12 Ways to Feed Your Lover

If Food Be the Music of Love, Play On

Eat, drink, be merry, and don’t forget the foods of love when you plan your Valentine’s Day celebrations. Terrifically sexy food is the quickest way to put someone in the mood. You don’t need a dictionary of aphrodisiacs, just walk through the gourmet section of your market or browse a few cookbooks. There must be fifty ways to feed your lover – we’ll look at twelve of them here.

1. Aphrodisiacs – foods that make lovers hot. You’ve heard there’s no such thing? Well, age-old wisdom says there are foods that fire desire because of their shape, taste, feel, or aroma. Think marshmallows, abalone, chiles, and coconut water.

2. Red wine – it just can’t be argued. The earthy, fruity, warm, sensuous nature of grapes-gone-giddy is downright sultry. Ask your local wine expert about the masculine wines, heady Cabernet or oaky Merlot. Serve at 62 degrees in a round, wide glass.

3. Bananas. I don’t have to tell you why a banana is on the list, do I? If you’re not a visual person, try slicing it up and layering with ice cream, hot fudge, and some cherries. It may not be a sex aid, but it sure is sensual and packed with energy producing nutrients.

4. Cinnamon. Go with upscale cinnamon buns slathered in frosting or plain old snickerdoodle cookies. Try adding cinnamon extract to cream cheese and spreading it on incredible crackers. Cinnamon has been proven in more than one experiment to be the sexiest smell for men.

5. Assorted berries and cream. Valentine’s Day dessert – layer the freshest, plumpest, sweetest berries available with sweetened cream or whipped cream in a beautiful goblet. Feed them to each other – no spoons allowed.

6. Shellfish with spicy cocktail sauce. These treasures of the sea are said to have interesting powers. Everyone knows oysters do something magical, right? Capsaisin, the stuff that makes spicy foods hot, actually raises body temperature.

7. Foods high in zinc. Men can’t make seminal fluid without zinc. Stock up on these: Oysters, low fat roast beef, tasty seeds like watermelon, pumpkin, squash, and chocolate. If you can’t get him with these, you aren’t trying.

8. Lean and mean foods. When you conjure up that perfect Valentine’s Day dinner, focus on lean, low fat, delicious choices. A diet high in transfats lowers testosterone levels and sexual response in men.

9. Garlic? Are we serious? Yes, indeed, garlic is a powerhouse sexual mood enhancer according to a Fox News story that says, “Perhaps known more as a “turn off” than a “turn on,” garlic is a very effective aphrodisiac. Garlic contains a potent ingredient called allicin that increases blood flow and libido.”

10. Sushi, the romantic experience. Sushi is unprocessed, often uncooked, unadulterated sexy food. It’s beautiful to look at. The tastes tickle tongue and palate, the aromas are subtle and soft. A sushi meal is an exotic experience.

11. The traditional heart-shaped box of fine chocolates. Choose the dark, rich kind and you’ll be adding antioxidants to your health regime while you increase your Serotonin and Phenylethylamine levels. What? Those are hormones that excite and stimulate us.

12. Dinner for two. Candlelight, soft music, quiet surroundings. It doesn’t matter what the food is – we all respond to this scenario and it never loses its appeal.

If you choose to feed your lover this Valentine’s Day, do it up right. Use the best ingredients you can get and carefully put together a delicious, sensual meal. Sharing food is an age-old intimate experience that combines sustenance with pleasure and companionship. I agree with that sexiest of tenors, Luciano Pavarotti, “One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” And to each other.