How To Sleep Better: Sleep Hygiene That You Need To Know

Although many people are suffering from insomnia or sleeplessness, there are some simple ways that can help them get good sleep. Sleep habits and environmental factors can greatly affect sleep quality. This article will give you some important tips on how to sleep better. Sleep hygiene is dependent upon:• The circadian cycle of the person• Age • Stress factors • Addictives like alcohol, nicotine and caffeine Circadian cycle If you have a steady circadian rhythm, you are likely to be getting good sleep. However, there are things like exercise, the amount of exposure to light, frequency of naps etc that can disturb a steady circadian cycle. Aging An infant needs 16 to 20 hours of sleep while an adult will be healthy with 7 to 9 hours. Once you cross 40, your sleep patterns change considerably. Many people who wonder about how to sleep better need to understand that age is a major factor here. Another important note is that the more you wake up in your sleeping hours, the less quality of sleep. Psychological Stressors There are many things that lead to stress in a person’s life. However, the key to getting good sleep is to be able to let go of all tension before jumping into bed. If you take your stresses with you to bed, then 9 times out of 10 you will not be able to get a good night’s sleep. Thus, make a mental note of this point and no matter how stressed out you are, ensure that you just let go of it all when you go to bed. In order to overcome stress before going to bed, you can try relaxation techniques like meditation. You can also listen to some soothing music to help you tune off and de – stress. Social or Recreational DrugsCertain addictives like nicotine, alcohol or caffeine has a negative effect on your sleep. For example, caffeine makes you wake up at night frequently and disrupts sleep. Thus, it actually lowers the total time of your sleep. Nicotine acts in a similar manner. However, nicotine in low doses can also act as a sedative but when taken excessively, it can lead to sleeplessness. Although alcohol is commonly believed to be a sedative, it can result in awakenings when it metabolizes on your body. In fact, the arousals can even lead to other problems like headaches and sweating. A deadly combination that you have to steer clear of if you want to know how to sleep better is nicotine and caffeine together. It has adverse effects on your sleeping patterns and makes you uncomfortable when you wake up, with feelings of tiredness and grogginess.

Find Success in Life by Improving Your Body Image and Self Esteem.

Your positive self-esteem is your foundation for success and without it you can feel down, depressed, inferior and suffer a lack confidence in many situations. There are many factors, affirmations and lessons to help you on the way to improving self esteem. One major connection that will be discussed here is that of the connection between how an individual sees their body image and how it affects their self esteem.Building Self Esteem - A Healthy Body Leads to a Healthy MindFloppy loose skin, fat deposits building up around your neck and under your chin, love handles, fat rolls under your bra line, thighs, hips, back becoming roly-poly, a protruding fat tummy! Your body image and self esteem definitely have a link as to how you see your self and no matter what compliments other people give, if you are unhappy about your image then you may not be willing to accept it…..a sure sign of low self esteem. People come in all shapes and sizes and it’s easy to say that you should be happy with what you are born with but there is no rule to say that you should adjust your body image to fit in with ‘the norm of society’…all you need to do to improve your body image and self esteem is make adjustments to the way you think about yourself and make sure you feel healthy and if that means taking exercise then all the better for you. The main point is that you feel good about yourself without the drastic measures of surgery. Despite having said all that, the stresses and strains of the modern world place people under increasing pressure such as earning more money, looking younger, looking thinner, being a better parent and having a successful career and so on it goes means that building self esteem is no easy task. Improving how you look can definitely have a positive effect on your self esteem which will ultimately help you in your career or what ever path you choose to take. Some people handle body image very differently than others and often you will find those suffering from physical deformities may have a far higher self esteem than others who don’t. How you choose to improve your body image is your choice. One important aspect is that you are motivated as once you start to feel the benefits then you will wonder why you never started sooner. Just the initial realisation that there is a connection between body image and self esteem is one important stepping stone to feeling better about yourself.

