Dark chocolate for feeling good
There may be something to gifting all that chocolate to our significant others on Valentine’s Day. It’s hard to want to hit the sheets if you’re feeling glum, and research has shown that chocolate can lift your spirits. “It’s just a lovely, sensual food that really truly does put you in a good mood because it’s just a little bit sweet. And it melts on your tongue,” says Reiley.
Chocolate also contains phenethylamine and tryptophan. “The former is a stimulant that is released in the brain when we fall in love, while the latter helps to produce serotonin, a brain chemical associated with elevated moods and sexual arousal,” says Czerwony.
For a sensual dessert, Mok recommends whipping up this Chocolate Chia Pudding by Feel Good Foodie, which you can put together in just five minutes.
Chocolate Chia Pudding
Ingredients:
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Vigorously whisk the milk, chia seeds, cocoa powder, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a medium bowl or storage container, being careful to incorporate any cocoa powder sticking to the sides and bottom.
- Cover the chia pudding and refrigerate until thick and creamy, at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
- Give it a good stir and divide into two servings. Enjoy with fresh coconut whipped cream and berries, if desired.
Coffee to wake up your libido
Coffee lovers rejoice! Your beloved cup of Joe may be helping to get things going down below. Coffee has been linked to increased testosterone in men and reduced odds of prevalent erectile dysfunction, and may boost arousal in women with a reduced libido due to antidepressants. And coffee’s hefty dose of caffeine boosts heart rate and increases blood flow, says Czerwony.
“Finish the evening with a simple espresso and a piece of chocolate or an affogato as your dessert,” says Reiley. That jolt of caffeine, she adds, may also boost your energy in the bedroom.
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Oysters to shore up your hormones
Ah, yes, the old aphrodisiac standby. “If any food is ever going to prove the FDA wrong, it could be the oyster,” says Reiley. This could be due to its high quantity of zinc, a mineral with antioxidant properties said to play an important role in fertility. “Zinc has been associated with improved sexual health in men due to its role in both sperm production and hormone metabolism,” explains Mok.
Results from a study published in the World Applied Sciences Journal indicate male mice given oyster extract had increased mounting behavior — a.k.a. sexual desire, per Mok — suggesting that oysters may have aphrodisiac properties. Another study, published in the Journal of Reproduction and Infertility, suggests zinc deficiency is associated with impaired sexual function in males, as it negatively affects testosterone levels and sperm production, she says. Oysters also contain magnesium, which research has linked to increased testosterone levels in men.
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Ginger for better circulation
This is an herb that Reiley loves to incorporate into her aphrodisiac recipes. “It’s an aid to circulation, it’s been used historically for male enhancement, and there have been studies that [show] it might reduce blood pressure and therefore potentially aid in sexual function,” she says.
A 2023 study published in the Journal of Sex Research that looked at the effect of people being turned off by sexual fluids found that consuming ginger helped increase arousal in both men and women. Other research published in the journal Sexologies, found that women who took ginger four times a day had higher scores on the female sexual function index.
Try this Breakfast in Bed Triple Gingerbread recipe by chef Sondra Bernstein from Reiley’s Fork Me, Spoon Me: The Sensual Cookbook, which she recommends as a great way to start the day off on a sexy note.
Breakfast in Bed Triple Gingerbread
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons crystallized ginger, minced
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature, 1 stick
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons ginger, peeled and grated
- ½ cup buttermilk
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour an 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan. Mix the first four ingredients in a medium bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of crystallized ginger.
- Beat the butter and both sugars in a large bowl until the mixture becomes light and frothy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in fresh ginger.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed butter and egg mixture, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
- Transfer batter to the waiting pan. Sprinkle remaining 3 tablespoons crystallized ginger over batter.
- Bake until a toothpick, gently inserted into the cake’s warm center, comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
- Turn out onto a rack and cool completely. Serve slices with vanilla yogurt and a bowl of strawberries.
Watermelon, ‘Nature’s Viagra’
“Watermelon contains powerful antioxidants like lycopene, and several phytochemicals including phenols and flavonoids, which could be responsible for its therapeutic role in reproductive health,” says Mok.
One recent study from the journal JBRA Assisted Reproduction found that the antioxidant properties of watermelon may improve sperm quality, male sexual dysfunction and testicle function.
