Temptations Open ebook - 2002

Excerpt

Introduction: The Joy of Aphrodisiacs

Ensuring the survival of our species, the quest for food and sex are the most basic human drives. The search for amatory bliss, and the hunt for substances that provide it, are as old as the dawn of civilization. Let's face it, we all want better sex lives.

Lucky for us modern Homo sapiens, we don't have to hunt and forage for aphrodisiacs. Nowadays, sexual stimulation is as close as your pantry or supermarket.

In fact, you've probably eaten aphrodisiacs today. Did you have coffee with a doughnut this morning? A bowl of minestrone with garlic bread for lunch? Perhaps you snacked on a handful of nuts during work or ate chocolate for dessert.

Congratulations, you've consumed aphrodisiacs! See, wasn't that easy? Think of all the fun you could have bad if you only knew.

Consider Temptations your personal aphrodisiac owner's manual: a culinary road map to romance, love, and lust.

In Temptations we'll tell you exactly what foods can turn you and your lover on and bow to shift your libido into high gear; and we'll give you ways to revitalize your body with foods that will make you fit for life -- especially your sex life.

We'll show you bow to identify aphrodisiacs that are scientifically proven and guide you in creating delicious aphrodisiac-laced meals quickly, simply, and easily, so that you have plenty of time and energy for dessert. (Dessert is you!) We have also included foods that are historically purported to enhance sexual performance but have not yet been put through rigorous scientific evaluation. Of course we have put them through our own rigorous and energetic evaluation process.

Hey, someone has to do it.

Cooking and eating are like making love. The same senses -- smell, sight, taste, hearing, and touch -- play key roles in the kitchen and in passion play. Just by cooking a good meal, you are engaging in an erotic act. And unlike shopping in a sex boutique, which can be embarrassing ("Do you have those edible undies in a size 18?") no one needs to know exactly what your plans are for those pine nuts or oysters. What's more, aphrodisiacs and sex are actually good for you. We will reveal the superior nutrients in aphrodisiacs that ward off heart disease, cancer, PMS, and a wide variety of other ailments. Lovemaking itself is a form of healing that is promoted by everyone from Marvin Gaye to heart doc Dean Ornish. Many scientific studies have shown that sex enhances and heals relationships while promoting wellness. New research by Drs. Francis X. Brennan, Jr., and Carl J. Charnetski of Wilkes University suggests that a moderate amount of sexual activity strengthens the body's immune system and fights colds, flu, and other diseases. So it stands to reason that anything that promotes lovemaking can have beneficial effects on your well-being.

Now it's official: Aphrodisiacs are good for your health, too!

From the Dawn of Time to Today

Aphrodisiacs have been part of human existence and the human diet since the beginning of recorded time. African hunters devoured raw lion organs. The Romans preferred wild wolf penis and crocodile semen, and the Egyptians, poisonous serpents. To assure virility on their wedding night, Prussian bridegrooms ate the testicles of wild goat, boar, or bear. Today, tiger penis and rhino horn are still sought-after aphrodisiacs in China. The greatest lovers and most passionate writers throughout history -- from Aristotle and Pliny to Shakespeare and Casanova -- have seized the power of aphrodisiacs. Leave it to the Bard, who warned in Macbeth that alcohol "provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance," to write the perfect example of how aphrodisiacs, if used properly, can enhance pleasure or, used improperly, can fall flat.

It's no coincidence that in modern America, where home-cooked meals are an afterthought, we have one of the highest divorce rates (about 50 percent) of any developed country. In France, the divorce rate is noticeably lower than America's, romance is a way of life, aphrodisiacs grace the plate, and bad food is taboo. Are you starting to see a connection here? Every meal is an occasion to celebrate sensuality and toast love, romance, family, and life. Good food served on a bed of romance leads to a happy, healthy, long, loving, sexually satisfying life.

From Beefcake to Cheesecake

Food and sex are intimately entwined in our bodies and minds. Even our language associates food with sex. Just consider the culinary-charged terms used in the game of sexual pursuit -- beefcake, cheesecake, honey, sweetie pie, sugar britches, sugar daddy, buns, sausage, melons, meat, and nuts. (Quite a meal!) In fact, the ancient Greeks were so aware of the food/sex connection that cheesecakes were baked in the shape of a woman's breast, thus linking the taste buds with the libido and inventing one of the greatest desserts in history (or is it herstory?), that eventually gave birth to today's wedding cake.

During World War II, G.I.'s longing for female companionship placed pictures of a scantily clad Betty Grable and her glamorous gams over their beds and referred to the pin-up as "cheesecake." Leggy actresses weren't the only bodies up for show. In the early 1950s erotic photographic displays of the male physique began to be exhibited in bodybuilding magazines. Eventually these pectoral pictorials began filtering into mainstream society and the term beefcake was born.

There are a number of reasons why aphrodisiacs have the power to ignite our senses, capture our imaginations, and fire up our libidos. Aphrodisiacs work on many levels and several factors come into play: chemical, sensory, emotional, romantic, social, and energy factors.

The Chemical Factor

Casanova didn't need a double-blind, placebo-controlled research study sponsored by a giant pharmaceutical conglomerate to know that oysters are an aphrodisiac. He listened to (or perhaps watched) his body respond. Finally, science has explained what he experienced: Oysters are rich in zinc, a male virility mineral. Ol' Casanova knew his stuff. Our sexual organs and endocrine system need special nourishment. Every day he ate dozens of oysters off the breasts of a beautiful woman, usually in a warm tub.

Why do women crave chocolate? Because it's an aphrodisiac, tastes fabulous, and contains magnesium, a mineral that many women crave, particularly before menstruation. Chocolate also contains more than four hundred different chemicals, including phenylethylamine (PEA), an amphetamine-like brain chemical that triggers the sense of euphoria that people experience when they fall in love. Chocolate's seductive combination of fat and sugar increases natural pleasure chemicals produced by the brain called endorphins. And the enticing food also contains the stimulants theobromine and caffeine, which rev up the central nervous system and elevate heart rate and blood pressure. All of these help put us in the "love" mood and enhance sexual performance.

The Aztec king Montezuma drank fifty cups of cocoa before entertaining his harem of six hundred women. (Toga, toga, toga!) How he ever found the time and energy to rule his kingdom is beyond us.

Everyone's reaching for Viagra for a reason, and a lot of it has to do with diet. The over-processed, standard American diet is filled with sugar, calories, and fat, which can cause a significant drop in testosterone levels and increase the risk of erectile dysfunction. (Yes, too many double-pepperoni, sausage, and extra-cheese pizzas can rob you of your manhood. Think about that the next time you call Domino's.) The standard American diet lacks key vitamins, such as E (which is needed to make sex hormones and sperm) and the B-complex (which helps increase blood flow to the penis); minerals like zinc and calcium (which helps fight osteoporosis, PMS, and even depression); and essential fats, all of which are needed for your body to be a healthy, functioning, sexually vital machine.

