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Food to Increase Libido and Make a Baby
For many couples, making a baby requires a lot of sex and therefore a lot of energy. After a long, hard day of work, you or your partner may feel depleted and may rather just relax on the couch. If dinner makes you feel heavy and makes bedtime come early, maybe you’re eating the wrong foods. It’s time to make meals sexy and choose foods that get you in the mood.
The foods below are packed full of nutrients that can help you get in the mood and some may even increase fertility.
Foods to Increase Libido
Watermelon
Not only is watermelon a light food, but it can also help treat erectile dysfunction and act as a natural Viagra. According to researchers, the fruit is high in an amino acid that relaxes and dilates blood vessels.
Dr. Bhumy Patil, director of Texas A&M’s Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center says, “Watermelon may not be as organ specific as Viagra, but it’s a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side-effects.”
Another added benefit of watermelon is that it’s high in lycopene, an antioxidant found in some red fruits and vegetables. Studies have shown that lycopene can increase sperm count up to 70%, which is great for helping you make a baby.
Instead of just eating plain watermelon, you can use it to create some fancy dishes. How about a watermelon Greek salad as an appetizer or homemade watermelon sorbet as a dessert?
Oysters
When the word “aphrodisiac” first comes to mind, you probably picture oysters. Oysters were first thought to increase sexual arousal because they’re shaped like female genitalia. In reality, research does not conclude that it’s an actual aphrodisiac, as most people think. However, the seafood does contain certain minerals and nutrients that could possibly aid you in bed. For example, its high level of zinc could increase testosterone production and therefore increase sex drive. If low dopamine levels cause you or your partner’s low libido, oysters may be helpful since they contain tyrosine, which helps in dopamine production.
If you’re up to experiment and see if oysters have an aphrodisiac effect on you, you could prepare some rockin’ oysters Rockefeller or an elegant oyster soup.
Pomegranate Juice
A 2007 study in the International Journal of Impotence Research found that pomegranate juice improves erectile dysfunction. While pomegranate juice is more expensive than many other juices, it is available in most convenience or grocery stores (the most popular brand being POM). Pomegranate juice is also an antioxidant.
If you’re not big on pomegranate juice, you can always spice things up by making a fun mocktail centered around the juice. For example, you could make your partner a pomegranate orange juice mocktail or a pomegranate mojito mocktail.
Almonds
Almonds can boost your sex life in a variety of ways. Firstly, almonds are a great source of essential fatty acids, which helps in the production of male hormones and can affect his sex drive. The smell of almonds is also said to arouse passion in women.
Almonds are also especially good for baby making since they could help boost your fertility. One study suggested that foods high in vitamin E, like almonds, could help maintain healthy sperm. Almonds are also high in zinc, another nutrient helpful for the reproductive system.
Before serving a meal, you and your partner can snack on some plain almonds. You can also use them to create an extravagant dinner. As an appetizer, you can have a fresh green salad sprinkled with almonds. You can also add almonds to some of your favourite desserts or use it as a dessert topping.
Avocados
Avocados are another food that people have referred to as an aphrodisiac. It’s said that the Aztecs called avocado trees “testicle trees,” which may have contributed to the belief that they can raise libido.
While avocados may not directly affect your libido, the food can affect other parts of your body, which may in turn have an affect on your sex drive. For example, if you’re too tired after work to make a baby, then incorporating avocados into your diet could be helpful. Avocados contain vitamin B6, which may boost your energy and sex drive.
Avocados are also a great source of folic acid, in fact; they contain more of it than any other fruit. According to one study, women who took folic acid regularly had a 40% less chance of experiencing egg production problems. In addition, taking the supplement one month or more before conception can reduce the risk of neural-tube defects.
Of course, you may get these affects if you and your partner slice and eat a plain avocado. However, you can also add it to sandwiches, wraps or salads. You and your partner can make and enjoy tortilla chips and guacamole dip as an appetizer as well.
Strawberries
Strawberries and champagne or chocolate covered strawberries are popular before-sex snacks. However you pair them, you can’t deny it’s a sexy food. Zinc, which helps improve testosterone levels, is found in high amounts in strawberries. It’s also said that a woman’s body can prepare for sex quicker if her zinc levels are high.
Not only are they beneficial for sex, but they can also help you conceive. Fruits high in antioxidants can help your partner boost his sperm count and prevent sperm damage.
