Eating for better sex

When I look around, I notice this new trend focused on wellness, fitness and better nutrition.

Almost every weekend there is another 5k run and gyms are opening all over the place. People are much more aware of nutrition and they are trying to improve their health. I love this trend and I have personally benefited from changing to a healthier diet and lifestyle so I know that there are advantages.

While this trend grows, I have observed that there is a gap in the focus because while many persons are trying to shrink their waistlines, they have seemed to not make the connection with their sexual health and nutrition.

The truth is there are foods that you can eat to directly improve your sexual health and they are delicious. Here are some of them:

Avocado (pear)

Avocados are rich in unsaturated fats and low in saturated fat, making them good for your heart and your arteries. Anything that keeps the heart beating strong helps keep blood flowing to all the right places; in fact, men with underlying heart disease are twice as likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction.

Almonds

Almonds have long been purported to increase passion, act as a sexual stimulant, and aid with fertility. Almonds are nutrient-dense and rich in several trace minerals that are important for sexual health and reproduction, such as zinc, selenium, and vitamin E. Zinc s commonly known to help enhance libido and sexual desire.

Strawberries

Strawberries are a popular aphrodisiac because it's full of libido-boosting properties. They are also an excellent source of folic acid, a B vitamin that helps ward off birth defects in women and, according to a University of California, Berkley study, may be tied to high sperm counts in men.

Seafood

Oysters are the most well-known aphrodisiac - mostly because of the way the look and their slippery texture. They're also one of the best sources of libido-boosting zinc. But other types of seafood can also act as aphrodisiacs. Oily fishlike wild salmon and herringcontain , which are essential for a healthy heart.

Citrus Fruits

Any member of this tropical fruit family is super-rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, and folic acidall of which are essential for men's reproductive health. Enjoy a romantic salad that incorporates citrus, like pink grapefruit or mandarin oranges, or use a dressing made with lemon and lime.

Callaloo

Callalloo is a staple in most Jamaican homes. Today, research reveals that the trace minerals and antioxidants packed into dark, leafy greens, like callalloo are essential for our sexual health because they help block absorption of some of the environmental contaminants thought to negatively impact our libido.

Nutrition is important for the entire body but consuming these foods will give that added boost to your sexual health as well as contribute to your overall well being. Our sexual health affects the other systems in our body and sex is a human need, so it is vital that we nurture our bodies that we operate at the optimum. So don't just eat clean, you can also eat sexy.

Send your questions or comments to sexychatwithshelly@gmail.com or Tweet me @drsexyann or Facebook www.facebook.com/allaboutthesexy Website: www.drsexyann.com

Question

Dear Dr. Sexy-Ann,

I'm n love with a married man. He keeps telling me that it's over with his wife but whenever she calls he goes running. They have a child together and I believe that she is using the child to control him. He lives with me but on the weekends he has to stay by his wife to spend time with his son. I don't want to get between him and his child but I don't know why he has to sleep over. I am annoyed but he seems to be afraid of his wife. I cannot live like this any longer. He needs to make a choice. What should I do?

Camille, Spanish Town

Dear Camille,

I know you are frustrated but you have to be realistic with your expectations where this man is concerned. His wife and son are permanent, they are not going anywhere. Yes, he may eventually legally divorce her, but they are permanently connected through their child. It's a package deal. The other thing is, it seems to me you need to back off and let him work out what he intends to do about his marriage - he needs to not be living with you. He has to make that choice and you have to be prepared to deal with the outcome, no matter what it is. There are elements at play that are out of your control so you have to let it play out. At which time you may have to move on. But as it is now, you are only frustrating yourself further by being in the middle of his 'failed marriage'.

Good luck

Dr Sexy-Ann