Mitzi Dulan- America's Nutrition Expert » foods http://nutritionexpert.com/blog Credible information about health, nutrition, fitness, food, diet, and weight loss, recipes, fun/ Mon, 21 May 2012 13:29:51 +0000 en hourly 1 5 Aphrodisiac Foods http://nutritionexpert.com/blog/2010/02/5-aphrodisiac-foods/ http://nutritionexpert.com/blog/2010/02/5-aphrodisiac-foods/#comments Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:31:41 +0000 America's Nutrition Expert: Mitzi Dulan, RD, CSSD http://nutritionexpert.com/blog/?p=1211 Post to Twitter Tweet This Post   Post to Facebook

If months were a deck of cards, February would undoubtedly be the Queen of Hearts. From Valentine’s Day, to it being a Heart Healthy Month…it’s hard not to notice the red and pink hearts, flowers and balloons all over the place…and that feeling of wanting to fall in love all over again.

On February 5th, I tweeted about how chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), a hormone that studies have found correlates with falling in love in the brain. What if I were to tell you, there are other foods that just might give you the same happy-go-lucky feeling as falling in love?

5 Aphrodisiac Foods
  1. Salmon (or other cold-water fish) – elevates mood (vitamin B12) and prevents depression (omega-3 fatty acids); also note that omega-3 fatty acids are responsible for raising serotonin levels in the brain which regulate your mood and reduce irritability (regularly incorporate fish into diet for maximum benefits.
  2. Bananas – rich in vitamin B6 which is known for building serotonin levels and elevating your mood; if you regularly drink alcohol or are taking birth control pills, you could be depleting your body of vitamin B6
  3. Avocados - act as a mood booster because they are rich with folic acid, vitamin B6 and potassium and known to boost immune system as well
  4. Almonds - poets/scribes believed that aroma of this arouses female passion; rich in vitamin E, magnesium and fiber that will undoubtedly make you feel healthier and happier
  5. Chocolate – known to release pleasure-enhancing endorphins into the brain and is a stimulant that is associated with love and attraction (contains PEA as mentioned above)

This February, don’t worry, EAT HAPPY…and fall in love.

Written by Mitzi Dulan with research assistance provided by Monica Lobo.

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