Spice Up Your Relationship

Trying to create an intimate relationship once it has gone stale involves a gradual change from the normal routine, and both partners are required to exercise equal effort.

The reasons for the ‘cooling off’ of a healthy intimate relationship with your partner may include the fact that you just don’t get to spend much time alone together. Stress, exhaustion, hormonal rise and falls can also leave you feeling less than adequate, which can also negatively affect your intimate times. Perhaps you notice yourself saying ‘not tonight honey’ more often than you would like.

Evidence points to the numerous health benefits of sharing intimate times with your partner. When a couple has a desire inconsistency for intimate moments, it can place a great deal of stress on the relationship, and for those who do not seek assistance in dealing with the problem, it can even result in a relationship breakdown. One partner may even reach breaking point and attempt to look elsewhere, or begin to exert pressure on their partner insisting for a change. Provocations escalate stress levels and make it even more likely that the couple will separate.

Since spending healthy intimate times with your partner is stress reducing and an excellent way to connect with your partner, then it is probably something that you would not want to forfeit. The yogis would say to not over do it, but finding the proper balance is the key. If you are guilty of turning your partner down in the bedroom a little more often than you’d like, perhaps it is time you try some natural herbs and spices to spice things up a bit!

Cardamom
The ancient healing art of Ayurveda advocates cardamom for low libido. Cardamom pods contains high levels of cineole, which increases blood flow to both the male and female reproductive regions. I find either green or brown cardamom pods to be a nice addition to herbal root tea.

Cayenne
It makes sense that hot peppers would cause a little sizzle in the bedroom. Cayenne and other hot peppers not only heat up the body, but also speed up metabolism in both male and female. It is also claimed that cayenne pepper is a male aphrodisiac because it contains capsaicin which may increase blood flow to various parts of the human body.

Fennel
The ancient Egyptians used fennel to heighten women’s libido, and as it turns out, there was good reason as fennel contains phytoestrogens, also known as dietary estrogens. These dietary estrogens are an assorted group of naturally occurring nonsteroidal plant compounds that have the ability to cause estrogenic results that may increase sex drive.

Fenugreek
A study conducted at the Australian Centre for Integrative Clinical and Molecular Medicine in 2011 discovered that consuming fenugreek increased the sex drive in low libido men. Fenugreek may also assist in lowering blood sugar levels in diabetics, and lactating women have used the spice for decades to increase milk production.

Garlic
Individuals going out on dates would often avoid garlic because they do not want to kill the mood with tainted breath when the evening turns to romance. Regardless of how it may affect the smell of your breath, the high levels of allicin in garlic increases blood flow to your sexual organs, after all there is always parsley to neutralise the smell of your breath.

Ginger
The warming herb called ginger comes from the root of the ginger plant, and it conveys a spicy slightly sweet flavour and scent. Sharing the same abilities as garlic, ginger increases blood flow especially to the sexual organs and increases body temperatures. Numerous cultures have used ginger as an aphrodisiac, and Dr. Mehmet Oz also confirmed it when he listed ginger as one of his top 4 libido boosters.

Nutmeg
The spice called nutmeg has long been utilised in Indian culture as a very fashionable libido booster. In African culture many have refer to nutmeg as a viagra for women. Researchers at the Aligarh Muslim University in Aligarh, India studied the use of nutmeg as an aphrodisiac and found that it did in fact increase sexual behaviour. Please be aware: Large doses of nutmeg have been reported to induce hallucinogenic effects such as visual distortions and paranoia. If consuming large quantities of nutmeg whilst pregnant please keep in mind that it inhibits prostaglandin production and contains hallucinogens that may affect the fetus. A worthwhile addition to your diet - just be sensible!

If living a healthy lifestyle is one of your top priorities, do not neglect your immune system. The immune system provides protection from bacteria, viruses, fungi, moulds and cancer cells. Simply put, if you want to extend your healthy life span and increase your quality of life, then consider boosting your immune system with herbs and spices.