Sex Diet: A Guidebook to a Healthy Libido

By Aleksanra Orlova

Sex Diet is a new take on nutrition and healthy eating. Stress, fatigue, tiredness, and low sexual energy are all symptoms of twenty-first-century life. Sex Diet can help! The author of Midnight Moscow now takes us into the world of food, sensuality, libido, and nutrition. With explanations, recipes, and more, we explore the relationship between healthy food and sexuality. Each chapter includes a thorough analysis of the vitamin and nutritional value of the foods, recipes for their preparation, and their libidinal effects. You get over 100 aphrodisiac recipes, ideas for vegetarian meals and sexy memorable dishes. The book also explores the connections among libido, exercise, attitude, and good sleep. Sex Diet provides ideas for kinky sex games and explains why holistic approach is better than synthetic drugs for libido boost. The research shows how lifestyle changes can help develop a healthy body and spirit, a strong relationship with ones partner, and an exciting sex life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477265185

Aleksanra Orlova

Aleksandra Orlova is a resident of Moscow who travels extensively around the world. The author has a successful career in business, is actively involved in charity work, admires classics and art, and is very familiar with the ‘new’ Russia. Orlova is a PhD student, a connoisseur of wines and foods, and the author of the erotic novel, Midnight Moscow (2008), and a book of poetry, Sunrise for the Soul (2006).

Book preview

Table of Contents

1 Aphrodisiacs and Sexuality

2 Holistic Philosophy

3 Sexy Diet

4 Essential Vitamins and Minerals for Sexual Health

5 Top Twenty Foods for Boosting Libido

Other Aphrodisiacs

6 Yin and Yang Nutrition

7 The Importance of All Meals

9 Going Organic or Staying Conventional

10 Good-Quality Sleep

10 Sexercising

11 Positive Attitude

12 Spicing Up Sex Life Without Spices

About the Author

Chapter 1

Aphrodisiacs and Sexuality

A LOW LIBIDO IS a common syndrome in twenty-first-century society. Many men and women who juggle busy work schedules and family lives often experience issues with healthy intimacy. Lack of sexual desire and difficulty maintaining arousal or achieving orgasm have become epidemic in our modern society. A global survey called ‘Sexual Wellbeing’, sponsored by Durex in 2011, found that people don’t have enough sex in the United States and UK, and Japan had one of the lowest ratings of intimacy. ¹

A study published in 2008 by Obstetrics and Gynaecology magazine shows that 43 percent of women from thirty-one thousand interviewed in the United States suffer from low libido. Other research statistics² show that one-third of women, regardless of age, may experience loss of libido. Decreased sexual desire in men is more common than people think, because ‘macho libido overdrive’ is nothing but a stereotype. Some reports say³ that one of every five men has problems with sex drive, and one of every ten men has some kind of sexual dysfunction. Research performed by the University of Chicago and the Robert Johnson Medical School found that more than 30 percent of men and 40 percent of women in United States experience issues in their sex life. Loss of sexual desire can happen to males or females, usually for the same type of reasons, as we will explore below.

There are many natural libido boosters that can improve the sex life of sexually deprived people. Physical activity, good-quality rest, a positive attitude, and certain foods can enhance sexual desire. Food and sexuality have been linked in various ways throughout history, as recorded in art and literature. What is sexuality, and how is it related to food? Famous psychiatrist Sigmund Freud believed that sexuality is the most important motivator in life. According to fellow psychiatrist Carl Jung, sexuality or libido is identified as psychic energy: ‘It is the energy that manifests itself in the life process and is perceived subjectively as striving and desire’.

Human sexuality is a complex combination of sexual behaviours and the capacity to experience intimacy, erotic response, and sexual attractiveness. Libido can be described as an individual’s desire for sexual intimacy. There is no standard measure of what is a ‘normal’ level of libido, as everybody is different, and sexual needs and preferences vary widely. There are a few basic elements that can help determine a person’s sexuality. Biological, psychological, and social factors play a role in shaping a person’s desire for sex.

The biological side includes diet, nutrition, medication, physical activity, and levels of hormones which regulate sexual functions. Psychological components include personality, attitude, and stress management. Social factors come from family background, culture, traditions, and religious beliefs. All these elements are crucial in shaping human sexual behaviour, because depression, hormonal imbalance, low testosterone, and prescription medication can also contribute to decreased libido. Lack of intimacy and sexual contact can negatively impact a relationship, because libido is an important ingredient in the formation of the intimate bond. Sexual desire is equally important for men and women, as it is one of the fundamentals of the couple’s partnership. Low libido or loss of sexual desire can bring tensions and problems, as the bond between partners could become vulnerable.

