The Hardness Factor (TM)

OK, the South Beach Diet works. After my endocrinologist advised me to see her nutritionist, she recommended the diet and I lost up to 35 pounds in about six months. Both diets share the same nutritional message. Avoid junk food in all forms. Eat healthy, natural and more expensive real foods. And exercise. Daily! Fair enough. I got it. Thankfully enough, restaurants all over the country now offer low carb meals and even fast food place have salad alternatives to greasy fries. The Hardness Factor however, gets men where they live. First, unlike high school, it teaches about subjects that the students are actually interested in. Though it doesn't include any pictures, and has but one clinical internal graphic, it does manage to teach about the penis, health and sex, making a strong correlation for what men already suspect, that sexual performance and loving relationships with women are closely linked. It gets you excited and motivated. Neither Atkins, nor the So. Beach, diets make such emotional, gut level, appealing-to-the-basest-instinct, exhilarating promises as this book does. Skimming the easy-to-read layout, with pages trimmed in red and sidebars every other page, one can't help but get aroused. The book is not just about health and sex, but it is also about getting in masculine, studly shape. Without following any of its advice, the book has already improved my sex life. It confirms what men know. Getting hard, endurance, stamina, flexibility are what it means to be a man. The girlfriend said I didn't need no Viagra! Unfortunately, like the other diet books, it doesn't prepare you the shocking cost and for many people, the impossible high and difficult-to-implement price of these sophisticated and expensive diets. Unlike the good doctor, with his own thriving practice made of exciting gut-reaching claims of health and sexual happiness, the majority of Americans are harnessed tightly to their jobs, regular paychecks and the convenience of fast food. Buying and cooking the fancy meals of expensive salmon and tuna several times a week, or supplementing their diets with a fistful of high quality supplements is not easily squeezed into an "every penny spoken for" consumer budget. Not to mention the requisite "get up extra early when you don't get enough sleep already" advice to exercise first thing in the morning. Or the "just go to the health club after work" suggestions to the multitudes who must rush home everyday to meet and feed the kids. To read the Hardness Factor is a prurient pleasure - a stimulating dream of macho possibilities. To implement it though, is a lifestyle change of Herculean proportions.

This is a guide to mens' health. The premise is that a man's overall health affects everything he does--including sexual performance. It is simply written and includes information on diet, exercise, vitamin and herbal supplements. Includes a short-term (six weeks) plan for overall health improvement.

This book serves a useful purpose by putting this message very much in the face of men: erections are produced by blood flow; if you want better erections and improved sexual health, there are no shortcuts that bypass the need for better health. It's well documented now that aerobic exercise improves erections, weight loss improves erections, proper rest and proper hormone balance...all improve erections. I've found many men become motivated to lose weight, walk, and quit smoking when their sexual function begins to wane. This book should help motivate and instruct men to better health by linking health to sexual function. Dr. Lamm's a big fan of L-arginine at a dose of 3 grams per day. Arginine and glutamine boost growth hormone levels in those with a healthy pituitary and lead to improved circulation and better erections. I've found patients do better with glutamine than with arginine (glutamine causes less nausea and can be taken at a higher dosage): try (if your doctor approves) 12 grams per day (best taken as a powder mixed in water since 12 grams would be 24 tablets at 500 mg each) for best source, see my list "Libido, Erection, and Premature Ejaculation." The most important recommendation in the book is walking. There is no doubt now that walking (or jogging..but not necessary to jog) does more to prevent obesity and to improve and maintain sexual function than anything possible with diet. I haven't seen as much success with the counting-steps method as outlined by Dr. Lamm as I have with those who just go walking and count miles, but the basic idea that walking improves sexual function cannot be ignored. Not only does the practice improve circulation and firmness of erection but alters levels of seratonin, dopamine, endorphins, cortisol, thyroid, growth hormone, and testosterone in ways that support libido and sexual function. Dr. Lamm makes the point that hormone levels should be optimized (even mentions their replacement in women). This problem is much more common that previously suspected. As to the "erection drugs" discussed, the recommendation to start with Viagra, Levitra, or Cialis and only go to the use of Muse (an injectable) might be questioned. Dr. Lamm fails to mention that Muse may also be used as a suppository and has a safer side-effect profile than Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis (and in some may even prolong erection after ejaculation). Dr. Lamm completely leaves out the use of prescription-strength yohimbine (Yocon) which has good effect on erection in 10-20% of men with the added benefit of increasing libido (which the others do not). Yocon has it's own side effect of irritability and increasing blood pressure in some...still it's a wonder drug for some and adds improved libido even to those who may use Viagra or one of the other medicines. So, I was disappointed it was left out of the discussion (but then I'm also prone to favor products found in nature...of which yohimbine is one). The foods recommen