare an apple dessert , which is considered as the most effective sex tonic, you need 5 apples, honey, 10 drops of rosewater, 1 pinch of saffron, 1 pinch of nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon of powdered cardamom. Skin and core the apples and blend or mash them into a pulp. Add honey according to your taste, mixing thoroughly. Add the spices and rosewater and you sex tonic is ready. For best results, take ½ cup of this dessert at least an hour after your meal and avoid taking milk, yoghurt and fish for about four hours before and after taking the dessert.
Almonds to the rescue
Amonds are considered valuable in curing low sex drive and even impotency. Almonds can be eaten raw or can be mixed in milk. Either way, they are great for increasing sex drive.
Do it at home: Eat 10 raw and unroasted almonds for breakfast. Soak the almonds in water overnight, peel the skin the next morning and then eat them. You can also prepare an almond drink. You will need 10 raw almonds, 1 cup warm milk, 1 teaspoon natural sugar, a pinch of saffronand a pinch of nutmeg. Soak the 10 almonds overnight and peel the skin off the next morning. Add to the milk, together with the other ingredients and blend well in a blender.
Partake off a herbal brew
Herbal remedies are always better than any other medications because they are natural and don’t have any adverse side effects.
Do it at home: To prepare this magical herbal brew, take 1 part shatavari, 1 part vidari, 1/8 part nutmeg, ½ part tagar and warm milk. Add 1 teaspoon of this mixture to a cup of warm milk. For effective results, drink this brew twice a day, once in the morning and another cup in the evening. Taking this brew for over a month works wonders for your libido. Within a few weeks, you ought to notice a change in your sexual response, increasing your sexual pleasure.
On a date
Dates are a highly-strengthening food and posess the ability to restore sexual drive, increase endurance and improve overall vitality, while promoting a Zen state of mind.
Do it at home: Eating one date daily every morning as it is useful in combating low libido and sexual debility, even chronic fatigue. To make preserved dates, you need 10 fresh dates, a quart jar of ghee, 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of cardamom and 1 pinch of saffron. Soak the dates in a jar of ghee and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover the jar and store it in a warm place for at least 12 days.
Use onions and garlic to restore sexual vitality
Onions and garlic are known to be an effective aphrodisiacs and one of the best libido enhancers, but their properties are not generally known.
Do it at Home: Mix one tablespoon of onion juice with one teaspoon of fresh ginger juice and consume twice daily. This mixture can be taken daily with a spoon of honey, but make sure to consume this mixture when your stomach has been empty for at least two hours. You can also prepare garlic milk with one cup of milk, ¼ cup of water and a clove of chopped garlic. Add garlic to the milk and water, and boil gently until one cup of the liquid is left behind. This aphrodisiacal drink is recommended for people who are suffering from a low sex drive. For favourable results take this drink at bedtime.
Drumstick therapy
A soup made with drumstick flowers boiled in milk is very useful in the treatment for the loss of libido. It is also useful in functional sterility in both males and females.
Do It At Home: Powder of the dry bark can be boiled in half a litre of water for about half an hour. Thirty grams of powder, mixed with one tablespoon of honey, can be taken thrice daily.
Safed Musli or Asparagus cures low sex drive
The dried roots of safed musli (also known as asparagus) are used in Ayurveda as an aphrodisiac. Asparagus is primarily used as a tonic and rejuvenative for the reproductive system both for men and women.
Do It At Home: Take 15 grams of the dried roots of asparagus and boil it with one cup of milk. Take this mixture twice daily for satisfactory results. The regular use of this recipe is valuable to cure impotency and premature ejaculation. Eating asparagus in your salad helps to increase male libido.

One of the 34 symptoms of menopause is loss of libido, but there are things you can do to help keep your sex life intact. Just because you are going through menopause does not mean you need to give up doing the things you love. Loss of libido is experienced differently by men and women, and for women it is often multifaceted, with desires rooted in physical and emotional attraction as well as relational causes. So if you are looking for proven herbal remedies for your low libido, continue reading for the five best natural remedies that will do just that.

