Sexy food, What really turns you on?

What turns you on?

Some people say that aphrodisiacs don’t work or don’t even know what the main ones are?

So I’m going to give you the run down on sugar & spice and foods that place nice, well at least the top 7 anyways!

Food can be sexy and fun… be playful with your partner and try some of these.

#7 Champagne

 is a very potent natural aphrodisiacs and is unanimously associated with celebrating. Due to its bubbles champagne hits the bloodstream quickly and warmly intoxicates the body. What better time to get in the mood than celebration? One pretty amazing fact is that studies have shown that the aroma of dry champagnes matches that of the female pheromones, chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual…Mmmm makes me thirsty!

#6 Figs

Firstly an open fig is believed to portray the female sex organs and this is a strong reason why this fruit is known to be sexually arousing. Fig leaves were believed to be used by Adam and Eve's genitals in the bible. The ancient Greeks looked at figs as a sacred fruit that was responsible for love and fertility! Not to mention they are a deliciously sweet fruit and good for your body in so many ways! So get figgy with it…

(like I'm gonna put a leaf of basil here? Enjoy some Italian)

#5 Basil

Basil has many positive effects on your body and the smell of it alone is believed to be an aphrodisiac. The taste is also known to stimulate sexual desire and increase the heart rate. If you want to get your partner in the mood by cooking a romantic meal then do not leave basil out when preparing your aphrodisiac foods. Some even believe that basil bears resemblance to the female sexual organ. Anything Italian is sexy…why not the herbs we use to cook the food.

#4 Bananas

Of course there is the obvious shape that associates the banana with the male sexual organ, but it is also fact that this popular fruit is filled with B vitamins, potassium and magnesium. The male libido can get a helpful nudge due to the chelating minerals and bromeliad enzymes that are found in them. Or he can get SUPER aroused watching his partner eat one!

#3 Honey

Honey is another food that is typically associated with being an aphrodisiac. Honey contains several B vitamins which are required for testosterone. It is also a source of boron which is a mineral trace that assists the body in using and metabolizing estrogen which is the female sexual hormone. Studies show that boron can also enhance testosterone levels in the blood, and as we all know testosterone is responsible for sex drive and orgasm in men and also women. You can always put #3 and # 6 together! Honey and figs are like sexual candy.

#2 Oysters

Oysters are commonly regarded as a very effective aphrodisiac food with them reputedly being responsible for an increase in sexual desire of consumers. They hold a high level of zinc which is known to help produce sperm, increase testosterone and also increase libido in both men and women. A culinary symbol of passion, oysters do have proven potency as well as just romantic association. They are believed by many to keep men sexually active well into old age. The aroma of oysters is similar to that of the female pheromone and has been proven to be sexually arousing. They are also a good source of protein and are very healthy. Let’s not forget that they can be associated with certain lady parts…appearance wise anyway.

#1 Chocolate

Chocolate is widely renowned as one of the most natural aphrodisiacs. Whereby it can be effective even in its processed form off the shelf in the supermarket, there is nothing quite like pure chocolate as an aphrodisiac. Pure chocolate contains anandamide which is a chemical that gives the consumer a natural psychoactive good feeling. Perhaps more importantly it contains phenyl ethylamine which is the 'love chemical that releases dopamine in the brain's pleasure centers and this can peak during orgasm. In addition it induces excitable feelings and stimulates both attraction and euphoria.

Chocolate is without a doubt at the top of the list of aphrodisiac foods.

Be creative, paint with chocolate…have chocolate martinis with dinner... or even do chocolate fondue and pair it with champagne.

No matter how you do it… feed and be fed… and always share your food!

Fighting the Holiday Blues.....

Some of you might be feeling the blues this holiday season and wondering how do I fight it. Try getting out to gym...Start that New Years resolution to lose that 10 lbs. you have been wanting off you since last year. Try traveling to new places. Everyone sometimes needs a vacay away from all their problems and all the stresses from everyday life. I myself will be seeing my family for 4 days. I can only handle them in short visits. LOL. If you are close to your family try visiting them or someone just to get out of the house. I love going home and my mom makes me my favorite foods... I am salivating just thinking about it. LOL. Plus I get to see my best friends. True friends are the best family to have because they love you for you just being you. They don't expect anything from you in return and want only your happiness.

Remember don't let the weather get you down. Go out on the town with your friends or that special someone ;). Better yet spend it with your cuddley furry friends who give unconditional love. Ruff!!! I have a special place in my heart for dogs :D. Especially for one named Nellie.

ZUMBA...Is it a worthwhile workout system w/ Luis Espinoza

Zumba is the name of a dance fitness program created by dancer and choreographer Beto that became popular in the Miami area in the late 1990s and became ever present in 2000. The program combines Latin and international music with dance in an effort to make exercise fun. Zumba can be done at gyms where Zumba classes are offered through licensed instructors in more than 90,000 fitness center locations in 110 countries with ten million participants. I chose the DVD route where I could do the videos in the privacy of my own home. The moves of Zumba are based on salsa, merengue, cumbia, reggaeton, samba and other international music styles and forms.

There are a total of 6 DVDs that come in a set for $59.95. They include: the Zumba Fitness Basics Workout; Zumba Fitness 20-Minute Express Workout; Zumba Fitness Sculpt & Tone Workout; Zumba Fitness Cardio Party Workout; Zumba Fitness Live! Workout; and Zumba Fitness Flat Abs Workout. It also comes along with 2 Zumba Fitness Toning Sticks to help aid in the sculpting process for that specific DVD. Until you become proficient with all the moves it is suggested to the go through the complete Bascis workout. I so far have only done that video along with the Cardio and the Sculpt and Tone workout. The one thing I liked about Zumba is that all moves workout your core and work out your abs. You feel them burn…If you need the motivation a class might be for you. I also like Zumba because Beto actually teaches the moves and goes through the work out with you.