There are dozens of foods that have been shown to reverse the aging process and increase your sexual appetite and capacity. Unlike Viagra, these natural sexual stimulants and body boosters don't have negative side effects like headaches, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, and blue/green-tinted vision. (We know, back in school you used to pay big money to a guy named Chemical Carl for the blue/green-tinted vision.) There are many foods that we'll tell you about that work like Viagra does by boosting levels of a molecule called nitric oxide, which triggers erections.

The Sensory Factor

Babies quickly learn to associate certain tastes and smells with comfort and contentment. As adults, tastes and smells remain a trigger, while romantic love and sex become our comfort and contentment.

Eating is an intimate, sensual, and sensory activity that can stimulate our sexual appetites if the right foods are correctly prepared and consumed. Foods that remind us of sex because of their taste, texture, or appearance are turn-ons: Briny seafood, for example, smells and tastes like sexual juices. Not to mention that seafood is rich in nutrients that help boost hormone levels and enhance sexual function. This shouldn't be shocking or come as a surprise; after all, life on earth originated in the sea. Raw seafood is also sensuous and suggestive because of its fleshy, soft texture. Eat seafood with the hands (think of the lobster scene in the movie Flashdance and you'll know what we mean) and the food/sex connection becomes even clearer.

We don't need to tell you what bananas, carrots, asparagus, and figs resemble. Look closely as you take a bite and you may find your mind wandering to thoughts of...After all, it doesn't take much. The average male thinks about sex eleven times an hour. Flowers, which are plants' sexual organs, remind us of the budding passion of spring -- and let's face it, blossoms resemble a vagina. (Just take a look at a Georgia O'Keeffe painting.)

Buying your lover flowers is a simple gesture that communicates: "I want to make love to you." Why? Sensory memory. Smell is a very primitive sense that penetrates immediately and directly to emotional centers in the brain. Because we have been conditioned to associate flowers with affection, that bunch of long-stem roses is a fragrant reminder that love is on the agenda. We'll tell you a number of ways to use flowers as well as other sweet-smelling botanicals to ignite the senses and stimulate the libido. Henry VIII, who was known for his hearty appetites (food, countries, wives, etc....) liked to munch candied roses, violets, and hawthorn. To get their juices flowing, medieval men and women drank a mixture of flowers and myrtle leaves that had been marinated in wine. In the Hindu religion, after a couple is married they spend their first night together on a bed decorated with flowers. Many popular perfumes are made from flower essence mixed with the scents of wild animals.

The Emotional Factor

From the moment we are born, the first way we interact with the world is through food. Food supports and nurtures us at the most basic level. It's one of life's three primary needs, along with shelter and warmth.

Preparing food for each other is a way to give and receive love. lust as in making love, when someone cooks for you, you feel nurtured, and when you cook for someone else you nurture and take care of them. Emotions manifested by a well-made meal and well-made sex are the same. We feel warm, nurtured, cared for, safe, valued, emotionally secure. In other words, loved! "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach" may be a cliché, but it is true.

Memories, emotions, and the senses are all interconnected. In many instances the emotional and sensory factors interact with each other to create extraordinary reactions.

The sensory aroma of food can evoke powerful emotional and highly charged sexual responses. There's a reason why real estate agents tell sellers to bake bread before potential buyers view their home. (In spite of their reputation, it's not because the agent wants a free meal.) Adults under pressure crave simple foods that evoke feelings of happiness and warmth. While you're examining the bedrooms your olfactory glands are processing the smell of baking bread and your deep emotional center is bombarding you with the message: "Buy this house, it smells good. You will be safe and secure. You will be happy. You and your mate can cuddle up right here and make wonderful love in this marvelous house."

The Romantic Factor

Jewelry, expensive dinners, exotic vacations, luxury cars, and other extravagant gifts are some of the ways that we have been programmed by society's marketing machine to show our love. The hidden message isn't very hidden: If you don't buy, buy, buy she'll say "Bye, bye, bye."

Cooking is a gesture that expresses much more love than slapping down a gold card. It is a purely personal act. Cooking a meal spiked with plenty of aphrodisiacs, dressing up or down for dinner, opening a bottle of wine, lighting candles, and enjoying beautiful music and intimate conversation create an atmosphere for romance that money just can't buy.

According to Dr. Pepper Schwartz, professor of sociology at the University of Washington, an author, and a recognized authority on sexuality, for 90 percent of couples the frequency of lovemaking decreases dramatically after only a short period of time together. Why the lack of lovemaking? People are just too busy, bored, tired, or all three, and sex gets neglected.

Temptations is your prescription for adding creativity to your love life, putting the excitement back in sex, and enticing you to make time for each other. Explore our book and you'll find that making a romantic meal once or twice a week is a sure-fire formula for great sex and enhanced intimacy. By setting a time and date each week with your partner you ensure quality time together. It's exciting to anticipate that date and fun to think about how and with what aphrodisiacs you will seduce each other.

The Social Factor

Throughout history food has been an integral part of romantic social structure. In Sri Lanka, when a woman cooks for a man it means that she has a relationship with him, and she calls him "the one I cook for." In Japan, when a man and woman eat from the same bowl of rice it means that they are a couple. As part of the rituals performed in a Hindu marriage to confirm the engagement, the groom's family gives a verbal promise of marriage and feeds misri (crystalline sugar) to the girl's family. (Eating sweets is considered auspicious by Hindus.) After the Hindu wedding ceremony is over the bride and groom feed each other, signifying that they will take care of each other.

Brides and grooms in ancient cultures wore crowns of wheat to symbolize fertility, and in Rome a thin loaf of bread was broken over the marrying couple's heads, and the crumbs were saved and taken home by the guests as tokens of good luck. And tiered wedding cakes originated in merry ol' England, where the bride and groom kissed over a stack of little cakes.

The Energy Factor

Sex is an exchange of energy between two people, a balance between expansive (male, or yang) and contractive (female, or yin) forces. Particular foods and culinary combinations affect this expansive/contractive cycle and have an impact on our energy levels and sexuality. That's one reason we love balanced, romantic, culinary combinations like champagne (a very expansive food) and caviar (a very contractive food). If the diet is unbalanced and there are too many contractive or expansive foods, sexual energy and performance will suffer.

The types of food you eat have a direct impact on how you feel, act, and perform. A heavy diet that includes lots of dense, contractive foods like meat, sweets, hard cheese, and chips can make you feel sluggish, dry, frustrated, and irritable. A diet that is expansive and contains plenty of vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and fruit can make you feel relaxed, refreshed, receptive, and creative. Learn to listen to your body and eat foods that bring you into the proper balance. We'll show you how to do this in Chapter 10, "The Cooking Couple's Best Sex Diet."

Aphrodisiacs and Us, Aphrodisiacs and You

Why did we write this book? Because we have found that the best, easiest, healthiest, safest, and most fun way to enhance our love life is with aphrodisiacs.

