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Foods that are good for your health and waistline may also be good for your sex life, says registered dietitian Bonnie Dix of the American Dietetic Association. In an interview with AOL Health, she lists nine libido-boosters to add to your diet to get your heart pumping, blood flowing and love-making going today. You probably have heard about the potency of artichokes and oysters, but some of these foods will surprise you!

Does your exercise routine or diet help put you in the mood?

My friends in the southern states are already picking strawberries, and I'm jealous. But in a few more weeks, we northerners will have our own share of spring's sweetest crop.

Strawberries are luscious and juicy enough to be dessert, but unlike shortcake, they love you back. They're rich in vitamin C, manganese and folate, and they pack a powerful punch of antioxidants too. Low in calories but naturally sweet, they're an obvious choice for curbing that sugar craving.

Strawberries are highly perishable, so for best quality, search for them locally. Hit your neighborhood farmer's market or tap your inner-farmer and visit a pick-your-own farm. Because strawberries are on the "dirty dozen" list of most pesticide contaminated produce, it's also smart to choose organic when possible.

Once you've gotten your strawberries home, enjoy them right away, because they go bad quickly:

• Chop fruit (including strawberries) on Sunday night, and enjoy a fruit salad all week long.
• Toss them with lettuce for a sweet salad.
• Add them to smoothies and shakes.
• Throw a handful on your cereal or mix them into your yogurt.

At just 36 calories in 10 strawberries, finding new ways to enjoy spring's sweetest fruit is both fun and healthy!

One of the best parts about summer is all the fresh fruit that comes into season -- not only does it taste so much better when it didn't have to get shipped across the world but freshly ripened fruit is also full of much more in the way of nutrients, enzymes, and other health benefits. And although pretty much all fruits are good for you in one way or another, here are a few you'll want to make sure you incorporate as much as possible into your summer diet:

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Add strawberries to your grocery list, ladies, because according to Harvard Medical School researchers, the nutrient-packed fruit may offer extra protection against cardiovascular disease.

Seems women who ate two or more servings of strawberries a week were 14 percent less likely to have elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) than those who hadn't eaten the berries in the past month. High levels of CRP can indicate a higher risk of heart attack.

Prepare to arm yourself. With strawberries. And some literature on just how great these berries are -- check out these fun strawberry facts, refresh yourself on a previous That's Fit strawberry post, learn why strawberries are considered one of the world's healthiest foods, and get the lowdown on the nutritional stuff from which strawberries are made.

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I finished off my carton of strawberries last night while prepping a fruit salad. And while I was using the plastic container as a trash receptacle for the seeds of my cherries, I noticed a label promoting the website CalGiant.com. CalGiant I figured was the grower of my berries so once I savored my salad, I hopped on over to my laptop and checked things out.

Yep, California Giant is a berry farm, specializing in strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. I'd love to tell you about each of these juicy fruits -- and someday I will -- but for now, here are some facts specific to strawberries, straight from the CalGiant folks.

• Strawberries are high in folic acid which makes them great for women who are pregnant.
  
  

• Strawberries are high in antioxidants, thought to be responsible for lowering the risk of some cancers and improving urinary tract health and memory function.
  
  

• Strawberries are good for the heart. Dr. Gene Spiller, Nutrition and Health Research Center, recently released data showing that when people eat a daily serving of strawberries (about eight berries; 45 calories) there are significant increases in blood folate levels and decreases in systolic blood pressure.
  
  

• A nutrient dense fruit, strawberries taste great and contain lots of fiber.
  
  

• Strawberries are available year-round -- what an opportunity for consumers to add great taste and nutrition to their everyday, healthy diet.
  

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I love this time of year. When my local produce stores start carrying fruits and vegetables that aren't labeled "product of some outlandishly far away country." Locally grown products are fresher, better for the environment, and even seem to taste better. Depending on where you live, many berries may be already in season. Strawberry season is just around the corner for me, and I can't wait! Berries pack a powerful nutritional punch (via FitSugar).

Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. They can help ward off certain diseases and may even slow the aging process. You can mix things up by looking for different tastes such as currants, gooseberries, and lingonberries.

Try topping your morning cereal or oatmeal with berries, enjoying a bowl of berries with some skim milk, mixing them in your yogurt, topping a small slice of angel food cake, or just popping them as they are. Your health -- and taste buds -- will thank you.

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Would you go organic if you could afford it? How about going half and half? If you do, here are eight items definitely worth the splurge: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, and lettuce.

Why?

Because these foods rank the highest in amount of pesticides used to grow them. Some of the lowest pesticide-treated foods are onions, avocado, frozen sweet corn, pineapple, mango, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, and kiwi.

For a full list, from most pesticides to least, check out foodnews.org.

Something wonderful happened a couple of weeks ago at my supermarket: Fresh, ripe strawberries started appearing on the shelves, and my fridge has been full of them ever since. That's right -- it's strawberry season. I'm crazy about berries of all kinds, and strawberries are my favourite. Thankfully, my body loves them too -- they're low in calories and high in nutrients and antioxidants.

Me, I eat my strawberries au naturel -- I slice them, put them in a small Tupperware container, tote them with me to the office and munch on them all day long. But if this doesn't float your boat, here are some other ways to enjoy them:

• Add them to your morning cereal
  
• Throw a handful in a protein smoothie
• Stir some into a bowl of plain yogurt, and add just a little bit of honey for sweetness -- and some granola too if you like.
  
