Eight situations where sexual activity is not advisable and dietary therapy for erectile dysfunction
Sexual intercourse is essential for healthy individuals. However, adopting abstinence and deliberately abstaining from sexual intercourse can actually lead to depression and illness. The famous Tang Dynasty physician Sun Simiao said, "Men cannot live without women, and women cannot live without men. Without women, desires are aroused; aroused desires lead to mental exhaustion; mental exhaustion shortens lifespan." However, excessive sexual activity and unrestrained indulgence are also detrimental to health. They not only affect sleep and rest but can also cause sexual exhaustion, leading to symptoms such as mental fatigue, headache, weak knees, shortness of breath, palpitations, and loss of appetite.
Sexual intercourse is not advisable in the following situations:
1. It is not advisable to resume sexual activity too early during or after illness, especially for those suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure, infectious diseases, or sexually transmitted diseases. Sexual activity should be resumed only after recovery or when the condition is stable.
2. Sexual intercourse should not be performed immediately when the person is excessively fatigued.
3. Sexual intercourse should be absolutely avoided during the first three months of pregnancy and the two months before delivery.
4. Sexual intercourse is not advisable during menstruation. It is a common belief that "intercourse during menstruation" is an extremely unscientific and barbaric sexual behavior that harms women and must be eliminated.
5. Sexual intercourse is not advisable while intoxicated. If pregnancy occurs after sexual intercourse while intoxicated, the fetus is more likely to be deformed.
6. Sexual intercourse is not advisable in unclean environments. This is especially important for couples who are traveling for their honeymoon, as some diseases can often be transmitted through bedding.
7. Sexual intercourse should be avoided when one is nervous. Excessive excitement or tension in men can lead to premature ejaculation, greatly disappointing their partners. Excessive tension in women can cause severe contractions of the vaginal opening or the entire vagina, resulting in painful intercourse. This can leave a negative impression on both partners, suggesting a deficiency in their relationship and potentially leading to disharmony in their sexual life.
8. Sexual intercourse is not advisable when one is in a bad mood, feeling down, or having difficulty concentrating. Sexual intercourse is a fusion of the body and mind of both partners. If one or both partners are in a bad mood, listless, or having wild thoughts, they should not force themselves to have intercourse. Otherwise, it will not only affect the quality of intercourse, but also cause unspeakable suffering to the other partner.
**A vibrant and exciting scene, but alas, it has come to a halt.**
Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di) was a legendary emperor, a man of great talent and ambition comparable to Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Taizu of Song. He dispatched Zheng He on seven voyages to the Western Ocean; he personally led his army on five expeditions to the Mongolian steppes; he moved the capital to Beijing, laying the foundation for the city as we know it today; he dredged the Grand Canal, connecting the north and south; he conquered the Northeast, Southwest, and Vietnam, establishing the basis for the present-day territory; he compiled the world-renowned Yongle Encyclopedia, the largest encyclopedia in history; and he established the Grand Secretariat, influencing political systems worldwide.
However, he was also a stubborn, headstrong, suspicious, and ruthless emperor. At the end of his reign, he massacred over 3,000 palace women, the largest massacre in the Ming Dynasty's imperial harem. During the executions, Zhu Di personally went to the slaughterhouse to "enjoy" the spectacle. One bold palace woman retorted, "My own virility is failing, so I had affairs with young eunuchs; what's wrong with that!" Meaning, "Your Majesty, the emperor is impotent, so the palace women have affairs; what crime have they committed?"
Thus, the fact that Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di) suffered from impotence became known to the outside world. It seems that, as a man, he lost his sexual ability at a young age, leading to chaos in the harem, and he could only demonstrate his masculine prowess through frequent military campaigns. However, as a man, especially a high-ranking monarch, he ultimately suffered from impotence. His dignity was severely damaged, leading him to become bloodthirsty, mercilessly ending the lives of 3,000 young women.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) refers to the inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual intercourse. Traditionally, ED is considered a deficiency syndrome, specifically kidney deficiency or kidney yang deficiency, and treatment focuses on warming and tonifying kidney yang. The following are some commonly used foods for tonifying the kidneys and strengthening yang.
Dog meat: It tastes sweet, salty, and sour, and is warm in nature. It can warm the kidneys and strengthen yang, dispel cold and relieve pain, warm the stomach, strengthen the waist and knees, invigorate qi, replenish deficiencies, and warm the blood vessels. It is suitable for patients with yang deficiency-type impotence, premature ejaculation, and frigidity. However, excessive consumption can cause internal heat, and those with yin deficiency and excessive fire should not consume it.