3 Insomnia Remedies That Work

Insomnia remedies never seem to suffer a shortage. Remedies run the gamut from the amusing to the bizarre and from the natural to the chemical. While medications can help in the short term, they will just prolong the problem as you have to come off them some time and when you do you will find your insomnia worse than ever. For that reason, we’ll look at methods that do not need a prescription, and can be much more effective.De-stress for the best rest. Learning how to relax, both physically and mentally, will help you get to sleep and stay asleep. It can be tricky to leave the stresses of the day behind, especially if things are not going well. Make a deal with yourself that you will stop dwelling on your problems before bed and start focusing on good things. Once in bed relax your muscles, starting from your scalp down to your toes. Feel yourself melting into your mattress and enjoy the feeling of letting go. There are CDs that can guide you through this type of relaxation if you find it too difficult to do on your own.Harnessing the power of the mind to counteract insomnia can be done through relaxation techniques, as well as visualizations. Fully immersing yourself in different scenarios or fantasies will shift the focus from being awake to the alternate reality your mind is creating. Peaceful locations, happy situations, and floating or swimming are good choices to help wind down and get to sleep.Make your room an oasis of calm. Think of your bedroom as a refuge where you can escape for restorative rest. Keep it clean and tidy. Decorate it in a way that’s inviting, but not jarring. Also, avoid having any arguments in it or discussing bad things that may be happening in your life, to prevent any negative associations with the room. Use your bedroom for sleeping. This means no watching TV. The TV is too stimulating, if you want to get off to sleep then read instead. Again, you need to get your subconscious to link the idea of ‘bedroom’ to the action of ’sleep’.When it comes to being comfortable, don’t overlook the physical. Make sure you have a comfortable mattress, bedding and pillow. Have fresh air circulating to avoid a stifling feeling. The right temperature makes a big difference, as anyone who has tried to sleep through a hot and humid night can attest. Diet and health. Eating the right foods, and avoiding the wrong ones before bedtime can go a long way to being lulled to sleep. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, smoking and foods that don’t agree with you before it’s time for bed. Instead, opt for dairy products, poultry, soy (all of which contain the sleep-friendly amino acid tryptophan), or foods high in complex carbohydrates to aid in sleeping.Engaging in exercise earlier in the day, and maintaining good health may be done for other reasons, but they will also help beat insomnia. Getting enough sleep affects the way we feel and act throughout the day. Hopefully some of these insomnia remedies will work for you and having feeling well rested and ready to take on whatever the day has to offer.

Some Causes Of Depression

Relationships and Work Problems: Stress in general can contribute to depression. There are stresses involving work, maintaining a home, caring for children, financial, and sexual problems. As people get older there is the stress of dealing with elderly parents. With jobs being shipped overseas, no one has a great sense of job security. Depression will tend to hit you the hardest if you are separated or divorced. This makes sense because there is always a sense of loss, of failure, even if you both agree that you will do better apart. You are dealing with change, and change always causes stress. Even positive changes cause stress. Staying married to a person who is toxic for you is never any good and can cause real depression problems. If you are married to someone and feel hurt, unloved, criticized, and not valued, you are bound to have a problem with self esteem. After all, if you are a good person, why should you be treated in such a bad way? Anger at your spouse can have a way of turning around and coming back into you, making you feel guilty, like there is something unlovable about you. If you are an unhappily married woman, you are very likely to suffer from depression. Having Children Women do have a lot of hormonal changes when they become pregnant. Hormonal changes affect the brain messengers so there is a possibility of depression involved. There is a real mix up of brain chemicals right after a baby is born and some women are more likely to have a very upsetting depression. It is called Postpartum Depression or many people call it the ‘baby blues’. Frequently if you have had a problem with depression prior to having a baby, you may be more likely to suffer from more depression after your baby is born. It is so scary to have depressive feelings when you are supposed to be totally joyful over a birth. Sometimes if you experience this you feel too guilty bring it up. You need to understand that this is a hormonal imbalance and it is OK to get some help and possibly some medication to help you through this time. Don’t feel awful. You love your baby but you need a little chemical adjustment. It is also true that you become exhausted taking care of a baby, not getting enough sleep. This is worse for single parents who have to handle all this alone. With people moving all over the country to get jobs, more couples are bringing up children without the support of relatives. Most couples really are not prepared for the big difference a baby will make in their lives. Men can feel very jealous about all the attention given to the new baby and be less supportive with the mother. There is more stress if both parents have to work and arrange for child care. The more that is demanded of you when you have the stress of nurturing a new family member, the more pressured, worried, and depressed you can feel. Sexual desire and romantic moments tend to fly the coop when a baby has colic and demands constant attention. Having children starts a total change in your life. You have the children to take care of for at least 18 years. Plus these days with children returning home after they experience life problems, they can be with you well into your 60’s. The financial and economic costs of raising a child have risen unbelievably, let alone the emotional demands. Children are so pressured by what their peers have and make unrealistic demands on parents who can not afford to give them what they desire. Often you feel like you are giving everything you can to a child who then thumbs his nose at you and tells you that you aren’t making the grade. This can cause a great deal of depression. Family ties are so special and important but we all know they can be the source of great distress and problems

