Why not satiate both cravings by indulging in foods with aphrodisiacal qualities?
Across all cultures (except maybe the Amish) and eras, people have feasted on phallic and arousing foods believed to induce and enhance that sexual feeling. So step into the kitchen for some salacious stimulants and use the erotic power of food fact and folklore to super-size your libido.
From the Fruit Bowl
Ahuacatl is the Aztec word for avocado tree, which translated means "testicle tree." Yummy. Avocados have long been hailed as aphrodisiacs, containing vitamins A, B-complex, C and E, all necessary for sexual functioning. How about getting into some monkey-business? Bananas are full of potassium and B vitamins, elements that are key for the production of sex hormones. Bananas also contain the bromelain enzyme, which supposedly boosts the male libido. "You say tomato and I say libido. Tomato. Libido…." The love apple is a potent source of the antioxidant lycopene, believed to enhance libido.
Ahuacatl is the Aztec word for avocado tree, which translated means "testicle tree." Yummy. Avocados have long been hailed as aphrodisiacs, containing vitamins A, B-complex, C and E, all necessary for sexual functioning. How about getting into some monkey-business? Bananas are full of potassium and B vitamins, elements that are key for the production of sex hormones. Bananas also contain the bromelain enzyme, which supposedly boosts the male libido. "You say tomato and I say libido. Tomato. Libido…." The love apple is a potent source of the antioxidant lycopene, believed to enhance libido.
From the Crisper
Turn that Bloody Mary speared with celery into a spicy experience of your own. Celery contains a male hormone called androsterone, which is capable of sexually arousing females. Parsley, that innocent little sprig on the side of your plate, is actually a potent twig of passion. Rich in the amino acid histidine, the body converts parsley into histamine, a molecule that regulates orgasm and ejaculation.
Turn that Bloody Mary speared with celery into a spicy experience of your own. Celery contains a male hormone called androsterone, which is capable of sexually arousing females. Parsley, that innocent little sprig on the side of your plate, is actually a potent twig of passion. Rich in the amino acid histidine, the body converts parsley into histamine, a molecule that regulates orgasm and ejaculation.
Sexy Sweets
Seems that licorice-whips have a place in the boudoir too. Black licorice can intensify your urges because it contains something similar to the estrogen hormone. And here's one for the chocolate lovers: modern Casanovas should know that he supposedly indulged in chocolate before copulating with his conquests. Cocoa has been shown to cause the release of certain hormones into the blood, arousing mood and simulating a sense of euphoria.
Seems that licorice-whips have a place in the boudoir too. Black licorice can intensify your urges because it contains something similar to the estrogen hormone. And here's one for the chocolate lovers: modern Casanovas should know that he supposedly indulged in chocolate before copulating with his conquests. Cocoa has been shown to cause the release of certain hormones into the blood, arousing mood and simulating a sense of euphoria.
Hot Nuts
Skinny-dipping in February? You might want to bring along some gingko nuts. They improve circulation to the extremities. Stop pining for some action and do something about it. Serve up some pine nuts to get your mojo working. Full of zinc, pine nuts have been used as aphrodisiacs for almost 2,000 years.
Skinny-dipping in February? You might want to bring along some gingko nuts. They improve circulation to the extremities. Stop pining for some action and do something about it. Serve up some pine nuts to get your mojo working. Full of zinc, pine nuts have been used as aphrodisiacs for almost 2,000 years.
Sinful Spices
Chili peppers not only burn your tongue, they can also make you hot in other places. A chemical in chili, called capsaicin, stimulates nerve endings, which can make you sweat and increase your heart rate. The heat in garlic is said to induce passion and sexual yearning. Although not exactly a winner on the fresh-breath front, garlic increases the body's production of nitric oxide, which triggers erections. Boing! Help get blood to all the right places at all the right times by adding a little garlic to your food. Raw, cooked, or crystallized ginger acts as a stimulant to the circulatory system.
Chili peppers not only burn your tongue, they can also make you hot in other places. A chemical in chili, called capsaicin, stimulates nerve endings, which can make you sweat and increase your heart rate. The heat in garlic is said to induce passion and sexual yearning. Although not exactly a winner on the fresh-breath front, garlic increases the body's production of nitric oxide, which triggers erections. Boing! Help get blood to all the right places at all the right times by adding a little garlic to your food. Raw, cooked, or crystallized ginger acts as a stimulant to the circulatory system.
Gourmet Libido
Aw shucks. Oysters, those slippery suckers, are full of zinc, a sexual nutriment that's essential to the production of testosterone and vaginal lubrication. Truffles drive female pigs wild with lust (which is why harvesters use sows to find them). Although you're not dating a pig (hopefully), the truffle's chemical is similar to the male human's sex hormone and its musky scent is said to stimulate and enhance the skin's sense of touch.
Aw shucks. Oysters, those slippery suckers, are full of zinc, a sexual nutriment that's essential to the production of testosterone and vaginal lubrication. Truffles drive female pigs wild with lust (which is why harvesters use sows to find them). Although you're not dating a pig (hopefully), the truffle's chemical is similar to the male human's sex hormone and its musky scent is said to stimulate and enhance the skin's sense of touch.
Coffee Talk
Next time you invite someone home for a nightcap, make it a coffee. A New York study concluded that coffee drinkers are more sexually active than non-coffee drinkers. Another in Michigan reported that the "consumption of at least one cup of coffee per day was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of sexual activity in women and with a higher potency rate in men."
Next time you invite someone home for a nightcap, make it a coffee. A New York study concluded that coffee drinkers are more sexually active than non-coffee drinkers. Another in Michigan reported that the "consumption of at least one cup of coffee per day was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of sexual activity in women and with a higher potency rate in men."
Food may or may not have aphrodisiacal affects, but believing it can contribute to a sexual experience may be enough. So next time you're cheffing up something with a special friend, consider a little carnal cuisine to morph that appetite for food into a hunger for sex.