Although people would be inclined to think that a seven-day detox would be seven miserable days subsisting on watery concoctions that leave much to be desired, detoxification has come a long way. Gone are the days of cayenne pepper and maple syrup. Juices, smoothies and soups are all power-packed with vegetables, key phyto-nutrients and antioxidants bursting out of them at the seems to help jump start our bodies.

In this series of articles, I’m going to explain how to put together your own healthy and effective detox plan for morning, noon and night, without the low energy and hunger.

Although I’m not an advocate of completely avoiding certain foods groups, while cleansing you’ll want to avoid dairy (except Greek yogurt), gluten, meat, cheese, fatty nuts (except nut milk), condiments, sugar, and of course the usual suspects: soda, caffeinated beverages and alcohol.

Upon rising

Every day upon rising, have the juice of one lemon in a glass of lukewarm water; this acts as a liver cleanser. This is a simple behavior that can have a huge impact on the way we feel daily. Check out Lyric’s post last month about how/why lemons clean out our livers.

Breakfast

Each morning, no later than two hours after waking up, enjoy a breakfast that consists of whole grains with a protein source. This can be achieved by making a smoothie with protein powder, fruits, milk, and Greek yogurt.

The importance of a healthy breakfast cannot be overstated, especially when cleansing – we must start the day feeling full and satisfied to avoid the inclination to indulge later. When we get hungry, that is when the cravings get stronger. And smoothies are known as a nutrient-dense food, which provides us with the energy that will keep us going strong until the next meal.

This tangy morning sipper is a perfect way to wake up, and helps to fill us up at the same time! Rich in antioxidants and protein-packed from the Greek yogurt – I couldn’t think of a more perfect detox breakfast smoothie.

Raspberry Zinger

• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• ½ cup romaine lettuce
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• Juice and zest of ½ lime
• ½ cup water

In a blender, combine all the ingredients until smooth. You may need more water – if so add in ¼ cup increments.

What other kinds of morning detoxifying rituals do you enjoy? Share with me in the comments!

Fruits and vegetables are so important in our diet that most well known weight loss and healthy lifestyle plans, like Weight Watchers, let you eat as much as you want throughout your day. For those of you who like to eat, this is brilliant. Fruit as dessert is a personal favorite!

Dr. Mike Moreno, a weight loss dietitian, warns us however that “too much of a good thing can sabotage your diet”, and not all fruit is created equal. While bananas are great for things like potassium, they are also loaded with sugar and carbs. It was interesting to learn that if you eat too much sugar from one source, it can trick your body to converting that sugar into that thigh-sticking fat. If you’re battling the belly bulge, then a banana is not the best go-to fruit for you.

Which fruits are lower in sugar?

Remember how our Mom’s always told us that “An apple a day will keep the Doctor away?” Well, she might have been on to something. Apples are on the lower sugar list, and are a convenient snack to pack away in your purse or bag.

If you’re a fan of juicing, a couple of your favorite blending items are on the low carb, low sugar list (Yahoo!) You may happily consume peaches, and every single kind of berry. The extra bonus to peaches and berries is that the freezer section at the market is always in season.

If you enjoy citrus, then go for an orange or grapefruit (be aware that some medications warn you of mixing with grapefruit). Other fruits that made the list are pears, plums, and prunes. And let’s not forget one of my fav go-to snackable goodies, a handful of red grapes.

Which fruits are higher in sugar?

Unfortunately that “side of fruit” you order in a restaurant is probably on this list. Yummy fruits like honeydew, cantaloupes, and watermelon are higher in sugar, as is pineapple. Think about what makes them so yummy – the sweetness, of course!

Make it sparkle with cinnamon!

A fun topper for your fruit: cinnamon! Cinnamon has been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels and by using it as a fruit topper, it will help metabolize the sugar you’re consuming. This super spice also does so much more (like supports digestive functions and lowers lousy cholesterol), so have fun mixing it in!

To really help your body fight fat, dietitians recommend eating only 2 low-sugar servings of fruit a day, preferably before 2 pm. If you don’t burn off all the carbs you consume during the day, then your body can store those extra carbohydrates as fat. Remember, carbs are what gives our bodies energy, so make sure you eat your 2 healthy servings of fruit!

T’is the season of indulgence, with many of us finding our social calendar being stacked with a growing number of post-holiday parties, and it also happens to be the season where our livers feel the pressure the most. The liver is tasked with filtering out all the happy indulgences we put in!

