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Here's Food for Thought. Ah, forget it. Let's talk Food for Sex instead. "It's your plate, not your mate." That's what authors Robert Fried, Ph.D. and Lynn Eldlen-Nezin, Ph.D., tell us in their book "Great Food, Great Sex, The Three Food Factors for Sexual Fitness." But before get ahead of ourselves, let me preface this article by saying that there are countless factors that play a role in having great sex. The saying that sexual turn-ons are 90% above the neck is right, but only if that bottom half is working optimally. If you got a BMI exceeding 30 (from fat, not muscle) and would rather eat trans-fat-laden-fast-food rather than arginine-rich, lean greens, and bright anti-oxidant rich food, than by golly, the only person you'll be having sex with is yourself. Unless of course you've got a lot of money or live in Las Vegas.

Just say 'NO'
Before we get into eating for an awesome sex life, let's first begin with a chemical compound known as nitric oxide (or NO for short). NO is a gas referred to by science geeks as a "signaling molecule;" Nitric oxide (NO) should not be confused with nitrous oxide (N2O), a general anaesthetic, or with nitrogen dioxide (NO2) which is another poisonous air pollutant. In the body, nitric oxide is made from arginine and oxygen by various nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes and by sequential reduction (i.e. in chemistry lingo, reduction means ‘gaining electrons') of inorganic nitrate. So here's the kicker. The endothelium (inner lining) of blood vessels use nitric oxide to signal the surrounding smooth muscle to relax, thus dilating the artery and increasing blood flow; aha! A light bulb goes off in your thick skull and you've just put 2 and 2 together. So that's how my woody goes from limp-dick to a full-fledged billy club! So we have various drugs that take advantage of the production of NO such as Viagra®, Cialis®, and Levitra®. Thus, scientists know for certain that NO is a common mediator of several neurotransmitters involved in the control of the male erectile response.(1)

Eat Clean, Exercise, and an Erection will Follow
Your dad or mom probably told you that if you exercised, ate healthy, and didn't stay out all night chasin' skirt, you'd probably be all the better for it. Well certainly, clean eating and living is essential for optimal penile functioning. Yessirree Bob. Obesity, hypertension, smoking, and diabetes are significantly associated with erectile dysfunction (ED) risk. Hyperlipidemia, which is an elevation of lipids in the bloodstream such as cholesterol and triglycerides is common in ED patients. These patients have a high risk of later developing heart disease. Erectile dysfunction might therefore serve as sentinel event for coronary heart disease.(2) Meaning, if you realize your pecker ain't working optimally, then your ticker may expire before its time.

Moreover, men with the metabolic syndrome have shown an increased prevalence of ED. As a reminder, metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Having each of these conditions such as increased blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, excess body fat around the waist or abnormal cholesterol levels contributes to your risk of serious disease. But if all are present, then you are in big trouble my friend. In the recent study, scientists tested the effect of a Mediterranean-style diet on ED in men with the metabolic syndrome. After 2 years, men on the Mediterranean diet consumed more fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grain, and olive oil as compared with men on the control diet. Endothelial function score and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein) improved in the intervention group, but remained stable in the control group. Thus for the guys on the Mediterranean-style diet rich in whole grain, fruits, vegetables, legumes, walnut, and olive oil, they found that it may be effective per se in reducing the prevalence of ED.(3) Another study has confirmed similar results.(4) That is, stick to the unprocessed carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables, healthy fats (olive oil), and lean protein or healthy protein sources such as fish.

Side Bar - Thicker is Better
Imagine this. You've been dating an intelligent woman who also happens to be a Victoria's Secret model and you finally got past third base and hit what you thought was a grand slam the night before. But whoa nelly. You think it's a grand slam, but she came away thinking you play tee-ball. Yikes. And the worse part is, and you know it's true, she's gonna tell all her friends how disappointed she was that she was expecting a major league bat but instead was treated to a little t-ball action. Well, believe it or not, scientists have actually studied whether penis size is important to women. To address this, 375 sexually active women who had recently given birth at the University Hospital Groningen were asked a number of questions about sexual functioning and the importance they attach to the size of their partner's penis. A total of 170 questionnaires were returned (response rate 45%); 20% of the women found the length of the penis important and 1% very important; 55% and 22% of the women found the length of the penis unimportant and totally unimportant, respectively. Opinions about the girth of the penis followed the same trend. Length was less important than girth: 21% and 32%, respectively. Another study asked 50 sexually active female undergraduate students which felt better, a wider penis or a longer penis? None reported they did not know, or that width and length were equally satisfying. A large majority, 45 of 50, reported width was more important. Tis' better to be fat than long.(5) It is clear that a considerable percentage of the women respondents attached substantial importance to the size of the male sexual organ."(6) Or put it another way, if you got a little Gherkin, you better hope to date the 22% of find penis length "totally unimportant." And if you got a garter snake rather than a python hidden in your drawers, you might as well become a priest and take a celibacy vow.

