For those of you who know me well, I have a lust for life, luxury, and food. I take pleasure seriously. In true Taurean fashion {our senses are more heightened than others}, some of my favorite foods just happen to be aphrodisiacs. How apropos is this post now that we are in the month of February! Inspired partly by a friend who confided in me that her sex drive was low, take a gander of several of my favorite aphrodisiacs for a pick me up for your libido! {Guys too!}
1. Oysters have to be on the top of my list simply because I can't get enough of them! Cliche but true.It's my love drug. Living in Paris, I'm surrounded by beautifully adorned oyster platters at every corner. I learned from Gregory last summer that oysters contain a high amount of Zinc, which boosts sex drive. And all that slurping makes for good foreplay. ;)
2. Ice cream. You see the picture above? I treat myself to this as a midnight snack {I love how places are open until 3 am in Paris!}. Or I get a "sinful" banana split. It contains even more aphrodisiacs - banana, chocolate sauce, ice cream and WHIPPED CREAM! It's a win-win situation if you ask me.
3. Avocado. I mean, it's a pretty damn sexy fruit as it is. The smooth, oily textured avocado, consuming it regularly gives you a nice dosage of Vitamin E and all the healthy fat you need. Sounds good to me!
4. Honey. It's no coincidence we call our significant others "honey." Upping the estrogen and testosterone in both women and men, the sticky and gluttonous honey definitely does a sweet job.
5. Red Wine. Besides being the ultimate relaxant, red wine contains an antioxidant that helps blood flow and circulation. Perfect! Also, is it true that drinking red wine before bed helps you lose weight?
6. Watermelon. Well that make sense after all those countless watermelon martinis last month ;) Watermelons contain citrulline, which ups our nitric oxide which equals sped up blood circulation. You can put two and two together...
Mangoes are another favorite. They contain compounds that essentially mimic estrogen. I lived on mangoes growing up, as it is the national fruit of the Philippines.
7. Sardines. I ate sardines religiously growing up in the Philippines {because my grandma is an amazing cook!}. Not so much now but when I do, it's heaven in my mouth. Basically, sardines increase the dopamine level in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical in your brain that affects your emotions and sensations of pleasure. Salmon counts as well, for all my salmon lovers out there!
8. Garlic. Did you know French people eat raw garlic whole? As of last December, I do too! Garlic contains allicin which is supposed to increase blood flow to our sexual organs and ultimately supports the circulatory system. Good stuff all around.
9. If you've ever shared a sushi dinner with me, I am NOTORIOUS for asking for extra ginger. And when I say extra, I mean business. Ginger increases blood flow and regulates our body's temperature.
10. Fun fact: Arugula was almost known as the "Fertility God" amongst Ancient Romans. It's packed with vitamins and minerals conducive to up the randiness factor ;) I do love my arugula salads.
There's a wealth of aphrodisiacs out there and the list continues to grow as we speak. Tell me what turns you on, in and outside the bedroom. What gets your blood flowin'? Any super odd ones that I haven't had time to include above? I haven't even covered the exotic ones!
Don't forget to celebrate the aphrodisiacs not only this month but everyday. If there's chocolate involved, well that's just the cherry on top!
Happy February, lovebirds!
Love,
Cherie
Cherie