Whether you've just started dating or have been together for forty years, we all want a better sex life. You may be the best lover in the world, and in a relationship with the most beautiful person on the planet, but unless you make the time to do things that enhance your sexuality the relationship will eventually wither. When you take the time to buy, prepare, and share love foods you automatically make the time to nurture and care for each other.

Now it's time to open your mind, body, and Temptations to begin your exploration of the joy of aphrodisiacs. So what are you waiting for? You're gonna love this trip. Turn to Chapter 1 and start fooding around!

Copyright © 2002 by Michael Albertson and Ellen Albertson

Chapter 10

The Cooking Couple's Best Sex Diet: Eating to Optimize Your Sexual Vitality

In Hollywood they say it all starts with the script. In sex it's the body. Take care of it and it will take care of you and your orgasms for life. An apple, an oyster, and a walnut a day can keep you hard and ready for play. As a side benefit, it may keep the cardiologist and urologist away as well.

If your body is maintained, fueled, and garaged properly, it will perform like a sexual Rolls-Royce. If you're living on cigarettes, cola, and fast food and not taking time to relax and refuel your engine (that includes your psychological engine), then you've got a sexual jalopy destined for the scrap heap.

No matter what shape you're in, the Cooking Couple's Best Sex Diet Plan will have you off to the races in just a week. It's a healthy eating regimen with supplements that will naturally optimize sexual passion, pleasure, and performance.

Most diets tell you to stop eating to get in shape. But if it's sexual shape -- great sex -- that you're seeking, you're in for a treat, lust change your diet by adding key aphrodisiacs and nutrients and limit your intake of libido-quashing grub. No weight lifting, gym memberships, or gravity-defying yoga pretzel positions required.

Better Health = Better Sex, Better Sex = Better Health

Better overall health adds up to better sex. And, in turn, great sex boosts health, energy, circulation, and emotional well-being.

Orgasms are good medicine.

Keeping sexually active keeps your sex hormones (the chemical messengers that tell your Body how to respond sexually) flowing. When hormones are Balanced and abundant, your Body responds promptly to sexual stimuli and you have more pleasurable, powerful, and erotic experiences.

Besides, sex is great aerobic exercise. The average lovemaking session burns 100 calories. Have sex three times a week for a year, and you'll burn 15,600. That's four and a half pounds!

Know another weight-loss program that's this much fun?

Great sex is good for everybody. Here's how to get it.

The Four Key Elements to Sexual Success

For both men and women, great sex depends on four primary elements:

1. Good head (a brain that responds to sexual stimuli).

2. Good chemistry (the correct balance of hormones and neurotransmitters).

3. Good circulation (a well-functioning cardiovascular system).

4. Good nutrition (so the body has the physical ability and energy to perform at its sexual peak).

Good Head

The brain is the body's most important sex organ. The old adage that some men "think with their dicks" is false. Without the hypothalamus, the area of the brain that governs hormone production, the penis is useless.

The brain rules both desire and emotion and is the key that turns on the sexual spigot. If your brain doesn't respond to sexual stimuli (whether visual, auditory, tactile, or olfactory), your sexual gears stay stuck in neutral.

In first gear, your brain picks up the sexual scent. Apocrine glands around the groin area and in the armpits produce human pheromones, chemicals that send out a scent and that signal sex is on the menu. The brain then sends "Prepare for sex!!!" signals to the rest of the body via neurotransmitters and hormones (such as testosterone, which triggers the sex drive in both men and women).

Your heart beats faster, adrenaline and vaginal secretions flow, genitals become engorged with blood, the brain releases endorphins, you get excited and start to feel...(forgive us for using overly technical terms) horny, randy, hot, juiced up....

Good Circulation

In order for men to attain and maintain an erection and for women to feel increased warmth, sensitivity, and sexual arousal, the body has to be able to pump blood effectively, especially to the genitals. For that, the cardiovascular (circulatory) system must be in shape.

Blood is like oil that flows through your car's engine. If your arteries are clogged, blood flow is impeded and the entire body, especially sexual responsiveness, becomes sluggish. It gets harder and harder (or should we say softer and softer?) to have an erection, and sexual stamina diminishes until...it's time to blow "Taps" for Mr. Happy, who is by now a very sad and lonely fellow.

Luckily, this story need not have a sad ending. It's never too late to reverse the problem. You can improve blood flow throughout your body without drugs or surgery by following our plan.

When you add aphrodisiacs to a healthy diet, it's like adding jet fuel to that Rolls. C'mon, make Mr. Happy happy again.

Good Chemistry

You may have failed chemistry in school, but we're going to make sure you get an A+ in sexual Chem 101 right now.

Great sex is all about good chemistry. When two people are mutually attracted, we say they have "good chemistry" because sexual arousal is transmitted from our brains to our bodies by chemical messengers called hormones (manufactured by the endocrine glands) and neurotransmitters (manufactured from amino acids and generated in nerve cells).

Many aphrodisiacs work because they help keep the nervous an d endocrine systems healthy and provide the nutritional building blocks to make hormones and neurotransmitters.

The body's endocrine system makes three types of sex hormones, androgens (male), estrogens (female, responsible for vaginal lubrication), and progesterone (female). The word hormone actually comes from the Greek word hormon, which means to "stir up."

In response to sexual stimuli, the brain signals endocrine glands to release hormones that initiate sexual arousal. While men produce about ten times more testosterone than women (though a woman's level often rises near the time of ovulation), testosterone triggers libido in both sexes.

Arousal causes the brain to send signals via neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and adrenaline, through our nervous system to prepare the body for sex. One set of neurotransmitters sends messages to relax blood vessels in the genitals so that penile and vaginal tissues can become engorged with blood and erect, another set increases tension and overall excitement (heart rate, blood pressure, and sweating all increase) and makes ejaculation possible.

The right balance of neurotransmitters is essential for great sex. Now, for your final exam. Go have sex.

Good Nutrition

Okay, your brain is alert and sending signals via neurotransmitters to your body to prepare for sex. Your endocrine glands are churning out all the necessary hormones to make sex possible. And your heart is pumping extra blood through clean arteries so that your genitals can become engorged with blood and erect. Now all you need for great sex is high-octane fuel for energy and stamina.

Good nutrition is the cornerstone of any sexual fitness program. A healthy, balanced diet that's low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, and high in fiber, complex carbohydrates, essential fats, high-quality protein, and fresh fruits and vegetables provides the body with quality fuel and the raw materials to build the hormones and neurotransmitters needed for mattress-shattering sex. Eating right also promotes good circulation and keeps your body at a healthy weight, making you more attractive and better able to perform sexually. According to a Duke University Diet and Fitness Center study, people who lost weight reported feeling increased sexual desire. A healthy diet can also help prevent obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease, all of which can hinder sexual arousal, performance, and pleasure.

Now that you understand the four key elements of great sex, here's our ten-step program to enhance sexual health and vitality.

