Healthy Sex

All aspects of life are important and contribute to healthy living. Knowledge creates good health, responsible behavior, and happiness. Current research has identified the surprising health benefits of sex, which extend well beyond the bedroom.

According to Kara Mayer Robinson, WebMD Feature writer, “Sex not only feels good. It can also be good for you. “Sexually active people take fewer sick days,” says Yvonne K. Fulbright, PhD a sexual health expert.

Research at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that college students who had sex once or twice a week had stronger immune systems and were better able to defends the body against germs, viruses, and other intruders.           

            





According to Goldstein, research indicates "women who have vaginal intercourse often have less risk of breast cancer than those who do not."

Healthy life patterns create healthy sexual activity. Be sure to eat right, stay active, get enough sleep, keep up with your vaccinations, and use a condom if you don’t know both your and your partners STD (sexually transmitted disease) statuses. Statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that, among 45- to 65-year-olds, STD rates have nearly tripled over the past decade. The best way to prevent an STD, other than abstinence, is to use a condom.

Benefits of healthy sex


• Strengthens the immune system
• Boosts libido
• Improves women’s bladder control (by strengthening the pelvic floor)
• Lowers Your blood pressure
• Counts as exercise (increases heart rate and uses various muscles)
• Lowers heart attack risk
• Helps keep your estrogen and testosterone levels in balance
• Lessens Pain
• May make prostate cancer less likely (men who ejaculated frequently at least 21 times a month were less likely to get prostate cancer according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association)
• Improves Sleep
• Eases stress
• Sex and intimacy boosts self-esteem and happiness
• Orgasm can block pain (of chronic back and leg pain, reduce menstrual cramps, arthritic pain, and in some cases even headache-- Barry R. Komisaruk, PhD, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey)

What is Healthy Sex?

Healthy sex has a knowledge base that is about less clinical processes, disease prevention and neurology and more about enjoying sex the way you want to. Dr. Sonia Borg, an accomplished sexologist and author states healthy sex is "feeling good about the sex we're having.” You should define "healthy" or "normal" sex for yourself and as a couple. Sexuality is a personal and what makes a healthy sex life is going to be different for different people.

According to Dr Borg, there are no rules for how many times a week, how long each session should last, or guidelines as to what you should be doing in the bed. Sexually healthy individuals and relationships have the common traits of trust, honesty, freedom from guilt or shame, communication, and allowance for the other person to feel how they feel.

An open, trusting relationship can be exceedingly difficult. Often we would rather let our sex lives and relationships waste away rather than share our thoughts. These fears can run deep. Many of us feel intense guilt and shame when it comes to sex. There is no fault; this is a reflection on much larger scales of culture and society.

In some countries there is very little sex education. Individuals are not really allowed to talk about sex to anyone, books on sexual health are burned, and the stigma regarding sex outside procreation is strong as a result STI rates are incredibly high.

According to the World Health Organizations (WHO), countries where sexuality is not a taboo subject have lower rates of sexually transmitted diseases. Dr. Borg says, "it seems pretty clear that our attitudes about sex have a lot to do with [STI prevalence]---if even thinking about your sexuality unsettles you, don't just ignore these feelings. Sex is natural, and your response to sexuality is just as natural, and it is also incredibly important to your overall well-being."

Dr. Borg’s Four-steps to a healthier sex life

• Define healthy sex (be specific--healthy sex, for me, is …)
• Identify the type of sex life you'd like to have (describe it in great detail…)
• Identify the gaps between your desired sex life and your actual sex life
• Each day or week - some defined amount of time - take action on those items. 

According to Dr. Michael Cirigliano of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, sexual activity is a form of physical exercise. Making love three times a week burns around 7,500 calories in a year -- the equivalent of jogging 75 miles. A night of love raises the amount of oxygen in the cells keeping the organs and tissues functioning at their peak.

Internationally recognized author, speaker and sex therapist, Wendy Maltz, LCSW, has identified these conditions---Consent, Equality, Respect, Trust, and Safety---as essentials to healthy sex.

“CONSENT means you can freely and comfortably choose whether or not to engage in sexual activity. You are able to stop the activity at any time during the sexual contact.

EQUALITY means your sense of personal power is on an equal level with your partner. Neither of you dominates the other.

RESPECT means you have positive regard for yourself and for your partner. You feel respected by your partner.

TRUST means you trust your partner on both a physical and emotional level. You have mutual acceptance of vulnerability and an ability to respond to it with sensitivity.

SAFETY means you feel secure and safe within the sexual setting. You are comfortable with and assertive about where, when and how the sexual activity takes place. You feel safe from the possibility of harm, such as unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infection, and physical injury.”

Maltz believes these conditions need to exist in the healthy, intimate sexual relationship. She recommends spending time together; engaging in lots of honest, open communication, and a strong friendship with your partner first before becoming lovers.  Knowledge of healthy sex habits minimizes the possibility of something bad resulting from the sexual experience. Maltz is the author of the book, The Difference Between Healthy and Unhealthy Sex.

http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/guide/sex-and-health?page=3

http://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-healthy-sex

http://www.healthyplace.com/sex/good-sex/the-certs-model-of-healthy-sex/

Food Preservative Induced Allergy

Remember the "salad bar" syndrome of the 1980’s caused by sulfite sprays used on vegetables to keep them "fresh" longer? How many of us were caught unaware? I was. All of a sudden my throat and bronchial tubes were swelling, my head was throbbing, and my heart racing. Worst of all I didn’t know why.

I knew that I have a tendency to food and environmental sensitivities (allergies) and that drinking strong black coffee would open up my bronchial tubes—which it did.

