26 Ingredients to Spice Up Your Meals - and Your Sex Life!

Sex is important in your relationship. Often after the "honeymoon" phase of the relationship ends there are times of plenty and times of drought due to life's demands and needs. Too often sex is the first to be sacrificed in a busy schedule, yet it is important in the maintenance and building of your marriage because it provides connection through closeness and vulnerability, and gives an opportunity for a healthy release of emotions, and it helps us relax. We parents could use these benefits couldn't we? Sometimes we need a little help to get in the mood, and this is where aphrodisiacs might prove useful and fun!

The word aphrodisiac comes from the goddess of love Aphrodite, who incidentally is famed with planting the first pomegranate tree. An aphrodisiac is a substance, food, or drink that adds a little something something when it comes to sexual feelings. Some of the assertions are simply passed down folklore but some foods regularly make the aphrodisiac lists as having properties that can make sex more appealing.

Va-Va-Va-Voom: The Top 12 Sexiest Foods

Sexy Valentine's Day Ingredients

Foods for Sex Drive and Performance: A study by Professor Massimo Marcone and John Melnyk at the University of Guelph addressed what foods actually had aphrodisiacal properties, saffron, and ginseng scored big.

Foods to bring the heat:

Cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander and ginger

Foods to increase feeling hormonal (in a good way):

Oysters, pine nuts, asparagus, salmon, walnuts and honey

Foods to get the blood pumping...):

Basil, Cardamom and coconut water

A Little Something for the Men:

Avocado: Good for the testes with its fatty acids and Vitamin E. Avocado was enjoyed by the Aztecs and called “Ahuacuati” meaning testical tree.

For all the Ladies in the House:

Increase Female Arousal with vanilla and blood flow "in the nether region" with pomegranates, and aniseeds

Foods to Get "High":

Chocolate. Although the verdict is still out, it could be argued - and I absolutely will - that it acts as a "feel good" substance because of certain ingredients like "phenylethylamine, which can affect the serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain" according to Professor Marcone.

Food for feeling nerve-y:

Chili Peppers, It's the Capsaicin chemical, pomegranate and its antioxidants, red wine's resveratol and Watermelon's phytonutrient citrulline each has a role to get the blood flowing, nerves stimulating and or relaxing.

Foods that cause attraction:

Celery has adronstenone and adrostenol, two chemicals that acts as an attractant and Truffles and almonds possess the sexual attraction scent.