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Phallic Clam China’s New Aphrodisiac

Photo from BBC

Mother Nature never ceases to delight me. Look at these Geoduck clams, or ‘elephant trunk’ clams, as they’re called in China where they are currently all the rage and going for $150 per pound.

I’ve been recommending clams for years as an aphrodisiac because of their iron-rich meat, and more recently because of a study linking their amino acids (D-aspartic acid and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid)  to a rise in sexual hormones (only in animals so far, but it’s a start). Now sophisticated Chinese palates are drawn to consume these creatures partly because of their erotic look and their aphrodisiac properties, but also for their slippery texture, something that is not as revered here in America where the Geoducks grow wild. That’s why exporting them has become big business.

Geoduck is pronounced “gooey-duck,” likely from the Nisqually tribe’s word for ‘dig deep’ which is ‘gweduck.’ You have to get quite far down to harvest these creatures, as you can see in this photo below. They grow on the pacific northwest coast, can live up to 160 years, and taste sweet and tender.

Geoduck 4

Photo from BBC.

The Geoduck’s long penis-shaped siphon stretches out under the sand and sucks in sea water, filtering out the nutrients, then spitting the rest out through its tip.

I’m headed to China this fall, so I’ll report back about how it’s served and enjoyed on the other side of the world.

“Furries” Hold Their Big Convention

The “furries” held their big convention last weekend in Pittsburgh, and we’re sorry we missed it! We love dressing up as giant, furry foxes!

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that hundreds of people lined the street to enthusiastically cheer at 1,300 Anthrocon conventioneers dressed in furry animal suits. The outdoor parade was a first for Anthrocon who typically holds its “Fursuit Walk” indoors and in private.

According to Anthrocon, furries are big in Scandinavia, and the convention this year included a bunch of Viking furries! Who knew? According to Anthrocon, it is “the world’s largest convention for those fascinated with anthromorphics, which are human-like animal characters.” These would include foxes, bears, and dogs.

There is also a “furry fetish” for those into the sexual aspect of costume play. We can’t be sure what percentage of conventioneers are are into that, but if we were furry fetishists, we’d go to the convention just to get laid with other furries, who officially call themselves “furverts.”

Fab furry photo by Pam Panchak.

Woman’s Life Covers Love, Sex & More

My friend and colleague Simin Hashemizadeh (pictured here with me and soap opera star Jackie Zeman) has launched a beautiful new magazine called Woman’s Life, and the inaugural “Hot Summer Issue” features lots of great information and advice about dating, love and sex.

“How To Be Sexy With Class” gives tips on turning heads, “Understanding Men” unpacks the meaning of ‘mixed signals,’ while “13 Dating Tips That Will Transform Your Relationship” teaches you how to cut to the chase or cut your losses! Urologist Dr. James Elist writes a compelling piece about what women can do about premature ejaculation, and other features include topics like bisexuality, gastric surgery and vaginal tightening. Talk about a packed first issue!

And then there’s an article by yours truly, called Brain Sex. There is evidence that sex makes you smarter, and I give Woman’s Life the scoop on secrets I learned from writing Neuroloveology: The Power to Mindful Love & Sex. And by the way, Neuroloveology is now available as an audiobook. . You can win a copy in my contest giveaway at www.Sexpert.com in September.

Simin has also declared 2015 the Year of the Woman, giving space to her favorite most powerful women of all walks of life, like Jodie Foster, Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton to name a few. Her feature interview is with Veronica Berti, Andrea Bocelli’s wife, who weighs in on the essential priorities in life and how to keep a life balance.

In this first issue, Simin is on the cover and you can read her letter from the editor about how to be a classy woman. There’s also a great fitness article, Hit the Barre, an interview with rapper movie star Romeo, and a feature story on #Twerkumentary, the documentary about -what else? – Twerking!

Stay tuned for future issues of Woman’s LIfe, widely distributed in medical centers, spas and hotels throughout Los Angeles.

Getting In Touch With Your Inner Penis

When I use the term “inner penis,” I am not referring in a new age, meditative way to the unexpressed, indiscernible, and unacknowledged spiritual-mental-emotional drive underpinning male sexuality (although that is a good topic for another day).  I am referring to the physical, not metaphysical, literal inner part of the penis.  Did you know that one half of the penis is actually internal while the other half is external?

