Top 10 Foods for Better Sex

Posted on Dec 1st 2009 2:54PM by Men's Health

Filed Under: Diet & Weight Loss, Men's Fitness

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Provided by Men's Health

The article you are about to read is based on the simple notion that (a) men like food and (b) men like sex, so (c) wouldn't it be great if you could actually eat your way to more fun in the bedroom?

Grunt if you agree. Or maybe just sharpen your knife and fork. With help from nutritionists and the latest research, we've discovered 10 superfoods that can help you at every age and stage of your sex life -- whether it's seducing women in your 20s, producing Mini-Me's in your 30s, or inducing your equipment to keep working in your 40s and beyond.

"Whether you've got a stamina-busting deficiency, clogged arteries that are limiting bloodflow, or a problem producing high-quality sperm, some simple changes to your diet could help alleviate the condition," says Elizabeth Ward, R.D., a Boston-based nutrition consultant. Meaning: Tweak your diet today and you could be having the best sex of your life tomorrow . . . and every day for the rest of your life.

Click on the gallery below to learn which foods can help you have great sex at any age. Note: You'll need to disable your pop-up blocker.

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Celery
The benefit: Stop stalking, start seducing.

It's stringy and tastes like crunchy water, but celery is the swizzle stick that can stir up your sex life. Every stalk of the stuff is packed with androstenone and androstenol, two pheromones that can help you attract women the way trailer parks attract tornadoes. (Don't worry, these steroids are different from the steroid androstenedione.)

"When you chew a stalk of celery, you release androstenone and androstenol odor molecules into your mouth. They then travel up the back of your throat to your nose," says Alan Hirsch, M.D., author of Scentsational Sex. "Once there, the pheromones boost your arousal, turning you on and causing your body to send off scents and signals that make you more desirable to women."

Try it next time you're in a bar. Grab the celery from your brother-in-law's Bloody Mary and munch away. "The pheromones take effect immediately, so you should notice the women around you paying more attention to you right away," says Dr. Hirsch.

And if you strike out? "Celery is a low-calorie, high-fiber food, so you can eat as much as you want and not regret it later," says Ward.

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400 Calorie Pasta Meals

Provided by Prevention

Recipe: Penne à la Vodka

Melt 2 Tbsp butter (204) and add 2 slices diced Canadian bacon (89), 2 Tbsp tomato paste (26), and 1 Tbsp parsley (1); cook 10 minutes

Add 4 Tbsp cream (207) and 1/4 cup vodka (128); cook till vodka evaporates

Toss with 4 cups cooked penne (756) and 1 1/2 cups peas (155)

Serves: 4

Total calories per serving: 392

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Restaurant: Spaghetti & Meatballs

Set aside your portion: 1 cup spaghetti (220) with tomato sauce (80)

TIP: Next time you make spaghetti at home, measure 1 cup cooked and put it on a plate so you'll have a visual to remember at the restaurant

Eat 2 meatballs if they're the size of golf balls, or 1 meatball if they're larger (90)

Skip the tempting grated Parmesan cheese

Wrap up any leftovers to go

Total calories per serving: 390

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Recipe: Lemony Salmon and Dill Toss

Mix a 7 1/2 oz. can salmon (307), drained; 1 1/2 cups blanched asparagus pieces (49); 3 Tbsp lemon juice (11); 3 Tbsp chopped dill (1); 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil (298); 2 Tbsp capers (4); 2 tsp lemon zest (4); and 1/2 tsp each salt (0) and pepper (3) in a bowl

Stir in 4 cups cooked farfalle (bow tie) pasta (840) and 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan (142)

Serves: 4

Total calories per serving: 414

Alberto Moretto, Getty Images

Restaurant: Meat Lasagna

1 1/2 cups lasagna (visualize a rectangle about 4" x 3" and 2" high)

Wrap any leftovers to-go

Total calories per serving: 420

Louise Lister, Getty Images

Restaurant: Linguine with Clam Sauce

Set aside your portion: 1 cup linguine (210)

TIP: Next time you make linguine at home, measure 1 cup cooked and put it on a plate so you'll have a visual to remember at the restaurant

Go light on the white clam sauce; the olive oil makes it high in calories (190)

TIP: If the pasta is swimming in clam sauce, transfer your portion onto a clean plate to help drain some of the sauce

Wrap the leftovers to go

Total calories per serving: 400

Ann Stratton, Getty Images

Recipe: Rotini with Sausage and Broccoli

Stir together 2 cooked Italian-style turkey sausages, sliced (320); a 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes (120); 2 cups cooked broccoli (40); 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (160); 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil (179); 3/4 tsp thyme leaves (2); and 1/4 tsp each salt (0) and pepper (1) in a bowl

Mix in 4 cups cooked rotini (800)

Serves: 4

Total calories per serving: 406

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Restaurant: Penne Alfredo with Shrimp

Set aside your portion: 1 cup penne (210)

TIP: Next time you make penne at home, measure 1 cup cooked and put it on a plate so you'll have a visual to remember at the restaurant

Go light on the Alfredo sauce; it's packed with heavy cream, butter, and Parmesan cheese (180)

TIP: If the pasta is swimming in Alfredo sauce, transfer your portion onto a clean plate to help drain some of the sauce

Eat 5 medium-sized grilled shrimp (36)

Wrap up any leftovers to go

Total calories per serving: 426

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Restaurant: Whole Wheat Penne with Pesto

Set aside your portion: 1 cup whole wheat penne (195)

TIP: If they don't have whole wheat, have 1 cup white penne (210).

Go light on the pesto sauce; the olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese make it high in calories (240)

TIP: If the pasta is swimming in pesto, transfer your portion onto a clean plate to help drain some of the sauce.

Wrap up any leftovers to go

Total calories: 435

Tom Grill, Getty Images

Recipe: Confetti Pesto Pasta

Combine 1 pint cherry tomatoes (54), 1 1/2 cups cooked green beans (66), 1 1/2 cups diced chicken breast (346), 1/4 cup pesto sauce (230), and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper in a bowl