The FDA banned the use of sulfites on raw fruits and vegetables in 1986. They also require manufacturers to list the sulfite and nitrate compounds used on product labels.

Sulfite and nitrate compounds are completely different compounds but both are still used in food processing as preservatives and to eliminate bacterial contamination. Manufacturers justify their use of sulfites and nitrates by saying these compounds are found naturally in plants. However, natural plants are synergistic and contain balancing components, such as vitamin C.

This allergy isn't actually an allergy to the natural element sulfur, or the nitrate salts. It is a reaction to preservatives in foods. When the body comes in contact with the allergen, it sends a strong inflammatory response known as an allergic reaction. A person can develop sulfite or nitrate sensitivity any time in life.

The FDA estimates that one out of 100 people is sensitive to sulfites compounds. Exposure to sulfites and nitrates creates an inflammatory response that causes an allergic reaction. They produce symptoms within minutes of ingestion in people with chemical sensitivities. Symptoms range from mildly discomforting to fatal.

Symptoms of Preservative Sensitivity/Allergy

Headaches--occur after the consumption of foods that contain nitrates or sulfites

Hives--outbreaks of red or pale bumps or welts on the skin which appear suddenly after consuming nitrates and may show up anywhere on the body, range in size from a pencil eraser to a dinner plate, and subside in a few hours to a day. 



Rhinitis--an inflammation or irritation of the nasal passages, sneezing, itching and a runny nose, or a feeling of blockage or congestion. 



Asthma--inflammation of the lungs or breathing passages due to an allergy. If you experience congestion in the chest with difficult breathing or coughing this points to a sulfite or nitrate allergy. 



Sulfites

Sulfites are counted among the top nine food allergens. Sulfites can be found in a variety of cooked and processed foods. They also occur naturally in the process of making wine and beer. They are also known to initiate migraine headaches.

Sulfite preservatives are used to prevent or reduce discoloration of processed fruits and vegetables, prevent black spots on shrimp and lobster, inhibit the growth of microorganisms in fermented foods such as wine, condition dough, and maintain the stability and potency of certain medications. 

Read labels and avoid foods that are likely to contain sulfites.

Avoid:
wine, baked goods, soup mixes, jams, canned vegetables, pickled foods, gravies, dried fruit, potato chips, trail mix, beer, wine, vegetable juices, bottled lemon juice, bottled lime juice, tea, condiments, molasses, fresh or frozen shrimp, guacamole, maraschino cherries, and dehydrated, pre-cut, or peeled potatoes.

U.S. labeling regulations require products to list the presence of sulfites in foods only when they are specifically added as a preservative. In food processing, added preservative are only required to be listed when there are more than 10 parts per million (ppm) in the finished product. Sulfities may be in processed foods and not listed in the label. Choose minimally processed or frozen foods.

Most beers no longer contain sulfites, although some alcoholic ciders contain them. Although shrimp are sometimes treated with sulfites on fishing vessels, the chemical may not appear on the label. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfite

Nitrates

Nitrate preservatives are used in food processing to prevent botulism, enhance flavor and to preserve and colorize foods. Nitrates are found in cured and processed meats such as hot dogs, bologna, sausage and bacon.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, individuals with nitrate allergies may experience itchy hives, swelling and redness, fatigue and headache, congestion and asthma complications. Allergy symptoms can be treated with topical and oral antihistamines and inhalers to reduce inflammation and irritation.


However, the best way to avoid allergic reactions is to eliminating nitrate containing and processed foods from the diet.

Nitrate additives are associated with a range of symptoms such as headaches, irritable bowel symptoms, itchy rashes, asthma, children’s behaviour problems, difficulty falling asleep and waking frequently at night according to the Food Intolerance Network.

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), August 2009, issued a warning and suggestion to parents to limit children’s intake of preservatives to 70 grams of processed meat per week. The WCRF report Stopping cancer before it starts, states there is strong evidence that red and processed meats causes bowel cancer and there is no amount of processed meat that does not increase cancer risk. Nitrates levels are increasing in our food supply due to overuse of artificial fertilizers.

Nitrates are naturally occurring minerals and small amounts are needed for digestion. However, chemically it makes no difference whether these additives are natural or synthetic. Nitrates are not carcinogenic but can be converted to nitrites in the gut and saliva.

These nitrates and nitrites readily combine with naturally occurring food amines to form highly carcinogenic chemicals called nitrosamines. Processed meats that contain nitrate and nitrite additives are naturally very high in amines, which are formed by protein breakdown in foods such as processed meat, fish and aged cheese.

A recent study published by researchers at Rhode Island Hospital in the US reported a link between higher levels of nitrates and increased deaths from certain diseases including Alzheimer's, diabetes mellitus and Parkinson's. “We have become a 'nitrosamine generation”, said lead researcher Professor Suzanne de la Monte. “In essence, we have moved to a diet that is rich in amines and nitrates, which lead to increased nitrosamine production.”



If you have a sulfite or nitrate allergy be sure to read the ingredient label on processed foods. When taking a new medication pay attention for symptoms of allergic reaction. These potentially toxic and harmful substances can cause nausea or diarrhea and precipitate asthma attacks in sensitive individuals. 

http://fedup.com.au/factsheets/additive-and-natural-chemical-factsheets/249-252-nitrates-nitrites-and-nitrosamines

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5531531_dietary-nitrate-allergy.html

http://www.ehow.com/list_6101333_signs-symptoms-nitrate-allergy.html

http://www.foodsmatter.com/allergy_intolerance/miscellaneous/articles/nitrites_bacon.html

http://www.diagnose-me.com/symptoms-of/sulfite-sensitivity.html

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/sulfite-sensitivity