Why does man have an inner penis at all? It seems to be such a waste of human flesh.  In reality it is very clever engineering—man has an inner penis for the same reason a house has a foundation and a tree has roots. Without solid foundational support, there would not be the infrastructure to enable to a rigid erection, angling proudly up towards the heavens. If the purpose of the penis was only to conduct urine and there was no need for rigidity, there would be no need for such support.  However, in order to defy gravity and stand tall and proud at appropriate times, the penis must have strong roots.  If a house had a weak foundation, it could easily blow down in a storm and if a tree has a poor root system, a gust of wind could level it, and so robust penile foundational support is a necessity for supporting a rigid erection and allowing it to survive in the “stormy turbulence” it may encounter with sexual activity.

Let’s briefly study the anatomy of the penis: The pendulous penis (hanging like a pendulum) is the external and visible portion of the penis. The penile shaft extends from the base of the penis (where the penis attaches to the body in the pubic region) to the glans (the head of the penis, derived from the Latin word for acorn). The infrapubic penis (“below” the pubic bone) is the inner, hidden, deeper aspect ofthe penis that extends down the pubic bones on each side. The crura (derived from the Latine word for legs) are the deep penile roots, which are secured to the bones and provide the internal support necessary for an erection.

The bulk of the tissue of the penile shaft is composed of three erection chambers that contain spongy, vascular erectile tissue: the paired corpora cavernosa (cave-like bodies) and the single corpus spongiosum  (spongy body). Although they are individual cylinders, the corpora cavernosa are interconnected and communicate.  The corpora cavernosa run parallel down the shaft of the pendulous penis, and diverge at the level of the inner component of the penis, forming the crura that are anchored to the pelvic bones.  The urethra (channel that conducts urine and semen) is enveloped by the corpus spongiosum, which begins in the perineum (area between the scrotum and anus), where it expands to form the bulb and extends to and forms the glans penis. It lies in the groove between the corpora cavernosa.

If you imagine your body to represent the penis, your legs are your crura, your torso is the external penis, and your head is the glans. In order for your torso and head to stand tall and erect, you need your legs planted firmly; otherwise, your torso would crumble to the ground.

Important and intimately connected allies of your inner penis are the pelvic floor muscles, which work with the erection chambers of the penis. The two important pelvic floor muscles involved with sexual function are the bulbocavernosus (BC) and ischiocavernosus (IC) muscles. The BC surrounds the inner, deeper portion of the urethra and covers and compresses the bulb of the penis. It is really a compressor muscle, so I call it the urethral compressor. In its relaxed state, it acts as an internal strut that helps anchor the deepest, internal aspect of the penis. When the muscle is contracted actively after urination, it compresses the urethra to expel the last few drops of urine that remain in the deep urethra. During sex, it helps support the tumescent (swollen) corpus spongiosum and glans. At the time of climax, this muscle is responsible for the expulsion of semen by virtue of its strong rhythmic contractions, allowing ejaculation to occur and contributing to orgasm. The classic 1909 textbook Gray’s Anatomy aptly labeled the BC muscle as “ejaculator urine.”

The paired IC muscles cover and compress each corpus cavernosum of the penis.  They, too, are compressor muscles, so I call them the corporal compressors. In their relaxed state, they act as internal struts that help anchor the deepest aspect of the corpora—the crura—to the perineum.  The IC muscles stabilize the erect penis and compress the corpora, decreasing the return of blood to help maintain penile rigidity and sky-high blood pressures in the penis. At the time of climax, they contract rhythmically and are responsible for maximal erectile rigidity at the time of ejaculation.

Why Kegel Exercises Can Change A Man’s Sex Life

One of the great sexual myths is that Kegel exercises are only for women. Not enough men and women know the sexual health and pleasure benefits of doing Kegel exercises and having strong pelvic floor muscles, but men especially have been kept in the dark.