Ginkgo

Not only can ginkgo help combat menopausal memory loss, it also increases blood circulation to the genital area which will increase arousal, and help to improve sensations during intercourse.

Sarsaparilla

This natural remedy is extremely important for glandular balance, and it contains two of the hormones that drop in women when they are going through menopause: progesterone and testosterone. Each of these is important to a woman’s sex drive. Liver function is another important aspect of a woman’s sex drive, and sarsaparilla is known to be an outstanding blood purifier and has been used to treat liver disorders.

Passion Flower

Stress and anxiety are two major reasons reported by women as causing a loss in sex drive. So to help women relax, passion flower can put the mind and body in relaxation mode and can help the body cope with stress. Although scientists aren’t sure, it is believed that passion flower works by increasing levels of a chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. GABA lowers the activity of some brain cells, making you more relaxed.

St. John´s Wort

During menopause, many women find themselves in a slump, slightly depressed about the direction their life is heading. St. Johns Wort is effective in treating depression symptoms and improving the overall outlook a person has on their life. It has also been known to treat insomnia, another common reason women claim they have a low sex drive.

Horny Goat Weed

Many people believe that horny goat weed can affect cortisol levels, known to be the main stress hormone in the body. By minimizing the effect cortisol has on a woman’s body, she will feel less stressed and be more prepared to participate in sexual encounters.

Knowing how to boost your libido using natural remedies will help you learn to enjoy your life during menopause. If you want to learn more, click on the following link to find out about the loss of libido.

The not-so-sexy truth: It’s not always easy to get excited about sex after working a nine-hour day and ferrying around three kids. It’s not always easy even if you have only one kid and didn’t step outside the house all day. In general, some 43 percent of women and 31 percent of men in the United States report sexual dysfunction. The numbers are even higher for those over 50. Indeed one study of menopausal women found that nearly half reported a decrease in sexual desire after menopause. Lots of issues contribute to the problem, including stress, smoking and hormonal imbalance.
The good news for those who have lost that loving feeling is that they can get it back. Although libido is far too complicated to be impacted by a single magical solution, here are seven natural ways recommended by various experts to increase your libido.
Have your own ideas? Let us know in comments.
1. Gaze at a photo of your significant other
A study by Helen Fisher, an anthropologist at Rutgers University, found that when people look at a photo of their loved one for 30 seconds or longer, their brain begins producing dopamine, a libido booster. Of course, I know a lot of women who’d say that gazing at a photo of Ryan Gosling might be helpful as well.
2. Stay fit and keep the weight off
This one’s mostly for men: Not only will you simply feel better about yourself, but body fat also inhibits testosterone production. And, apparently, it’s really important for men to watch their waist size as belly fat absorbs testosterone more efficiently than fat cells elsewhere in the body. Both men and women will benefit from exercise, though, as aerobic workouts increase blood flow to sex organs.
3. Tickle your taste buds
Certain foods including tomatoes, broccoli and pomegranate juice are supposed to give you a boost in the bedroom. On the other hand, avoid processed baked goods and dairy products — all libido killers.
4. Trade the bubbly for some red wine
No, you shouldn’t drink to excess. And don’t give up champagne completely. But studies show that moderate drinkers of red wine actually have a greater sex drive than those who don’t imbibe, or who drink white wine. Researchers attribute this to red wine’s ability to increase blood flow as well as its color. Women apparently find men a whole lot sexier when they are wearing red. And — no surprise here — men also are attracted to ladies in red.
5. Spook yourself — or your partner
Studies show that people feel more amorous after enduring an adrenaline-pumping experience such as watching a scary movie or jumping out of an airplane. When you do something a bit daring, your heart will start pumping, same as if you were sexually aroused.
6. Give (or receive) a massage

There’s no doubt that massage is a good idea for couples when one is feeling particularly worried or stressed. And, with a little soft lighting, one thing can quite easily lead to another…
7. Breathe in
Certain scents are known to put people in the mood immediately (stock up on cinnamon, vanilla and musk in particular). An interesting side note: A woman’s sense of smell is actually stronger than a man’s, especially when she’s ovulating. When it comes to men, apparently they get turned on by the scent of pumpkin pie combined with lavender. Who knew?