Article Surfing Archive

Dinner dates with new companions can make or break a budding romance. First dates can be nerve racking. Planning the date can be particularly difficult. Where should you go, what should you do and what would be enjoyable? You might worry that your date will not like the restaurant, the food or worse yet, the company. Once the date begins you may sometimes struggle with conversation, feel awkward and suffer from anxiety. Don't be ashamed, it happens to everyone.

The absolute best and incomparable sort of dinner date you can arrange is one that you prepare yourself at your own home. In this scenario you can be the male or the female, it does not matter. When a guy cooks for a girl, the woman feels special, elated, curious and very vulnerable because the man is in complete and total control. And when the woman cooks for her special guy, she gets to showcase any special culinary talents which can serve as a hint of more to come. When you cook for someone at home you can control the food, the ambiance, the music and even the romance. You are also alone. You have a little bit less stress on both parties because you are not in front of a crowd of other diners and waiters, you can forget about small formalities and you have a better opportunity to be yourselves. And not to mention cooking for someone is incredibly romantic in itself. It shows heart, thoughtfulness and a generous effort to please the other person.

The definition of an aphrodisiac is something that arouses or intensifies sexual desire. There are hundreds of different natural foods and herbs that are thought to be aphrodisiacs usually stemming from folklore and myths. To be exact, there are no foods that will turn on sexual desire like the flick of a switch. No scientific tests have ever concluded that certain foods will suddenly make you feel 'in the mood'. Forget about Spanish fly. All that ever did was aggravate the urinal tract causing people to confuse the tingling sensation in their pelvic region with one of a sexual nature. However, there are certain natural foods that can help alter and guide the moment, and you might be surprised.

Asparagus may be at the top of list as a natural aphrodisiac. It contains healthy doses of natural vitamins and minerals including the two major 'sex vitamins': vitamins D and E. Vitamin D is responsible for hormone production including sex hormones while vitamin E is responsible for increasing the amount of oxygenated blood being pumped into your sex organs. Notably, asparagus has always been considered an aphrodisiac even in the past because of its phallic appearance. The rest of the nutrients in asparagus increase vitality and work to energize the body by erradicating ammonia. Other foods rich in the sex vitamins are eggs and sunflower seeds. I don't think we can work in the eggs for a romantic dinner, but try sprinkling your salad with some delicious sunflower seeds.

Another aphrodisiac at the top of the list are chiles. Not only do chiles increase the heart rate, they also release endorphins into the body. Spicy foods in general help the body to increase its production of these so called 'happy hormones' which are utilized by the body to cope with the burn. But the hormones have another effect, they give us a natural high. Chocolate, a popular aphrodisiac, also helps increase the endorphin rush. Oysters on the half shell are not as potent as you might think. They contain very little nutritional value and the effect they have are on men, not women. First, the sweet and salty smell is very similar to the female pheromone and second, they contain a high amount of the zinc mineral which is a key ingredient for testosterone production.

Aphrodisiacs do not have to have an effect on the body as described above. Delicious and fragrant smells can put people in the right mood and even make people feel more comfortable. For example, men are insatiably attracted to the smell of apple-cinnamon candles while women are pleased with smell of lavender and rosemary spices. Use your imagination with the food selection as well. Some foods are just sexy. Grapes and champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, artichokes with hollandaise sauce and lamb chops are just a few of my favorites.