One of the things that the holidays are known for is the mouthwatering food and drinks that come with it. Pies, cookies, and wine are just a few items that are almost always on the menu during the holidays. 

While we all love indulging during this time and don’t think much of it, your diet plays a huge role in your overall well-being. It goes beyond obvious things like gaining extra pounds or lacking proper nutrients. It can actually affect things that you may have not thought about— namely, intimacy.

Believe it or not, there are ties between what foods you put in your body and your sexual health. If you want to learn more about this, then look no further. We have some information that you may want to hear!

Effects of diet and disease on intimate well-being

A consistently poor diet is usually accompanied by weight gain and an array of health problems associated with it. Everything from diabetes to heart disease are more likely to occur as a result of an improper diet. That’s why it’s important to take care of these issues before they get to this point because if you don’t, they can lead to intimacy problems like:

Lack of stamina and focus

When you’re battling poor health, your energy levels tend to take a hit. Suddenly things that seemed so engaging to you previously become one of your biggest chores—your sex life included. With low energy comes an overall lack of stamina that can translate to performance issues in the bedroom making it harder for you to engage the way you normally would.

The food you consume has the ability to not only give you an energy boost but give you some mental clarity. A plant based diet that includes foods like almonds, chickpeas, and avocados can easily help give you an energy boost and increase your focus.

Higher chances of sexual difficulties

With medical conditions like heart disease and diabetes comes the higher probability of problems like erectile dysfunction (ED). The progression to ED as a result of both of these diseases comes about differently. ED stemming from heart disease is a result of a buildup of plaque in the arteries preventing blood flow. Whereas ED associated with diabetes is the result of poor insulin production causing damage to the blood vessels in the penis.

This is why diet plays a huge role in things as it can help to reduce the effects of both diseases, ultimately improving intimate health. Reducing your consumption of fried, overly processed foods along with eating plant based meals can help you get your health back on track.

How you can fix your diet

An Indy car would not pull up to the local gas station and fuel up. In order for it to perform its best, the car needs a high quality, high performing fuel. Our bodies work the same way, and truth be told, people often spend more time choosing what fuel to put in their car than they do choosing food for their bodies!

Cabbage diets, Keto diets, soup cleanse,  juice cleanses, apple cider vinegar diets; fad diets are all the rage, each one claiming to be “the next best thing”. It also seems that everyone has a different opinion about what works best. It can be really overwhelming to sort through all of the information available. So, how do you know what to choose? 

Consult the Experts

Well, when you’re in need of car help, you go to a mechanic, and when you need help with your diet, you consult with a nutritional expert. While having our very own nutritionist and personal chef is out of the question for most, Plantable is a company that brings the same dedicated nutritional support to you at a fraction of the cost, along with actual meals delivered, making eating healthy and optimizing your performance a breeze.

Make small incremental changes

Start with small changes like swapping out your current habits for healthier alternatives. Like cutting out the dairy creamer in your coffee and using oat milk instead, swapping the evening chili to a meatless version, and adding an extra serving of vegetables to your plate instead of the dinner roll.

Additional ways to maintain health and intimacy

Visit your physician

As embarrassing as a doctor’s visit about a sexual dysfunction may be, you should make an appointment to see a professional. Your doctor can give you accurate insight into the problem at hand and provide you some healthy solutions to try. 

Solutions can vary depending on the person. Men can be advised to try ED medications to improve their symptoms whereas women may be advised to make lifestyle adjustments regarding exercise, birth control, and more.

Change your workout routine

There are exercises that men and women can do to help with improving their intimacy. One main exercise being Kegels. Kegels can help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles which are essential to having a engaging sex life as the help to increase blood flow in the nether regions. Incorporating certain yoga exercises is also a good option. It will allow you to improve your health while also making you flexible.

Cut out substances

It’s a conscious decision to cut out unnecessary ingredients such as added sugar and processed foods which can contribute to inflammation, ED and many other health conditions. Decide to eat high quality, real ingredients...eating the plant rather than food that is made in a plant! A whole food plant-based diet is proven to reduce inflammation and reduce blood pressure by improving the health of our arteries and blood flow. So, you know what that means…

It’s giving our bodies what they need in order to perform at their best. If idea of changing your diet seems daunting, a terrific way to get started with a new way of eating is with the support of a Coach and a science based meal program like Plantable. With the help of coaches, an educational platform and the chef prepared meals that are delivered to your door, change is much easier and less overwhelming.

TLDR;

While food choice isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when getting in the mood, you might want to think twice about your food when it comes to intimacy. When you look better you feel better, so shedding a few pounds, and feeling better in (and out of!) your clothes certainly has its benefits. Changing your diet might seem like an impossible challenge during the holidays, but it doesn’t have to be! Remember, it all starts with small changes. And when it comes to a little extra support, seek assistance from experts like Plantable who make living the healthiest version of yourself easy, affordable, and enjoyable.