libido..

[blueberry]

Hi there!

I am new here and I have a pretty personal question. I started raw but never 100% raw more like 80%. I slipped majorly on cooked and then went back to raw. So basically I am off balance. I have noticed that my libido has been non-existent during these changes and I wanted to know if anyone has experienced a loss of libido or knows of anyone who has gone through this during the change to raw, when having a slip or when being 100% raw. It hurts me because I don't want to hurt my partner but it's the last thing from my mind.

Any thoughts?

[tglasco4]

Hey Blueberry,

I believe the slips into cooked are the culprit. I am 100% after being about 90% for 6 months. My wife keeps saying that if there was anything that would sell guys on raw, its the powerful effects it has on the "libido". I would say if you stayed consistent it would more than be worth it in that department.

[Rawkinlocs]

Okay folks,

Now I KNOW that there is more than one person on this board who has something to say on this issue.

I didn't respond because I was looking to hear experience from more 100% raw fooders. I know that many of us here are Christian in faith, but I don't believe any of us are total prudes!!

So, let's talk about it...has anyone else here besides Todd experienced any change in "mood" since being raw (100% or other percentage)?

And I'd especially like to hear from the ladies on this myself because let's face it...for "MOST" men, it's not much of a problem to become...er...umm..."excited" but for a lot of women, especially after having given birth multiple times, having a household to run, etc...it can get kinda...well...lacking, for lack of better words.

So, what say you? Anyone else brave enough to discuss this "hot" topic? :D OH, and keep in mind that we're not asking for all the hot, torrid details or for you to get extremely personal or anything like that...just asking whether or not you have noticed any difference since being raw!

[Sharon in Colorado]

I'll bite. My husband is always chasing me around. For once I'd like to be chasing him around. I hope that raw food along with all the other elements of a healthy existence (reg excercise, air, sun, sleep, faith, etc.) will assist me in this.

And that's all I'm gonna say! :o

[caramba]

My experience (so far) is the opposite of blueberry's. Since starting some Raw (nowhere near 100%) and just eating better (no dairy, much more fresh fruit & salads etc) my libido is better than ever...I think if I get onto 100% Raw I could end up with alot more than 2 kids!!

[Autumn]

I could have written Sharon's post to the letter. I'm hoping that going 100% raw will help. Honestly, it's like I couldn't care less and it's been like this for 3 years. :(

[jax]

What's a libido? (just kidding!) Honestly, mine disappeared years ago. I'm sure chronic pain and constant medication played a part in that. However, people it is waking up! Just two weeks raw and I actually feel an interest again! 40 and no babies yet, but I haven't given up hope. God helped Sara, didn't he? :p

[hmacias]

How strange, I was just commenting on my lack of libido with my husband a couple of nights ago. I told him that I felt dead, like it just doesn't matter anymore, and I felt guilty for feeling that way, but didn't know what to do about it. It all makes sense now, though, after reading all of your posts. I have also been teetering between raw and cooked food. I will stop immediately, I miss the intimacy that we had. Glad to know there is a cure. Thanks everyone, and God bless you all! Have a great day!
Heather

[SimplyRawesome]

Things have definitely slowed down for me since going raw. My husband says he misses his little "nymph"! I told him to enjoy the calm before the storm, because when I get through this ... watch out! ;) However, I think going raw is just part of the picture, there are other personal issues going on that are most likely contributing as well. I am trusting that everything will return back to normal - no scratch that - will be better than normal! :eek: :D

[rawjojo]

Just wnated to add that I can definitely tell the difference from 100% to a little less. I feel so much better all the way around when I am 100%. I feel like I am a better person, I look better, I perform better, etc., etc., etc! It definitely (somehow) gives me way more confidence!

[Rawkinlocs]

Wow, now we're cookin'! :)

No, but I can definitely relate to each one of you who are not "feeling it" these days.

I used to feel as though I were the only woman in the world who felt that way, especially after talking with some of my more "animated" friends who seemed to be these non-stop, "SUPER women" or something. But I soon discovered that I also had many friends and even women I didn't know personally were experiencing a lacking of "oomph" themselves. I also realize that for ME, diet is definitely a part of it...my poor bowel habits...along with some stresses that were once there but are now steadily improving due to various changes our family is making in everyday life.

So, yes, diet can be one aspect for many, but in a lot of instances isn't the only thing...but I am hoping that the diet change will make for a definite improvement!