Sex Supplements
Despite the prevalence of a large number of ‘sexual enhancer' products, there are really only a few key ingredients that have been systematically studied. Perhaps the most famous of these is the conditionally essential amino acid, arginine. Arginine may in fact help both women and men. For instance, one study examined the effects of the nitric oxide-precursor L-arginine combined with the alpha 2-blocker yohimbine on subjective and physiological sexual arousal in postmenopausal women with what is termed Female Sexual Arousal Disorder. Twenty-four women participated in three treatment sessions in which self-reported and physiological sexual responses to erotic stimuli were measured following treatment with either L-arginine glutamate (6 g) plus yohimbine HCl (6 mg), yohimbine alone (6 mg), or placebo, using a randomized, double-blind, three-way cross-over design. Sexual responses were measured at approximately 30, 60, and 90 min postdrug administration. The combined oral administration of L-arginine glutamate and yohimbine substantially increased vaginal pulse amplitude responses to the erotic film at 60 min post-drug administration compared with placebo. So if you wanna get your lady ready, try this combination 60 minutes pre-sex. (7) I guess the tough part is figuring out, when that 60 minutes is?
Another study looked at the effect of a dietary supplement (ArginMax) on male sexual function. Twenty-five men diagnosed with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction were evaluated over a 4-week period while on ArginMax. Of the 21 subjects that completed the study, 88.9% improved in ability to maintain erection during sexual intercourse and 75.0% improved in satisfaction with their overall sex life. No significant side effects were noted.(8)

The herb, Eurycoma longifolia Jack, is found in many sexual enhancement supplements. It is also known as Tongkat Ali. This stuff grows wild in the rainforests of the Southeast Asia. Traditionally, it has been used to improve energy, reduce fatigue and enhance overall physical and sensual performance. Oddly enough, nearly all the studies on this stuff is on rats. And guess what, it works pretty darn well in those 4-legged critters. So if you want to get rats humpin' like jackrabbits, give ‘em this stuff!

So let's recap the primary strategies that you need to follow to keep your pecker working like a finely tuned race car rather than a beat up jalopy. First of all, exercise regularly with a combination of cardio (3 x per week) and resistance training (3 x per week) to keep the heart pumping and the muscles strong and functional.

Other products that'll give a little bit more wood to the pecker include Black Pearl as well as Meltdown. Reports from avid users indicate a clear pro-sexual response!

That's half the battle. The other half is making healthy food and supplement choices.
According to the book "Great Food, Great Sex" by Drs. Fried and Edlen-Nezin, there are three main food categories that are sources for NO (remember nitric oxide).

They are:

• greens and beans (nitrogen rich vegetables)
• staminators (meat, fish, soybeans, nuts, legumes)
• brights (antioxidants like fruit, tea, red wine, olive oil, dark chocolate)

To simplify, this means you need to consume unprocessed carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables, lean protein sources (fish is excellent) and brightly colored foods rich in anti-oxidants (and yes, this includes an occasional glass of wine and some dark chocolate). Perhaps a supplement that contains arginine and Eurycoma longifolia would be a nice addition. As a sample, see the "Perfect Day of Eating for Mind-Blowing Sex."

The Perfect Day of Eating for Mind-Blowing Sex

• Meal 1 - 1 hard boiled egg, a ½ cup of blueberries, and 1 slice of whole grain toast with a tsp of all natural almond butter; consume also one serving of VPX's FIBERTEQ^TM
• Meal 2 - Whole fresh fruit (e.g. ½ a fresh mango)
• Meal 3 - Tossed Salad with Mixed Vegetables and olive oil based dressing, 2 grilled chicken breast (minus the skin), ½ cup of steamed asparagus and ½ cup of brown rice
• Meal 4 - raw peanuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, etc.
• Post-workout - immediately after training drink one Protein Rush.
• Meal 5 - Sushi (seaweed, salmon, avocado), Salmon and Tuna sashimi, edamame, ½ cup of brown rice, red wine.
• Meal 6 - Fresh fruit (e.g. berries such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries).
• Meal 7 - Consume ½ to 1 serving of VPX's Zero Carb® Proteins.

Take home message:
Two of the greatest pleasures in life are sex and food. Nothing else comes close. So why not use food to enhance sex?

References

1. Chen KK, Chiu JH. Effect of Epimedium brevicornum Maxim extract on elicitation of penile erection in the rat. Urology 2006;67:631-5.
2. Roumeguere T, Wespes E, Carpentier Y, Hoffmann P, Schulman CC. Erectile dysfunction is associated with a high prevalence of hyperlipidemia and coronary heart disease risk. Eur Urol 2003;44:355-9.
3. Esposito K, Ciotola M, Giugliano F, et al. Mediterranean diet improves erectile function in subjects with the metabolic syndrome. Int J Impot Res 2006;18:405-10.
4. Esposito K, Giugliano F, De Sio M, et al. Dietary factors in erectile dysfunction. Int J Impot Res 2006;18:370-4.
5. Eisenman R. Penis size: Survey of female perceptions of sexual satisfaction. BMC Womens Health 2001;1:1.
6. Francken AB, van de Wiel HB, van Driel MF, Weijmar Schultz WC. What importance do women attribute to the size of the penis? Eur Urol 2002;42:426-31.
7. Meston CM, Worcel M. The effects of yohimbine plus L-arginine glutamate on sexual arousal in postmenopausal women with sexual arousal disorder. Arch Sex Behav 2002;31:323-32.
8. Ito T, Kawahara K, Das A, Strudwick W. The effects of ArginMax, a natural dietary supplement for enhancement of male sexual function. Hawaii Med J 1998;57:741-4.
9. Ang HH, Sim MK. Eurycoma longifolia Jack enhances libido in sexually experienced male rats. Exp Anim 1997;46:287-90.
10. Ang HH, Lee KL, Kiyoshi M. Eurycoma longifolia Jack enhances sexual motivation in middle-aged male mice. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 2003;14:301-8.
11. Adamopoulos D, Venaki E, Koukkou E, Billa E, Kapolla N, Nicopoulou S. Association of carotene rich diet with hypogonadism in a male athlete. Asian J Androl 2006;8:488-92.