Sex connects people in body and spirit. Without an intimate connection, one or both partners could start looking for sexual substitutes such as overindulgence in food or alcohol or spending time apart. If one partner has a higher sex drive than the other, the lack of sexual activity could become an obstacle in the overall relationship, resulting in fights and resistance which could cause a couple to drift apart. Besides the relationship-building aspect, sex is good for overall health, as it has many benefits for the body and soul. Sexual activity helps to maintain cardiovascular health; it acts as a stress reliever; it burns calories, improves cognition, and strengthens the immune system. During sex, and particularly during orgasm, the human brain releases certain hormones and chemicals that improve physiological and psychological health. Phenethylamine, endorphin, and oxytocin are known as ‘love hormones’ or ‘happy’ chemicals, which increase self-esteem, help the individual to relax, and build a bond and trust with a partner. It’s important to maintain a healthy sex drive to keep the relationship and physical health in good shape, and there are a few natural ways to increase libido levels. Food is one of them.

Food is an essential part of well-being; it’s the source of nutrition and energy which gives us physical stamina and mental strength. The human body is a complex machine that requires the right combination of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to work efficiently. Food is our fuel, and our health depends on what kind of fuel we use. That’s why the saying, ‘we are what we eat’ became a popular manifesto. It’s common sense: if you consume unhealthy foods on a regular basis, sooner or later you will start experiencing health problems, resulting in obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other issues.

But food is not just fuel for the body; it also plays an important role in medicine, social and spiritual life, and culinary art. Many herbs, nuts, and fruits have been used for medical purposes and in religious ceremonies for thousands of years. Other foods, known as aphrodisiacs, are shown to increase libido, due to their compounds and chemical composition. In this book, I explore the relationship between healthy, tasty foods and sexual desire. There is a lot of wisdom in the ancient Chinese proverb, ‘A man that takes medicine and neglects diet wastes the skills of the physician’.

There are many connections between libido and our lifestyle choices. Poor self-discipline and dietary ignorance can damage both health and sex life. Our health is in our hands, and it’s not too difficult to stay in shape and boost libido naturally, by following a few simple rules: healthy nutrition, exercise, stress management, and proper rest. However, for some people, those simple rules seem to be challenging, due to a sedentary lifestyle, laziness, and addiction to junk foods.

People wonder why they lose their libido and what causes it to decline. Stress, fatigue, and low sexual energy are all commonplace in modern times. People with hectic work schedules, busy travel itineraries, and demanding home routines face difficulties in trying to maintain a sustainable sex drive, due to exhaustion and stress. The fast pace of modern life and lack of quality time spent with a partner leaves no room for sex or romance. Potency and libido have a direct link to our lifestyle. Today, people are eating on the go, and as a result, junk food has overtaken salads and fruits as the meal of choice. Unhealthy eating can cause metabolic dysfunction and obesity; it also increases the chances of developing diabetes. Being very underweight or overweight can cause a low libido due to disruptions of hormonal balance.

The availability of sleeping pills, painkillers, and anxiety medications has replaced certain natural remedies, and many of these drugs have side effects like drowsiness, lethargy, fatigue, and confusion, all of which can decrease sexual desire. Physical inactivity due to long office hours and a sedentary lifestyle can put health at risk as well. Medical studies⁴ show that this so-called ‘sitting disease’ may raise the risk of developing heart problems, diabetes, cancer, and lead to obesity. It also impacts posture and certain muscles and can result in lower-back pain. Bad diet, medication, and physical inactivity increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and low metabolism. Obesity can lead to psychological problems, such as low self-esteem and decreased levels of confidence, which also has an impact on sexual behaviour.

Libido is also directly linked to levels of sex hormones. Reduced sex drive occurs in people with low levels of testosterone, which can be boosted through certain nutrients without drugs. For example, intake of beef, oysters, beans, broccoli and garlic can boost the testosterone production. Lack of zinc can cause infertility and impotence; it’s also proven that caffeine in coffee and tea is a libido killer⁵. Issues with health have a direct link to issues with sex. It’s never too late to start eating healthily; there are always a few minutes in a day for exercise, and there are natural ways to control stress levels. This book will explain how a libido-boosting diet and certain foods can help to increase sex drive and improve sexual performance.

George Bernard Shaw once said, ‘There is no love sincerer than the love of food’. Love for food and food for love come from ancient times. There have been foods that were believed to increase sexual power and desire. Food historians say that the ancient Greeks loved foods which gave hope and promise to improve sexual performance and prolong pleasure. Foods which were known to have aphrodisiac effects were spoken of in mythology. The word aphrodisiac comes from the Greek goddess Aphrodite, who was the goddess of love. The ancient list of ‘sexy foods’ included anise, basil, carrot, salvia, pistachio nuts, and fennel. Hippocrates, Greek philosopher and man of medicine, who lived in Greece between 460 and 380 BCE, is known for his recommendations to eat certain foods to maintain sexual stamina. He suggested that lentils and honey could keep a man energetic and virile at any age. He believed that a traditional Greek soup made from beans could keep libido levels up, and artichokes could ensure the birth of males. In one of his medical works, he wrote, ‘Let food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be thy food’.

