Go Deep – doing a colon or liver cleanse is like getting your transmission flushed. Is it 30,000 miles yet?
Sometimes it’s embarrassing, and we don’t like to discuss it in public, but trust us, you’re not alone. Many men are affected by these common quandaries at some point in their lives: athletes foot, jock itch, bad breath or temporary lack of libido. So, in support of holistic health for all the men in our lives, we’re going to dive into the nitty-gritty. Consider yourself warned 🙂
There are a myriad of available common sense, inexpensive, natural remedies that your grandfather and great-grandfather probably used. Tried and true, tested and relied upon for centuries – these are natural, non-pharmaceutical treatments – some are easy to implement while others require the guidance of a doctor or herbalist.
Jock Itch and Athlete’s Foot
Jock itch and athlete’s foot are surprisingly straightforward to cure. Simply put, they are both caused by a fungus, so to cure the problem, the fungus will have to be killed. First, wash the affected skin thoroughly with diluted apple cider vinegar (one or two teaspoons of vinegar to a glass of water). Then apply tea tree oil. Apply a couple of times a day, either alone or with a carrier oil such as coconut oil, to get rid of the itchiness and inflammation. Before bed, crush a few cloves of raw garlic, blend with a tiny bit of olive oil, and rub onto skin to control the growth of the infection. Increasing your internal consumption of raw garlic will also help to control fungus – as will eliminating sugars from your diet as much as possible. Fungus feeds off of sugar, and fungus colonies explode exponentially as your sugar levels increase. Another easy way to get relief from jock itch or athlete’s foot is to combine these treatments with regular salt baths – soaking in Epsom salt water for twenty to thirty minutes daily will help to heal infected skin and will also help to control fungus growth.
Halitosis, aka Bad Breath
Chronic bad breath usually has three main 3 sources – rotting teeth, oral flora, or gut flora. The good news is that all of these can be easily treated at the source!
First things first – rotting teeth. Never good, always stinky. Get yourself to a dentist and get caught up on all essential dental work. While you are at it, get a good deep cleaning, which can unleash pockets of smelly bacteria that can hide under your gum line.
Secondly, take daily care of the bacteria that lives in your mouth. When you brush your teeth, also make sure to brush your tongue thoroughly, or use a tongue scraper. Also, mom knows best. Floss daily. Instead of alcohol-heavy mouthwashes, swish with a solution of warm water mixed with a few drops of food grade hydrogen peroxide and a teaspoon of baking soda. The taste admittedly is not wonderful, but the solution is rather effective at treating bad breath at the source. Another helpful hint? Drink more water! Many people drink far too little water throughout the day to ward off the bacteria in the mouth that are most responsible for causing bad breath. Lastly, supplement with zinc. A common cause of halitosis is a deficiency in the mineral zinc, which helps maintain a clean, bacteria-free mouth.
Go Deep – since bad breath can also stem from a buildup of heavy metals, yeast overgrowth, and other toxins inside the body, it is important to flush your system (like getting a transmission fluid flush every 30K miles). If you have really bad breath, it’s very likely that your body has reached toxic levels. Consider a colon cleanse and then move on to doing a liver cleanse. Once you have cleansed your body, especially your intestines and liver, purify your blood and eliminate more toxins. Stinging nettle is an herb that stimulates the lymphatic system, increases the excretion of uric acid through the kidneys, and boosts adrenal function, all of which target halitosis at its root. Alfalfa sprouts, parsley, peppermint, dill, fennel, sage, licorice, dandelion goldenseal, echinacea, wild yam, myrrh, lemon, and chlorophyll tablets are also well-known viable treatment options for bad breath. Probiotics should not be overlooked, either, if a sluggish digestive system is suspected. A less than efficient digestive system creates an excess of gas in your body, and much of that gas exits through your mouth. Specific probiotic strains such as Lactobacillus salivarius directly target harmful bacterial strains in the mouth, and reduce or eliminate the volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) responsible for causing bad breath.
Temporary lack of libido
First, start with the basics. Are you getting enough exercise? Been splurging a bit on junk food? How’s your quality of sleep been? Are you getting enough free-time, alone time, nature time? Is there space to relax? Take care of these issues first, before deciding if the issue needs to be treated on a more physical or physiological level. Helpful herbs to try are damiana, which contains alkaloids that stimulate blood flow and increase sensitivity, and also relaxes the body and reduces stress. Horny Goat Weed and Korean Ginseng help improve erectile function, increase libido, and combat fatigue. They also increase testosterone and nitric oxide levels, helping to enhance blood flow. You could also talk to an acupuncturist who can tell where you are off balance and bring you back to a strong, harmonized flow of life force.
On a nutritional level, some of the best known aphrodisiacs are found in what we eat daily. Onion, ginger, garlic and pepper are the most commonly known aphrodisiacs. Nuts like almonds and pistachios are natural boosters and recommended as a premature ejaculation treatment to address impotency and erectile dysfunction. If low testosterone is identified as a problem, the following foods can help in increasing production of the hormone naturally: raw oysters, avocados, bananas, salmon, asparagus, all types of nuts, cheese, and brown rice.
So there you have it. We made it through all the hush-hush taboos. Now you have a few more tools to take control of your health, straightforwardly and naturally. If you’re looking to detox or ‘flush your tranny’ you might consider a body-detox treatment or a nutritional cleanse. Book a 15-minute consultation with the clinician of your choice, or a 360 wellness consult to get all the information you need to make a choice for whole body health.
The internet is full of resources, some more valid than others. Think of the remedies in this article as ideas for inspiration, as opposed to self-prescription. Here are a couple more sources for your perusal.