HOME REMEDY: Aphrodisiacs
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, how about a few natural aphrodisiacs to spice up your Valentine’s dinner? Many cultures have their own well-known boosts – some either increase blood flow and are warming so you feel more active, or they affect certain hormones, though I’m not sure this would happen after one dinner. The classic aphrodisiac of oysters fall into this latter category as they are rich in zinc, which balances the hormones: Zinc affects the male hormone testosterone.
So for 14 February, let’s focus on the first lot – warming and spicy – cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, chilli and garlic fit this bill, though maybe not garlic on Valentine’s. Whatever you cook, add as many of these as you want, keeping away from heavy carbs, and save room for the best aphrodisiac at the end – dark chocolate.
Dark chocolate is reputed to contain phenylethylamine, a chemical that mimics the hormone your body produces during sex. Or why not skip the meal – and the partner – and settle down with a bar of 70% dark chocolate instead.
Sof McVeigh: www.thehomemadecompany.com
So for 14 February, let’s focus on the first lot – warming and spicy – cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, chilli and garlic fit this bill, though maybe not garlic on Valentine’s. Whatever you cook, add as many of these as you want, keeping away from heavy carbs, and save room for the best aphrodisiac at the end – dark chocolate.
Dark chocolate is reputed to contain phenylethylamine, a chemical that mimics the hormone your body produces during sex. Or why not skip the meal – and the partner – and settle down with a bar of 70% dark chocolate instead.
Sof McVeigh: www.thehomemadecompany.com