Conventional wisdom used to be, that once you hit adulthood the brain your basically set in concrete. We now know that this isn’t the case and there’s lifelong potential for new brain growth. This is called neurogenesis or brain plasticity.

As the brain changes, so does the mind. But the reverse is also true. It’s known that too much stress can increase the chance of general mental decline, and even dementia. But practising positive mental habits like gratitude is linked with the precise opposite, which is thought to be due to such attitudes stimulating the release of Norepinephrine.

No. Not even close

Fool Your Brain into Happiness

So. Can you then control your thoughts to control your brain health, happiness? The answer it seems is yes.

The technique is called “self-directed neuroplasticity”, and it appears the key is controlling your attention. In a way it’s intuitive, but if we tune our attention to the things that annoy us, the things that make our life difficult, we are training our brains overdevelop the neural substrates (foundations, essentially) of those things. But if we instead tune our attention to the things we’ve got to be grateful for, we overdevelop a whole different set of neural substrates.

In other words we build our brains from the foundations up to be geared towards positivity and happiness.

Savour the Positive

All of which begs the obvious question. What’s the best way to effectively “tune your attention” to the positive?

Every day, dozens of little positives occur that we often gloss over. Take every opportunity to savour them. As we linger on them, we make stronger cognitive associations. You can strengthen this by imagining visual associations to the positive event as well as the emotional.

What do you think? Could more time spent “savouring the positive” events in our life really influence our underlying brain structures for the better?

Chocolate, oysters, avocado and honey have all had their place as romance boosters in 5000 years of folklore, although 20 years ago the FDA poured a cold shower on the whole idea of libido lifters as “unscientific.”

However as the baby boomers reach 60 and notice things ain’t what they used to be in the bedroom, many are discovering that centuries of human experience can’t be dismissed as simple “anecdote”. Natural enhancement has been around since man walked upright, and natural sex boosters are coming out of the closet.

So here’s our pick of A Lover’s Dozen of Sex Boosting Herbs to add an extra spark to Valentines Day for men and women. For info on where you can find health products containing some of these herbs, go to www.herbalignite.com.

Tribulus Terrestris

A testosterone enhancer from Europe which works for both men and women (in women it helps with menopause symptoms). Lifts performance and libido.

Damiana

South America shrub induces a testosterone effect and was used by the ancient Mayans as an aphrodisiac drink. Scientific effects recorded over 100 years ago.

Guarana

A stimulant also known as Brazilian cocoa and a national beverage there. Guarana increases energy and libido, helps with weight loss, soothes nerves and fights free radicals.

Ginseng

Used by North American Indians as a general tonic to give extra energy and strength. (Daniel Boone used to pick wild ginseng and sell it in New York.) Widely used to improve overall energy and vitality, particularly during times of fatigue or stress. Beneficial for diabetics as studies show it normalizes glucose levels after meals.

Gingko Biloba

Counters impotence. Ultrasound examinations of 60 impotent men who took ginkgo biloba herb showed improved penile blood circulation after six weeks. After six months, 50% of the patients had regained potency. Many other benefits including increases blood flow to the brain, reduces risk of heart attacks and stroke. Good for treating complications from diabetes, particularly nerve damage and eye problems. Ginko biloba may put the pep back lost as a result of taking anti-depressants.

Horny Goat Weed Herb

A performance enhancer and a libido and energy booster for both men and women.

Saw Palmetto

Excellent herb for prostate health, sexual functioning and desire. Shrinks the prostate, relieves the major symptoms of enlarged prostate – benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

For Women

Tong Kat Ali

Also called Long Jack, an Asian forest extract with consistent performance boosting properties. Just watch out for insomnia as a possible side effect, so perhaps take it in the morning for good effects later in the day.

Black Cohosh

Popular as a natural alternative treatment for women’s menopausal symptoms, particularly hot flushes.

Chaste Tree Berry

Also known as Vitex, the Chaste berry well known since ancient times for treating “womens problems”. It is mentioned in Homer’s 6^th century BC epic the Iliad and was known to “The Father of Medicine” Hippocrates in the 4^th century. Chaste berries are used in treating PMS and menopause.

Dong Quai

Also known as Chinese angelica (and not related to the European Angelica) Dong is considered the ultimate, all-purpose woman’s tonic herb. It is used for almost every gynecological complaint from regulating the menstrual cycle to treating menopausal symptoms caused by hormonal changes, including dryness and hot flushes.

Wild Yam

Has progesterone-favourable effects on the body, because it contains a compound from which progesterone is made. Wild Yam extract helps regulate the estrogen /progesterone ratio, normalizing imbalance. Good for menopausal problems such as sleeplessness, hot flushes and vaginal dryness and for menstrual cramps. Topically applied progesterone creams can help with sexual health.

The pioneer in the use of natural progesterone was Dr John Lee, who investigated natural progesterone in his book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause – The Breakthrough Book on Natural Progesterone. Dr Lee coined the term “estrogen dominance” and was one of the first to show that synthetic hormones did not do what was claimed and could be harmful to health. His book lists recommended creams of guaranteed quality. Although Dr Lee died in 2003, his work is continued on his official website at John Lee MD (http://www.johnleemd.com/)