Your pelvic floor muscles are a series of muscles connected to your pelvic bone and internal genitalia. When a man stands up, they act as a safety net that holds the internal organs inside. But as with all muscles, they stretch and lose muscular tone over time. Doing Kegel exercises involves locating the pubococcygeus muscles (PC muscles) in your pelvic region and strengthening your muscle tone.

How Do We Locate Them?

Without even knowing, you may already be working out your PC muscles. When you are pushing out those last drops of urine or that amazing, rhythmic “squeeze” that occurs as you ejaculate, that’s you contracting your PC muscles. Because most men don’t urinate or ejaculate enough to give their PC muscles the workout it needs, it’s important to work these muscles out separately.. To locate your PC muscles:

  • During urination, squeeze and hold back or slow down the flow or urine
  • While erect, simulate the urination squeeze and you’ll notice your penis flinch upwards
  • Squeezing or puckering your anus to improve the muscle tone of the rear PC muscle

You may be wondering why I snuck in the anus squeeze. According to Jack Morins’s book, Anal Pleasure and Health, contracting the anus can help to improve fecal incontinence. Also, the anus Kegel exercise can help strengthen the rear portion of the PC muscles near the coccyx.

Sexual Health Benefits of Kegels

Pleasure

Strong PC muscles can also help improve our sexual pleasure in addition to the functioning described below. Strengthening our pelvic floor muscles has been shown to increase orgasmic and ejaculatory power, meaning our orgasms may feel stronger and more intense. Lastly, for more advanced pleasure, Kegel exercises are a common method on the path towards learning male multiple orgasms, which separate orgasm and ejaculation. This can allow a man to have orgasm after orgasm without that annoying refractory period that comes with ejaculation.

Urinary Incontinence

Strong PC muscles can help manage a variety of sexual health concerns. One of the main benefits is to help manage or alleviate urinary incontinence. It’s inevitable that our bodies change with health issues or age. For many men, their urinary sphincter weakens and this can lead to urine leakage. While some urologists will prescribe medication to manage this, many patients can treat this issue with Kegel exercises and strengthening their PC muscles. In addition, anus Kegel exercises combined with your standard penile/pubic focused Kegels, can help create an balanced muscular tone in both the front and rear pelvic floor muscles.

Premature Ejaculation (PE)

Early ejaculation affects approximately 1/3 of men across age groups. There are numerous origins, ranging from previous PE sexual experiences and performance anxiety to speedy masturbation sessions that teach our bodies to ejaculate quickly. One of the most common behavioral treatment interventions for early ejaculation difficulties is strengthening the PC muscles. Consistent Kegel exercise routines and stronger pelvic floor muscles can help aid in ejaculatory control.

Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

Erection difficulties affect millions of men of all ages, yet we often don’t associate ED origins with weaker PC muscles. More often, ED is associated with medical issues such as diabetes, medication side effects, and high blood pressure or psychological concerns like performance anxiety. Like PE, erection difficulties can be positively affected by PC muscle training, as circulation can improve with increased muscle tone. Better circulation can mean stronger erections.

Training Regimen

Like any other muscle in your body, your PC muscles need to be worked out and rested. Designing your own Kegel exercise regimen and sticking with it is essential to reaping the benefits described. They aren’t hard to do and don’t take much time to accomplish. It just takes discipline and consistency.

One example of a training regimen is doing your Kegel workouts 3 times per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This allows your muscles some rest time. Each day, make the time to workout three times per day (morning, middle of the day, evening). Try doing 3 sets of 20 repetitions during each session. Essentially, you’ll be doing 60 repetitions 3 times per day.

Because we want to include anus Kegel exercises, make that last set of 20 repetitions focused on your anus Kegels.

  • Monday: 60 morning reps, 60 afternoon reps, 60 evening reps
  • Wednesday: 60 morning reps, 60 afternoon reps, 60 evening reps
  • Friday: 60 morning reps, 60 afternoon reps, 60 evening reps

Remember we are trying to isolate the PC muscles, so be aware of your body and don’t tense other muscles in the body, such as the thighs, buttocks, abdominals, and core muscles. Aim for body relaxation, PC muscle contraction.

It’s best to begin with flaccid penis Kegel exercises and work your way up to erect PC muscle training. For advanced erect PC muscle training , a man can place a small hand towel at the base of his penis. Over time, he can move the towel towards the head of his penis for more resistance, even using a wet hand towel for the additional weight resistance when he feels ready.

