Sizzling SEX DIET

that will make you fall in love all over again

Romance dwindled in lockdown? Never in the mood after too much time together? In an intriguing new book, a top sexual therapist reveals the...

UH-OH. Right now, we are quite literally stuck with ‘him indoors’ — or her — and no other source of social life. And it’s too cold to get away from each other by pottering around the garden for an afternoon. Help!

But what if, instead of seeing this as time to just get through without plotting divorce, you decided to invest the time into reviving your relationship? What if you could swerve all the potential tension and frustration of enforced togetherness and i nstead improve the most intimate part of it? And get healthy, too?

I’m a sexual health therapist, and over years of treating couples who come to me with all kinds of problems — from mismatched libidos to performance anxiety to physical dysfunction — I’ve discovered what I think is the secret to turbo-charging a partnership.

It combines two of most people’s favourite pastimes and it’s all done at home either in the kitchen or the bedroom.

I’m talking about a Sex Diet. And I don’t just mean using chocolate and strawberries in interesting ways, though no judgment, go for it, but something much more scientific than that. The fact is, what we eat directly affects our ability to have good sex.

Partly, yes, it’s about having more energy, and a body you love — that’s bound to make sex better. But a sex diet doesn’t just mean losing a few pounds around the midriff. It’s about improving the very quality of the sex we have by regulating and boosting libido and increasing the power of our orgasms. Did you know that some natural foods can improve physical performance within a couple of hours?

This means there are quite literally ‘sex foods’. Some foods increase levels of a molecule called nitric oxide, for example, which causes what’s called vasodilation, or the widening of blood vessels. When we eat them, our arteries deliver more blood to our sex organs for a better night of lovemaking.

Of course, a handful of walnuts or a green salad at lunchtime won’t necessarily provide an instant Viagra-like boost. But the right food can undoubtedly

You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute

ACTRESS/COMEDIAN TINA FEY

improve performance over time, leading to superior, sustained sex in the l ong run. It’s better than popping a pill because it’s natural, with no negative side- effects and plenty of good ones in terms of overall health, weight loss and antiageing benefits.

Indeed, food can be the best sex therapy we’ll ever find.

So let’s use this time to get creative in the kitchen and in bed, and make the most of our time at home in every, ahem, possible way . . .

STRENGTHEN LIBIDO WITH SPINACH

AS UNSEXY as it might sound, leaves are probably the single best thing you can put in your body for great sex.

Leafy greens restore balance to the hormones affecting sex, such as cortisol, which is induced by stress and is a major libido-killer. Cortisol lowers testosterone levels, which is important for male and female sexual desire. Women with high cortisol levels have more difficulty achieving orgasm and have a lower libido.

Greens are also loaded with vital minerals and antioxidants, shown in research to improve the speed and strength of nerve signals, which directly equates to more sensitivity where it matters and thus more pleasure. They’re also a great source of calcium, which has been shown to increase desire, arousal and orgasm in menopausal women. WHAT TO EAT: Mixed green salad with handfuls of spinach, chopped kale, lettuce and watercress, dressed with vinaigrette and lots of black pepper, which is a proven aphrodisiac in itself.

GET SENSUAL WITH A SEX SMOOTHIE

YOU might wonder why as a teenager or younger adult you were guaranteed a lusty sexual experience no matter what you ate.

I recall one instance in my late teens when the ‘ romantic dinner’ I prepared for my boyfriend consisted of frozen chicken and i nstant, chemically-flavoured noodles, with zero veg or fruit. Clearly I had no idea what it meant to eat well for sex, but I don’t remember it having any impact on our eagerness to get to know each other.

The f act i s a young person’s body can take this kind of abuse in the short term. But as we mature, all that dietary fat and salt from ready meals and frozen dinners has a cumulative effect on nerve and arterial function.

Anti- oxidants can combat the damage to blood vessels and nerves and if nerves are healthy, they fire quickly and strongly, which is just what we want as our partner touches us.

Flavonoids are one form of antioxidant that are great for heart health and erectile function, and they’re easy foods to eat too. Apples, berries, leeks, parsley and celery are all good examples. Combine them with nitrate-rich foods (the leafy greens) and the benefit is even greater. And you don’t have to eat them for years to see the effects — measurable i mprovements are observed in blood vessels shortly after consumption. WHAT TO EAT: A ‘Sex Smoothie’ containing whizzed- up blueberries, spinach, banana, grated ginger and a pinch of saffron.

BOOST DESIRE WITH OMEGA 3

WHEN we talk about incredible sex and a powerful orgasm, we have to talk about blood. Or rather the vascular system. This may not sound like pillow talk, but getting it on is essentially about blood flowing freely and abundantly to all the right places.

What we eat is essential to this process, even for those of us who are in great physical shape. When we are ar oused, t hat’ s bl ood doing its thing.

So what to eat? Omega 3 fatty acids, found in oily fish, nuts and seeds, offer tremendous benefit to us in the bedroom through their anti-inflammatory, blood pressurelowering super powers.

Healthy people who eat fish at least twice a week have less vascular inflammation, which means they have better sex. Fish eaters also age better because the fatty acids prevent damage to your DNA.

Be aware of potentially harmful levels of mercury in some species like swordfish and tuna however, and stick to government guidelines i f you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant. WHAT TO EAT: Pan- seared wild salmon with steamed asparagus.

WALNUTS: THE SEXUAL SUPERFOOD

WE all know nuts are good for us. With their perfect balance of minerals and high omega 3, they l ower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Eat them for the overall health benefits — and for better sex. All sorts of nuts will do it for you. One study showed two handfuls of nuts a day can significantly increase the intensity of orgasms in men, while another suggested pistachios can improve male sexual function. Walnuts are a sexual superfood too. They’re a great source of the amino acid L- Arginine, which increases blood flow and is essential to sexual pleasure. Plus they’re loaded with phenolic antioxidants which protect the structure of arteries carrying blood to all the relevant bits. So potent are they, you can even see results by popping a