6 Foods to Boost Your Sex Drive

Modern life is quite hectic for most of us, and between stress, smart phones, and poor lifestyle habits, many people suffer from low libido. Can you relate? The good news is we can all do something about it. In addition to improving your physical fitness and reducing stress by adding in more time to relax and unwind, you can look to your daily diet to boost your sex drive.

Food has a fascinating ability to boost libido and amp up your pleasure. The foods you eat have a dramatic effect on many sex factors, including energy level, stamina, blood flow, lubrication, and mood. Your body needs a daily dose of fresh and healthy foods to stay vibrant, hydrated, and (let's face it) turned on.

If you want to boost your sex drive with a few simple additions to your daily diet, try eating more of the following foods, and have a little fun with it. With the right combination, you can boost your sex drive in as little as a few hours.

Ginger, Vanilla and Pumpkinseeds

Ginger
Spicy and pungent ginger root stimulates your circulatory system by opening up blood vessels, increasing blood flow to the genital areas, and therefore stimulating pleasurable sensations. Try grating fresh ginger into stir-fry meals or adding a tablespoon size piece of ginger to a fresh fruit juice.

Vanilla
The smell of food is one of the most powerful and well-known mood boosters. Vanilla is perhaps the most popular scent when it comes to romance, and it has been used throughout history to treat impotency, erectile dysfunction, and libido loss. While scientific proof of vanilla's health benefits is still up for debate, the relaxing and romantic scent alone has proven time and again to peak the interest of both men and women in the bedroom. Try wearing a vanilla-based fragrance, adding vanilla extract to baked cookies, muffins, or cake to fill the air with the scent, or burning vanilla-scented candles to enhance the sexy mood throughout your home.

Pumpkin Seeds
These green seeds are rich in zinc, a testosterone-boosting mineral that health expert Mehmet Oz, M.D. dubbed the "ultimate sex mineral." Pumpkin seeds can help your body produce more testosterone and in turn boost your sexual desire. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over salads, granola, or cereal for an extra daily dose of zinc.

Maca Root, Dark Chocolate and Flaxseeds

Maca Root
This Peruvian herb used by both ancient and modern civilizations all over the world is known to have many powerful health benefits, including improved sexual stamina, endurance, and energy. Hyla Cass, M.D., a psychiatrist and functional medicine physician, says maca root can "restore hormonal imbalance and related sexual desire and fertility in both men and women." For a quick and easy way to eat maca root, add a spoonful of powdered maca to a blended smoothie or juice for breakfast.

Dark Chocolate
While it's simply pleasurable to eat, dark chocolate containing 75 percent or more cacao (the pure source of chocolate) boosts dopamine levels in your brain, making you feel happier and more in the mood. Like ginger, dark chocolate improves circulation by opening up blood vessels and easing blood flow throughout the body.

Flaxseeds
Author of the book "Pleasure," Hilda Hutcherson, M.D. says that getting enough fats is vital to sexual drive. Without enough healthy fats in your diet, "your hormone levels may decrease, and so will your desire." One of the most potent sources of healthy omega-3 fats, ground flaxseeds are easy to sprinkle into any meal such as oatmeal, soups, or casseroles, adding a subtle sweet and nutty flavor.