By Christine DeLozier
Hmmm… how to celebrate Valentine’s Day? I know, you could do it how ancient Romans did! Just follow these steps: 1.) Sacrifice a couple goats, a dog, and then use the blood to do face painting on two naked, laughing priests. 2.) Feast on said sacrifices. 3.) Participate in a lottery to decide who you’ll be hooking up with. Hopefully it’s not that creepy weirdo who lives down the street. 4.) In a fertility ritual, get whipped by said naked priests to ensure that you and the creepy weirdo from down the street have lots of babies.
Not your cup of tea for 2021? Kind of picky aren’t you? Well how about a stuffed red bear then? Chocolates? Flowers? OK, maybe a simpler pleasure. Ah…yes…how about hot, delightful sex? And you can add a hot, delightful meal to bring it together. Now we’re thinking. Even though it’s always been the most popular gift since the birth of this special day, it never gets old. Probably what Saint Valentine got from his bae.
For hot sex, we want our desire to be high. We want our bodies overflowing with lust to be quenched by that special person in our lives. And we also want to have great blood flow to where we need it most. Everybody knows that males need good blood flow for sex, but most people don’t realize that it’s also critical for female sexual pleasure and arousal. In research, better blood flow was associated with greater sexual satisfaction in women.
The meal you prepare for Valentine’s day can actually help your body to experience great sex. Food affects sex hormones both in the short term and in the long run. In addition, research shows that certain foods improve the elasticity of blood vessels within a couple hours of eating them! Other foods stiffened these blood vessels in as little as 30 minutes. This means more or less blood flow depending on what we eat for dinner.
Foods to include:
Naturally nitrate-rich foods: After eating nitrate-rich foods, like beets or spinach, nitric oxide levels rise in your body, peaking about two hours after eating. Nitric oxide promotes vascular health and dilates blood vessels, allowing for more blood to flow to our penis or vagina and clitoris. It also enhances stamina by improving the delivery of oxygen to muscles, thereby reducing fatigue. If you’re balking at the idea that spinach could make that much of a difference, consider this: In one study, participants consumed one serving of spinach. Two hours later, salivary nitrate levels rose by 800%, and arteries were measurably more elastic! Be selective about those nitrates though. We’re not talking about salami and deli meat. Leaves, celery, beets, radish, red cabbage and fennel are the best choices for great sex.
Hold the salt and eat potassium-rich foods instead: According to research, about 90% of Americans consume more salt than is considered tolerable for human consumption! This wreaks havoc on our blood vessels and inhibits their ability to deliver blood to our genitals. Research shows that one high-salt meal stiffens arteries within 30 minutes and reduces nitric oxide release. Potassium, on the other hand, has the opposite effect. It softens the delicate vascular lining and increases nitric oxide release shortly after eating it. Potassium can also offset some of the effects of salt on blood vessels. Unfortunately most of us don’t get enough of it. Research has shown that shortly after eating a high-potassium meal, arteries are measurably more pliable. So, in your Valentine’s sex menu, be sure to include potato, yam, squash, mango, banana, oranges or leafy greens.
Polyphenols: Polyphenols are a class of antioxidant found in foods like cherries, onions, kale, broccoli, celery, citrus, apples and berries. They measurably improve vascular function after eating them, which is why they should be included in a sex menu.
Choose Omega 3 fats: According to research, testosterone will fall sharply after a very fatty meal. This has the potential to break the mood, since adequate testosterone is necessary for strong libido in males and females. A high-fat meal will also increase arterial stiffness within 2 hours. Arterial stiffness reduces blood flow and is not what we want for great sex. On the other hand, omega 3 fatty acids, like those found in fish, though high in fat, improved the elasticity of blood vessels in the two-hour period after eating it. Good menu choices are wild salmon, or walnuts for those following a plant-based or vegan diet.
Culinary aphrodisiacs: Some aphrodisiacs have actually been studied clinically for their effect on sexual performance and libido. Saffron, for example, has a decent amount of research to support its efficacy, and makes for an exotic addition to dinner. In fact, Cleopatra often soaked in a saffron-infused bath to prepare for her lovers. Cloves are also a great choice for a hot-sex menu because they get to work very quickly. In fact, one study found that they improved desire and performance within an hour of eating them.
Put it all together to create a meal fit for St. Valentine
Put all this information together to make a hot sex-meal. For inspiration, here’s a sample Valentine’s Day menu:
Warm-up:
Sex Juice: Get out your juicer (or use a blender and strain) and add:
-A bunch of fresh beets
-A small piece of ginger
-A hot pepper of your choice (if you don’t like spicy, you can use an apple)
Main Course:
Spinach Salad with red onions, broccoli and vinaigrette
Baked acorn squash spiced with aphrodisiac cloves, nutmeg and saffron
Wild salmon with fresh herbs. For vegans, top squash with walnuts for omega 3’s instead of eating fish.
Dessert:
Raspberry and clementine parfait
So, for the perfect Valentine’s Day, no need to think like the Romans. Instead, think hot sex, which is always a gift worth giving. Luxuriate your body and your blood vessels to awaken all that is possible from your innate sexual physiology.
ABOUT CHRISTINE DELOZIER, L.Ac.
As an acupuncturist and herbalist in private practice, Christine DeLozier, L.Ac. specializes in sexual health, treating males, females, and all orientations and identities and helping them to develop dietary habits that support their sexual goals. As a young single mom, Christine worked as a waitress and attended the University of Rochester, studying Biology and Psychology full-time. She holds Master’s degrees in Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Counseling and is a certified Holistic Nutritional Counselor. Always rather obsessed with diet, nutrition, and natural health, Christine’s philosophy is rooted in an evidence-based understanding of the physiological effect of food on the body, while honoring the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine. Learn more at ChristineDelozier.com.
