Health Talk --- By Dr. Joe Esposito

The Food Sex Connection: Pt 3 - Alcohol & Fatty Foods

Alcohol is the most obvious "food" that can effect our love lives. Alcohol decreases the body's ability to produce testosterone, which is also known as the sex drive hormone. We may act on impulse when drinking, however, our ability to sense stimulation is diminished inversely to the amount we drink. The more we drink, the less ability we have to fully enjoy the stimulus. A little alcohol may feel like it is relaxing us but in reality, it is not the best thing for us romantically.

Meats and dairy products are well known to increase our risk of hardening of the arteries. The hardening of the arteries, as we have already discussed, will lead to a myriad of problems. These foods are also higher in fats than other foods we may choose for our romantic meals. Fats have a tendency to cause your red blood cells to clump together. Your red blood cells carry oxygen all over the body, including the erogenous zones. A decrease in oxygen will prevent the organs from working at their peak performance and not allow you to fully experience the pleasures being made available to you. This explains why many people will feel tired and sluggish after a high fat meal. Think how you feel after a high fat meal as compared to a low fat meal and you will understand why a high fat meal is not the meal of choice for a romantic dinner. It also takes a lot more energy to digest a heavy, fatty meal. The last thing you want is to use up precious energy when you can be using that energy for more important things.

Fatty foods have been long known as things you want to avoid for numerous reasons including increasing your risk of heart disease and cancer, however not all fatty foods are bad. In fact, some fatty foods can be a good thing for increasing libido activity and actually reducing your risk of heart disease and cancer. The good fats are called essential fatty acids and are found in fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts. The secret to making sure the essential fatty acids are doing the job they are designed to do is to be sure that you don't heat them too much. When any fat is heated too much, it will begin to hydrogenate. When oil is hydrogenated it can lead to hardening of the arteries, also known as "Arteriosclerosis." When you read the labels on many packaged or processed foods, often times, the words Hydrogenated or Partially Hydrogenated Oil are listed. Stay away from these foods. Foods high in essential fatty acids help to produce hormones called Prostaglandin's that help in increasing the sex drive and in heightening your level of pleasure. Too much fat, even good fat, is not a good idea. Too few essential fatty acids will actually decrease you sex drive. This becomes an issue with very low fat and no fat diets. You may loose weight, however, the long-term damages not only bedroom activity but all functions of your body can be devastating. Eating a good source of good fats avocado, raw nuts, and lots of raw fruit and vegetables every day will make those romantic interludes even better.

--- (c) Dr. Joe Esposito

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