Aphrodisiacs? I’ll Have What She Is Having!

If you’ve watched the Katz’s Delicatessen scene in the movie “When Harry Met Sally,” you can’t help but ardently admire Meg Ryan’s acting ability as Sally.

Sally-faking-orgasm

Do Women Fake Orgasms? (or is it something she ate?)

She is sitting at a deli table with ‘Harry’ (Billy Crystal) and proceeds to fake an orgasm right there in the restaurant to prove a point to Harry that women can and do indeed, with great gusto and authenticity, really fake orgasms from time to time. 

The middle-aged woman sitting across from her table watches with great fascination as Sally enacts this sexual scenario with great abandon and noisy, breathless exclamations.

When the waitress reaches the other woman’s table with an order pad, the gray-haired lady quickly exclaims, pointing in Sally’s direction, “I’ll have what she’s having!”

This customer undoubtedly made an unquestioning conclusion that there was a connection between something Sally ate and the spontaneous occurrence of what from all appearances certainly seemed to be a genuine and well above-average orgasm!

If such a menu item or diet was actually in existence in the real world today, no doubt, every woman would be saying, “I’ll have what she’s having!”

Aphrodisiacs – Are They Real?

Well, while we may have enjoyed that movie scene, we know that there is no specified diet or food which magically increases sexual desire and sensitivity to the point of spontaneous orgasm (although I have read an article where a woman claimed that)!

However, from ancient times until now, many cultures have touted certain foods purported to enhance sexuality. Many of these aphrodisiacs were rooted in superstition, and when modern human beings use them today they produce little or no effect. However, there are some foods which the ancient peoples cultivated and ate which are still in existence today, and do indeed seem to have a libido-enhancing effect.

While ancient peoples often did not know the scientific reasons behind the aphrodisiac properties of the food, scientists today are able to break down the chemical composition of the food and make a scientific connection between certain chemical components and a rise in sexual desire or potency.

Science Now Tells Us Which Foods May Positively Affect Libido

Foods that tend to produce a libido-enhancing effect usually contain compounds that improve one of three things:

  • blood flow
  • brain or nerve circuit function, or
  • hormonal balance

Natural libido enhancer! Mighty Maca® Plus Check it out!

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS RULE

Happy couple on a beach

Omega-3’s are also a precursor of prostaglandins , hormone-like substances that play a large role in sexual health. Walnuts and almonds are another major source of essential fatty acids. Almonds in particular are vital to the production of male hormones (which are present in both males and females) and help to regulate sex drive.Fish and seafood are one of the main dietary components in the “great sex diet,” mainly because of their higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids, essential for cellular diffusion and brain and nerve cell health.

FOODS CONTAINING THE AMINO ACID ARGININE

Other foods aid in sexual function by enhancing blood flow because they contain arginine , an amino acid the body uses to synthesize nitric oxide within the endothelium (lining) of the blood vessels. Nitric oxide causes blood vessels to expand, increasing blood flow and inducing engorgement of the sex organs to facilitate intercourse.

Some foods in which arginine occurs naturally are granola, oatmeal, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, dairy, green vegetables, root vegetables, garlic, ginseng, soybeans, chickpeas and seeds.

ANTI-OXIDANT FOODS

Foods containing anti-oxidants are also important for sexual health and stamina, as anti-oxidants neutralize free radicals, harmful molecules produced in a process called oxidation. Some common anti-oxidant fruits and vegetables are tomatoes, red peppers, garlic, and spinach.

OTHER “GET IN THE MOOD” FOODS:

Avocado

Zinc: pumpkin seeds is an easy source, testosterone aid
Goji Berries: increases testosterone, improves mood and well-being, increases stamina
Celery: bumps up androsterone, an odor-less aphrodisiac in male perspiration
Avocado: high in folic acid and vitamin B6, increases libido – and doesn’t it look sexy?
Garlic: improves blood flow to the sexual organs

And then there is maca…

Maca – It Truly Is “Mighty!”

Last but not least, a tuber root vegetable grown for centuries in Peru, called maca root contains a combination of starches, amino acids, minerals, fatty acids, and vitamins which is nature’s perfect formulation for balancing hormones.

It works better for menopausal women than HRT, since rather than supplying hormones for the body, it works on the pituitary and hypothalamus glands and stimulates them to make endogenous hormones in the appropriate amounts within the body itself. It is actually consumed as a food in Peru, and I designed my energy and hormone balancing Mighty Maca® Plus drink with Maca as one of the main 30+ superfood ingredients it contains. Check that out, lots of testimonials at that link! Women – and men – who use it swear by it for increasing energy as well as helping promote a healthier libido.

I’ll Have What She’s Having!

While we don’t know what Sally was eating in the aforementioned movie other than a deli sandwich and a piece of pie, if her diet included any foods with omega-3’s, arginine, vitamin E, soy, or even Maca, well, then, I’ll have what she’s having!

And one final note…libido and sexual health are not just about food…!!!

I know that YOU also understand that sexual health and the attraction/desire you feel for your partner isn’t just about food. There are many other important elements to having a good relationship, true intimacy and sexual satisfaction, including the importance of your having good physical health.

If you are a woman and are suffering from hormone imbalance, you are likely suffering from symptoms which make sex less appealing. You may have pain during intercourse, or dryness…incontinence or other embarrassing and quality of life affecting problems.

All of these different components need to be addressed. I’d love for you to watch this free webinar to learn more about how to improve your ability to connect with your partner (or if you don’t have a partner, how to resolve hormone imbalance and other symptoms that affect YOU each day, like vaginal dryness and irritation).

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Dr. Anna Cabeca

Dr. Anna Cabeca

Certified OB/GYN, Anti-Aging and Integrative Medicine expert and founder of The Girlfriend Doctor. During Dr. Anna’s health journey, she turned to research to create products to help thousands of women through menopause, hormones, and sexual health. She is the author of best-selling The Hormone Fix, and Keto-Green 16 and MenuPause.

Learn more about my scientific advisory board.