If you’re stressed out, it’s good to know that there are tools available that will help you reduce your stress naturally, without the help of prescription drugs. Here are some natural stress reducers you can use:

1. Meditation

Meditating on a regular basis is quite normal and studies have shown that it is very helpful in reducing your stress levels as well as often helping to reduce your blood pressure. You can join a local meditation class, use a guided meditation MP3 or one of the modern meditations which are combined with binaural beats to take you into a deep meditative state with no effort on your part.

2. Eat Your Stress Away

Nutrition is important. A proper diet will go a long way to reducing your stress levels. Often when we are stressed we eat junk food to comfort ourselves. Be careful of your diet, drink plenty of water, cut back on the caffeine and alcohol. All these will go a long way to helping your body naturally, reducing the stresses and strains it has to deal with.

3. Get some exercise

Sure, you’re busy. You haven’t got time to spend hours in the gym. But you don’t need to unless you want to. You can get exercise by walking more or maybe going for a swim once or twice a week. It’s important that you give your body regular exercise - powerful “happiness” drugs start getting created by your body. These endorphins are produced by your body and will help you to feel happier completely naturally. Just by exercising!

4. Get a good night’s sleep

Quite often when we’re stressed, we’ll literally lie awake at night worrying. It’s important to get enough sleep as this is the time your body uses to repair and renovate itself. Don’t use alcohol as a night cap - this actually makes your sleep patterns worse. Instead, adjust your habits so that you give yourself time to unwind before you go to bed. Don’t stay up too late reading those business reports. Taking a long, relaxing bath before you go to bed is one way to naturally encourage your body to go to sleep.

5. Change your routine

If certain things are stressing you out, consider changing your routine to lessen their impact. For instance, if your work place offers you a range of times to start work, adjust your daily commute so that you miss the worst of the traffic. If one of your co-workers constantly stresses you out, talk to your boss to see whether you can be split away from them or explore other ways to reduce the tension between you.

6. Take a vacation

Even a weekend away will help. They say a change is as good as a break and a couple days away from your regular routine could make all the difference. Taking a short break will allow you time to recharge yourself and let the stress drain away.

7. Get a hobby

Hobbies are a good way to change the direction your mind takes. Whether your hobby is an art, a craft or even just playing your favorite video games. Feel free to indulge yourself.

