Expert Talk- Fad Diets & Libido.

By. Vijayalakshmi Iyengar & Padmashri Shanmugaraj
Online Dietitians, www.NutritionVista.com

Well, what does it say about extreme diets for rapid weight loss! Nada, nuttin, nahin, no way! Well, does it say anything about food and sex drive? You bet it does but only about foods that make you ready and able.

Let's fast forward a couple of thousand years and view the recent Mid-day headlines. `Fad diet ruins Guy Ritchie-Madonna sex life'. The `Guy' in the hot seat was on a `Cookie diet', another one of the myriad fad diets doing the rounds in recent times. Did his fad diet play a role in their break up? Just because someone is a celebrity doesn't mean life for him or her is magical.
Celebs face the same health and social issues that you and I ordinary mortals face. Weight gain - leading to fad diet - rapid weight loss - low-libido - pathetic sex life - break up - story makes headlines.
Perhaps if Mr. Ritchie had followed the ancient books instructions on what foods to include in a diet that increases sex drive and improves performance, things might be different between the once smitten couple.

This is a very common scene in many a couples life, where suddenly the drive to please or be able to please one's partner is hanging by a thread. It could be stress, anxiety (financial problems), effects of excessive smoking, or alcohol consumption, or it might very well have to do with one's diet history.
Deepika (24) and Aditya (27), a young couple trying to conceive, were advised by her gynecologist to reduce at least 10 kg of her 75 kg frame. Deepika quickly embarked on a new diet plan to lose 15 kilos in two months.

This diet had plenty of dos & don'ts for a lifetime keep slim program. At the end of the first week, the weighing scale was tipping in her favor and she was so excited that she chose to ignore the constant headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, constipation and irritability that came with the weight loss. To Adi's horror, she was no longer excited about jumping into bed with him, in fact he noticed that as her time on the diet progressed, she grew ever more depressed & tearful and acted as though she couldn't bear his touch or enjoy their lovemaking.
Deepika was no Madonna nor Aditya Guy Ritchie, but for both their bed had turned into a cold freezer.

Frustrated Adi insisted that they meet the gynecologist again who quickly got to the root of the matter and explained to them that most fad diets promise easy and rapid weight loss. She clarified that `fad' diets like the one Deepika was following create a deficiency of vital nutrients in the body, which in turn causes a significant hormonal imbalance, directly affecting the sex drive. Women, specially, have increased chances of a libido loss, since their bodies are more sensitive to even slight hormonal swings.   

Those fad diets that recommend exclusion of a one or more food groups also cause menstrual irregularities and suppress the production of fertility hormones. As soon as the body weight falls below the critical point, it affects the level of sexual interest and enjoyment. Such diets affect the psyche too. They can cause chronic fatigue and mood swings, which can play havoc with one's libido.

The solution lies in a reduced-calorie, balanced diet, customized to your needs with moderate exercise. Our bodies need the right proportion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats such as 45-65% of carbohydrates, 20-35% of fats and 10-35% of proteins. You can use the Nutritional Adequacy calculator tool on the NV site to see if you are consuming calories in the correct proportions for a healthy sex life.

A lot of our routine actions impact our sex life, in both positive and negative ways. Don't let your diet become a "I have a headache" excuse between you and your lover.


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