You see what his abs look like… :). The girls instructors really know how to teach and make you have fun. I love how in the Basics video they breakdown the moves so that you can get them in 3 counts. The motive is to do the move, eventually once you are great...You can put your own personal rhythm into it. The point is to be active and yes you do feel it. Some of the music could have been better but did the job none the less. I give Zumba an overall of 4 out of 5 stars.

I am on my Zumba weight loss journey and I love it. This is something that would be much more fun to do with your friends. The Zumba Fitness Live makes you feel that way...I can see why this system has flourished here in the states because of the latin feel and that the moves can translate to other types of dances.

The "MOM" word, who knew it was so bad?

I have to share a little family outing and experience that happened to me and mine recently. Coming back from family Christmas photos we (the family) decided to stop by a local Pub/Restuarant to get dinner. Let me describe this location, large Pub style sports bar & restaurant, lot's of projection TVs, flat screens, huge bar, billiards, and waitresses whos uniform consists of a micro plaid kilt, small white top tied in front and a generous amount of cleavage and bra showing. Obviously a flat tummy and large breasts are a prerequisite, or perhaps a very good push up bra.
Either way, I don't really care about the help and even get a kick out of the fact that the three men in my life, husband and sons; think they are being covert when peeking at the half naked lasses.
What did bother me was the derogatory connotation in which our waitress used one certain word.

While the Hubby & boys played billiards (pool) and waited for the main course to arrive, I gathered the plates and napkins from the appetizers and had them in a little stack when the waitress pranced by...
While bending over the table and displaying her wares, she reached for the stack of plates and said:
" Awwww, you are such a Mom!", smiled and sashayed to the kitchen.
Maybe it was the look on my face that alerted my teenage daughter...or the mumbling under my breath, but she immediately burst out laughing and had to run tell "the boys" what words the waitress had uttered.

Am I wrong to be offended? Why did "Mom" suddenly seem like an insult? Maybe it was the delivery? Should I have responded with, "Awww, you're such a hooker?"
I was agast, or maybe boiling over with motherly instinct...and wanted to go smack that smile off her half naked Celtic ass! But I resisted.

I think that "Mom" should be a revered title. We shed blood, sweat and tears to obtain this title. Damn it, show some respect!

What happened to the devotion to "mom", the I Love Mom tattoos? I would hate to think where I would be without mine; from this point forward I'll make sure the word "mom" is spoken with the respect and honor it deserves.
It is an honor to be a Mom and I wouldn't change that for the world.

It did make for a funny moment on this family picture day and one that we won't soon forget.

I'm sure my kids and hubby will NEVER let me live it down.

Weight Training Q & A

Weight training is an extremely beneficial form of exercise but can be confusing if you’ve never done it.
Jason R. Karp, MS, PhD student, college lecturer and track and field coach, answers frequently asked questions to start you on the right track. (Ask a personal trainer to set up a program specifically for you.)

1. How Often Should I Lift Weights?

You may have heard that you shouldn’t lift weights on consecutive days, but there really is nothing wrong with lifting weights every day. Some experts just recommend that, to give your muscles time to adapt, you not work the same muscle groups 2 days in a row.

Whether or not you need to lift weights every day depends on your fitness goals. For basic strength gains, you need to lift weights only two or three times per week. If you are a more advanced weight trainer, lifting weights more often is fine; you can even organize your training program into “easy” days and “hard” days.

2. Will Lifting Weights Make My Muscles Bigger?

Whether or not your muscles become bigger (hypertrophy) depends on three basic factors: genetics, gender and training intensity.

The genetic influence on muscle size is mostly a matter of your predominant type of muscle fiber. The muscles of people with predominantly fast-twitch muscle fibers hypertrophy more easily than the muscles of people with predominantly slow-twitch muscle fibers.
In terms of gender, men have greater amounts of testosterone and other hormones that influence protein metabolism than women. Therefore, men experience more muscle hypertrophy with strength improvement.
Training intensity is the only factor you can control. Generally, if you want bigger muscles, the load you lift should weigh at least 80 percent of the greatest amount of weight that you can lift at any one time (called a one-repetition maximum, or 1 RM). If you do not want bigger muscles, keep your load below 80 percent of your 1 RM.

3. What Is the Difference Between Free Weights and Weight Machines?

 Free weights (dumbbells and barbells) keep the resistance on a muscle constant throughout a joint’s range of motion (ROM); weight machines vary the resistance on the muscle throughout the joint’s ROM. A joint’s ROM contains points where a muscle is stronger and points where it is weaker, and a muscle’s weakest point limits the amount of weight the muscle can lift. Therefore, the constant resistance of free weights is a strong enough training stimulus only for the weakest joint positions. In contrast, weight machines place more stress on muscles at the angles at which the muscles can produce greater force, providing optimal resistance at every point in the entire ROM.

Of course, most weight machines allow movement in only one plane. Free weights allow movement in all three planes. With weight machines, only the major muscles required to perform a movement are used, whereas the added “burden” of balancing free weights in three planes at once forces recruitment of other functional muscles.
If you are new to weight lifting, you should probably use weight machines first to train the major muscles and use free weights later to train more specific movements.

SIDEBAR: Should I First Do Cardiovascular Training or Resistance Training?

The answer depends on your goals. If your primary goal is to increase your cardiovascular endurance or lose weight, do cardiovascular exercise first. If your primary goal is to increase your muscular strength, do resistance training first. To get the most out of your workout, perform the type of exercise most important to you when you are not fatigued. To lose weight and increase your muscular strength, you can alternate the order of the different types of exercise during different training cycles.