Wednesday, April 26, 2017

ABC of Aphrodisiacs - Or Good Health Foods

The definition of an aphrodisiac is a food, plant, or scent that inspires romantic notions. It’s another way of saying that the particular food stimulates or increases sexual libido. Some of the food considered as aphrodisiacs may reduce stress, uplift the mood, and energise both body and mind.

Foods which are considered aphrodisiacs may appeal to the senses. The fruit or vegetable may resemble sexual organs. Or the food may be sensual in texture when eaten. Lastly the food provides nutrients that support the libido.

In his book, ‘The art of Love’, Ovid, the Roman poet, notes that the healthy youth has no need of any further assistance. Other writers on the subject of aphrodisiacs agree that good health, achieved through balanced diet, is the real aphrodisiac.

Here is a few A foods that have been thought to be helpful in bedroom play, and some of the modern findings. More will be shared with you in future posts.

1. Almonds
Almonds have been identified as having aphrodisiac properties as far back as the Bronze Age, and have been symbols of fertility and sexual attraction. Samson is said to have courted Delilah with fragrant almond branches, Romans showered newlyweds with almonds as fertility charms, while traditional Indian medicine had it that almonds awaken sexual desire.

Alexandre Dumas, author of The Count of Monte Cristo, is said to have prepared himself for his meeting with his mistress by eating a good helping of almond soup.

Not only is the almonds considered good for your love life, their very smell is said to increase libido in women.

Considered the king of nuts which Arabs and Chinese have eaten for centuries to increase their sexual powers, modern experts see them rich in nutriments essential for reproductive health, great food for brain activity and for increasing sexual desire.

2. Aniseed
With a sweet licorice flavor, ancient Greek and Roman civilizations believed anise strengthened female sexual arousal, while ancient love manuals recommended it as an aphrodisiac. Historically it was added to wedding cakes to stimulate vigor on that all important wedding night.

An excellent source of minerals, aniseed is said to have calming effect, relieving anxiety and nervousness and also increasing the libido. According to experts, drinking one glass of water infused with the crushed seeds can increase sex drive.

While in ancient Greece and Rome the seeds were so valuable they were often used to pay taxes, in the modern world people still see aniseed as helpful with ailments ranging from digestive issues to low libido.

3.Apples
The ancient Greeks loved the apple. Instead of kneeling on one knee to pop the question, the smitten Greek youth supposedly tossed an apple to the lady of his choice, and if she deigned to catch it, it was an answer to the question he was too shy to ask.

A modern study conducted in Italy (yes, seemingly a number of sexually active Italian women aged 18 to 43 volunteered to be part of a study relating to female sexual functions) found that eating more apples lead to better sex for women.

PS: Got a favourite recipe of your own? Please share.



God of Good Times
Compliments of

Saturday, April 8, 2017

What happened in 1967

Apart from giving a couple a certificate to commemorate the renewal of vows, I also give a certificate summerising some of the interesting happenings in the year they married.

The couple whose Renewal of Vows Ceremony I conducted today have been married for fifty years. Here are some interesting happenings I found for the year 1967when they married. Incidentally, the couple met at the Cloudland Ballroom, Brisbane. Married in Redcliffe 8th April 1967. And renewed their vows in Redcliffe 8th April 2017.

·        In Australia 100,000 couples exchanged their wedding vows.

·        Roy Emerson won the Australian Open men’s singles while John Newcombe won the US Open.

·        In South Africa Dr. Christiaan N Barnard performed the first heart transplant.

·        In London, the Barclay Bank put in the first ATM Teller Machine

·        In Fashion the mini skirt appeared

·        The first live telecast football grand final was between Canterbury-Bankstown and South Sydney at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

·        General Motors Holden exported its 100,000th car and launched its first compact sedan, the Torana

·        Normie Rowe won the inaugural King of Pop award

·        Johnny Farnham released his 'Sadie the Cleaning Lady'.

·        Popular TV shows included Prisoner, General Hospital, Jeopardy!

·        Popular singers included The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Bee Gees

·        Red Handed won the Melbourne Cup

·        Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming in heavy surf at Cheviot Beach, near Portsea, Victoria

Saturday, April 1, 2017

You are what you eat

On my recent research for a book I’m writing on food and lovers, I came across ‘The Doctors Book in Food Remedies’,which is literally a dictionary on foods, and disorders that can be helped by eating right.

While we all pay lip service to the saying, ’we are what we eat’, in effect that phrase slides off our tongue and into an abyss as far as acting on the idea is concerned. If we are hit by a health problem it’s not food that we turn to, it’s the pharmacy or our friendly doctor.

And yet, we are what we eat, and when we don’t eat right, the results could be catastrophic. Under the chapter of ‘Ageing’, for example, a doctor has this to say, ‘I’ve seen people who thought they were having trouble with senility and who supposedly couldn’t look after themselves. What they really had was nutritional deficiency’.

There are similar thought-provoking chapters on Alzheimer’s Disease, Blood Pressure Control, Cataracts, Dental Health Food, Food Allergy, Gallstones, Heart Disease, Infertility, Menopausal Problems, Overweigh etc.

Yes, it’s an ABC of health issues and the foods which either help to fight them or keep them out of your life altogether.

No, it didn’t tell me anything about the right food for lovers – for that, I think I’ll have to look at some of the Arabic and Indian love manuals like ‘The Perfumed Garden’ or ‘Kama Sutra’ - but it has made me aware that by eating right I could be extending my writing life by years and years and years…..

I understand the longest anyone has lived so far is 122 years. Well, I’ve got a long way to go just to get to that, let alone beyond.


Will what you eat on your honeymoon  make a difference? Check out the book 'Honeymoon! A Sizzle  or a Fizzle?' to find some suggestions.

Find it on Amazon and Smashwords