Food and sexual prowess have been linked for thousands of years. Chinese emperor Huang-Ti wrote Handbooks of Sex five thousand years ago, in which he claims that ‘spice and food are active sexual stimulants’. You can even track down the connection between sex and food in the Old Testament. ‘I’ve perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning’, says King Solomon in one of the Scriptures⁶. English herbalist Nicholas Culpepper discovered in the seventeenth century that asparagus ‘increases lust in man and woman’. An interesting article from Forbes shows that: ‘For as long as humans have been having sex, they’ve been struggling to get in the mood. In ancient India, a young man who proved passionless in the sack might have tried goat testicles boiled in milk. The Roman satirist Juvenal was the first to note the seductive qualities of oysters. In ‘The Arabian Nights,’ coriander was a quick fix for a merchant who’d gone childless for 40 years’.⁷

European folklore suggests that in the nineteenth century, French men were served asparagus before their wedding, as it was known to ensure sexual endurance. Asparagus is full of potassium, fibre, and vitamins A, B-complex, and C. This magic combination of vitamins and minerals produces histamine, which helps to reach orgasm in both genders. Certain vegetables, fruits, herbs, and nuts have been used in ancient times in medicine, religious rituals, and esoteric practices, often symbolising the sexual power of these foods. Old wisdom proves that there are foods and drinks that make sex more attainable, lasting, and pleasurable. For example, honey is considered an aphrodisiac because it has a ‘love’ ingredient called boron, a trace mineral that supports the body’s production and metabolism of oestrogen. Oestrogen is a female sex hormone which helps to avoid vaginal dryness and tightening, and it plays a big role in keeping libido up. Boron also enhances testosterone levels, and this hormone is necessary for sex drive and orgasm.

Food and sex are things that many people find most enjoyable on a basic level. The silky texture of melted chocolate and slices of exotic fruits can spice up both a dinner date and an erotic imagination. Some foods are considered aphrodisiacs because of their shape, some for their smell, and some for their ‘magical’ composite of vitamins and minerals. Food items also conjure up symbolism; many people equate the apple as ‘forbidden fruit’, while the cherry represents virginity. The ancient Aztec name for avocado was ‘testicle’, because of the fruit’s shape. It’s easy to imagine why certain foods could remind people of sexual body parts; for example, bananas and carrots have a strong phallic resemblance. Some foods have a smell which could be sexually arousing. It’s been found that pumpkin pie can increase lust in men, and chocolate can stir up desire in women. Some foods can be described erotic or sensual because of their consistency and sweet taste. Whipped cream and strawberries are often used in intimate games. A variety of sexual and erotic games with food have enhanced the concept that food is sexy. The scene from the movie 9½ Weeks, in which John feeds Elizabeth various foods while her eyes are closed is sexually intense. John uses milk, honey, and red chilli pepper to seduce Elizabeth.

Over the centuries, people have searched for foods which can put them in the right mood for sex. But the right mood is often not enough; people want to experience long-lasting orgasms. Men would like to avoid problems with erection; women want to be attractive to their partners and confident in their performance. There’s more and more evidence⁸ available that certain vitamins and components in foods can enhance erection and improve sexual endurance. Different foods have been found to have different nutrients and substances that affect the body physiologically in many different ways. Some vitamins help to protect the immune system, some increase blood flow, and others help to release ‘happy’ hormones. Spicy foods like chilli peppers get the heart pumping and blood flowing. Carrots have a chemical substance that helps to lift the spirits and raise self-confidence, and tomatoes have a reputation as a sexual stimulant because of their antioxidant effect.

There is a simple explanation why certain foods directly enhance libido. It comes from eating a well-balanced diet, which improves physical and mental health. The right nutrition can increase libido because a healthy body is sexually attractive and ‘body-delicious’. Famous Russian writer Anton Chekhov wrote in one of his novels: ‘People should be beautiful in every way, in their faces, in the way they dress, in their thoughts, and in their innermost selves’. He proves that beauty comes from a healthy glow, and this book explores many natural ways to stay beautiful and have positive thoughts. Sex Diet is not only about food and aphrodisiac recipes. It also analyses holistic approach and the connection between libido, exercise, attitude, and good sleep, to show how all of this can become a bridge to a healthy body and spirit, a strong relationship with your partner, and an exciting sex life.

Chapter 2

Holistic