We all think about nutrition to pique our performance in the gym, or even at work, and why not in the bedroom too?
“There are some foods thats can make you feel tired, lethargic and bloated, and these can interfere with great sex,” says Lorraine Perretta, a nutritional therapist and resident expert at Advanced Nutrition Programme. “So the thinking is, ‘I’m going to have sex this evening, what should I avoid ordering for dinner?’”
Lorraine says to steer clear of foods that take a long time to digest. “Large meals can focus the body’s energy and blood flow to digestion rather than sex,” she explains. “Meat can take up to four hours to digest.” Likewise, she says that heavy carbohydrates are likely to leave you feeling lethargic and sleepy, not a recipe for optimum coital performance. “Carbs like potatoes, bread, and pasta are likely to raise the blood sugar levels for the short term but a couple of hours later the sugar levels crash and so does energy,” says Lorraine.
Anything that disrupts the bacteria of your gut is not likely to leave you feeling particularly sexy either. “When the unfriendly bacteria fed, they can produce toxins which results in bloating, wind and abdominal discomfort,” explains Lorraine. No-one wants to start a night of passion feeling gassy, so to avoid upsetting the gut, Lorraine says to lay off the sugar, caffeine and alcohol.
On the other hand, foods rich in fibre are an ideal source of nourishment for the gut bacteria. Anything fermented is good, according to Lorraine, so think Korean kimchi or sauerkraut
“Eating lots of fruit, vegetables and oily fish gives you body the vitamins and minerals to increase testosterone, the sex drive hormone for men and women,” says Lorraine. Studies have shown that vitamin D helps to boost your testosterone, so foods that are rich in vitamin D are a good start – think oily fish, portobello mushrooms and tofu.
“There are reports that the bodily fluids of vegetarians taste better than meat eaters’,” says Lorraine, although she does add that she hasn’t seen any research into this. Among the foods that are rumoured to sweeten your (ahem) flavour are greens like wheatgrass, while on the other hand garlic, caffeine, red meat and onions are supposed to make men’s semen taste worse.