With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, love is in the air.  Romantic dates being planned.  Dinner reservations being made.  But you don’t have to leave the house to have a juicy connection.   Whether you are trying to entice a new love or rekindle a spark, there are some common ingredients lurking in your kitchen that could  help get you both in the mood.

Everything we put into our bodies affects our brain chemistry, hormone balance, energy level, and mood.  There are foods that increase our stamina and endurance.  There are foods that boost our metabolism.  There are even foods to make us smarter.  But what I am talking about today are foods that make us feel sexier, friskier, juicier.  Yes, foods that improve your sex life.

What is an aphrodisiac?

An aphrodisiac is any substance that increases sexual desire.  The word aphrodisiac comes from the name for the Greek goddess of love and sexuality, Aphrodite.  For centuries folks have been conjuring up potions and elixirs made to evoke desire and to increase pleasure.  Aphrodisiacs fall into two categories: ones that work on the mind and ones that affect certain parts of the body.  Certain chemicals can relax the mind or open up other ways of thinking that allow for juicy feelings to arise and to decrease inhibitions.   Other substances can increase your body’s production of feel-good hormones that put you in the mood.  And some things just plain increase blood flow to your sexy parts.

With our modern world full of chronic diseases, stress/tension, lack of sleep, depression,  and over-stimulation,  many people experience low libido due to hormonal and general imbalances.  With these imbalances,  our natural hormonal responses to sexual excitement may not be  working as they should.  Consuming some of the following common foods may be your ticket to feeling juicier again.

Common Foods to Spice Up Your Love Life

1. Chocolate:

The Mayans called the cacao tree “food of the gods.”  The Aztecs were rumored to drink copious amounts of chocolate to increase sexual stamina.  Chocolate contains the chemicals phenylethylamine and serotonin, both naturally occurring substances in the body that evoke feeling of euphoria and love.  Research has also found another chemical in chocolate called anandamide that creates a similar but lesser reaction in the body as marijuana.   Want to give it a try?  Check out my recipe for The Perfect Chocolate Sauce.  Or try igniting the fire with Chocolate Love Cordial.

2. Honey:

Doesn’t sticky, gooey, sweet nature of honey just ooze sexuality?  Honey has been found to promote the production of testosterone in men, and the mineral boron in honey has been shown to helps the body metabolize and use estrogen.  For centuries honey has symbolized love and marriage.  The word honeymoon comes from the idea that newly wed couples are to drink honey wine (mead) for a month in order to make a solid connection with each other.  Honey has long been used in foods, elixirs, and cordials in order to evoke and increase sexual desire.

 3. Avocado:

The avocado tree was called ahuacuatl or “testicle tree” by the Aztecs because of the way the fruit hangs in pairs.  The aphrodisiac affects of avocados comes from it’s ability to pack a powerful nutrient punch.  Loaded with beta carotene, magnesium, Vitamin E, potassium,  Vitamin B6, and protein, avocados are an excellent way to boost immunity and your overall stamina.

4. Chili Peppers:

Chili peppers have long been known for their ability to spice up your foods, but did you know that they are good for your love life as well.  Eating chili peppers can increase your heart rate, increase endorphins, raise your body temperature, and make you feel invigorated.  Some claim to feel mild feelings of euphoria after consuming spicy peppers.

5. Ginger:

Because of it’s ability to create internal heat, ginger has long been used by lovers to “heat things up.” Ginger has a way of affecting us on a sensory level in many ways.  The smell is invigorating.  The warming properties gets our blood flowing.  And the calming properties can soothe the digestive system and soothe tension.  Ginger has been found in studies to boost fertility, increase sperm motility and viability, and to assist with impotence.  My favorite way to eat ginger is in my Grain Free Ginger Cookies.

6. Cinnamon:

Cinnamon is a great analogy for love: spicy yet sweet.  Cinnamon increase body temperature and circulation. Cinnamon increases libido by promoting general well-being.  It is an anti-inflammatory, helps stabilize blood sugars, and increases appetite, both physical and sexual.

 7. Papaya:

Papaya is estrogenic, meaning it has compounds that act as the female hormone estrogen.  Papaya has been traditionally used by women to promote menstruation and milk production, facilitating childbirth, and increasing the female libido.

8. Oysters:

Most of us have heard of the seductive powers of oysters.  Research has shown some shellfish, including oysters, to contain D-aspartic acid and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate), chemicals that may increase the production of the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen.  Some claim the sexual enhancing properties of oysters come from their resemblance to the female genitalia.

9. Fats:

Yes, fats! I’m talking good quality fats here.  Stay with me now.  We have long been taught to avoid saturated fats, but research is now telling us that saturated fats like butter and coconut oil are actually better for us than inflammatory vegetable oils like canola and sunflower.  Your body NEEDS fat to produce your hormones, including sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen. Both are essential for a healthy sex drive.  Want to learn more?  Read The Complete Guide to Fats and Oils.

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Did I get them all? Did I miss any of your favorite aphrodisiacs?  Please share in the comments.  I would love to hear from you.

Sources:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphrodisiac
• http://science.howstuffworks.com/aphrodisiac3.htm
• http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/aphrodisiac.html

photo credit : depositphotos.com / minervastock  and Voyagerix

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