Yahoo Lifestyle Eat yourself sexy
A rockin’ love life is plain old good for you. But when your desire is more simmer than scorch, here’s some advice: roll out of bed and head to the supermarket. “To feel sexy, you need to eat foods that make you feel energised and help you have optimal levels of hormones,” says nutritionist and naturopath Emma Sutherland.
Eat yourself hot
Don’t waste time rolling in chocolate body butter or searching out obscure African herbs to get yourself in the mood. This eating plan, devised exclusively for WH readers by Sutherland, contains all the nutrients you need to get your blood pumping. “You’ll also have better resistance to stress – you won’t feel like you could snap any second,” she says. An added bonus, Sutherland says you’ll drop a few extra kilos if they’ve been hanging around your middle.
DAYS | Breakfast | Snack | Lunch | Snack | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MON | Spinach and mushroom omelette | Apple with handful of walnuts | Tuna salad with avocado, pomegranate & flaxseed oil/mustard dressing | Natural yoghurt with fresh fruit and chia seeds | Grilled pepper steak with French beans & broccoli |
TUES | Smoked salmon with steamed asparagus | Hummus and vegetable sticks | Turkey wrap with salad & avocado on flatbread | Pear with handful of almonds | Grilled salmon steak with green salad & pomegranate |
WED | Poached eggs on rye sourdough with mushrooms | 2 rice cakes with avocado or tahini | Lemongrass and chilli marinated chicken drumsticks | One or two boiled eggs | Glazed chilli chicken with ginger & bok choy |
THURS | Cinnamon stewed fruit with quinoa/amaranth porridge | Natural yoghurt with fresh fruit and chia seeds | Salmon and green bean salad | 2 corn cakes with avocado | Lamb cutlets with steamed asparagus, beans and quinoa |
FRI | Feta scrambled eggs | Pear with handful of walnuts | Chicken salad with rocket, pomegranate, grilled zucchini | 2 corn cakes with avocado or tahini | Cajun crusted tuna with salsa and quinoa with roasted pumpkin |
SAT | Smoothie with protein powder, coconut water, Acai powder, natural yogurt and frozen berries | One or two boiled eggs | Lentil and vegetable patties | Fresh avocado dip and vegetable sticks | Vegetable frittata with Greek salad |
SUN | Bircher muesli with berries, yoghurt & chia seeds | Fresh avocado dip and vegetable sticks | Minestrone and quinoa soup | Apple with handful of walnuts | Salmon fillet with steamed asparagus, green beans & broccoli |
FAT IS SEXY
Literally. “Quality essential fatty acids (EFAs) are the building blocks for oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone; hormones you need for a healthy sex drive. If you’re not eating them, you can’t make the right amount of hormones,” says Sutherland. Many women skimp on fats as a first port of call for a tight waistband, which is a big mistake, Sutherland says. “This means not only dieting your way into unsexiness, but good fats are essential for weight control.”
A study in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders found that a low kJ diet enriched with almonds (high in monounsaturated fats) helps shed kilos more effectively than a low kJ diet high in complex carbs.
Do eat walnuts, chia seeds, fish, avocado, seeds, good quality muesli, flaxseed oil, full-fat dairy.
ROCKET FUEL
There’s a reason why nutritionists bang on about berries and pomegranates. They’re full of antioxidants, another key to feeling ready for action. Eating nutritionally dense foods is key. “There is evidence that foods might make you a nicer person to have around as a partner, by reducing the symptoms of relationship-wrecking PMS – premenstrual syndrome,” says Jill Fullerton-Smith, author of The Truth About Food. Certain foods are also “anti” nutrients and can kill your sex drive – white foods like sugar, cakes and white bread. “Don’t eat too many things in packets – that’s the best way to avoid erratic blood sugar levels,” says Sutherland.
Do eat berries, bananas, pears, spinach, green beans, rocket, apples, olives, asparagus.
EAT MORE PROTEIN
“Your neurotransmitters – brain chemicals central to memory, mood, sleep, pain perception and sexual urge – are made of protein. So you want them to be talking to each other effectively,” says Sutherland. Translation: if you’re not hitting your protein RDA – and up to a third of women aged 20-40 aren’t, found US Department of Agriculture data – your body and your brain are on low power. Filling up on protein also keeps your blood sugar levels steady, which makes you an all-round calmer person to be around and, (bonus!): “When you’re feeling relaxed your libido will naturally shine,” says Sutherland.
Do eat salmon, quinoa, lamb, tuna, feta, natural yoghurt, smoked salmon, steak, hummus, turkey, eggs, chicken, eggs.