The Cooking Couple's Ten-Step Program for Sexual Health and Vitality

Step 1: Enhance Your Sexual Vitality

While most species use sex purely for procreation, humans also use sex for recreation. Sex is a sport, and if you want to play the field, you've got to keep your equipment in shape.

Our Sex Rx:

Protein keeps you potent. Protein-rich foods contain tyrosine, an amino acid that the body uses to make the mood-elevating, sexually stimulating neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. Protein is also critical in making the hormones needed for sexual vitality as well as all body tissues, enzymes, hemoglobin, and antibodies.

While there is nothing wrong with the occasional T-bone steak (red meat is packed with zinc), try to keep your daily sources of protein lean: beans, fish, and poultry without the skin.

Go for ginkgo. Good old Ginkgo biloba has been around for over 200 million years and is the world's most ancient tree. The Chinese have been using the nuts and leaves for nearly 5,000 years to enhance sexual vitality, slow the aging process, and improve alertness and circulation. (People who are pregnant, nursing, or bleed easily shouldn't take ginkgo.)

Ginkgo works about an hour after it's taken to promote blood flow to the genitals for both men and women. The recommended dose is 40 mg of 24 percent standardized extract three times a day.

When men with erection problems take ginkgo over several months, many experience improved blood flow, enabling them to regain their former level of sexual activity, According to a study published in the Journal of Urology, 50 percent of men with erectile dysfunction who took 60 mg of ginkgo extract daily for six months were able to have erections. Studies show ginkgo may also help reverse impotence for men on antidepressants (reversing impotence probably got them off antidepressants) and sexual dysfunction for women on antidepressants.

Ginkgo also improves the production of sperm and increases the production of neurotransmitters in the brain, which are needed for sexual arousal, response, and pleasure.

Dive in to clams and oysters. Not only are these tasty mollusks packed with vitamins and minerals that fuel great sex, they are a rich source of mucopolysaccharides, an aphrodisiac that increases sexual potency and libido.

Stop smoking. Okay, so it isn't dietary advice, but it is one of the best things you can do for your love life and your overall health.

Smoking decreases energy, sexual vitality, and libido by damaging blood vessels and limiting the amount of oxygen available to the body. Plus, smoking saps the body of nutrients like vitamins A, C, and E, which are needed for sexual vitality.

Heavy smoking also reduces sperm density and motility and can increase the risk of impotence by decreasing blood flow to the penis. And for you fans of oral sex, many women find the taste of semen from smokers unpleasant.

Step 2: Increase Libido

The male sex hormone testosterone is responsible for sex drive in both men and women and plays an influential role in orgasm and ejaculation. While testosterone levels drop as we age, the right diet helps keep levels high.

Stress can ruin your libido. Psychologically, stress makes you less interested in sex. Physiologically, stress diverts blood away from the genitals to tense muscles, making it difficult to become aroused and achieve an erection. Stress can also decrease fertility, cause testosterone levels to plummet, and lead to depression and anxiety, both of which diminish libido, sexual performance, and pleasure.

Satisfying sex, meditation, exercise, and consuming more nutrient-rich, unprocessed foods and less sugar and caffeine (which cause your body to crash after a high), can help you manage stress.

Our Sex Rx:

Hit the zinc zone. The prostate gland and sperm contain more zinc than any other part of the male anatomy. The body needs zinc to make testosterone and maintain vaginal lubrication. Plus, by increasing the production of T cells and improving white blood cell activity, zinc supports the immune system, helping you bounce back or avoid illness even when you are inundated by stress.

Foods high in zinc include: oysters, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and lean beef.

Take ginseng. Ginseng was first used as an aphrodisiac by the Chinese and Koreans to enhance libido. Asian ginseng (also known as Panax schinseng) is best for improving sexual performance and energy.

Animal studies have shown that ginseng increases sexual activity, fertility, testosterone levels, and sperm production, and some human studies show it can help reverse impotence in men.

Ginseng is a tonic herb, which means it balances and strengthens many systems in tine body (including the endocrine system, which produces sex hormones), improves energy and stamina, and helps us deal with stress.

For maximum effectiveness, ginseng needs to be taken over several months. The recommended dose is generally 100 to 200 mg a day. Look for a standardized ginseng formula that contains at least 5 to 7 percent ginsenosides (the active ingredient in ginseng). Stear clear of ginseng-fortified foods and beverages. They generally don't contain enough ginseng to make a difference. People with excessive bleeding and people on blood-thinning medications or diabetes drugs should not take ginseng without consulting their physician. Ginseng is also not recommended for people with heart irregularities and/or high blood pressure.

Vitamin C for sex. Vitamin C, the leading supplement in America, does more than ward off the common cold. It supports the adrenal glands, those little organs so vital in producing hormones that are key for sexual arousal and response, helps keep sperm swimming at an Olympic pace, and prevents male infertility.

Vitamin C also protects cells and sex organs from free radicals (destructive molecules produced in the body by a process called oxidation that can damage cells and lead to illnesses, including heart disease and cancer), boosts energy levels, increases the absorption of minerals such as iron, combats stress and infection, and reverses fatigue, a leading cause of libido lag.

Foods high in vitamin C include: citrus fruits (lemons, oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and limes), cantaloupe, papaya, strawberries, peppers (chile and bell), broccoli, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, asparagus, cabbage, and leafy green vegetables.

Caffeine: use it, don't abuse it. Caffeine in moderation can actually increase libido. Coffee, which is a well-known aphrodisiac, can jump-start your day and your sex life.

Why do you think so many people meet for coffee on a first date? (More on this in Chapter 6, "Juicy Fruits." Yes, coffee is a fruit.)

According a study in Archives of Internal Medicine, coffee drinkers have sex more frequently and enjoy it more than non-coffee drinkers. A small study of older men found coffee drinking improved subjects' sex lives by increasing energy. Hot caffeinated beverages warm you up, wake you up, and are inherently social. Maybe the saying should be changed to "Coffee, tea, and me."

Like most good things, just a little is enough. Too much caffeine can stress the adrenal glands, which produce sex hormones; decrease testosterone levels; interfere with the menstrual cycle; and increase PMS. Try to limit yourself to about two cups of coffee, four cans of cola, or four cups of tea per day.

Drink alcohol in moderation. There's nothing like a glass of wine to relax you, loosen inhibitions, and put you in the mood for sex. (It increases the body's output of the libido-enhancing neurotransmitter dopamine.) Alcohol, in moderation, increases blood flow throughout the body and improves cholesterol levels.

However, too much alcohol can dull your senses, impair sexual response, and reduce testosterone production. So limit your intake to one or two drinks.

Step 3: Building a Bigger, Better Penis

According to a recent study conducted by LifeStyle condoms, the average erect penis is 5.9 inches long. The average flaccid penis is about 3 inches, Hard or soft, size depends on how much blood flows into your penis. More blood means larger, firmer erections that last longer.

Not satisfied with how you're hung? Many men aren't. Here are some safe, effective steps to make Mr. Happy happier.

