How sexy is your diet?

There is no magic food to improve our sex lives, says Heidi Shoemaker, a registered dietician at Renown Medical Center. Wouldn’t you know it, “Treating yourself well, exercising and making a few improvements to your diet will make a better overall health and energy level, which will, of course, translate into your sex life,” she says. But food certainly affects our sex lives. Find out if what you’re eating is helping or hurting yours.

True or false?
1) I more often take my fats from fish, healthy oils and nuts than from Cheetos, chicken wings and cheesecake.

2) Foods rich in L-Arginine, like granola, nuts, dairy, green veggies, root veggies, garlic, ginseng, legumes and seeds can help erectile response.

3) Anything good for my heart is good for my penis or clitoris.

4) Oysters can actually improve my sex life.

5) Wining and dining her/him is the best activity I can do to ensure my chances of getting laid.

6) Smoking can affect erectile dysfunction.

7) The Aztecs had it right when they considered the avocado—which they called testicle, or ahuacate, because they grow in pairs—an aphrodisiac.

8) Chocolate can help my love life.

Answers
1) True = 5; False = 0

Fish, certain oils and nuts are high in Omega 3 fatty acids, which can improve circulation, which can benefit sexual performance.

2) True = 5; F= 0

Improved circulation results in greater erectile response—including swelling in the clitoris and tissue surrounding the vulva—and studies show L-Arginine can help with that.

3) True = 5; False = 0

Too much saturated fat can, over time, clog arteries and, in doing so, prevent an adequate flow of blood from reaching the genital region. “If we have clogged arteries, we don’t just clog them to our brain and our heart, but we clog them to other vital parts,” says Shoemaker.

4) True = 4 False = 1

They can in that they’re good for the heart, and what’s good for the heart is good for the libido, said Bonnie Dix, M.A., R.D., of the American Dietetic Association on AOL Health. But don’t expect an instant fix.

5) True = 2; False = 5.

While it may make your date more drawn to you, an overfull belly and an over-the-top alcohol content level can mean an underwhelming night in the sack, if you even get there before falling asleep. However, good feelings obtained from pleasurable food and drink—like wine and chocolate—can result in a more amorous mood.

6) True= 5; False = 0

While not all smokers have impotency problems, smoking reduces blood circulation, which is a vital ingredient in getting and maintaining an erection. Blood flow also affects swelling in the clitoris. “Smoking affects blood flow and every cell in your body,” says Shoemaker.

7) True = 2; False = 3

Well, maybe. “Aphrodisiac” may be a stretch, but the avocado’s healthy fats, protein and potassium can’t hurt blood flow and stamina.

8) True = 4; False = 1.

Too much chocolate can make you feel bloated and cause you to gain weight, especially if it’s the sugary, milk chocolate, candy-filled variety. But moderate amounts of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate can improve mood and stress levels by reducing serotonin. “A lot of this is about mood and how we feel about ourselves and our self esteem,” says Shoemaker.

You scored ….
9–12: Your diet has all the sex appeal of a maggot.

13–20: Your diet is cute in a Michael Cera or Ellen Paige kind of way.

21–30: Your diet is causing us to have surprising fantasies about you.

31–36: Your diet is Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Maria Sharapova and Halle Berry all rolled into one.