Shoot, I'm younger than my dh...he should be having to keep up with ME...not the other way around! LOL :D

[MaxMarie]

One thing that has intrigued me since going raw is my lack of cravings for chocolate. I LOVE chocolate. Chocolate is the only known natural aphrodesiac. It has a chemical element that simulates the feeling of being in love. Phenethylamine, an endorphin. It's also loaded in lecithin which balances out the chemical imbalances in the brain. Why we women like it so much when we're PMSing... Hormones!!

I thought it might be important to this thread since, well I ate so much chocolate I just loved everybody! LOL!!! Huge chocolate fan. Now that "need" has just left.

We know that dark chocolate is better for us. More catechins. More lovely things to keep us healthy but we don't know why. Dark chocolate has less additives. Less processing. Just like Green tea is better than black tea. Why? it's processed less. White tea is better than green tea. Why? It's processed even less. Dark Chocolate and Milk all come from the same cocoa beans. They're different because we monkey with them. All leaf teas come from the same tree. They're different because we monkey with them.

I did pick up some raw chocolate nibs from EatRaw.com and am looking forward to making something out of them.

[FEELIN'GOOD]

I am the same way Rawkinlocs! I am 17 years younger than my DH, but he is the one that's steaming at the ears all the time! I'm like "get off me!" I'm hoping that 100% raw will help too.

I have been having this for months now... and it is dissapointing. I want to be as excited like he is (okay, maybe not that excited)- I have the enegy- just no interest. I love him to pieces and I love holding him and snuggling- but the rest is just not there for me. There was a point in my life that just for about 3 months that my libido would be rockin'- then it would dwindle down again. Does anyone know if women have certain months that their bodies react this way? For me it is always Feb-March-April, and all my kids guys were all born between September-November! Infact my first daughter, Amber is 7 born on November 4, my second daughter Kirin is 3 and was born November 5, my son Troy is 4 and he was born September 12th... so I was definitly more fertile during those months- and my libido seemed higher those months. Anyway, I guess we are all different- I'm hoping that since February is on the way, my fun will soon begin again :D

Thanks for this thread becaue I was wondering the same thing if people can 'cure' this with raw food but I was too shy to post it- thanks Blueberry for having the courage to do so :D It feels good to know lots of us share the same concern... :D

[Sharon in Colorado]

Feelin Good you may be on to something there. My kids were born in July, Sept and Oct. I'll have to think about what's going on with me right before springtime. I can tell in your avator that hubby is a very happy guy!

Maxmarie - I'm sure chocolate is at least stimulant. I just ate some more of my fudge with raw cacao nibs and I'm nervous and edgy as heck right now. Although I don't buy that it has any health properties in it. I just think it tastes good and I probably should NOT be eating it, but rather would than conventional cooked chocolate.

[twinyoga]

I need more chocolate. I've been a little less interested since having the twins (wonder why??!!). But I'm slowly getting back to my husbands pace. Slowly but surely.

I haven't noticed a difference on raw, but I'm starting 100% today so I'll let you know!

[rawvegirl]

Since being raw, I definitely have more energy. Before, there were times when I was interested but just didn't have the energy. Now I'm both. ;)

One thing I have noticed that's changed is that I feel so darn happy and content all the time that I'm just...well... content just to be close and touching without the sexual activity. I feel so GOOD, physically, even without sex, that I don't "need" it or "crave" it as intensely as before. :o Even still, I'd say my libido's stronger than my meat-&-potatoes-eating hubby. Sometimes he acts like an old man, but he's only 25 :eek: Isn't he supposed to be in his prime?

PS I heard that watermelon seeds are supposed to be aphrodisiac.

[Rawist]

I have the opposite problem. A lot of sexual energy comes up for me when I'm raw. I don't act on it, I don't have a partner, but it is difficult to process such overwhelming feelings. A high desire for sex has been with me my whole life, and I've struggled much with the morality of it so I haven't engaged in much really. Sex with self is resorted to when I've eaten cooked, but I'm able to refrain from that eating raw. ;) :( :)

[Rawist]

What makes sense hmacias? What did you gather from the posts, to be 100% raw?


It all makes sense now, though, after reading all of your posts. I have also been teetering between raw and cooked food. I will stop immediately, I miss the intimacy that we had. Glad to know there is a cure. Thanks everyone, and God bless you all! Have a great day!
Heather

[Autumn]

Wow, I feel a lot better after reading all these posts. My husband is 20 years older than I am, and he is much more interested than I ever was. As far as the seasons go, I used to be veryyyyy in the mood all during the fall months. But when I moved from PA to AL, it started to change, and I attributed it to the fact that there isn't much "fall" here in AL. No gorgeous trees, no crisp October mornings, etc. Now I'm wondering if my lack of interest was really due to something else. Regardless, I really hope it will change as I move to 100% raw.