Our Sex Rx:

Lose weight. The majority of the penis is anchored within abdominal fat, with only the tip protruding. If you are overweight, losing those excess pounds can give you up to an extra inch! According to Dr. J. François Eid, director of the Male Sexual Function Unit of New York Presbyterian Hospital, for every thirty-five pounds lost, penis length will increase by one inch.

While weight loss will not actually make your penis grow longer, losing weight will make more of the penis visible and usable. Blood flow also benefits from weight loss, resulting in stronger and firmer erections.

Clobber cholesterol. High cholesterol nearly doubles your risk of erectile dysfunction (ED), a disease that, according to the American Medical Association, affects approximately 20 million Americans. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that men with high cholesterol levels (over 240) have 1.83 times the risk of erectile dysfunction than men with lower levels. High cholesterol levels can also contribute to an enlarged prostate.

Eat arginine, the erection amino acid. L-arginine is an essential amino acid available in many foods, including meat, peanuts, chocolate, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and beef liver.

Studies show supplementing the diet with L-arginine can improve erections and sexual response in men. This amino acid is needed to make sperm and nitric oxide, a substance that makes erections possible. Viagra works by making more nitric oxide available when a man wants to have sex. In contrast, L-arginine increases the total amount of nitric oxide in the body. The suggested supplement dose is 2 grams twice a day.

Pump up your private parts. Women have long known that Kegel exercises (contracting the muscles surrounding the genitals) keep them sexually fit and toned. Men can also benefit from Kegels. According to one study of men with erection problems, 74 percent of them showed improvement and 43 percent were cured after doing Kegels for only four months!

Step 4: Female Genital and Hormonal Fitness

While female genital response to sexual stimuli is not as obvious as male response (the clitoris, like the penis, becomes engorged with blood), women need to have well-lubricated, aroused equipment to enjoy sex.

While testosterone fuels the sex drive, the balance of estrogen and progesterone allows a woman to respond to and enjoy sex when her libido calls. These two female hormones, when proportionate, keep the vagina thick and well lubricated, resulting in pleasurable intercourse, and stimulate the vulva, clitoris, and vaginal tissue to become excited during lovemaking. Plus, they influence a woman's mood and overall sense of wellness.

Many factors from stress to a poor diet can upset hormone levels. Research is starting to show that certain foods and herbs can actually help women strike a healthy hormonal balance so that sex remains exciting and enjoyable.

Our Sex Rx:

Soy for sex. Soy is the food darling of the new millennium. Studies show it can do everything from decrease cholesterol levels to prevent certain cancers.

But what's the scoop on soy when it comes to sex?

Soybeans are rich in phytoestrogens, plant chemicals that act like a weak form of estrogen. The plant estrogens found in soybeans can help decrease vaginal dryness and alleviate some of the symptoms of menopause that often dry up sexual desire.

Eat more EFA (essential fatty acids). The body uses essential fatty acids (EFA) to make female sex hormones, but the body can't manufacture them. They keep the vagina moist and soft and increase the storage of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), many of which we need to function sexually.

Women need two types of EFAs regularly: linoleic acid (omega-6) and linolenic acid (omega-3). Good sources of linoleic acid include soybeans; safflower, sunflower, and corn oils; wheat germ; and sesame seeds. Flaxseed, canola oil, pumpkin seeds, almonds and walnuts, and deep-sea fish such as tuna contain linolenic acid.

An easy way to get EFA is to take a tablespoon of flaxseed oil every day.

Pump up the pleasure with B₆. This B vitamin (aka pyridoxine) helps balance fluids and a number of hormones including estrogen and progesterone.

Like calcium, vitamin B₆ can help ease the symptoms of PMS. Increased levels of estrogen seem to increase the need for B₆, so if you are taking birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy, consuming more B₆ may help alleviate symptoms such as vaginal dryness, loss of libido, fatigue, mood swings, and depression. However, do not consume more than 150 mg of B₆ per day in supplement form, as higher doses can cause nerve damage. There usually is no reason to get more than 25 mg per day.

Good sources of B₆ include lean red meat, liver, fish, chicken, egg yolk, wheat germ, bananas, prunes, avocados, soybeans, and walnuts.

Dong quai performs a balancing act. This herb, also known as angelica and female ginseng, is highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine as a female tonic. Like soy, dong quai contains phytoestrogens that can help regulate and balance estrogen levels. It is also prescribed to increase libido, treat menstrual disorders, and alleviate PMS.

Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should avoid dong quai. It can also make some women more sensitive to the sun, so slather on the sunscreen if you decide to try it.

Dong quai is available in capsules, tinctures, and teas. For the correct dose, follow the package directions.

Step 5: Attraction Action: Get a Sexier, More Attractive Body

Let's face it, looking good is a magic elixir in one's love life.

Along with maintaining a healthy weight, there are a number of nutrients you can take and foods you can eat to beautify your body.

Our Sex Rx:

Start with A. Vitamin A (beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, and retinol, preformed vitamin A) promotes healthy, radiant hair and skin.

Vitamin A, like vitamin C, is also needed to make sex hormones. This fat-soluble vitamin keeps testicles healthy, enhances fertility in both men and women, and is used to make sperm. Plus, vitamin A promotes good eyesight, provides overall antioxidant protection, fights infection, and promotes healing.

Good sources of beta-carotene include orange fruits and orange and green vegetables such as carrots, yams, pumpkin, mangoes, apricots, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and kale. Liver, egg yolks, and dairy products contain healthy amounts of retinol.

The attractive acid. Want more attractive pearly whites to lure Mr. or Ms. Right (or Mr. or Ms. Right Now)? Then you need to add folic acid to your sexual supplement arsenal.

Taking 400 to 800 mg of folic acid a day or gargling with a 400 mg folic acid capsule dissolved in 1/2 cup water can reverse gingivitis and prevent bleeding gums and plaque.

Levels of folic acid tend to be low in women who are pregnant or on birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy.

Good food sources include leafy green vegetables, broccoli, folic acid-fortified breads and cereals, orange juice, and beans.

Eat blueberries and broccoli. Free radicals -- unstable molecules generated by our metabolism and toxins in the environment that attack and damage the body and contribute to the aging process -- can ruin your health and your looks.

Fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants, such as blueberries, strawberries, oranges, plums, broccoli, spinach, and brussels sprouts, can prevent free radical damage and slow down the appearance of wrinkles, keeping you looking young.

Have more sex. Sex, particularly with a hearty orgasm, increases circulation throughout the body, giving you a healthy glow. Plus, lovemaking puts that mysterious je ne sais quoi smile on your face, and what can be more attractive and sexier than that?

Step 6: Increasing Sensitivity and Sexual Response

No two people have identical orgasms.

Fondling the G spot gets some women going, while clitoral stimulation turns on others. Some men enjoy just having their penis stroked, some crave having the entire genital area as well as the nipples stimulated.

There's no replacement for getting to know your body and learning what works for your partner, but there are some nutrients that can help get the show on the road. To have better, more intense, and frequent orgasms, follow our diet advice.

