When people find out I write a blog on mindset and nutrition they often offer me suggestions on topics to write about that they’d like to learn more about. I take on board each of these suggestions because I love and appreciate them all. I then add them to my enormous list of interesting nutrition and mindset topics I plan to write about and what usually happens next is that I go off and write about something completely different. More often than not I never actually get around to answering their question!
This is not because they are unimportant topics or even because I don’t want to write about them because I do but rarely do I even know what it is I am about to write about until the moment I sit down pen in hand or laptop before me. This week is different.
This week I am staying on track and answering one of the most common blog requests I get “what foods help with enhancing sex, libido and ability?”
Which is fantastic because sex happens to be one of my favourite topics and without question what we eat and what we put into our mind either supports a fantastic sex life, or not.
As much as I love helping people get out of the fear, depression and shame that can sometimes dominate our lives especially if we’ve lived with a mental health “problem” for a while I am even more passionate about making life more wonderful and not just less horrible.
And sex comes firmly in the “more wonderful” boat of life.
For anyone who’s been following me for awhile you’ll know I’ve written a blog post on libido boosting foods quite a few months ago now and if you’ve not read it I highly, highly suggest you also check it out if this is an area that’s interesting to you.
There’s a load of value and practical information packed into that one Sexy Food: Top 8 Foods for Mind Blowing Sex of which I won’t be going over in this post.
This post is an expansion and whole new exploration of how you can use nutrition starting today to enhance your sexual enthusiasm, ability and enjoyment.
First a few things to get out of the way before we dive into the specifics:
There is no scientifically established “norm” for sexual activity or feelings of desire.
It’s completely subjective.
Which means only you can decide what is your norm when it comes to your level of interest in sex and only you can decide if you’d like to “improve” on this or not.
If you’re experiencing low interest in sex, before you dive into diagnosing yourself with any chronic problem, please know that your reduced interest in sex cannot in every case be cured by the addition of a few foods (sorry, dietetics is magical but I’m certainly not going to promote it as a cure all).
Some of the factors which may reduce our interest in sex include stress, relationship problems, illness, depression, fatigue and medication.
All of which, despite what the drug industry may be telling you, are very normal, everyday reasons to lose interest in sex!
There are going to be times in your life, in all our lives, where sex sounds like the best thing in the world and other times where it is so far from enticing it’s almost ludicrous.
This is completely normal and as a human being you are made to experience the extremes. However, the extremes are definitely not a place to be living your life.
Which means if you find yourself with a consistently low libido it’s definitely worth taking a look at why and addressing why.
Sex and Intimacy are Some of the Greatest Joys in Life
Sex and intimacy are some of the greatest joys in life and to think you may be missing out on the delightful physical as well as mental pleasure that comes with getting as close as is possible to another human being for reasons which could easily be changed would be a monumental shame.
So, let’s have a look at the number 1 key to a fun sex life plus 5 specific but regular everyday foods (with alternatives) you can eat to take things that bit further…
The #1 Key to The Greatest Sex Life Imaginable: ENERGY!
There’s perhaps no place in life where having abundant energy is more important than when it comes to sex and intimacy with another human being.
Yes, sex is a biological function and one we are biologically wired to seek out (procreating peeps, look it up) but biology aside sex can truly be incredibly fun but it only becomes fun when we have the spare capacity and energy to make it fun!
Where do we get the energy to make sex fun? The same place we get energy for anything we do. From eating the macronutrients.
There is no other source from which we derive energy other than the good old macros, namely carbs, fats and protein.
First and foremost, before reaching for any fancy pills or potions make sure you are eating enough foods which contain all three macros over the course of a day to first meet your needs and secondly optimally fuel your giant human brain for higher functions such as play (including sex).
When you are meeting your energy needs, then and only then can you truly graduate to looking at adding in specific foods for their specific micronutrient composition because until you are meeting your energy needs the additional stuff is just a band-aid.
Ok and now onto the more nuanced sciency side of things. 5 foods you can consider adding into your daily diet because of their high concentration of 5 key nutrients shown to be important to sexual wellbeing aka that may take your sexual ability and pleasure to delicious new heights are…
- Parsley
Nutrient of Interest: Flavones
Flavones are a type of antioxidant which help give some plants their colours.
How does a colourful antioxidant help with your sex life you might be asking?
Well one of the things that flavones have been shown to do is facilitate the function of nitric oxide and nitric oxide is in part responsible for blood vessel dilation.
Healthy blood vessel dilation means more blood flow to that area and good blood flow means a stronger erection and greater sensitivity, both of which equal more pleasure.
In one study men who regularly ate foods high in flavones (fruit and vegetables) were 10% less likely to report erectile problems1.
