Holistic medicine is that which treats the body as a whole, as opposed to its separate parts. For example, traditional medicine will tell you to take ibuprofen for a headache, while holistic medicine will tell you to sit in a quiet location, calm your mind, and meditate, to relieve the stressors causing the headache.
Holistic healing focuses on altering your physiological state without the help of medication. This multi-faceted approach can be just the ticket for women who have difficulty becoming aroused or achieving orgasm. Because there are many different causes of sexual dysfunction, there are several different options when it comes to alternative healing techniques.
1) Alter your diet. Eat foods that have been proven to enhance sexual drive and function. These include foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as tuna, walnuts, and canola oil, because these increase circulation. Pumping up your zinc consumption is also known to increase libido, so try eating more whole grain bread, brown rice, and lean red meat.
2) Utilize the Fertility Awareness Method. The Fertility Awareness Method, or FAM, is a technique used to chart your monthly cycle. It takes into account a variety of factors, including waking temperature, cervical fluid changes, and estimated dates of ovulation. By getting familiar with your body’s cycle, you can also determine the days when you will be most fertile, and thus the most biologically prepared for sex.
3) Get your blood pumping before sex. Instead of waiting until you’re in the bedroom to get active, try going for a walk or run before your partner comes home. Any type of activity that gets you moving will dramatically increase your circulation, making it quite easy to get aroused and achieve orgasm.
4) Try Ginkgo Biloba supplements. Ginkgo Biloba has long been hailed as a way to improve memory, but it has recently come to light as a beneficial herb for sexual dysfunction in both women and men. A recent study showed that sexual desire, satisfaction, and orgasm improved in 25 of 34 women given the supplement ArginMax (a ginkgo biloba-based product). ArginMax is actually recommended by Richard P. Brown, MD, associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University in New York City, for women who suffer from sexual dysfunction.
Most other methods of holistic healing revolve around concepts that are all too familiar to us – exercise daily, get a decent amount of sleep each night, and put aside time for relaxation. Add a period of meditation to your daily schedule to relieve stress hormones if you want to reap the sexual benefits of holistic healing. Focus on enriching the whole, and sexual function will improve naturally.
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Shaina Gaul is a feminist and freelance writer living in Iowa. View more of her writing at http://www.toasterbyte.com.