That's Fit

Eating healthy costs money. Getting into better shape can also cost a good deal of coin (gym memberships, new running sneakers, etc.). But sleep? That's a freebee, yet of these three primary paths to health and wellness, this is the area where most people carry the most debt.

Not good, say researchers from Stanford University, not good at all. Not if you want to be at your best during workouts ... and just about everything else you do during your hours spent awake. Support for this assertion comes from the University of Lubeck in Germany, where researchers discovered that getting the recommended 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night can help improve creativity and memory.

With the weekend here, do yourself the favor of sleeping in -- providing you have the luxury to do so. Not only will help your performance in the gym and help you unleash your inner Picasso, but a failure to catch enough Z's can also decrease your libido, says a recent Men's Health article.

Life is too short not to be fully "turned on." The Daily Turn On! energizes all aspects of "you." Every Monday The Daily Turn On! with That's Fit Life Fit expert Laura Lewis will provide you with ideas and tips to awaken your mind, your body and your life as you journey through each day of the week! Check in each Monday to get your tip for Turning On every day of your life.

Keeping our hormones in balance is one of the keys to health, happiness and vitality. If they are out of whack, forget about it. Testosterone plays a key role in both men and women in helping us to feel alive, happy and interested in sex. Foods naturally high in zinc help boost natural testosterone levels. We often correlate testosterone with muscular development, virility and teenage boys! But, this powerful hormone is actually beneficial to both sexes.

Women going through both periomenopause and menopause might benefit in increasing their testosterone levels naturally. Did you know after the age of 30 men typically experience a 2% drop in testosterone each year, which may lead to "Andropause" or male menopause? Part of the solution may be elevating testosterone naturally by eating a zinc-rich diet. Exactly what foods are high in zinc? Oysters score high on the list, as well as red meat, and poultry. Check out this list of foods ranking them from highest to lowest in the "romantic" mineral zinc!

Other benefits of consuming a diet rich in zinc are: a strong immune system; optimal wound healing; increased sense of taste and smell; improved digestion; diabetes control; and healthy physical growth.

So this week, "Turn On" your testosterone and your health by eating more foods rich in zinc!

It's not the latest French perfume. It's not an after-bath body splash. It's not a fake tan. So what is this spray on substance that can give your sex life a jump start? Hormones.

Researchers have conducted a study with a hormone that's administered as a spray. The testosterone spray was given to women who hadn't reached menopause, had low natural testosterone levels, and had little interest in sex. On an intermediate dosage, the women realized a significant increase in their interest in sexual activity.

Though testosterone is considered a "male" hormone, all females have low levels of testosterone in their bodies. Even after administering the testosterone spray, 95% of the women in the study still had normal ranges of the hormone in their system.

There is one notable side effect, however. Women who used the spray developed an excess of body hair. Not exactly the turn-on their partner might need now, is it?

Ladies, hop on over to this AOL Body site for more on women's sexual health. Guys, here's an AOL Body site for you.

Madonna recently revealed that her husband, Guy Ritchie, used the cookie diet to lose weight. On the 800-calorie-per-day cookie diet, a person can eat one meal a day and up to six nutritional cookies.

She didn't really appreciate the diet, however. Though Guy lost weight, apparently, he also lost his libido. Madonna said, "My husband went on that cookie diet and it was such a turn-off because he didn't want to have sex." Not exactly an endorsement for the weight loss product, I'd say.

Though Ritchie, as well as fellow celebs Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson, lost weight on the cookie diet, its 800-calorie per day regimen is far too restrictive to be healthy. To learn some weight loss tricks that are healthy, check out AOL Body's diet page.

Life Fitness is a process of continuous growth: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Need motivation
and guidance to facilitate positive changes in your life? Ask Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis!

Dear Laura,

I have been married to a wonderful guy for twelve years. We have two children, ages 10 and 7, who take up a lot of my time. I am female, 36 years of age and my problem is, I just don't feel like being romantic with my husband any more. Here's a little bit about me: I could stand to lose about thirty pounds, I am always on a diet, stressed out and don't have time for myself either. I feel as if I have lost the old "me". I really could just take it or leave it when it comes to havng sex. Do you have any suggestions on how to reawaken the passion that used to be a part of me but is nowhere to be found now?

Signed,

Tired and Passionless

Dear Tired,

Not being in the "mood" for romance is a common problem with many couples. Although the frequency of how often couples engage in romantic actitivites varies from couple to couple, the important aspect is that both partners agree on how much is "enough" and "not enough". I have a few ideas for you that may boost your interest in having more "sexy time" with your hubby.

Generally speaking, testosterone levels in men begin to decline by about 2-3 percent per year starting around the age of thirty. Those numbers are not written in stone, but they are fairly accurate in most cases. As a result, body fat increases, muscle mass decreases, and even libido can be affected over time. It's a naturally occurring process, possibly as a protective measure against the increased risk of developing prostate cancer. Be that as it may, most men still aren't all that thrilled at the idea of gaining weight, losing muscle, and experiencing a diminished sex drive. Making matters worse, the first two of the three negative effects I just mentioned can also have a separate and equally as damaging effect on your cardiac health.

Are there ways to increase your testosterone levels? Yes, there are. Are they safe? Some yes and some are probably not safe at all. In fact, we'll start with those. Despite the fact that there are several "anti-aging" centers springing up around the country, claiming that their use of controlled HGH (human growth hormone) injections can almost reverse the aging process, they are unregulated and the safety of their methods remain highly debated. My two cents? Err waaaaaay on the side of caution on this one -- stay away from HGH injections or supplements. Until more studies are conducted, and until more R & D is done on the synthetic HGH products some of these "anti-aging" clinic doctors are pushing, I suggest that you avoid it like the plague.

Moving right along ...

Life is too short not to be fully "tuned in." The Daily Turn On! is designed to wake up your senses, all six of them: smell, taste, touch, hearing, sight and intuition! Everyday The Daily Turn On! with That's Fit Life Fit expert Laura Lewis will awaken your mind, your body and your life!

Did you know ... Sex is a necessary part of a healthy life. And, with science becoming the new religion, mortality is becoming increasingly more important than perceived morality. One study correlating overall health to sexual frequency, conducted by Queens University in Belfast, tracked the mortality of 1,000 middle-aged men for ten years. The findings? Men who reported the highest number of orgasms had half the mortality rate of their less active counterparts.

Of course, as we all age, great sex becomes a bit more challenging to achieve. Testosterone is not a discriminating hormone. Its presence is found and needed in both sexes. As women age, hormone levels can become unbalanced. A simple blood test can determine if testosterone is the culprit in a low libido.Once again, science provides easy lifestyle choices for achieving frequent orgasms. Click here to learn five easy science solutions to boost your activity in the bedroom. Strategies to keep in mind as "vitality" insurance in the romance department! You've got to love modern science!

Turn On your senses ... Live a fit life!

Women going through menopause who report a decreased interest in sex are more likely to also report trouble sleeping, depression, and night sweats. Although the connections between the symptoms may seem obvious (night sweats and depression can cause trouble sleeping, and fatigue can cause all kinds of problems -- including decreased sex drive), this study marks the first time menopause, sleeping, and low libido have all been connected.

The connection at this point doesn't mean much, other than more studies scheduled and doctors probably being more aware of what side-effects the medications they're prescribing might have. This does, however, strongly reinforce the difficulties many women face when going through menopause, and how symptoms can play off of each other making things even worse.