WANT BETTER SEX?

A surefire way to spice up your sex life is to live healthfully – i.e. eat a balanced diet, get plenty of rest and exercise regularly. In fact, regular exercise may be one of the most important keys to healthy sexual function. Research suggests that people who exercise regularly have increased blood flow throughout their bodies, including the genital area, which may help improve sex drive. A healthy body can lead to a better sex life, so taking good care of your body is the first step!

If you hate waiting in the bathroom for a movement that’s oh-so-reluctant to happen, try changing your snacking habits. Next time you get the munchies, smear a few celery sticks with a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter. Eating lots of water-rich foods (aka celery) and getting adequate magnesium (a la peanut butter) may help keep you regular. A lack of fiber in the diet is a common culprit in constipation. But not getting enough magnesium or not eating enough water-packed foods may have an impact too. In fact, women in a recent study were most likely to suffer from constipation if they had low magnesium intake and didn’t eat many juicy foods (think watermelon, oranges, peaches, cucumbers and tomatoes).

You don’t have to be a gym rat to get fit. Sometimes, all you have to do is mess around in the garden. Or putz around the yard. Or simply walk to the grocery store. Scientists are finding that small increases in daily physical activities, even if they’re small physical hobbies or chores, can actually do wonders for your long-term health. The addition of just 30 cumulative minutes of sporadic, moderate physical activities (MPA) every day was linked to better cardiovascular fitness. The people in the study never actually set foot in a gym or worked out daily. They just added more activities that required getting a little physical, be it walks, climbing the stairs, or doing a random outdoor chore here and there.

Looking for a pill-free way to ease back pain? A survey recently revealed the top six. And none requires surgery. They are: chiropractic care, massage, acupuncture, herbal therapy, relaxation training, and stretching-based Eastern exercises (think yoga and tai chi). In a large national survey, 60 percent of people who had used one of these therapies in the previous year said that it brought them a “great deal” of relief from their low back pain. And, in fact, more was better. People who used a combination of one or more of these therapies tend to experience even greater back pain relief compared with people who used just one. Whether your low back pain is mild, or much more problematic, you’ll want to check with your doctor before trying any new form of exercise or pain relief therapy. Depending on your situation, certain alternative treatments could aggravate things rather than provide relief.