[JMD]

WOW I was just thinking of this this AM!!! I find that since RAW my drive is pretty much the same maybe a smidge better. I also know that i need more time to be 100% RAW so i can be more accurate. (I have been 90% for about a year)
I will tell my DH and he will be happy if I need to experiment ;) Anyways-- I know what gets me going is ALSO..not working and having that DRAIN, hot weather, new clothes, and a good night's sleep, and seeing my hubby first thing in the morning...food is a part of it BUT not all.

JMD

[JinxieKat]

My libido is much better since I started eating RAW, but that is easy enough to figure out why. My energy over all is sooooooo much higher that instead of being exhausted and just wanted to crawl into bed at night, which is my hubby's prefered 'time', I'm more likely to still be perky! Also my moods are much more even and I feel happier, another thing that helps as I'm not cranky at night. It all links together and it is sooooo nice!

Jinx

[Shivananda]

This is one time I wish people's gender showed on their posts here so far so I could tell who were women and who were men to be clear what they're talking about... because in some ways we're similar in this department, but in some we're very different. (Oh, yes, and I am a man) :)

First, I dispute the early assertion that men always have high libidos and are always ready for sex. As a matter of fact as someone who has worked with many tantra teachers and with several men's wisdom groups and online communities, I would say that this common myth is much more wrong than right. Why do you think Viagara became such a monster commercial success in just its first year of sale? Because men's sexual peak is around 19, and starts dropping from there. By age 40 perhaps 1/2 of all men have lost their sexual desire almost completely. They haven't lost the IDEA of sex, but the physical fires burn really low.

Then when you add any physical complications to that, like overweight, diabetes, smoking, alcoholism, enlarged prostate, etc., it just gets worse. Sure, there are exceptions, but also, let's face it, talk is cheap. And many big talkers are really not feeling anything down below, they're just talking. And the women I've known in tantra groups say much the same thing. Many of them are just beginning to hit their sexual peak in their 40's, while their partners are already well over the hill.

One of my early reasons for becoming interested in raw foods was for their beneficial effect on sexual energy in the body (men's and women's) as elucidated by various tantra masters and yogis. And it seems to me that the beneficial effects are actually noticeable in a fairly short time, yes. Better health and more vibrancy just naturally lead to higher libidos, and the opening and clearing effects on the energy channels in the body (speaking from a tantric perspective) are predictably, ummm... well... uplifting. :)

Even benign prostate swelling, which effects at least a third of all men over 50 and precedes prostate cancer, and which noticeably interferes with urination, erection, and orgasm, is reduced on an all raw diet, especially when you add pumpkin seeds to your diet. And now that saw palmetto has been shown in large scale studies to be ineffective, this raw diet approach is even more significant to those wanting to avoid mainstream allopathic drugs.

[heabrook]

First, I dispute the early assertion that men always have high libidos and are always ready for sex. As a matter of fact as someone who has worked with many tantra teachers and with several men's wisdom groups and online communities, I would say that this common myth is much more wrong than right.

I agree completely. I used to think "men are all the same, always ready for sex etc.." But it is really a stereotype more than anything. I'm sure there are plenty of men that are for the most part, almost always ready.. but there are probably women with the same constant desire too. It's not nice to stereotype, because we are definitely not all the same. The media really contributes to stereotypes and to what people believe about the genders. But it doesn't matter your gender because someone once believed to be true for your gender isn't necessarily true for you as an individual.

I digress...
I am not 100% raw yet, but am almost. My husband is following suit and I am looking forward to seeing a change for both of us in that "department." As it is now, we are tired a lot. We are in our twenties and it shouldn't be like that. We are healthy and fit, so my best guess is that a 100% raw diet will help.

[RawMagnolia]

I am in the same boat... lacking libido. And it frustrates the heck out of me. In the beginning of increasing my raw intake and exercising I found that it picked up noticably. Which was terrific. I am in my very early 30's and just got married a bit over a year ago... love my husband to bits and don't want him to think otherwise. But lately I have been really struggling with raw and binging on junk food, and my libido is in the tank again.

For me I think that exercising is really "key" to helping my libido... gets everything moving again.