About the author: Get more ways to reduce your stress and start to regain control of your life again at http://www.squidoo.com/stressreducer

Maybe some of you, Indonesian, still remember the accident, which happened to a woman severely burned by her husband out of jealousy. The accident took place a couple of years ago in Jakarta. The news suddenly becomes major headlines in all media, printed and electronic. The public opinion is all stirred to sympathy towards the woman and curse for the husband. Because the woman, who used to be a very beautiful, after the accident became unrecognizable. The husband did his action based on his suspicion that his wife might have an affair with other man. So to prevent that from progressing even further, the husband took the precaution step by burning his wife, alive. Luckily the woman managed to escape and sought help although she had burn wound. Although her wound could be well treated, still her face won’t be the same again. There would be major changes in her face and skin. This phenomenon intriguing some psychologist when they began to question whether the patient was mentally stable enough to handle the stressful, high-risk procedure. People around her might not be able to recognize her again. Experts have begun to discuss how any analyst could fully know if an individual were “ready” for such a novel procedure. Some psychological readiness criteria exist for patients who seek elective plastic surgery, but there is little literature about the mental attributes that make someone a good candidate for reconstructive surgery, much less a highly visible transplant. Critic of the operation say that in addition to needing the mettle to follow post surgical procedures and stick with anti-tissue-rejection medication and side effects, the woman will have to withstand intense public scrutiny, and they wonder if she is up to it. But Elaine Walker, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Emory University, notes the patient’s perspective, “the stresses may not trump the stress of living with the original disfigurement.” Walker points out that the patient essentially had to choose between three psychologically challenging options: live with a terrible disfigurement that would very likely instill in her significant social anxiety, attempt a protracted series of reconstructive surgeries that doctors said might not succeed, or undergo the risky face transplant. “None of the alternatives would be free of psychological stress,” observes. In the end, life is full of options. For each option, there would be consequences regardless the stress that would come along. And the patient, like every human being must choose one with consequences he/she can handle best.

How To Sleep Better: Sleep Hygiene That You Need To Know

Although many people are suffering from insomnia or sleeplessness, there are some simple ways that can help them get good sleep. Sleep habits and environmental factors can greatly affect sleep quality. This article will give you some important tips on how to sleep better. Sleep hygiene is dependent upon:• The circadian cycle of the person• Age • Stress factors • Addictives like alcohol, nicotine and caffeine Circadian cycle If you have a steady circadian rhythm, you are likely to be getting good sleep. However, there are things like exercise, the amount of exposure to light, frequency of naps etc that can disturb a steady circadian cycle. Aging An infant needs 16 to 20 hours of sleep while an adult will be healthy with 7 to 9 hours. Once you cross 40, your sleep patterns change considerably. Many people who wonder about how to sleep better need to understand that age is a major factor here. Another important note is that the more you wake up in your sleeping hours, the less quality of sleep. Psychological Stressors There are many things that lead to stress in a person’s life. However, the key to getting good sleep is to be able to let go of all tension before jumping into bed. If you take your stresses with you to bed, then 9 times out of 10 you will not be able to get a good night’s sleep. Thus, make a mental note of this point and no matter how stressed out you are, ensure that you just let go of it all when you go to bed. In order to overcome stress before going to bed, you can try relaxation techniques like meditation. You can also listen to some soothing music to help you tune off and de – stress. Social or Recreational DrugsCertain addictives like nicotine, alcohol or caffeine has a negative effect on your sleep. For example, caffeine makes you wake up at night frequently and disrupts sleep. Thus, it actually lowers the total time of your sleep. Nicotine acts in a similar manner. However, nicotine in low doses can also act as a sedative but when taken excessively, it can lead to sleeplessness. Although alcohol is commonly believed to be a sedative, it can result in awakenings when it metabolizes on your body. In fact, the arousals can even lead to other problems like headaches and sweating. A deadly combination that you have to steer clear of if you want to know how to sleep better is nicotine and caffeine together. It has adverse effects on your sleeping patterns and makes you uncomfortable when you wake up, with feelings of tiredness and grogginess.

