Sensual CookingThere’s been little doubt that sensual cooking with sexy foods can have an impact on your libido. Lovers have long known and identified certain aphrodisiacs to whet the appetite for romance and amour. These ingredients flush blood to our extremities, and the heated sensations that follow their ingestion can easily lead to what comes naturally. Since very few scientific studies have been used to determine effects, their reputations are largely hearsay. But that hearsay has been handed down through generations for good reason. If they didn’t work at all, their reputation would never have been established.
Although naysayers say there aren’t enough of these chemicals to produce significant results, this sweet drug offers hundreds of other chemical compounds which put us in a good mood, receptive, and open to romance. Other ingredients for sensual cooking are Oysters, chickpeas, and arugula. Oysters became a reputed aphrodisiac in the 18th century when lover Casanova is reputed to have ingested 50 for breakfast every morning. Rich in zinc, they help the body produce testosterone while giving a noticeable boost to respiration and body temperature, all physical signs of arousal. Add to that the three unusual amino acids that act as stimulants and increase progesterone, and all the tell-tale signs of sexual stimulation have begun. Their soft and supple mouthful along with their aroma, have made them the ultimate aphrodisiac. Chickpeas, more for males, have been used as an Arabic stimulant potion. Mixed with powdered onions and honey, they give a boost to his britches. From the 16th century, Flemish botanist, Dodonaeus, insisted that they increased sperm count. Maybe that’s why Romans fed chickpeas to their stallions to assist in breeding. And although Arugula is not the most popular aphrodisiac, it has been used as such since the first century, A.D. Associated with the minor Roman God of fertility, Priapus, it is rich in vitamin A, a deficiency of which can result in decreased production of sex hormones. Other ingredients for sensual cooking are truffle mushrooms, ginger root and Ginkgo Nuts. The Truffle mushroom is said to have an amorous effect on women. Its pheromone called androstenol, emits a musky odor that reeks of sex, and because of that, stimulates the libido. Ginkgo nuts are proven to stimulate blood circulation and are revered as an aphrodisiac in Chinese herbal medicine, despite their unpleasant odor. Once the outer layer is peeled, the ginkgo has a mild and sweet flavor. And Ginger, which originated in Asia, as been hailed as a natural aphrodisiac for centuries, particularly in women. It blocks an enzyme called phosphodiesterase, which leads to certain vascular changes, increasing circulation in and around the genitals for an internal arousal that inspires amour. There are countless herbs which must be mentioned in sensual cooking. Chili peppers for the capsaicin that provides a pepper’s heat, stimulates nerve endings, raises pulses, and flat-out makes you sweat. Damiana, an herb from Mexico, whose main ingredient acts as a natural sexual stimulant, boasts “power to induce emotion and feeling”. And last but certainly not least, nutmeg, which also acts as a stimulant to the nervous system. In a 2003 study nutmeg was found to increase mating behaviors in mice. Two years later, another investigation suggested that the spice, which is actually a seed of an evergreen tree, acted as a stimulant on the nervous system and thus increased sexual behavior in men, as well. There’s no getting around it. If you need a little help from nature to stimulate your libido, sensual cooking is a safe, viable alternative to encouraging our life force.
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