Our Sex Rx:

Take niacin. Niacin helps to dilate blood vessels, contributing to a reaction called "the sexual flush," in which blood flows to the face, chest, and neck. The same blood vessel dilation also helps you achieve orgasm.

In addition, niacin enhances the sense of touch, making you more sensitive to physical stimulation.

Good natural sources of niacin include liver, fish, poultry, and peanuts.

Eat enough E. Vitamin E increases sperm production, helps ease PMS symptoms (especially breast tenderness), and increases fertility. E is essential in hormone production and balance. Vitamin E also helps keep your arteries clear, which means better blood flow, better erections, and better orgasms!

Increase dopamine. The dopamine/libido link was first discovered when patients with Parkinson's disease taking the medication L-dopa (which with the aid of magnesium and vitamin B₆ is converted into dopamine) noticed an interesting side effect. Their sex lives improved!

The neurotransmitter dopamine coordinates brain activities, including sex drive, emotions, and the ability to feel pleasure and pain. Kiss sexual arousal and orgasms good-bye without it.

You can increase dopamine levels in several ways:

1. Eating a protein-rich meal or snack will increase blood levels of tyrosine, an amino acid used by the body to make dopamine naturally. One to two grams daily of L-tyrosine broken up in three doses treats low sex drive. (Do not use without consulting your doctor if you have high blood pressure.)

2. Consume more folic acid, magnesium, and vitamin B₆, which the body needs to make dopamine.

3. Up your caffeine intake, which appears to increase the amount of dopamine in the brain by blocking adenosine receptors.

4. Reduce stress. Stress decreases levels of dopamine.

5. Eat fava beans.

Step 7: Aromas for Amour

Sexual attraction starts in the nose. Yup, the nose.

People are attracted to each other by smell, a powerful, primitive sense that is processed in the limbic lobe, the emotional center of our brain. Since many of our first gratifying sensations are associated with food aromas, we are conditioned to expect pleasure when we smell foods that we love and associate with comfort and fond memories.

Humans can taste only sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, a fifth type of taste recently classified and described as "savory, brothy, or meaty." So, in fact, what accounts for our ability to taste many complex flavors and combinations is actually our olfactory senses. Some 80 to 90 percent of what we refer to as taste is actually smell.

The nose knows.

While response to smell varies from person to person, research shows certain odors can put us in the mood for sex. In addition, the way our lover smells can turn us on or off. When your partner asks you to take a shower or hints that she likes a certain brand of aftershave, listen.

Humans, like other animals, secrete pheromones, odor-like substances that affect our behavior even though we don't consciously perceive them. Pheromones may be the magic element that causes love at first sight. (Or perhaps we should say love first at smell.) Scientists believe that pheromones are by-products of sexual hormones released from glands around the genitals and underarms that affect fertility, attract the opposite sex, and trigger sexual desire. Studies show that various pheromones may make people seem more attractive to the opposite sex and may keep sexual rivals away.

Two of the most studied human pheromones, the steroids androstenol and androsterone, resemble truffles, one of the most renowned aphrodisiacs, and musk, a scent commonly used in perfumes. Not surprisingly, the aroma of caviar, celery, and parsnips (all aphrodisiacs) contain androsterone and androstenol.

Other aphrodisiacs that smell like human pheromones include fresh shellfish, red wine, champagne, and pungent French cheeses.

Our Sex Rx:

Give her cucumbers and licorice. Certain smells can actually increase vaginal blood flow. The odor of Good & Plenty combined with cucumber increased vaginal blood flow by 13 percent. Among women who reported becoming extremely aroused by masturbation, a combination of Good & Plenty and banana nut bread showed a 28 percent increase in vaginal blood flow (Get baking, boys!) according to research done by Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.

Bake him a pumpkin pie. The smell of lavender and pumpkin pie increased penile blood flow by an average of 40 percent, followed closely by the smell of cinnamon buns. The smell of licorice and doughnuts increased penile blood flow by 31.5 percent. (Now you know why cops hang out at doughnut shops.)

Older men had a stronger response to vanilla, and men who were the most satisfied with their sex lives had a greater response to strawberries, according to the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation.

The sweet smell of success. Spike your breath with scents. According to Dr. Hirsch's research, 80 percent of women liked the smell of mint on a man's breath and 100 percent disliked the smell of alcohol. Of the men questioned, 42 percent (all of whom were single) preferred alcohol on a woman's breath, 30 percent liked mint, and 8 percent preferred chocolate.

A Cooking Couple chocolate martini (page 315) with a mint chaser should do the trick for everyone!

Step 8: Enhance intimacy

Intimacy is a state of being known by, and knowing, your lover. It is the glue that connects you to your mate and allows you to give and receive love and relate both sexually and emotionally. It enables you to feel comfortable together and more willing to share your sexual desires and needs.

Our Sex Rx:

Cook and eat together. Take out your calendar and mark two times in the coming week when you and your lover can share a meal. Prioritize and make time now.

"But...but...but what about my boss, my car, the dog, my cats, the peeling paint, the cracking wallpaper, the ball game, the work game, the lunch game, the get ahead game, the laundry, the lawn, my uncle John, and your mom? What will the neighbors say?"

Forget the excuses. Think of it this way: You're the doctor, and the problems are just going to have to sit in your waiting room until you get to them. Trust us, they won't leave. "Mr. Lawn, I'm sorry, the doctor is running a little late, have a seat and we'll get to you next weekend."

Set the problems aside and carve out some quality time or you'll have worse problems down the road.

The meal doesn't have to be fancy. (Simple and fun is fine.) The key is prioritizing intimate time.

Hint: Don't rule out breakfast and lunch for some fun. Why not call in sick and stay home for a romantic meal while the kids (if you have them) are in school?

Feeling loved and nurtured builds intimacy and makes it much easier to open up sexually. That's one reason why food has always played a role in human mating rituals. When you cook for the person you desire, you communicate that you care as you nurture him or her at the most basic level of life.

Hint: Turn the heat up a notch and spice supper with an aphrodisiac or two. After dinner, head straight to the bedroom. Dishes? Forgetaboutit! In Cooking Couple land cleaning up means showering together.

Create rituals. Rituals make life meaningful by helping us pay attention to the moments that matter. The nightly dinner ritual, whether an elaborate meal or simple bowl of soup, restores and maintains a couple's or family's unity, security, and well-being. The dinner table is more than a place to simply feed.

We have created many rituals that force us to stop what we are doing and start enjoying each other's company. Because rituals are regular events, we have a built-in safety net to ensure that we focus on each other and spend quality time together. While sex is not always explicitly on the menu, the rituals create an aura of relaxation, pleasure, and connectiveness that usually leads to love-making. Plus, rituals keep sex and our relationship fun and interesting.

Some of our favorite rituals include:

* Opening a wonderful bottle of wine.

* Experimenting with aphrodisiacs. (That's how we discovered Oyster Shooter.)

