More evidence that low-calorie sweeteners are bad for your health
Studies show that artificial sweeteners can raise the risk of hypertension, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, including stroke.
Sexual anxiety, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, infertility or simply lacking energy and vitality – these are all conditions that have an effect on many men’s lives at some point or another.
In some cases there are clear medical reasons why symptoms are being experienced, and these will be touched on later, but for many men unease about, or disinclination towards, sex are indications that a toll is being taken on energy and resources in other parts of life.
What we may simply call our energy – or lack of it – the unquantifiable thing that makes us tick, is often referred to in Western natural medicine as the life force or ‘vital force’. In Chinese and other Eastern medicines it is known as the ‘qi’.
By whatever name we call it the philosophy behind all natural medicines considers that it is this energy that holds the key to our body’s health. When this energy is low, the body is susceptible to illness, whether physical or mental. In our fast-paced world the drains on our energy are many: cigarette smoking, alcohol, pollution, excess consumption of fat, salt and sugar in processed foods, inadequate exercise, lack of sleep and stress.
How each individual responds to these demands will differ from person to person, but it is common for a body lacking vitality and ease to be unable to express itself in a healthy sex life.
Why do we ignore our wellbeing?
So many men ignore the biological signs of illness both physical and psychological, that it would almost seem we have been socially conditioned to pay no attention to them.
It can come as little surprise that many men take no notice of symptoms of cancer of the testes or prostate because society still largely ignores men’s health issues.
Emotional wellbeing is even harder to define and, so, very often the fatigue that warns against further activity and protects against exhaustion is pushed aside, either through necessity or through a misplaced belief that it is the ‘heroic’ thing to do. Whether physical or emotional, ignoring warning signs leads to the gradual breakdown of the body’s natural activities.
It is a cliché to report that men find sharing their emotional problems difficult, but what results from it is born out in the figures for male suicide (the ratio for male to female suicides is 2:1) and heart disease (forty per cent of men who die in the 45-64 age group do so as the result of a coronary). The demands to succeed, provide for a family, achieve promotion and accumulate consumer goods all take their toll and manifest themselves in a myriad of different ways – raised blood pressure, ulcers, breathing problems and sexual unease.
If true wellbeing is to be achieved, then working to free ourselves of the stresses which cause our unease is essential to realizing the good health we all desire.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has several helpful ways of approaching men’s loss of vitality. In TCM, the kidneys are considered to be the root of all life.
The energy of the kidney is the link to millions of years of human evolution, enabling the transmission of genetic material. As well as maintaining our roots, the kidneys also enable healthy procreation and for that reason kidneys are the source of vitality, endurance, our instincts for survival and procreation. In Chinese Medicine the kidneys generate, store and activate the Essence or ‘Jing’.
Jing is the original substance of an individual’s life, it forms the basis of all tissues within the body and especially those of the human reproductive system. It governs all the developmental stages of life (birth, puberty, death) and is characterised by great stamina, ability to resist disease and sexual vitality. Impotence and sexual unease are characteristic of a loss of this essence and we need to conserve energy with sufficient rest and relaxation, by the avoidance of stimulants (e.g. caffeine) and chemicals and nourish it with good food and fresh air.
There are many herbs that can help restore vitality. The Men’s Tonic blend below combines several herbs that can help conserve and nourish our body’s essence.
The men’s tonic blend
This combination of herbal tinctures was developed by the herbalist Dragana Vilinac to improve reproductive health and increase libido and fertility.
Damiana (Turnera diffusa) – 2 parts
Ashwaganda (Withania somnifera) – 2 parts
Ginseng (Panax ginseng) – 2 parts
Fleeceflower (Polygonum multiflorum) – 1.5 parts
Schisandra fruit (Schisandra chinensis) – 1.5 parts
Wolfberry fruit (Lyciium barbarum) – 1 part
The formula is an excellent general tonic, and you will see that many of the herbs mentioned for individual problems in this booklet are combined here to provide help across the spectrum of male sexual health, as well as helping the body cope with stress and tension. 2mls of the tonic should be taken three times daily for a minimum of three months.
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