Besides the obvious ways to eat and pair strawberries, you can also use it as part of a yummy dinner. You can make a lovely California strawberry salad as an appetizer or create a simple fruit salad for a light and healthy dessert.
Chocolate
Chocolate is known to be a natural libido booster. According to a 2004 study, women who ate chocolate regularly enjoyed and wanted sex more.
In addition to helping boost libido, chocolate can also help you in the baby making area. Chocolate can increase serotonin and dopamine, which lowers stress levels. Research has found that women with high levels of a stress hormone stop ovulating, making them unable to conceive. So if you’re stressed, maybe a little bit of chocolate won’t be a bad thing!
However, it’s important to keep in mind that many chocolate bars don’t contain a lot of actual cocoa; they contain sugar and artificial flavours instead. If you want to eat a chocolate bar for libido-boosting reasons, make sure you purchase a dark chocolate bar that states it’s around 80% cocoa. You can also make your own healthy dark chocolate or chocolate dip (maybe to dip in strawberries!).
Foods to Avoid
Alcohol
It may seem like alcohol will be helpful to “loosen” you both up and make you feel relaxed, but it can have many negative effects when it comes to sex. Too much alcohol can decrease sexual desire and sensitivity. Not only that, but you should try to cut out alcohol as much as you can while you’re trying to conceive. A 1998 study found that a woman’s alcohol intake decreased their chances of getting pregnant. Excessive alcohol intake can also lower a man’s testosterone levels and affect the quality of sperm.
Fried Food
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that fried food isn’t good for libido. There’s nothing sexy about fried food or eating fast food take out. The trans-fat found in fried food can dramatically decrease the male and female libido.
In addition, fried foods can be hurtful when trying to conceive. Trans-fat contributes to obesity, which can hinder fertility in both men and women.
Beans
Don’t get us wrong, beans are a super healthy food to eat almost any day! But when it comes to sex, you may want to avoid beans directly before you have sex. Since they are known to make people gassy, they could work as an anti-aphrodisiac and could make you or your partner feel uncomfortable while baby making.
Refined Carbs
It’s well known that refined carbs can have many negative health effects and the way it affects libido is no different. For starters, refined carbs can make some people feel tired or bloated, making their sexual desires plummet after eating.
Sugars from refined carbs can cause weight gain in both men and women, which can cause conception problems if a partner becomes overweight. Furthermore, the sugars may raise estrogen levels and deplete testosterone in men. It’s best to limit your consumption of pastas, cereals, cookies and breads.
The Ultimate Menu
While adding libido-boosting foods to your diet every day will be helpful, you can combine the foods into a dinner in preparation for after-dinner sex. Instead of the usual restaurant date, stay in and cook a lovely 3-course dinner with your partner. Not only will cooking together be an opportunity to bond and build up the sexual tension, but you can also pack your meal full of helpful foods.
Baby Doppler’s Ultimate Libido-Boosting, Baby-Making Dinner Menu
Appetizer
California Strawberry Salad (replace walnuts with almonds for an extra boost)
Main Course
Dessert
Drinks
Pomegranate Mojito Mocktails
Have you noticed these foods increasing you or your partner’s libido? If you have, comment below and tell us what foods get you in the baby-making mood. If you found this post helpful, share it with other friends who are trying to conceive.
References:
http://www.webmd.com/erectile-dysfunction/news/20080701/watermelon-a-natural-viagra
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630165707.htm
http://healthland.time.com/2011/02/14/do-they-work-5-popular-aphrodisiacs/photo/oysters/
http://www.charlesglassmanmd.com/8-foods-that-get-you-in-the-mood/blog-5/
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/mangos-and-almonds-can-improve-male-fertility-2317275.html
http://www.womansday.com/relationships/sex-tips/advice/a893/9-real-or-fake-edible-aphrodisiacs-84326/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-412334/Folic-acid-helps-fertility-women.html
http://www.babycenter.com/404_how-much-folic-acid-should-i-take-while-trying-to-get-pregna_2232.bc
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-304056/Strawberries-spice-sex-life.html
http://www.medicaldaily.com/what-not-eat-5-everyday-foods-can-kill-your-sex-drive-289776
http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/what-eat-boost-your-sex-drive-and-hers/slide/4
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