Dr. Pulkit Nandwani

Low libido or a decreased intimate activity can affect a relationship in a big way. In some extreme cases, the impact is such that it leads to irreconcilable marital discords. Time and again, an individual, irrespective of their age, sex or occupation can go through phases of low libido. Decreased sexual desire over a longer period of time needs thorough investigation.

It could be an indication of something big and serious lying ahead. 7 critical factors attributing to low libido

1. Hormonal imbalance: Women, mostly menopausal and post menopausal, experience low libido. This is because during menopause, there is a significant drop in the oestrogen level. Reduced oestrogen level can have a huge impact on sexual desires and performance. It can also make the vagina dry, resulting in painful penetration and intercourse. Hormonal imbalance or changes during pregnancy can also result in low libido in females. In males, low libido has been found to be associated with decreased levels of testosterone. 
2. Stress:  An individual's mental and emotional state is greatly reflected in their sexual performance. A sound mental health can enhance a performance thousand folds. On the contrary, factors like depression, anxiety and stress lowers the sexual desires in a person. To enjoy a healthy and normal sexual life, it is important to keep stress and chronically blue moods at bay.
3. Sound sleep to the rescue:  The benefits of a sound sleep are beyond imagination. A good 6- 8 hours of sleep can do your sexual desires or libido a world of good. A sleep deprived soul will be agitated and cranky, both on and off the bed. Continuous sleep deprivation can also lower the testosterone level, resulting in low libido.
4. Medical ailemnts: Medical conditions like diabetes, cardiac problems, high blood pressure, or ailments of the coronary artery can rupture an individual's sexual life immensely. Improper functioning of the thyroid glands is another factor contributing to low libido. In such cases, it is best to consult a physician at the earliest. Rest Leg Syndrome can also contribute to low libido. It is a condition whereby a male experiences uncontrollable urge to move his legs.
5. Smoking: A killer habit affecting a person's sexual activity is smoking. Drug abuse and drinking (to some extent) can be equally responsible for a low libido.
6. Weight gain: A sudden change in body weight (gain or loss) can play a significant role in low libido. Take pride in your body structure. There is nothing to be ashamed of.
7. Monotony: Boredom can mask your sexual life greatly. Break the monotony, take short breaks, go on vacations and low libido will be a thing of the past. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Sexologist.

Fasting not only aids religious beliefs, but also has many spiritual benefits. It is considered the best way to re-energize one's mind, body and soul. It is one of the best ways to detoxify one's digestive system and immune system. One's stomach and pancreas are always in a state of action and hence a few days' rest can actually retune both the systems. Fasting also provides one with the opportunity to reconnect with one's spiritual body. It is a journey of self-discovery. Activities like praying and meditating helps people to connect more with their spiritual self.

How can you detox your body?
Although fasting is one of the best ways to detox one's body, not everyone has the physical strength to perform it. Detoxing can also be performed by having detoxifying foods.

1. Fruits help in washing out toxins from the body. Green foods like barley, wheatgrass, spinach, alfalfa helps to give a chlorophyll boost to the digestive system. Broccoli sprouts are very high in antioxidants and its ability to stimulate detoxifying enzymes in the digestive system is unparalleled. They are more effective than any fully grown vegetable.
2. Green tea is full of antioxidants and washes away impurities and toxic substances. It also contains catechins, which increase the function of liver. Vegetables like onions, cabbage, carrots, cauliflowers, turmeric and garlic are best eaten juiced or raw which will help in purging away toxins from the liver thus aiding the cleansing process.
3. Omega-3 oils like hemp, olive oil, avocado oil help in detoxing. They lubricate the intestinal walls and thus allow the toxins to be absorbed by the oil and wash them away.
4. Fasting is often aided by meditation, which helps to establish a deeper connection with oneself through faith. While meditating, make sure that you are neat and clean. Clean the environment in which you are fasting. Try to spend a minimum to 10-15 minutes remembering the name of the Supreme and chant his name or mantra. Light a candle to burn your ego and feed animals, birds around you. One should speak in limited amounts during meditation. After you break your fast, you will experience a sense of gratitude towards the food you eat.

4 Benefits of being a vegan

Being a vegan is not a fad diet. It's also a personal philosophical and lifestyle choice. A person may choose to become a vegan because of environmental factors, health factors, and other ethical reasons. What differentiates a vegan from a vegetarian is the fact that a vegan not only doesn't eat meat or other animal products but doesn't use any other animal products or by-products whatsoever, such as dairy products, leather, eggs, honey, wool, silk, fur etc.

Good News is that adopting such a lifestyle can be an entry into a world of better health.

Some of the health benefits of being a vegan are:

1) Improved mood - Edible and dietary sources of food from animals are rich in arachidonic acid, and research has concluded a relationship linking mood disturbances with arachidonic acid. It has been also found that restricting the consumption of meat, fish and poultry can lead to mood improvements. Vegetarian diets are not rich in this acid and, thus, they may help in uplifting your general mood.

2) Can reduce chance of diabetes by up to 50% - According to a research by Loma Linda University School of Public Health, a vegan diet can lead to a drastic reduction in the prevalence of diabetes. A vegan diet also helps in the management of diabetes as well as helps to reduce the likelihood of contracting diabetes by 50%.

3) Lower cholesterol - Eating animal fat doesn't have any benefit. Instead, it can have harmful health effects. Thus, it's not surprising that once animal fats are removed from your diet, it can lead to a healthier lifestyle. After studying the long-term effects of following a vegetarian diet, researchers in Korea have concluded that body fat and cholesterol tend to lower in vegans than those who follow a non-vegetarian diet.

4)Reduced risk of stroke and obesity - Vegans, in general, have a lower chance of binge eating and choosing to eat food out of emotions; this is because they follow a strict diet. These two factors, which contribute to obesity, are mostly observed in non-vegetarians and very rarely in vegans.

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Related Tip: 3 'Healthy' Dietary Habits that are Infact HARMING You!