* Giving or receiving a massage.

* Buying special soap and taking a shower together.

* Dropping the kids off at Grandma's (one of our favorites).

* Planning, cooking, and eating a romantic meal.

* Listening to a new CD together or playing one of our favorite mantic CDs for each other.

* Conversing by candlelight.

* Playing strip poker.

* Modeling sexy lingerie. (Ellen walks, Michael stalks.)

Cultivate compassion. Compassion is the salve that can heal and transform your relationship and your life.

Compassion is the extension of the Golden Rule that we all learned as kids: "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." True compassion is really a state of mind where you wish for good things to happen to your mate and for your mate to avoid suffering. When you identify directly with your mate's happiness, sorrow, and tribulations, your relationship deepens and sweetens as love and support come naturally from the heart and each partner puts the other first.

Like learning any new skill, developing compassion takes time. If you exercise compassion on a daily basis, at the end of the day you can go to bed at peace with your lover and yourself.

Step 9: Ditch PMS and UTIS

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) and premenstrual syndrome can kill romance. Most women don't want to make love when it hurts to urinate or when they are bloated, irritable, moody, or have a headache.

The good news is that you can decrease premenstrual symptoms with a few easy dietary changes. And while it is impossible to avoid UTIs altogether (most women get them occasionally), there are several things women can do to reduce their frequency.

Our Sex Rx:

Put the breaks on PMS with calcium and vegetables. Women who took 1,200 mg of calcium a day over three months decreased their PMS-related symptoms (depression, mood swings, irritability, headaches, ax murdering their partner) by half, according to a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Good sources of calcium include dairy products, broccoli, canned sardines and canned salmon (which contains the bones), kale, soy foods, and calcium-fortified foods and beverages.

Women can fight PMS and menstrual cramps with a low-fat, completely plant-based diet. Researchers found that women who changed their diets saw results after only two menstrual cycles.

Try trading beef burgers for veggie burgers, switching from cow's to soy milk, and snacking on fruits and vegetables for a month or two.

Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water, at least eight 8-ounce glasses a day, can help prevent UTIs, or honeymoon cystitis, a painful bacterial infection that often becomes a problem when women go from having occasional sex to engaging in frequent lovemaking (which is bound to happen if you follow our advice on aphrodisiacs). Adequate fluids will also keep your skin looking good and your body functioning properly.

Drink cranberry and blueberry juice. Cranberry juice, cranberry supplements, and blueberry juice all help prevent and reduce the symptoms of UTIs by keeping bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract lining. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women who drank 10 ounces of cranberry juice a day for one to two months significantly reduced the levels of bacteria that cause UTIs.

Step 10: Prostate Preservers

When it comes to ejaculation, the prostate gland is a man's best friend, so take good care of him, boys.

During orgasm, the prostate gland secretes a fluid that mixes with and lubricates semen during ejaculation so those spermies can swim upstream like salmon in spawning season. If the gland becomes inflamed or enlarged, it can make sex and urination very painful as well as decrease the effectiveness of your sperm.

Each year thousands of men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, the treatment of which can cause sexual dysfunction. Many foods and pytochemicals have been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Our Sex Rx:

Eat tomatoes and tomato products. Lycopene, the plant chemical that gives tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon, and other fruits and vegetables their red color, helps prevent prostate cancer as well as cancers of the lung, colon, and breast.

Cooked tomato products, such as tomato sauce, tomato juice, and ketchup, are more effective cancer fighters than raw tomatoes. To boost lycopene's effectiveness, eat it with a little fat (a good excuse to order a pizza).

Soy solution. You can also keep your prostate humming by eating more soy foods such as roasted soy nuts, soy milk, and tofu. Cooking with garlic, rosemary, and turmeric or taking them as supplements can also help. While more research is needed, several studies suggest raisins may help preserve the prostate.

Saw palmetto can be a lifesaver. For men who are experiencing an enlargement of the prostate called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), numerous studies have shown that taking the herb saw palmetto may reverse this potentially serious condition. Saw palmetto also seems to be more effective and have fewer side effects than drugs commonly prescribed for BPH. The recommended dosage is 320 mg of saw palmetto extract a day. Before you start taking any medicinal herbs or other supplements, consult your physician.

Putting It All Together!

Need more reasons to follow our plan?

When was the last time you went back for seconds?

You'll be less stressed and have more energy for sex.

You'll have greater sexual stamina.

You'll increase the amount of blood that flows to the brain, making you more alert for sex.

You'll also reduce your risk of heart disease, some cancers, and osteoporosis.

Whatever your food preferences, you'll find that many of the aphrodisiacs that we recommend easily fit into the Best Sex Diet.

The Quick Fix: The Cooking Couple's Get in Sexual Shape for the Weekend Food Plan

Whether it's a fourth date with Mr. Right and you want to be Ms. Ready or your fortieth anniversary and you want to remind her of that night at the drive-in when James Dean was on the screen and you were making the scene, our Get in Sexual Shape for the Weekend Food Plan will power-pack your sexual vault for Saturday night -- or any night...all night long!

The foods and nutrients recommended here are designed to work quickly and synergistically to give you a swift libido lift. Although they are beneficial separately, by following our plan, you will maximize their effectiveness and your pleasure.

Monday: Go Nuts!

Saturday night is just a distant dot on the horizon. But it will be here sooner than you think (although not as fast as you would like). Today is the day you start to get ready for your amorous adventure. So instead of going nuts at work, grab some nuts and seeds and let them go to work on you.

Nuts and seeds are key fuel for great sex because they are rich in essential fatty acids, vitamins E and B₆, selenium, calcium, zinc, fiber, L-arginine, protein, and complex carbohydrates -- all nutrients that boost sexual energy and vitality. Seeds and nuts help to make hormones and hormone-like substances called prostaglandins that are needed for sexual response.

If you or your partner have been on a very low-fat diet, you may be experiencing a libido lag due to a lack of essential fats. Nuts and seeds can quickly fix this problem.

Monday's Sex Rx for Men

Eat 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds today and every day for the rest of the week. Pumpkin seeds are rich in essential fats and one of nature's best sources of L-arginine, an amino acid that the body uses to make sperm and nitric oxide, essential to erections. Pumpkin seeds also nourish the prostate gland and are high in that all-important virility, fertility, and libido-boosting mineral, zinc.

Monday's Sex Rx for Women

Eat 1/4 cup of nuts today and every day for the rest of the week. Three of our favorites are:

* Almonds. High in essential fats, fatigue-fighting iron, vitamin E, and some B vitamins. They have calcium, too, which will fight PMS.

* Brazil nuts. Your personal Latin lover, they are particularly high in the minerals selenium, which stimulates sexual energy, and manganese, which increases sex drive.

* Walnuts. Contain the key vitamins for sexual vitality A, C, E, and the Bs.

Tuesday: Herbal Enhancement Day

Tuesday is finger-lickin' good with herbs and spices that enhance your sexual vitality. Some of our culinary favorites are:

* Basil. Used in voodoo love ceremonies in Haiti.