Flavones are also found in:
black and green tea, citrus, beetroot, rosemary, sage, oregano and red wine.
2. Caviar
Nutrient of Interest: Omega-3 fats
Caviar is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats are super important to sexual wellbeing first off because sex and the enjoyment of sex starts long before any clothes come off.
In many ways our brains are our most important sexual organs.
Omega-3 fats support your optimal brain health for many reasons but in brief your brain is around 60% fat, most of which is covering your brain cells in what’s called myelin sheaths. These fatty myelin sheaths insulate your brain cells and by doing so help them to send fast and efficient messages.
Secondly omega-3 fats are great for a great sex life because it has been demonstrated in a number of studies that omega-3 fats support heart health and as I’ve already mentioned above blood flow is key to sensitive skin.
Thirdly, there is also some evidence that omega-3 fats can help with increasing levels of the hormone dopamine and lowering symptoms of depression. Pretty useful when you’re wanting to enjoy anything, including sex.
Omega-3 fats are also found in:
salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines and other cold water fish, chia seeds and flaxseeds.
3. Eggs
Nutrient of Interest: Cholesterol
Cholesterol is the foundation from which your sex hormones, including testosterone, oestrogen and progesterone are made.
Low levels of any of these hormones will mess with our libido.
Hence, it’s worth making sure your cholesterol levels are well and good.
Bear in mind that the majority of the cholesterol you need is synthesized within your body and only a small part needs to come from your diet (about 20%).
Of course, as with anything to do with nutritional science we know there are person to person variations, and this includes with how well a person can absorb or synthesize cholesterol so it’s always finding what works for you.
It would seem we do need some cholesterol in our diets for peak health and I would definitely include a phenomenal sex life within “peak health”.
Cholesterol is also found in:
All foods of animal origin including shellfish especially prawns as well as meat and dairy.
4. Asparagus
Nutrient of Interest: Folate
Folate along with Vitamin B12 helps to regulate histamine levels.
Histamine is a chemical that is released during orgasm so making sure this whole pathway is working well is likely important to experiencing maximal orgasm enjoyment.
Folate is also found in:
Nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables including spinach, grains for example wheat and quinoa, legumes and meat.
5. Meat
Nutrient of Interest: Iron
One of the top reason’s clients tell me they aren’t interested in sex is that they feel too tired.
Aside from taking on board tip #1 and ensuring you are eating enough energy throughout the day you might want to consider adding some foods which are good sources of iron into your diet.
Iron is a crucial mineral which is at the centre of each and every one of your red blood cells and given that your red blood cells are responsible for delivering oxygen to all the cells of your body and removing carbon dioxide this is a big deal.
If the cells of your body aren’t receiving enough oxygen they are not going to be energised and you’re going to feel lethargic.
Iron is also found in:
All animal products to varying degrees as well as dried apricots, nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables and legumes.
Take Home Tidbits
Great sex is one of the incredible joys of life.
At any point in time there are many reasons why sex may not be our highest priority and it’s not always solely due to what we’re eating or not eating.
If you have consistent low interest in sex, fear or shame around sex or pain during sex please see your doctor as a starting point for referral to other health professionals who can help identify and treat possible underlying physical or emotional causes. A simple nutritional change may be all you need but you also may need other assistance.
The main thing I want you to take away from this post is that enhancing your nutrition often can be a great tool to boosting your interest and passion for life and as a wonderful side effect also boost your libido, connection and enjoyment in the bedroom.
Sex is part of your life, not a separate component and as such your enjoyment of sex will very much be correlated with your enjoyment of the other areas of your life.
How much you enjoy your life is very much a factor of how well you nurture yourself, including nutrition.
We know a monumental amount of information about nutrition but compared to what this actually represents within all there is to know it is a drop in the ocean.
Therefore, eating a variety of foods is one of the best ways we know how to promote health and wellbeing, far more than focusing on one list of 5 specific foods and expecting them to change everything.
So, go get creative in the kitchen with these 5 foods plus others because there is no doubt in my mind that many other nutrients play just as vital roles to a great sex life as these 5 (for a further 8 foods with specific sex supporting nutrients plus 3 libido killers you definitely want to avoid check out Sexy Food: Top 8 Foods for Mind Blowing Sex).
The Big Picture
Eat well and take back your power to make life and sex fun again but don’t get too caught up in getting it all perfect because I never want anyone to take the magic out of sex by reducing it to a bunch of nutrients!
With my whole heart I hope you found this information useful and inspiring.
Become Great. Live Great.
Bonnie.
Reference
- Cassidy A et al. Dietary flavonoid intake and incidence of erectile dysfunction. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Epub online Jan 13, 2016.
