Eat Your Way To A Better Love Life

By : Jodie Shield | 2 Comments | On : May 19, 2017 | Category : Adults, Seniors

Three foods that can spice up your love life!

Guest Post By: Sarah Savinkov, Nutrition and Dietetics Student at Dominican University

Valentine’s Day is February 14th. Sweetest Day is October 21^st. May is Date Your Mate Month. Seems like everybody is looking for love, but … in all the wrong places. Americans spend billons of dollars for prescription drugs to enhance their libido. Others turn to exotic, edible aphrodisiacs hoping to stimulate their sexual appetite. Feeling frustrated? The good news is that a balanced diet, along with certain foods, may enhance your love life, and there’s research to back these claims. Here are three foods that can spice up your love life.

Oysters

 Oysters are loaded with zinc, an important mineral for boosting testosterone levels and reducing the chance of impotence. Since oysters are typically a special occasion treat (hopefully eaten with your other half), you can easily get your daily zinc dose from other foods such as: various types of seafood, red meat, fortified cereal, pork, beans, nuts, and dairy. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 11 mg of zinc per day for men; 8 mg of zinc per day for women.

If you want to be an overachiever, I suggest eating a half-cup of oysters (preferably cooked to prevent food poisoning), which boasts a whopping 113 mg of zinc per serving. You can also opt for a modest amount of zinc by snacking on some cashews. One-third cup of cashews provides you with nearly 5 mg of zinc.

 

Pomegranate

The bright red pomegranate color may be a sign of passion, but the nutrients it contains may be even more effective at improving your sexual libido. Pomegranate contains high levels of good-for-you antioxidants that help increase circulation to various parts of the body. Antioxidants also play a role in alleviating stress and improving testosterone levels in both men and women. A preliminary study published in Endocrine Abstracts found that male and female participants who drank eight ounces of pomegranate juice a day for two weeks had higher levels of testosterone and reduced blood pressure.

Since a half-cup of pomegranate juice has about 75 calories and 16 grams of natural sugar, you may want to consider eating the whole fruit. Another tasty option is to toss the pomegranate seeds (arils) into a fruit or summer salad for extra crunch.

 

Vanilla

Vanilla’s amorous influence seems to be brought on by both taste and aroma. Whether this is true for humans remains to be proven. However, one animal study discovered that adding vanilla to the diet decreased impotence, erectile dysfunction, and loss of libido. Additionally, the vanilla scent promoted sexual arousal, making vanilla anything but bland.

To sweeten up your love life, incorporate whole vanilla bean or vanilla extract into deserts and beverages, such as frozen yogurt or a latte. And for the ultimate sensory joyride, burn a vanilla-scented candle.

 

Give Me Some Lovin’

While there’s no magic pill to improve your love life, a healthy diet that contains oysters, pomegranate, and vanilla might help. For maximum effect, make sure you eat these foods on a regular basis. An even better way to experience them: cook a romantic meal with your loved one. For some quick and easy, tasty recipes to help you eat your way to a better love life, download Eat Healthy Homemade Meals – a FREE app available from iTunes and Google Play.

Note: Photo source: https://pixabay.com/en/engagement-couple-romance-bike-1718244/