Recapturing the joys of good sex
Among the key factors that contribute to a healthy and long marriage is a rewarding and stable sex life, according to highly respected family experts. Studies point out that sex greatly impacts the quality and stability of a relationship because “it replenishes emotional reserves and strengthens emotional bonds between a couple.”
Yet men and women in mid-life are highly prone to give up their intimacy with one another and all its benefits as the sexual libido wanes, according to Dr. Cris Enriquez, a Yale University-trained physician who heads Rapha Health clinic in Greenbelt 5, Makati.
Women undergoing menopause and men experiencing a similar condition called andropause are likely to just accept decreased sexual libido as part of aging, “even if it can safely and easily be reversed by new alternative treatments,” says Enriquez who had a thriving practice as a cardiologist in Ft. Lauderdale and Miami, Florida until he realized the merits of alternative and preventive forms of medicine.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, which makes use of a new generation of plant-based hormones that mimic those of the human body and have not been associated with harmful side effects, is among the treatments changing the lives of Enriquez’s patients. Menopausal women experiencing painful sex resulting from vaginal dryness and declining estrogen and progesterone levels have benefited from hormones made from Mexican wild yams produced in Rapha’s Food and Drug Administration-certified facilities. After a few weeks, they notice the dramatic changes in their body and are also sleeping and generally feeling better.
For men, a common problem in midlife is erectile dysfunction caused by poor blood circulation. Diabetes, one of the leading diseases in the Philippines along with hypertension, is a leading cause of poor erection due to decreased blood flow to the penis. Enriquez, a member of the American College of Cardiology, points out that if not the diseases themselves, medications administered to control them interfere with circulation to that vital organ. Chelation therapy, or the use of intravenous infusions of vitamins and minerals to rid the body of harmful toxins, in these instances, has proven to be an effective cure.
At 73, Enriquez is a highly credible endorser for chelation. He relates that he underwent a heart bypass 20 years ago and was in great pain after surgery. His suffering was worsened by the realization that, like majority of bypass survivors, he would most probably need a second bypass after a few years’ time. That’s when he began veering away from traditional Western medicine towards alternative medicine. Today, he exhibits the energy of someone 15 years younger and is not on any maintenance drug. Regular chelation and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) keep his cardiovascular and other systems in good shape.
Enriquez notes that, in addition to the accumulation of toxins and other gunk in our systems, the loss of hormones, which can begin as early as in one’s 30s, results in cardiovascular problems, bone disease, aching joints, cancer, and memory problems. In fact, most of the biochemical processes going on in the body are regulated by hormones. Thus, the earlier one replaces low or lost hormones, the better. “BHRT can protect a patient from all these conditions,” he says.