There are some great foods that you can incorporate into your diet that are heart-healthy and will do wonders for your sex life! Cooking together with a romantic partner encourages intimacy and connection — so prepare meals together.

Stay away from foods that contain excess amounts of caffeine — they reduce libido.  And stay away from foods that may make you feel bloated and gassy (cabbage, broccoli, onions). Selenium, manganese and of course, zinc, are also vital in regulating hormones and revving up sex drive and are found in various fruits and vegetables, so include a salad with meals if you want some action later. This is very exciting news, so start preparing.

Foods for a better sex life:

Bananas, carrots, asparagus. 
Bananas, carrots and asparagus are all erotic stimulants because of their phallic resemblance.  Asparagus contain folate, which boosts histamine production necessary for the ability to reach orgasm in both sexes.  Plus, watching you eat asparagus, a phallic food, is sure to get him in the mood.

Red wine.
Red wine is healthy for your heart and your romantic moods!  It may help prevent blood clots and reduce the blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits. It is also a particularly rich source of antioxidants which raise HDL (good) cholesterol.  It lowers inhibitions and stimulates appetite so add a glass of wine to a romantic dinner!

Oysters.
Oysters have long been considered the food of love, and legend has it that Casanova ate dozens of oysters a day — once even seducing a vestal virgin by sliding an oyster from his lips.  Oysters carry a hefty dose of zinc. Zinc has been linked to male fertility, potency, sex drive, and is essential for sperm production. The daily requirement for zinc can be gained by eating just one oyster, so imagine what serving your boyfriend/husband an appetizer of a few oysters can do …  schwing!  If oysters aren’t his thing, turkey, lean beef, and beans are other good sources of zinc.

Champagne.
 So you’ve already heard the buzz that a daily glass of wine raises good cholesterol and helps prevent arteries from clogging. But alcohol, especially champagne, can also improve your health and your sex life. Like many mind-altering substances, a glass or two of champagne will lower inhibitions and help ease any couple into an amorous mood. 
 
Pistachios.
Besides providing protein to help increase stamina, pistachios are heavy in healthful mono-saturated fats, zinc and other nutrients that are linked with increased sexual desire. Pistachios also have a greater portion size than any other nut, so you can eat 49 kernels (1 serving) and still feel thin and sexy.
 
Artichokes.
This nutrient-dense, peculiar plant was once considered such a powerful aphrodisiac that women were banned from eating it. According to Martha Hopkins, co-author of “Inter-Courses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook,” part of the appeal of the artichoke may be that you have to work hard to “get past the spiked leaves to get to the velvety-smooth heart.” 
 
Spices.
The right spices not only heat things up on the tongue, but also in the bedroom.  Capsaicin, the substance that gives kick to peppers, stimulates nerve endings to release chemicals, raising the heart rate and possibly triggering the release of endorphins, giving you the pleasurable feeling of a natural high.  “Chili pepper and ginger help improve circulation,” says Dix. “And hot spices like cayenne, curry and cumin help warm the body.”  The intoxicating aromas of exotic spices help infuse romance into the atmosphere.
 
Avocado.
According to the Doctrine of Signatures, food aids the part of the body it resembles. In fact, the Aztecs valued the avocado as an aphrodisiac and named it “ahuacale” or testicle because they grow in pairs. Though science can neither confirm nor deny that this fruit will get your fire going, it will give you fuel in the form of healthy fats, protein and potassium.
 
Chocolate.
Don’t skip dessert!  Eating chocolate causes the release of mood-boosting, stress-reducing serotonin. The sweet stuff also causes a release of phenylethylamine, which causes changes in blood pressure and blood-sugar levels, leading to feelings of excitement conducive to lovemaking. Just make sure to choose antioxidant-rich dark chocolate.

Even smells of certain foods have been found to be sexually arousing, according to studies at the Smell and Taste Foundation in Chicago, notably:

For men: Pumpkin pie and buttered popcorn
For women: Licorice candy

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of Skinnyandthecity.com.    She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

We’ve been hearing a lot about the gram negative bacteria Salmonella this summer, a strain of which to date has sickened over 1,000 people across 42 states. First we thought it was contaminating tomatoes, and the industry took a multi-million dollar hit. Lately the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shifted its focus to cilantro, jalapenos, serrano and other peppers used in salsa.  I think there are several lessons we can learn from this mystery:

• Though Salmonella doesn’t sicken produce, it does sicken humans. Unfortunately, it is developing an ability in some species to deeply infect and spread among produce. The current strain, Salmonella Saint Paul, although it is not more virulent than other common strains - causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and cramping, it is more easily spread.
• There is an inadequate tracing or regulating of produce entering the U.S.  The USDA regulates farming, and the FDA regulates food, but too often food safety falls in the gap between these two agencies.
• Salmonella and other bacteria that are prevalent in cattle and chickens, can easily be spread by irrigation or by food handlers to our produce. We can partially protect ourselves from salmonella in our meats by cooking them thoroughly, but we eat many of our fruits and vegetables raw.  This raises the stakes for more effectively tracking our produce.
• Washing produce is not effective at completely removing pathogenic bacteria like salmonella. Chemicals which are useful in the food handling process such as chlorine dioxide (kills salmonella more than 95 percent of the time) are not commonly used. Genetic splicing techniques and irradiation are other ways to make produce more resistant to bacteria.

Despite a continuing concern in the media over the salmonella outbreak, it is also important to keep in mind this summer that your chances of getting sick from eating salsa or peppers remains extremely low.  Unfortunately, mystery and lack of answers from our federal agencies breed fear and cause us all to personalize the risk. It is hard to eat a delicious fruit or vegetables right after seeing it practically criminalized in the news without thinking you could be infected next. Many of my patients have told me their concern that the last case of diarrhea or nausea they got was really the terrorist Salmonella Saint Paul in disguise.

Statistically, chances are slim of getting salmonella poisoning.  Our food remains largely safe. 76 million Americans get sick from food every year, but this number is much better than any other time in history. We should be able to raise the need to better regulate the growing and handling and importing of our food while at the same time continuing to enjoy eating it.

Marc Siegel MD is an internist and associate professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. He is a Fox News Medical Contributor and writes a health column for LA Times, where he examines TV and movies for medical accuracy. Dr. Siegel is the author of False Alarm: the Truth About the Epidemic of Fear (Wiley 2005) and Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic (Wiley 2006). Read more at www.doctorsiegel.com

You can use chiles as often as you wish in your dishes for flavor and for health. Chiles of all types, like chipotle and other hot chiles, are high in minerals and antioxidants, giving a healthy boost to your immune system. Another interesting note about this powerfood is that although it is hot to taste, it actually has a cooling effect on your body. Blood rushes to the periphery of your body in response to the hot taste, and then the blood cools down before moving more to the center of your body, where your temperature is higher. That is why Latinos in hot tropical countries instinctively eat hot and spicy foods. Though many equate chiles with Mexico, they can be found in varied colors and shapes, as well as all different degrees of hotness, throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

There’s something called capsaicin in hot peppers that offers a whole host of benefits: it helps digestion, fights against stomach ills like diarrhea, bacterial infections, and even heart disease. In fact, it’s been associated with lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, and even warding off strokes and heart attacks. And even beyond that, new research indicates that capsaicin actually reduced cancer cell growth in laboratory experiments. Well, it’s not like I needed and excuse to have my food sparky, but now I’m giving you yours!