With all the products developed for female Kegel exercise training, from insertable training wands and Kegel balls to Dr. Emily Morse’s “Kegel Camp” IPhone  App, the market for male Kegel training  is scarce.

A new product on the market, Private Gym, is the first FDA-approved male Kegel exercise product. It offers men and penis owners a Kegel exercise training kit, complete with a visual training DVD for set/repetition guidance and penile weight system for added resistance. It comes with a book written by a qualified medical doctor, focusing on male pelvic health and the importance of information on PC muscle strength. In addition, the book shows pictures of stretches and exercises to improve male pelvic fitness. Having researched this product, I’m intrigued! I’m going to test it out and offer feedback in a future article.

Why can Kegel exercises change a man’s sex life? As this article points out, it can help you last longer, be harder, not leak, and send orgasmic shivers through your spine. For many men, that can be a game changer. While I don’t think erection and orgasm is everything during sex, I like having the option of including them. The way I see it, caring for your penile and pelvic sexual heath now is an investment into your sexual future.

Fitness Guru Ben Greenfield Shares His Penis Strength Secrets

Mastermind Talks 2014 in Toronto, Ontario. ©2014 Mark Adams www.MarkAdamsPhoto.com

Bestselling author, global speaker and fitness guru Ben Greenfield takes on the PrivateGym this week in “How to Make Your Penis Stronger With A Private Gym,” an extremely informative and quite hilarious blog that chronicles his first four weeks of penis training with the male fitness program.

From the moment of picking up the discreet package in his mailbox, (“So much for 7-minute abs. I now have the promise of 7-minute gonads”) through all the penis lifts and pelvic floor contractions, I had to laugh out loud in several places at this honest and humble account of a man super-charging his penis.

I have to say my favorite part is when, at one point, Greenfield is losing his erection while exercising, and instead of turning to porn, he breaks out sexy pictures of his wife. You simply can’t help but root for his penis-strength journey after that! And in the end (spoiler alert) his wife actually notices the pelvic strength he’s developed, leaving him feeling confident and falling asleep with a smile.

I highly recommend reading this blog for a play-by-play on how the Private Gym training system really works. He gets into nitty gritty details that you can’t learn from reading the product box, and describes the experience in helpful ways.

Here at Sexpert, you can read another informative review of the PrivateGym by Dr. Don Etkes, and some great information from Urologist Dr. Andrew Siegel about erection rigidity, penis hydraulics and what to expect of erections as you age.

There’s still time to enter to win your own Private Gym in our June contest. ENTER NOW!

Erection Rigidity: A Perfect Storm

Sex length

 

Note: Although this is written primarily for men, it is equally relevant to females. Since the penis and clitoris are homologous organs, whenever you see the word “penis” you can substitute the word “clitoris.” In terms of solutions, only simple and natural ones will be mentioned. A discussion of oral medications, urethral suppositories, injections and penile implants will be a topic for another time.

The penis is one of the most “magical” of organs—uniquely capable of transforming its size, shape, and constitution in a matter of nanoseconds. The remarkable upsurge is possible because blood inflow is maximized while outflow is minimized, resulting in penile blood pressures that far exceed arterial blood pressure.

Rigid erections can only occur when there is a “perfect storm” of three events:

Event #1 (Pre-penile): Arterial blood flow to the pelvis needs to increase substantially.

Event #2 (Penile): Smooth muscle within the arteries and the spongy sinuses of the erectile chambers of the penis must relax to allow engorgement with blood.

Event #3 (Post-penile): The pelvic floor muscles must engage and compress the deep roots of the penis to morph the swollen penis into a rigid one. The blood pressure in the penis resulting from the inflow of blood alone, in the absence of the contribution from the pelvic floor muscles, will not exceed systolic blood pressure, so the pelvic floor muscles play a vital role with respect to both rigidity and durability of erections.

When erections go south, it comes down to failure in one or more of the three events, which can be pre-penile, penile, or post-penile.