Healthy Lifestyle and Mental Stress

One of the most prominent features of modern living is the difficulty of escaping the mental stresses of daily life. Technology continues to drive the pace of work and living to faster and faster speeds. The cost of living, the pressure of competition for material wealth, and the challenge of balancing family, professional, and community ties all contribute to increasing daily pressures. Finding time to relax, unwind, and savor simple pleasures becomes a rare treat.In addition to the specific stress-related disorders that this daily pressure causes, stress makes it all the more challenging to actively pursue healthy eating and activity habits. At the end of a long, hard day, it’s much easier to grab a fast snack, sit on the couch, and do what you need to do to get through the rest of the day. It takes much more discipline and motivation to spend time meal-planning, shopping carefully, strategizing on how to be more active, and creating time to relax in refreshing and restorative ways.So what do you do? Start educating yourself about what a healthy lifestyle requires and the rewards and benefits of the extra effort that it is going to take. Start acknowledging that, all things being equal, it is more difficult to live a life that nurtures and supports your health. Be patient and gentle with yourself, and congratulate yourself for taking any time and making any effort in the direction you want to go.The Process of ChangeAs you get ready to embark on your own path toward healthful living, it is useful to familiarize yourself with the process of change. In the field of behavioral medicine, researchers are examining how to support the process of change toward more positive habits. As it became more and more evident that people have all the information that they need to know that they should be eating more fruits and vegetables and exercising more regularly, the question for scientists then became, “Why aren’t more people doing it?” Researchers realized that changing behaviors is a very difficult task, and they sought to understand how to improve the process to maximize people’s odds of success.A leading behavioral scientist, James Prochaska, Ph.D., along with Carlo DiClemente, Ph.D., developed a psychological model for behavioral change that divides the course of action into five stages of readiness that are very useful for analysis. Understanding this progression can help you to be successful in achieving your goal to living a healthier lifestyle. The five stages include precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.These phases are meant to describe the process of becoming more ready for change and, therefore, of being more likely to succeed. In other words, you must become truly ready and motivated to change a behavior first, before you start to take action. And, if the process is cultivated in that order-motivation first, action second-the odds of ultimate success in achieving the lifestyle changes are much higher.PrecontemplationCongratulations! Anyone who is reading this book has already progressed beyond the precontemplation stage. A person in the precontemplation stage is not making any behavioral changes and does not intend to make any changes. A person at this stage is not motivated and does not have the tools and information necessary to make a positive change. This person feels that it is easier to stay in his or her situation and even risk poor health and a shorter life than it is to make any changes. You may have friends or loved ones who are at this level.ContemplationIn the contemplation stage, a person knows that it is better to live a healthier lifestyle. Although the person is thinking about it, he or she has not yet taken any action toward making this change a reality. During this stage, a person is engaged in information-gathering and weighing the pros and cons of taking any action. This person has not yet made any commitment to change but is instead just thinking about it. This, however, is a very important stage.If you feel that you are in the contemplation stage, then you are doing exactly the right thing by reading and learning more about the benefits of making positive modifications toward a healthier lifestyle.

Find Success in Life by Improving Your Body Image and Self Esteem.

Your positive self-esteem is your foundation for success and without it you can feel down, depressed, inferior and suffer a lack confidence in many situations. There are many factors, affirmations and lessons to help you on the way to improving self esteem. One major connection that will be discussed here is that of the connection between how an individual sees their body image and how it affects their self esteem.Building Self Esteem - A Healthy Body Leads to a Healthy MindFloppy loose skin, fat deposits building up around your neck and under your chin, love handles, fat rolls under your bra line, thighs, hips, back becoming roly-poly, a protruding fat tummy! Your body image and self esteem definitely have a link as to how you see your self and no matter what compliments other people give, if you are unhappy about your image then you may not be willing to accept it…..a sure sign of low self esteem. People come in all shapes and sizes and it’s easy to say that you should be happy with what you are born with but there is no rule to say that you should adjust your body image to fit in with ‘the norm of society’…all you need to do to improve your body image and self esteem is make adjustments to the way you think about yourself and make sure you feel healthy and if that means taking exercise then all the better for you. The main point is that you feel good about yourself without the drastic measures of surgery. Despite having said all that, the stresses and strains of the modern world place people under increasing pressure such as earning more money, looking younger, looking thinner, being a better parent and having a successful career and so on it goes means that building self esteem is no easy task. Improving how you look can definitely have a positive effect on your self esteem which will ultimately help you in your career or what ever path you choose to take. Some people handle body image very differently than others and often you will find those suffering from physical deformities may have a far higher self esteem than others who don’t. How you choose to improve your body image is your choice. One important aspect is that you are motivated as once you start to feel the benefits then you will wonder why you never started sooner. Just the initial realisation that there is a connection between body image and self esteem is one important stepping stone to feeling better about yourself.

