8 Diet Tips to Enhance Intimacy

Your diet could improve your relationship...

You've likely heard the phrase "you are what you eat." But did you know that what you put into your body has the power to help enhance your intimate life as well? And when your intimate life is good, your relationship with your significant other will undoubtedly be even better. Along with a good diet and exercise, adding libido-boosting fruits and vitamins into your diet can be a fun way to do your body good while you get closer to your partner.

Have fun preparing some of these foods with your partner and eat your way to a more fulfilling intimate life.

Eat zinc-rich foods

According to research, zinc can boost libido and desire – as well as help maintain testosterone levels – making this mineral a key component of your daily diet. Eating a handful of almonds, pumpkin seeds, or oysters are great ways to get your zinc on.

Cut out the fatty, fried and processed

For men, eating poorly (think fast food and trans-fat) can lead to decreased sexual function. Artery-clogging foods not only cause heart attacks and excess belly fat but they can also create restricted blood flow down below, leading to erectile dysfunction. A healthy diet full of fruits, veggies and lean meat is crucial for men's overall well-being – and performance in bed.

Drink milk

While trans-fat is bad for your sex life, natural, saturated animal fats give it a boost. Foods like whole milk, butter and cream actually help our bodies produce sex hormones. So, forget the low-fat stuff every now and then and indulge in fat to reap the full benefits of dairy on your desire levels.

Have fun preparing some of these foods with your partner and eat your way to a more fulfilling intimate life...

Fill up on leafy greens

Eating greens is good for your overall health, but these antioxidant-rich foods also help block desire-dulling toxins from lowering your libido, according to recent research. Stock your fridge with spinach, arugula, kale and swiss chard to reap the benefits in the bedroom.

Crack an egg

Eggs are packed with vitamins B5 and B6, and eating them regularly can combat stress and help keep your hormones on an even keel. While you may not want to eat them every day (they also have a lot of cholesterol), eggs in moderation are a key sex-life stabilizer.

Peel a banana

Talk about an aphrodisiac: for men, bananas are a libido-enhancing superfood, since they are filled with the bromeliad enzyme. But because this phallic fruit is also chock full of both vitamin B and potassium, it helps both sexes with the production of sex hormones.

Sip red wine

If you want to boost your libido, grab a glass of wine – or two. One study found that women who have two glasses of red wine a day had more desire than those who don’t drink or prefer other alcoholic beverages. Sip some Cabernet or Merlot on your next date night and feel the exciting effects of this drinkable aphrodisiac in action.

Indulge with chocolate

Chocolate is a known sex-booster. Full of methylxanthines, a stimulant is known to increase the body's sensitivity, chocolate is a treat that's worth giving in to on occasion. To up the desire factor, try incorporating a bit of edible body chocolate in the bedroom.

It’s not about how many libido-boosting foods you can incorporate into your diet, but rather how you incorporate them into you and your partner’s relationship. You don’t have to be a world-class chef to have fun prepping some of these foods together. Half the fun is in the prep – knowing the food you created together will bring you closer together – even if it’s a simple garden salad.

References

• Health: Seven Foods for Better Sex
• Web MD: Protect Your Erection: 11 Tips
• Shape: 25 Superfoods for Better Sex

About the Author

Journalist Natasha Burton has written for Cosmopolitan for Latinas, Maxim, Cosmopolitan.com, and WomansDay.com, among others. The author of "101 Quizzes for Couples" and "The Little Black Book of Big Red Flags," she is regularly called on as a relationship expert by various media outlets around the world.

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