Pre-penile ED

The problem lies within the arterial blood supply to the pelvis, which is not capable of delivering enough blood flow to fill the penis. Typically, the pelvic arteries are clogged with fatty plaque (atherosclerosis), which is often due to an unhealthy lifestyle: poor diet, physical inactivity, being overweight and use of tobacco. Diabetes is a very common cause of impaired blood flow (although it also adversely affects the nerve supply). Insufficient blood flow may also occur because of the blood pressure lowering effect of blood pressure medications. Psychological issues such as performance anxiety cause constriction of the inflow to the penis by virtue of the adrenaline released as a result of anxiety, adrenaline being a potent constrictor of blood flow.

Solution to Pre-penile ED

Lifestyle “angioplasty”—meaning getting down to “fighting” weight, adopting a heart-healthy (and penis-healthy diet), exercising regularly, drinking alcohol moderately, avoiding tobacco, minimizing stress, getting enough sleep, etc.—all common sense measures to improve all aspects of health in general and blood vessel health in particular.

Penile ED

The problem lies within the penis itself. Because of poorly functioning smooth muscle within the arteries and sinuses of the erectile chambers, the penis cannot properly swell with blood. This smooth muscle cannot relax enough to allow blood flow to inflate the penis and pinch off the venous drainage. This failure of relaxation of the smooth muscle in the penile arteries and spongy sinuses parallels the failure of relaxation of smooth muscle in our arteries that causes high blood pressure (a.k.a. “essential” hypertension). Loss of this smooth muscle and scarring can happen with aging, following prostate cancer surgery, from Peyronie’s disease (abnormal scar tissue within the penis) or because of disuse atrophy (loss of penis form and function because of lack of use as it was intended to be used).

Solution to Penile ED

Age-related malfunctioning smooth muscle and scarring is a difficult issue to manage. However, lifestyle measures can be helpful as well as adopting a “use it or lose it” attitude towards erectile function—exercising the penis via regular sexual activity will actually help its continued functioning and health of the smooth muscle of the penile arteries and sinuses.

Post-Penile ED

The problem is weakened pelvic floor muscles. These feeble muscles are incapable of compressing the roots of the penis sufficiently to increase the blood pressure in the penis to the levels needed for rock-hard rigidity.

Solution to Post-Penile ED

Pelvic floor muscle training to improve the strength, tone and endurance of the pelvic floor muscles will optimize erectile rigidity and durability.

How To Find Your Spouse Online

heart keyboard key

Who says you can’t find your spouse on a dating site? Well, many do and the statistics back that up. But, on the rare occasion marriages are made. Such is the case with Josh Widmer, a 41-year-old computer programmer from Ohio, and Ekaterina (Kate) Widmer, a 37-year-old physical therapist from Siberia who met on the leading international dating site, AnastasiaDate.com, which matches men interested in dating European women.

I caught up with the newlyweds a few weeks ago at the 17th annual Gumball 3000, a car rally that ran through Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam and then onto the U.S. through Reno, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Death Valley, and Las Vegas. We were all a part of Team Anastasia Date and Team Asian Date riding in 1969 Camaro Z/28s, so I naturally grilled them about finding love on a dating site. Here are their tips on how to create an online dating profile that will find you true love – not a hookup or casual affair.

Tip 1: Get Specific

Going the niche route worked for Josh and Kate. There’s something to be said for using a highly specific dating site to find exactly what you want. It’s gone beyond J-Date and Christian Mingle on the religious side, and into such specific areas like Gluten Free Singles, Veggie Date, Farmers Only, Black People Meet, Date Skaters, Date My Pet — the list goes on. “Knowing exactly the type of person you want before going onto the site and looking around helps keep your focus,” says Josh.

Tip 2: Smile for the Camera

A good mix of photos is the key to any great online profile, yet so many daters still make the same mistakes over and over. Don’t post photos of you in groups where we can’t tell which one you are. Don’t post photos wearing sunglasses or that are overly filtered. “It’s important to have one good close-up so you can really see what they look like,” says Kate. “And, a good mix of photos that show personality – show your hobbies, or at work, or if you have a pet, and a variety of casual clothes with your business clothes.” Since Josh was looking for a wife and not a hook-up, he especially liked that Kate didn’t post any photos that were too revealing.

