The Best Foods to Naturally Boost Your Libido

If your libido took a nosedive over the last year, it wouldn’t be surprising, and you’re not alone. Thanks to a global shift that’s turned many of our lives completely upside down. Sex might be the last thing on your mind, but it’s also essential to your physical and emotional well-being. Nurturing the sensual side of yourself is a critical act of self-care, and there are surprising foods that can help you rē-awaken your sex drive. 

Libido is a scientific term for your sex drive and a reference to how much sexual desire you’re experiencing. The amount of sex you’re interested in having with a partner, or even alone (yes, we’re talking about self-pleasure), is unique and can vary throughout your lifetime. Various factors affect whether you’re experiencing a high, moderate, or low sex drive. Hormones, age, stress, sleep habits, and even medications you take all play a part in how often and how easily you get aroused. 

Sex expert Dr. Emily Morse says, “Like many things, sex is all about the mind-body connection. If your physical and emotional well-being isn’t at its best, it can have a serious domino effect. Anytime a person feels particularly stressed, anxious, or depressed, they’re apt to have lower amounts of energy, which doesn’t exactly set the scene for rockin’ sex life.” 

New scientific research found that women are more likely to complain about experiencing a low sex drive. Before the coronavirus even hit, women were estimated to be doing three-quarters of the 16 billion hours of unpaid work done each day worldwide. As a result, women are tired, and their hormone levels fluctuate more than men do in a lifetime. In addition, factors like pregnancy and menopause can have a taxing impact on libido. 

Dr. Klara Brown recently told rē•spin that “Chinese Medicine looks at hormone health through the lens of organ physiology and the delicate interplay of Yin and Yang energies, particularly when it pertains to libido. Sexual drive is connected to the energy of our Kidneys and the balance of Yin and Yang. Though generally, lack of Yang is focused on for sexual vitality, as it represents the spark and an upward rising of energy, it is both the Yin and the Yang that must be in equilibrium for one to have the motivation to pursue sex (Yang) plus the ability to receive it (Yin).” 

According to Dr. Klara Brown, this equilibrium isn’t meant to be rigid. Instead, you’re looking for a dynamic balance to find the sweet spot where hormonal health, and therefore your libido, can naturally thrive. Fortunately, there are specific foods you can include in your diet to help nourish these Yin and Yang aspects and bring them into balance. So rē-awaken your sex life with these five libido-boosting foods, according to Eastern nutrition.

Casanova bragged about eating 50 oysters every morning for breakfast in his biography. He claims they were the reason behind his robust sex life. Practitioners of Eastern Medicine, like Dr. Klara Brown, credit Oysters as being one of the best Yin nourishing foods. They’re also high in vitamin B12 and protein, helping you sustain your energy levels for longer. Oysters are a well-known aphrodisiac, but the following foods might rē-spin the way you think about awakening your sex drive-through food. 

In Chinese, Chives are referred to as “the grass that raises your yang.” They’re not only delicious and added to a variety of different meals, but they’re also full of vitamins, minerals, and proteins that help reduce fatigue and increase stamina. “Their warm and pungent flavor strengthens the Kidneys and specifically sexual function. They also improve qi circulation, which is a huge benefit to your nether regions,” Dr. Klara Brown reveals. 

Walnuts are one of the best plant-based sources of protein on the planet. They’re rich in vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin F, essential fatty acids our bodies can’t produce. They’re also an abundant source of zinc, which regulates testosterone levels in men. According to Dr. Klara Brown, “likely due to their kidney Yang enhancing ability, an old Chinese folk remedy for impotence was to eat 20 walnuts a day for a month.” 

Red apples are rich in the antioxidant quercetin, a flavonoid linked to improving blood circulation and increased arousal in women. “The legendary symbols of temptation, apples are cooling and moistening thus contributing to kidney Yin,” says Dr.Klara Brown. Yin gives our bodies lubrication, so strengthening Yin energy in your kidneys helps you get aroused more easily.

Lentils might not sound sexy, but these protein and iron-packed legumes can give your sex drive a boost. Women are more likely to develop anemia, especially during pregnancy and menopause. It’s a condition caused by low iron levels that leaves you tired, lethargic, and often disinterested in having sex. Lentils pack 15 grams of iron in just 1 cup. Including them regularly in your diet can help heal anemia, give you more energy, and increase your libido. In addition, Dr.Klara Brown told rē•spin, “these little legumes increase the vitality of the kidneys and are stimulating to the adrenal system.” Healthy adrenal glands pave the way for healthy sex life.