The Tribune

By Dr Monique Thompson, NMD

WELCOME to our very first “Breakout Session!”

This is the where I discuss specific topics that interest you. Please feel free to send in topics you would like to see covered here. I am really looking forward to hearing from you.

This week I chose to merely scratch the surface of something that is so very near and dear to my heart…sex! And the many benefits found therein.

Have you ever wondered why the good Lord made sexual intercourse the means by which we procreate?

I definitely have! In His infinite wisdom, there are an infinite number of ways this miracle of life and the perpetuation of a society could have happened, and yet,

He chose sex. Even though it is too often misused, abused and shrouded with negativity (like so many good things we were given), it is still a beautiful, healthy activity.

Here are just a few reasons why:

• Sexual intercourse and orgasms help you bond with your spouse due to the release of a hormone called oxytocin. Marriages never fail because of too much sex.

It reduces anxiety, promotes a sense of security and contentment, which helps you feel closer to your partner. It also promotes sleep, which explains why you can go from “hero to zero” right after sexual activity. So if you are feeling distant from your husband, and worrying about it is keeping you up at night, just have more sex with him and kill those three birds with one stone! In addition to fostering bonding and trust, researchers for the Archives of Sexual Behaviour found that having sex enhances a person’s sense of well-being and helps boost self-esteem.

• Husbands, the next time you are putting all the moves on your wife and she says, “But honey I can’t because I have a headache”, just confidently tell her, “Love, I have the remedy right here.” Oxytocin also results in our bodies producing its endogenous morphine, called endorphins, which relieve headaches, muscle aches and other manifestations of pain.

• Just like a proper diet, sufficient rest and exercise, sex keeps you healthy in many different ways.

• It improves your body’s immunity by boosting immunoglobulin A (IgA), which is a part of our first line of defence against colds and other infections.

• It is considered a form a moderate intensity exercise. Of course this depends on just how intense you are.

But simply put, the harder you work, the more calories you burn. So feel free to ditch the track and get in the sack!

• I know what some of you are thinking, “But Doc, doesn’t sexual activity cause some men to have heart attacks?” Actually, researchers in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found that men who had sex twice or more a week reduced the risk of a fatal heart attack by a whopping 50 per cent compared to men who had sex less than once per month.

• Sex is also heart healthy because it lowers blood pressure and reduces stress. Individuals who have sex regularly respond better when subjected to stressful situations. So if you are wound too tight, give it a try.

• Other noteworthy benefits of sex (and specifically orgasms) include reduced prostate cancer risk, increased longevity via the production of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), healthy hormonal levels for both men and women, and increased libido (especially for women).

In closing, as wonderful of a remedy we have found sexual intercourse to be, please keep temperance in mind, as balance is an important aspect of living well.

And finally, as a note to all those who are sexually active, if it cannot be done safely, please abstain. “An ounce of prevention is (always) worth a ton of cure.”

• Disclaimer: This information is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition, rather to be used for educational purposes. Dr Monique Thompson is a naturopathic medical doctor and founder of Cornerstone Healing Institute; 356-0083. Please send your ideas for a “Breakout Session” to info@chibahamas.com