Happiful June 2020

27% of women and
a fifth (21%) of men
in the UK prefer
masturbation to
having sex
Researchers found
that those who take
part in BDSM are
less neurotic, and
more open to new
experiences
What you eat can
have a significant
impact on your
libido, stamina, and
overall wellbeing
Visit Counselling
Directory to find
out more about
relationship therapy
but the problem is you’re talking
in semaphore, and they are talking
Morse code!”
Opening up the conversation can
help ensure you’re both on the same
page, and that any underlying needs
you may have – sexual or not – can
be spoken about and, hopefully, met.
4. NATURE’S APHRODISIACS
What you eat can have a significant
impact on your libido, stamina, and
overall wellbeing. Ensuring you
have a balanced diet can lead to
improvements in your mood, and
even decrease feelings of stress,
exhaustion, depression, anxiety, and
difficulty concentrating.
Ensuring you’re getting enough
vitamin E can improve testosterone,
oestrogen, and progesterone levels,
while making the switch to organic
foods could reduce the number of
pesticides you’re exposed to. For
men, testosterone productionboosting
foods, such as beans, egg
yolks, tuna, and low-fat milk, can
also be good sources of vitamins
and protein.
While oysters may not get you
in the mood, they can help with
stamina and increasing sperm
quality. Dark chocolate, thought
to be one of the most romantic
sweet treats, can increase blood
flow thanks to the cocoa and its
phenylethylamine (PEA) or ‘love
chemical’ content.
5. SELF-CONFIDENCE IS SEXY
Knowing confidence is sexy is one
thing, but how can you improve
your self-confidence if it’s starting to
affect other areas of your life – and
relationships?
Beverly explains: “If you don’t feel
good about yourself, your body, the
way you look, or even who you are
right now, then you’re going to find it hard to
feel sexy. There’s the old adage: ‘If you rely
on someone else to bring you happiness then
you’re doomed, because that person might
go away.’ The message being that it’s best
to find lasting happiness within yourself.
A happy you is a happy sex life, and so in
counselling we look at what’s preventing
you from being the best you can possibly be,
both in and out of the bedroom.”
If you’re worried low self-confidence may be
holding you back, working with a counsellor
or a life coach can help you reframe negative
self-thoughts, and work towards loving you
for who you are.
In counselling we look at
what’s preventing you
from being the best you
can possibly be, both in
and out of the bedroom
6. EMBRACE YOUR WILD SIDE
50 Shades may have been and gone, but in its
wake are thousands of curious readers who
are much more open to embracing their
more unusual desires. Researchers from the
Netherlands have revealed that those of us
who practise BDSM regularly are both better
communicators with our partners, and
report a higher overall sense of wellbeing.
They found that those who take part in
BDSM are less neurotic, more open to
new experiences, and less sensitive to
rejection than their ‘vanilla’ counterparts.
What is BDSM?
BDSM stands for bondage and discipline,
dominance and submission, and sadism and
masochism. From fluffy handcuffs to floggers,
BDSM captures a spectrum of sexual interests,
kinks, and fantasies.
58 • happiful.com • June 2020