Life
5 Foods to Help You Find Your Lost Sex Drive
If your libido went missing sometime around the first polar vortex (hey, we don't blame you), it's time to bring sexy back. And while partner sex toys can certainly get you in the mood, the easiest way to crank up sex drive may be to fill your plate with the right foods. "Nutrition is very important to our body’s biochemical balance and our sexual health," says Cammi Balleck, Ph.D. and author of Happy, The New Sexy . "By feeding our body certain nutrients, we can balance our hormones and improve libido." Stock up on her top five sex drive-boosting foods to get bring some heat back to your bedroom. Or bathtub, a la Beyonce...
WHITE FISH
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Load up on pollock, grouper, cod and halibut. "All are all very high in potassium, a mineral that facilitates movement, muscle contractions and keep our heart beating strong. It also contains omega-3s, fats that are essential to balancing hormones, including the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone," says Balleck.
DARK LEAFY GREENS
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Just another reason to join the kale club. "We usually don’t put greens and passion in the same sentence, but leafy greens are a great food to help women’s sexual health and libido thanks to the abundance of nutrients they contain, especially calcium, folic acid and magnesium. These minerals and antioxidants inhibit the introduction of potentially libido-reducing contaminants into your system. Greens also boost histamine production, which is necessary for the ability to reach orgasms," says Balleck. If kale's bitterness makes your taste buds sad, spinach, chard, or collard greens will do the trick, too.
STRAWBERRIES
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Berries are known to be one of the top antioxidant-rich foods, but these potent fruits can also mean more time between the sheets. "They are complex in nutrients that support and encourage our libido hormones, thereby improving sexual health," says Balleck.
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These nuts are high in vitamin E, an important nutrient for proper blood flow. "A lot of our libido comes from good circulation. Pistachios have arginine, a compound that can be converted to nitric oxide in the body, which can help open up some blood vessels. Also it helps decrease blood thickness, which means an improvement in blood flow. When there is blood flow there is libido! If you are low in vitamin E, you will have slow circulation and/or a weak immune system. Being low can also cause us to have less energy and a poorer physical performance," says Balleck.
Try: Wonderful Roasted and Salted Pistachios, $9, Amazon
WATERMELON
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Turns out this melon is more than just a summer staple. Research from Texas A&M Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center found that certain watermelon has phytonutrients that relax blood vessels (much like Viagra), thereby boosting circulation and possibly increasing libido.
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