Lamb: Sweet in flavor and warm in nature. It can invigorate yang, replenish essence and blood, warm the kidneys and dispel cold, and regulate qi and blood. It is suitable for patients with yang deficiency-type sexual dysfunction and those who are physically weak. It is not suitable for those with acute inflammation, fever due to external pathogens, those with excessive yang, or those who are thirsty and like to drink.
Sparrow meat: sweet in taste and warm in nature. It can benefit the kidneys and strengthen yang. It is suitable for patients with yang deficiency, lower back pain, and frequent urination caused by kidney yang deficiency. Sparrow brain and sparrow eggs can treat male impotence, lower back pain, and benefit the kidneys.
Quail: Sweet in taste and warm in nature. It nourishes the liver and kidneys, and strengthens the body. It has a strengthening effect on those who are weak, and can increase strength and strengthen muscles and bones for ordinary people. It can treat kidney deficiency, lower back pain, impotence, and premature ejaculation.
Sea cucumber: Sweet and salty in taste, and warm in nature. It nourishes the liver and kidneys, and strengthens the kidneys and enhances male virility. It is suitable for those who experience frequent urination, excessive nocturnal emission, and lower back pain and weakness. Modern medicine considers sea cucumber to be a high-protein, low-fat, and low-cholesterol food, with delicate flesh that is easy to digest, making it very suitable for the elderly and those with weak constitutions.
Shrimp: Sweet and salty in taste, and warm in nature. It has the effect of invigorating yang and replenishing essence. It can treat impotence, lower back pain, and fatigue. Dried shrimp (also known as golden hook, which is made by removing the heads and shells of small shrimp and drying them) has a very high calcium content, making it especially suitable for the elderly.
Mussels: Sweet and salty in taste, and warm in nature. They nourish the liver and kidneys, and replenish essence and blood. They are used to treat weakness and emaciation, impotence, and frigidity.
Medicinal diets that warm and tonify kidney yang have the effects of warming and strengthening kidney yang, enhancing physical constitution, and improving sexual function. They are suitable for patients with decreased sexual function due to kidney yang deficiency. Below are some recipes for patients with kidney yang deficiency:
Restorative Soup: 50g Chinese yam, 20g Cistanche deserticola, 10g Cuscuta chinensis, 2 walnuts, 500g lean mutton, 1 mutton spine, 100g rice, and seasonings such as scallions and ginger. First, chop the mutton spine into several sections and wash it with clean water; wash the lean mutton and cut it into strips; put the Chinese yam, Cistanche deserticola, Cuscuta chinensis, and walnuts into a gauze bag and tie it closed; crush the ginger and scallions. Place the herbs, mutton, mutton, and rice into a clay pot, add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam, and then add pepper and salt to taste.
Lamb Kidney Soup: 50g Cistanche deserticola, 10g Piper longum, 10g Amomum tsao-ko, 5g dried tangerine peel, 2 pairs of lamb kidneys. Wash the lamb kidneys and place them in a pot. Put the Cistanche deserticola, Piper longum, Amomum tsao-ko, dried tangerine peel, and pepper into a gauze bag, tie the opening, and put it into the pot with an appropriate amount of water. First, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat until the lamb kidneys are cooked through. Add scallions, salt, and yeast, and make the soup as usual. Eat the lamb kidneys and drink the soup.
Aphrodisiac Dog Meat Soup: 15g prepared aconite root, 10g dodder seed, 250g dog meat. Wash and slice the dog meat, then place it in a pot. At the same time, put the prepared aconite root and dodder seed into a gauze bag, tie it tightly, and add it to the pot as well. Add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat until the meat is tender. Add salt and MSG before serving. Eat the meat and drink the soup.
Furthermore, erectile dysfunction in men is also related to the testicles. Therefore, men must protect their vital organs-the testicles-specifically by addressing the following aspects:
1. Maintain a good mental state: mainly an optimistic attitude. Since nerves and blood vessels connect the brain, pituitary gland, and testes, maintaining a good mental state can provide positive stimulation to the brain and promote testicular function. On the other hand, negative stimulation to the brain, such as tension and anxiety, can lead to a decline in testicular function.