* Cardamom. Take with milk and honey in the evening to fight impotence.

* Cloves. Considered an aphrodisiac in China since the third century B.C.

* Ginger. Works both internally and externally to increase desire and combat impotence.

* Nutmeg. Used as an aphrodisiac by the Hindus, Arabs, Greeks, and Romans.

* Saffron. We're just wild about saffron, which makes erogenous zones more sensitive.

For more ideas, see Chapter 8, "Enticing Herbs and Seductive Spices."

Tuesday's Sex Rx for Men and Women

Take either:

* Ginseng. Starting today, keep taking this sexual tonic and strengthening herb over several months to increase your overall health and sexual energy, or

* Ashwaganda. Used as an ingredient in sex tonics to treat impotence and a lagging libido, this herb can help increase blood circulation to the genitals. It also energizes and relaxes you, resulting in an improved overall sense of well-being. Start taking it now and take the recommended dose for two to three months. In addition, you should take

* Ginkgo. Studies show it increases blood circulation throughout the body, particularly to the brain and genitals. Take daily. Also pop an extra ginkgo tab about an hour before making love.

Tuesday's Sex Rx for Men Only

* Muira puama. This herb (aka potency wood) can increase sexual desire and make erections harder (hence its nickname). It has also been used traditionally to prevent baldness. Michael has always had plenty of hair, so we can't comment on its effectiveness in the coiffure arena.

Tuesday's Sex Rx for Women Only

* Dong quai. Also known as angelica, dong quai has been used in China for over 2,000 years. Along with balancing and supporting female hormones and alleviating PMS and menopausal complaints, dong quai can increase libido and sexual pleasure and intensify orgasms.

Wednesday: C'ing Is Believing

Vitamin C nourishes the sexual organs and helps protect them from free radical damage, and it keeps sperm healthy. Plus, vitamin C will help you fight off colds and keep you energized for that big night out (or in).

Wednesday's Sex Rx for Men

Tone up with tomatoes. Eat a tomato or tomato products every day for the rest of the week. Not only are tomatoes rich in vitamin C, they are one of the best sources of the prostate-preserving phytochemical lycopene. So have sliced tomatoes on your salad or sandwich, take a V8 break, and drench that pasta with sauce. When Saturday night comes, you'll know why the French call tomatoes pommes d'amour (love apples).

Wednesday's Sex Rx for Women

Get fruity. Enjoy at least one citrus fruit or one glass of calcium-fortified orange juice -- which will fulfill your daily C requirement -- a day for the rest of the week. Actually, for the rest of your life. Oranges are a particularly good choice. They are also high in sexually enhancing folic acid and vitamin A.

Remember lemons. They help purify the body and are a great, low-calorie way to flavor salads and make water tastier.

Smooth Thursday

Two days until the big night. It's time to shake things up with our sexual smoothies. Whip up these delicious amatory elixirs to fuel your libido and turn on the afterburners.

Thursday's Sex Rx for Men

Drink one Testosterone Tornado. Stand back and watch out.

(Testosterone Tornado)

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

1 cup milk or soy milk

1 scoop (2 toblespoons) protein powder

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 ripe banana

2 ice cubes

Grind pumpkin seeds in o blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Thursday's Sex Rx for Women

Drink one Estrogen Elixir. This potent beverage will whet your libido while it increases vaginal lubrication and secretions.

(Estrogen Elixir)

1 cup soy milk

1 scoop (2 tablespoons) soy protein powder

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

1 teaspoon cocoa

1 ripe banana

1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses (optional)

Dash vanilla extract

2 icecubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Free Fridays

Yes, you're free. Work and weekday responsibilities fade into the mist as Saturday starts to peek over the horizon.

Indulge yourself as you give your batteries a final charge and top off your sexual fuel tank. If you've got big plans for Saturday, stay home tonight, relax, and regroup with some self-indulgent care and high-octane fuel. Here are our Friday night menu suggestions to get you ready and randy for that big date.

Friday's Sex Rx for Men

The cocktail hour: A Bloody Mary (lycopene and vitamin C) spiked with plenty of Tabasco for an endorphin rush (see Chapter 4: "Chile Peppers") and a celery stick. (Celery contains female-attracting pheromones.)

(Bloody Mary)

1 1/2 ounces vodka

Dash of Worcestershire

Dash of lemon or lime juice

Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste

Celery salt and freshly ground block pepper to taste

Tomato juice

Celery stick (garnish)

Place several ice cubes in a tall glass. Add vodka, Worcestershire, lemon or lime juice, Tabasco or other hot sauce, celery salt, and pepper. Fill gloss with tomato juice. Stir, taste, and adjust seasonings. Garnish with o celery stick.

The main course: Steak -- rare and bloody -- for the gladiator within, and a side of onions sautéed with garlic (both are famous aphrodisiacs) for your pre-weekend protein injection. Plus, you get healthy doses of zinc, iron, L-arginine, and a host of B vitamins.

Dessert: Dessert is for wimps. Pour yourself a large Scotch, pop a De Niro/Pacino double bill of testosterone into your VCR, sit back, crack some nuts, and watch how Bob and Al take care of business. Best pics: Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, any Godfather movie, The Devil's Advocate, and, of course, Raging Bull.

Friday's Sex Rx for Women

To start: Take a warm, relaxing bath by the light of a vanilla. scented candle while sipping a chocolate martini and fantasizing about your favorite men. (All at once, or one at a time. It's your fantasy, so let it go, girl!)

(Chocolate Martini)

1 ounce vodka

1 ounce chocolate liqueur (such as Godiva)

Crushed ice

Cocoa

Combine vodka, chocolate liqueur, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously, pour into a martini glass, and sprinkle with cocoa, Yum.

The main course: Shrimp and tofu stir-fry with brown rice for high-quality protein, calcium, and complex carbohydrates to relax and energize you. Plus, the dose of soy can help balance your hormones.

Dessert: Rent a sexy or romantic movie while you nibble on Good & Plenty and cucumbers. Good chick flicks: Woman on Top, Tom Jones, Like Water for Chocolate, or anything with Hugh Grant, Sean Cannery if you like 'em old and classy, or Ben Affleck if you like 'em wet behind the ears.

Saturday Night Special

You're both well fueled to set sexual sparks flying. To keep the flames of love and lust stoked, here's our Precoital Saturday Night Special Menu for two.

To Start: Oysters on the half shell with champagne for light protein, plenty of zinc, and the right balance of expansive and contractive energy.

Next, assorted chocolates (why wait for dessert to get things rolling?) with your favorite licorice drink (for recipes, see Chapter 5, "Licorice and Its Kissing Cousins,") to increase levels of phenylthalamine (PEA), the love chemical.

The main course: Pistacho-Basil Salmon to provide you with the inspiration and energy for mattress-shattering sex.Copyright © 2002 by Michael Albertson and Ellen Albertson