[TP]

i have been raw for almost 2 months (If I have to average that time frame I would say it's been 99%, shooting for 100%). In that time I have seen my libido improve significantly. my wife has increased her raw food intake and is probably around 75% and has also seen her libido increase. We can also both attest that there seems to be something to the claims on the bag of goji berries to "increased sexual prowess".. :D

it's not just the desire for it that is increasing for me though, but i humbly admit that I am performing much better and the pleasure (experience of sensations etc) of sex is increasing. :)

[Misty*Mountain]

wow.. i was just going to put a thread up about this because this past weekend when i was at my bf's house he was all in the mood.. and i just wasn't all! so he was like "buuut i thought eating raw food is supposed to increase your libido?!?" yeah, i thought so too! unfortunately that hasn't been the case for me! i really don't have any desire to "do the deed" anymore. what's up with that?? i mean, i've only been 100% raw for about five weeks... but is this normal? :confused:

[tvillemom]

I've been lacking lately. I seem to have spells. I just started out about 10-11 days at 100% and I feel like I'm in a heavy detox time...so my libido is low. Now I know back in Dec.-Jan. I was 100% for 2 months and my libido definitely went way up....I felt pretty much ready to go 4-5 nights/week! Of course our busy schedule with 3 kids didn't allow for that...so...I'm hoping to get that back soon! I hate the feeling of not being interested in DH. He's spent alot of years watching me GAIN weight, have babies, MOOD SWINGS, HORMONES....he deserves a wife who "can't get enough" of him! :D And I'm gonna be the one to give it to him! LOL
Anyway, back to the subject at hand....lately "it's" not there...but I know it will improve in just a few short weeks of staying 100%. Hang in there, it gets better!
Wendi

[divaitalia]

When I am 100% raw my libido is awesome!!!!!Like Sarma says in her book "Raw Food, Real Food" you just feel sexy, like you can conquer the world or something. Everything is better somehow. It helps I'm Italian!!!! ;)

[divaitalia]

When I am 100% raw my libido is awesome!!!! Like Sarma says in her Raw Food, Real World book, you just feel sexy. Everything is better and you feel like you can conquer the world. Especially in that area. It helps that I am Italian!!!!! ;)

[Conscious Midwife]

Hmmmmmm...

So avacados peak my libido a bit as well as berries (high estrogen fruits????).

Anyway, I'm no prude, but between possible nerve damage and a regretted tubal ligation my libido is near nil. I feel horrible because of the pressure it puts on hubby.

Weird thing is a couple of weeks ago I had a "freak" day from nowhere. It reminded me of the super sex drive days of my 20's when ovulattig.

2nd weird thing is That yesterday I had a distinct feeling that I was pregnant. Mind you I am a mother of 5 already. Hmmm wndering if my vegetarian 50% raw ways could actually cause my fallopian tubes to grow back together. Now that would be an interesting and quite possible miracle.

Hmmm

My Bday is the 29th, promised hubby a fantastic evening... ;)

[TP]

thats funny you wondered about your tubes.. I have wondered about my vasectomy.. I mean, I am not thinking that it would repair right away, but I wonder if over time it could...

i bet a lot of the ups and downs are detox related.. (pardon the pun :D)

[aromaticwings]

thats funny you wondered about your tubes.. I have wondered about my vasectomy.. I mean, I am not thinking that it would repair right away, but I wonder if over time it could...

i bet a lot of the ups and downs are detox related.. (pardon the pun :D)
:eek: :eek: Both of you stop with the growing back thing!! :eek: :eek:

I have had a hysterectomy and since then I have mellowed out to nill and void... but have noticed that being the percentage I am whatever that may be.. mostly raw when I can... I have had some awakening moments...

Bed thing is.. well.. the other half has not bee too nice lately regarding other matters that I just plain don't care if I get it... so with me there is an emotional aspect... now with the stress of financial too well.. forget it...

I had noticed the he (who is 9 years my junior) has slowed down alot too since he has gained his weight... also... he says I have backed off and that with my problems with my kids and our financial aspects.. he is just not that interested.. Some days I feel so alone in this house when he is here I could scream... I ask him if I should just move out because we are not living together as a "couple" it seems anymore... but he swears he still loves me...

He sleeps all the time... and when up is eating or on the pc playing his game.. or reading... so I know when I eat off raw it is more emotional.. but the heavy cravings could be detox.. who knows..

He is also thinking this raw eating is just a fad and won't last... heavy sigh....