All you need to know about Libido

What Causes Low Sex Drive? What Can You Do?If you’re a man in mid life experiencing reduced sexual desire you’re not alone. Surveys show as many as 25% of men experience reduced sex drive and low sex drive affects one in three marriages. When low sex drive is mentioned, the spouse with the problem is usually categorized as the wife. However, there are many husbands who aren’t interested in sex with their wives. And there is plenty you can do to boost low libido and restore normal desire.Low Sex Drive More Common Than You ThinkMen find it hard to admit to or talk about low sex drive because being sexual is so much part of being a man. But low sex drive is a more common problem than you might think. Declining testosterone levels as a natural consequence of aging, plus stress from work and family demands can add up to sexual burn out. Sexual therapists report increasing numbers of men who experience low libido – and it’s often made worse because people find it so difficult to talk about.Complaints about low desire are the No 1 problem brought to sex therapists. Low Libido – You Don’t Have to Put Up With ItWhether lack of desire originates with husband or wife, the end result is the same. There is a lack of physical contact, which is experienced by the other partner as the ultimate rejection. Many couples think they are the only ones with the problem. They feel as though nothing can be done about it. But low libido is a problem that’s actually increased with the stresses of modern life - and sex is such a vital part of our lives no one should accept it’s “all over”. So if anyone tells you that a declining sex drive is something that you just have to put up with as you get older - they’re wrong. Low Libido – What You Can Do About ItIf anyone tells you that low libido is something that you just have to put up with as you get older – they’re wrong. Thousands of men and women are discovering the benefits of natural sex boosters like tribulus terrestris, horny goat weed, maca, muira puama, and ginseng.Modern science and traditional medicine have joined forces to show how popular natural sex boosters work. Many of the active ingredients in traditional herbs have been investigated to work out just what it is in the herb which gives the good results. Those ingredients, in the form pure measurable active extracts, are now available in dietary supplement capsule which are easy to take and don’t cost a lot.However do not expect these natural products to work as quickly as pharmaceuticals, Natural sex boosters work a little slower, and while they may take a few days to work, they often provide additional benefits such as boosting libido and enhancing sensations.Low Libido – Five Steps to Boost DesireJust Do It – frequent sex helps jump start desire.Tailor activity to hormonal highs: Men’s testosterone, a primary hormone responsible for sexual desire, peaks at 7 to 8 in the morning. Don’t bury your head in the sand. Ignoring the problem isn’t healthy. You need to get help. Talk about what you need. Don’t keep score. Stop the blame game. It’s a couple problem that requires change from both of you. Low Libido Is NOT ImpotenceLow libido is the same as low sex drive - but not the same thing as impotence or erectile dysfunction. Impotence or ED is wanting to have sex but not being able to carry through on the desire. Low libido is having little desire for sex even if you are capable of achieving erections.Causes of Low Libido in MenThe causes of Low Libido in men are physical and psychological.Physical Causes of Low LibidoAlcoholism – most common Drug abuse – cocaine and marijuana besity - common Diabetes or other “major” disease Prescribed drugs, particularly Proscar, a tablet used for prostate problems Low testosterone levels Thyroid disease Psychological Causes of Low LibidoDepression – most common Stress and overwork Performance anxiety Latent gayness Serious relationship problems What Can You Do About Low Libido in MenCheck hormone levels Have a health examination Get testosterone supplementation if necessary Consider supplements Lose weight Exercise Control stress Stop smoking Check Hormone LevelsMen should have testosterone, DHEA and other androgen levels checked whenever there is any noticeable reduction in sex drive. Have a Health ExaminationLow sex drive may be the result of a thyroid condition, diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure or other major illness. You should also discuss what other medications you are taking, because some anti depressants, tranquilizers and