Last updated on April 30, 2020
Traditional Chinese natural medicine has a lot to offer sex. Yin and Yang are the way of heaven and earth, with which one can understand all phenomena in the universe, including sex. Yin is the cool feminine dampness of a winter night. It is the earth. Yang is the hot male scorching of a summer day. It is the heavens. Heaven and earth became disconnected in men and women, but in sex, yin and yang essences merge once again.
The continual interaction between yin and yang can be observed via modern science. A great deal of research now helps us understand in particular the relationship between diet and hormonal balance. For example, leafy greens are rich in zinc. Zinc lowers the stress hormone cortisol, which disrupts testosterone. When women have high cortisol levels, they will experience lower libido and more difficulty achieving orgasm. And high stress for men affects sex at all levels. Leafy greens lower cortisol and improve testosterone levels to raise libido.
Many patients want to see the science behind traditional Chinese natural Medicine. Others understand that natural medicine holds pearls that science has yet to discover. Many tenets of traditional Chinese medicine have been proven in modern times, and you can be encouraged by following the principles of a simpler time. The art of sex, or merging of yin and yang, is cultivated by thoughtfully caring for one’s body. Sexual health is a balance between yin, or bodily substance, and yang, or bodily function. A body that is well nourished will allow the essences of sex—qi, blood and jing—to flow freely and abundantly.
Jing is our vital life essence, and is housed in the kidneys. From this essence life is possible, and when it runs out, life ceases. Male essence is embodied in sperm and female essence is embodied in menses. For boosting sexual fitness, we eat foods and spices that nourish the kidneys. According to many forms of natural medicine, such as traditional Chinese dietetics, what a person should eat also depends on his or her constitution. The sexual fire depends on adequate kidney qi and kidney yang for libido. Conversely, when kidney yin is deficient, this causes high libido without satisfaction in sex. Examples of foods that nourish kidney yin include black sesame, goji berries and wood ear mushrooms. Kidney yang-nourishing foods include walnuts, yams and cherries.
In addition to nourishing the kidneys, we must eat to keep clear the path of qi and blood. Qi must be able to flow to the penis, vagina and clitoris in order to have great sex. The movement of qi can be seen in nerves that fire to and from the genitals determining how much pleasure we experience. Staying away from rich heavy foods like dairy, greasy foods and baked goods keeps clear the pathway of qi and blood. Antioxidants protect nerves and allow them to fire stronger and quicker impulses to and from the genitals. Mushrooms, for example, are a wonderful source of antioxidants and have proven in research to strengthen nerve signals for the most pleasurable sex!
[…] philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine, though, is to always address the root of health concerns. In the case of sexual function, doing […]
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