• Throw some in your salad
• Slice and serve with some fine cheeses
• Entertaining? Top slices of angel food cake with them -- and maybe a bit of whipped cream if you're feeling indulgent

Got any ideas you'd like to share?

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Spring is here and I, for one, am glad. I mentioned to my mother the other day that I had bought a box of individually flash-frozen asparagus spears and they were really good. I told her I'd pick a box up for her. Her reply was "They sound great... but I'll buy fresh for now." And she's right! Asparagus is just one of the delicious, healthy foods that abound in spring. Depending on where you live, other delicious seasonal treats include Swiss chard, peas, strawberries, rhubarb, avocado, watermelon, apricots, spinach, Romaine lettuce, and basil.

Buying food in season not only ensures you're getting the freshest produce available, it's also good for the environment. Buying local food supports the farmers in your own community and reduces the distance food has to travel from the farm to your plate. Visit a farmer's market this spring and see what produce is in season!

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Six-year-old Joey is having a friend over after school today. So I asked him this morning, "What would you like to have for a snack this afternoon?" I thought I might provide a special treat -- a healthy one -- for him to share with his new buddy. He tried for cookies. "Nope," I told him. "Why?" he asked. "Is it because I'll just keep eating and eating them?"

That's exactly why.

Joey knows no limits when it comes to junk food. He'll eat and eat and eat until I forcefully stop his madness. And if he isn't eating, he's begging for the sweet stuff. So we don't keep anything of the sort in our house. It's just so much easier that way. If it's not here, it's not here. He can't beg for it. He can't eat it.

Emptying our pantry of crappy snacks has done wonders for the healthy spirit in our family. And slowly, Joey is becoming happy with good, whole, nutritious food. So much so that once I denied his request for cookies, he suggested we have a fruit salad. It's our latest, greatest household snack, and it appears our new habit is catching on.

"We could have strawberries and watermelon and grapes," Joey shared with me as we drove to school. "We sure can," I happily replied.

Already, I can't wait to slice up our favorite fruits. I plan to put them in separate bowls so my gathering of boys can pick and choose and create their own unique salads. It makes me happy to know I'll be serving up something entirely healthy. It makes me even happier my kid came up with the idea.

I always find it easier to work the daily recommendation of 7 to 8 servings of fruit and vegetables into my meals during the summer. All sorts of fresh produce is in season at that time of year making it pretty simple to include a variety of fruits and veggies into meals or just as a quick snack.

Now that winter is approaching, it's a bit more difficult to incorporate tasty produce into your diet each day. Strawberries are one fruit that I love which can usually be found at the supermarket all year round. The superfood is great for you as it's full of fiber, folate, vitamin C and antioxidants, which look after your heart and help protect against cancer, among other benefits.

If you'd like to incorporate more of the ripe, red berry into your meals, why not try some of the strawberry-enhanced meal suggestions offered here. For breakfast you can enjoy an English muffin topped with low-fat cream cheese and fresh, sliced strawberries, add strawberries to your favorite salad at lunch and enjoy chicken, vegetable and strawberry kebabs at dinner.

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Nothing says 'Thanksgiving' like turkey and -- strawberries? Sounds a bit funny doesn't it? But I suppose if cranberry sauce compliments the holiday's traditional bird, then why shouldn't strawberry sauce make sense?

The first holiday of the season is rapidly approaching (it's this Monday in Canada and a mere few weeks away for the States) so if you're looking for a few new ideas to make your Thanksgiving-day meal a bit different or more exciting, why not give this recipe for Holiday Strawberry Cranberry Sauce a try?

The best bit about the sauce is that you get all of the health benefits of the cranberry with the additional goodness of strawberries, which are full of antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese and much more. Sounds like a worthwhile change to me.

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Want to whiten those teeth but you're not into those chemical-based products that make your teeth almost glow in the dark? How about using strawberries!

Whip out that neglected baking soda solution and mash it in with about a half of a tablespoon of strawberry (about 1/2 of a large strawberry). Get a 'soft' toothbrush and apply to your teeth.

Once you've done a few chores or otherwise wasted about five minutes, wash the solution off your teeth. But, don't do this every day, due to the malic acid content in the solution that can cause tooth enamel damage with regular use.

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Summer means strawberries are ripe, juicy, and in season. Not only are they tasty, they're also rich in vitamin C, manganese, and fiber. If you're trying to hull a large amount of the berries for your favorite recipe, consider this tip from our friends at DIY Life. For smaller berries, dig into your baking supplies and find your star-shaped frosting tip. Use the tip that's just the right size for your berry, push the star-shaped end into the top of the strawberry, twist, and remove. You'll have that batch of strawberries hulled, cleaned, and ready to go in no time! Now why didn't I think of that?

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I don't know many people who don't eat more salads during the summer -- you have to pretty much hate them to completely avoid them this time of year. So as long as you're having salads, and especially if you love them like I do, you might as well make them colorful!

Of course bright fruits and vegetables generally have more antioxidants and necessary nutrients, not to mention throwing some extra fresh items on your salad will both help you feel fuller (so you're less likely to indulge on unhealthy snacks later) and get your daily servings in of fruits and vegetables. Pretty good deal if you ask me.

Looking for a great recipe? There are literally millions out there, but this Spinach and Strawberry Salad from Whole Foods looks awesome!

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