antihypertensive drugs as well as illegal drugs like marijuana and cocaine can reduce sex drive.Get Testosterone Supplementation if NeededFor men, lifting testosterone levels can make a big difference in restoring libido and sex drive to normal levels. Testosterone is available in pill or patch form, or can be accessed by taking herbal formulas like proprietary supplement Herbal Ignite, containing Tribulus Terrestris.Consider Supplements to Help Low LibidoIncreasingly herbs which have been used traditionally by ancient peoples for thousands of years are being identified in modern science as useful for sexual enhancement. Herb Name Herb Information Avena Sativa Wild oats. Helps with stress, has been used to help nicotine withdrawal, improves sex drive. Tribulus terrestris Stimulates the body to produce more testosterone rather than introducing a synthetic form. Damiana This South America shrub has a testosterone-like effect and has long been associated with increasing male potency. Gingko Biloba Used in the East for thousands of years. Research has shown it improves depression, circulation and blood flow to the brain. Horny Goat Weed A popular herb for improving sexual function. Yohimbe A hormone stimulant that increases libido and blood flow to erectile tissue. Not available only in some regions because of the side effects which can include anxiety, panic attacks, and hallucinations, elevated blood pressure, heart rate and headaches. Zinc An essential mineral for prostate gland function and the reproductive health. Do not take more than 100mg a day. Saw palmetto Excellent herb for prostate health, sexual functioning and desire. Guarana South American shrub used as a stimulant. Ginseng Used throughout the Far East as a general tonic to give extra energy and strength. Beneficial for people with diabetes. Lose Weight to Help Improve Low LibidoEasier said than done for sure, but the uncomfortable reality is big bellied men have flagging libido. Men with a 42 inch (106 cm) waist are more than twice as likely to have erectile problems and Low Libido than those with smaller girths, according to a study of 2000 men aged 51 to 88.According to Larrian Gillespie MD author of The Gladiator Diet “for men, losing as little as ten pounds can have a dramatic effect on sex drive.” As the balance of body fat reduces, the more free circulating testosterone there is available to fuel sex drive.The Gladiator Diet is based on a diet that should be 40% protein, 35% carbohydrates and 25% fats taken in six small meals a day. Forget low carb fad diets. Only a diet that includes protein and carbs produces enough serotonin “the male hormone of bliss” according to Jed Diamond, author of The Irritable Male Syndrome – Managing the 4 Key Causes of Male Depression and Aggression.www.menalive.com Alcohol gives serotonin a temporary bump but then dramatically lowers it, so it pays to go easy on booze. To maximize testosterone, Diamond says, stay away from coffee, licorice and diet sweeteners. Exercise to help Improve Low LibidoResearch shows inactive men are more likely to suffer Erectile Dysfunction than men who exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.Five Essential Habits for Stress ControlDevelop your relaxation skills Pay attention to physical health Become a time management expert Exercise regularly Prioritize commitments and responsibilities Check out these stress tests for a range of tests you can take to learn more about your own stress levels and ability to cope. Or try the free stress test at Stress Canada and find out whether you are a Speed Freak, a Loner or a Drifter – three of five stress types identified in research.Stop Smoking to Help Improve Low LibidoSmoking can lower testosterone and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, aneurysms, and hypertension because of elevated cholesterol levels. You can also add impotency to that group, as elevated cholesterol clogs the sensitive small blood vessels responsible for trapping blood in the penis during an erection.Don’t Put Up with Low Libido You don’t have to be the one staying up watching TV, waiting for your partner to go to bed first, hoping she’ll (or he) will be asleep before you get to bed. You don’t have to put up with the guilt of feeling you can’t respond and that you can’t talk about it either. Many men take years to admit there is a problem and get around to doing something about it. Consult your health practitioner, research possible dietary supplements on the web, or talk to your pharmacist, and take action for a fuller and more enjoyable sex life.