Tip 3: Complete Your Profile

Yes, it’s tedious. Yes, it’s time consuming. But those hundreds of questions that sites such as OkCupid have you answer are there for a reason: To match you with someone who thinks like you do. “I was happy that Josh answered all of the questions and our answers matched up. Don’t skip any of them. Don’t just put yes or no. If there is space to explain then write a short answer but not too long. The most important thing to me was that Josh and I answered the important questions the same way, especially ‘What are you looking for’ because we were both looking for a serious relationship,” says Kate. “It was important that we both knew up front that we wanted to get married and have kids one day. You need to be upfront about that so you don’t waste anyone’s time,” says Josh.

Tip 4: Share a Video

Anyone can sound good on paper and look good with the right angle, lighting, and filter. That’s why more often than not I barely recognize my dates from their photos because they have some crafty photographic skills. But, video hides nothing. If the site has an option to post a video of yourself, prioritize that over anything else. “Kate had a short video of herself that I really liked. I got to really see her personality and what she does for a living and a lot more detail about her,” says Josh.

Tip 5: Talk Don’t Text

Bonding behind a computer screen gives us a false sense of intimacy and security. Instead of messaging or texting for days, weeks, or months only to get “catfished” in the end or find that you don’t have any real life chemistry, pick up the phone ASAP. “He didn’t waste time. He sent me a quick message saying he liked my profile and after a few emails, he said he’d call and he did. We weren’t in the same country, so we used Skype first and really got a feel for one another,” says Kate.

And The New Reason Men Cheat Is?

A new study in the June Issue of the American Sociological Review says that young, straight married men, ages 18-32 have a new reason to cheat on their young wives. Because she makes more money! The study, taken from a sample of 2,750 married couples, found that there is a 5% chance that women completely economically dependent on their husbands will cheat, but the percentage jumps to 15% for men who are completely  dependent on their wives. As her salary goes up, his wee wee goes down.

“The higher infidelity rate among economically dependent men may be a way for men to compensate for a perceived loss of machismo,” says Christian Munsch, Ph.D, an assistant professor of sociology at The University of Connecticut, who conducted the study. “Women who earn more than their husbands do everything from increasing their housework to minimizing their own achievements to try to make their husbands feel less emasculated,” Munsch said. We say get over it because it may not be this way forever, and stop cheating. And could you please dump the garbage?

 

Orgy Turns Disabilities Into Abilities

Congratulations Stella Palikarova, a disability awareness consultant in Toronto for pioneering the first ever orgy entitled “The Deliciously Disabled” – a sex night for 125 disabled, sexually excited, and liberated people.

Let’s face it, swing clubs and brothels should be legalized for everyone worldwide, including the physically disabled. People with disabilities have the same feelings and need for love, intimacy and sexual gratification as anyone else. Dennis Hof’s world famous Bunny Ranch is proud to welcome people with all kinds of disabilities and has wheelchair access with special assistance by beautiful women who love to have sex for a living.

We are all sexual beings from the moment we are born to the moment we die and sex is a precious gift that we all deserve no matter what. This resonated for me when I interviewed Asta Philpot, a young, fun loving, productive, sexy, intelligent man who took some disabled men to Spain to lose their virginity in a brothel. I loved his film because it was about truth without any judgment.

Asta was born with arthrogryposis, which left him immobile below his neck. He has feeling in his body, but is unable to move any part. However, he has no limitations when it comes to sex.

Asta had sex for the first time in a licensed Spanish brothel with his families blessing and it has made him even happier, more fulfilled than before.  Check out his short compelling video above with yours truly as well as Reverend Michael Beckwith founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center in Los Angeles.

This year’s sex orgy will take place on August 14 at the same time Toronto is hosting the Parapan Am Games. TORONTO 2015 will be the fifth edition of the Parapan Am Games and will feature 1,500 athletes from 28 countries competing in 15 sports. All sports will be Paralympic qualifiers for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Sports for athletes with a disability have existed for more than 100 years.

If you are interested in learning more about how to turn disabilities into abilities, especially in the bedroom, you’re in luck because I have created an online course that will educate and inspire you.