So how can we tip the balance back in our favor during the holiday season? One word – lemons!

Lemon juice, plentiful in vitamin C and antioxidants, helps our livers carry out the task of neutralizing free radicals, which are produced when the liver filters out toxins in our bloodstream. Just like we feed lemons through a kitchen garburator to kill odor and bacterial growth, feeding lemon juice through our livers cleanses the liver and removes harmful bacteria.

Why it’s important to clean out your liver

Everything we ingest affects our liver – from meat and dairy to alcohol and medications – it all passes through the pearly gates of our livers. Depending on what we choose to feed ourselves, we can reduce the efficiency of the liver’s processes with heavy and indulgent meals. Lemon juice is a liver loving libation, as the liver is the largest benefactor of the health benefit associated with consuming lemon juice.

Lemons are antiseptic and they help prevent infection and putrefaction; lemon juice is also integral to the production of glutathione, needed to neutralize toxins and effectively detoxify the liver. Drinking straight lemon juice is a bitter sipper to swallow, but by mixing it with water we are able to kill two birds with one stone.

The one-two punch of lemon juice and water

Water promotes liver health, and by not drinking enough we increase our blood thickness which makes it harder for the liver to do it’s filtering. By mixing water and lemon juice, we create an easy-to-drink health sipper that weaves seamlessly into daily life – even for the pickiest palates among us.

Drinking lemon juice is a small change that can have wonderful effect on our bodies, and that’s especially true for our livers. When we boost this little organ’s efficiency with lemon, we enable it to create more enzymes that contribute to better skin, more efficient metabolism of the food we eat and an overall improved sense of wellbeing.

Looking for some fantastic drink recipes to entertain your guests tonight? You’ve come to the right place. Here’s my four favorite drinks I’ll be entertaining family with and sipping on myself this  Holiday weekend. And for our healthy weight-watching community, I’ve tagged the each drink on a scale from 1-4 on healthiest (1) to unhealthiest (4) based on calories.

Enjoy! (Oh, and if you’ve got one to add, don’t forget to comment on the post!)

Homemade Eggnog 4 – Danger! – Around these parts at least, it’s just not the holidays unless my dad comes home with 9 gallons of supermarket eggnog in a plastic jug. And luckily for me, one of the few simple pleasures of being an adult is the ability to recognize that however sweet and well-intentioned he was, my dad was cheap and his palate wasn’t what I would call refined or picky, and we don’t have to follow in those footsteps.

So honor dad’s legacy this year with this easy homemade eggnog recipe!
(Courtesy of  Alton Brown and the Food Network)

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 pint whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 ounces bourbon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 egg whites*

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg, and stir to combine. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg whites into the mixture. Chill and serve.

Cook’s Note: For cooked eggnog, follow procedure below.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine the milk, heavy cream and nutmeg and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and gradually temper the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Then return everything to the pot and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat, stir in the bourbon, pour into a medium mixing bowl, and set in the refrigerator to chill.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg whites into the chilled mixture.

My alteration: in a shaker, mix the eggnog and add a touch of Southern Comfort for a Holiday drink that will keep your guests humming!

Winter Sangria 1 – Safe! – Here’s a light refreshing drink that’s just perfect for the holidays and the weight watchers out there! I’ve added into my sangria mixes everything from peaches to grapes to strawberries, so go ahead and get creative – there’s not a combination of fruit and wine in the world that can go wrong!

(Courtesy of MyRecipes.com)

• 1 cup fresh satsuma orange juice (about 4 satsumas)
• 1 cup satsuma orange sections (about 2 satsumas)
• 1/3 cup Triple Sec (orange-flavored liqueur)
• 1/4 cup sugar $
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges $
• 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges $
• 1 (750-milliliter) bottle fruity red wine

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Spicy Rum Punch 2 – Careful… – Cranberry juice, ginger, cider and cinnamon. Oh, and sugar. Need I say more?

(Courtesy Aaron Sanchez and the Food Network)

• 1 orange, zested
• 2 Mexican cinnamon sticks
• 5 whole cloves
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 (25 1/4-ounce) bottle sparkling cider (about 3 1/4 cups), chilled
• 4 cups cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
• 1 (1-liter) bottle club soda
• 1 cup dark rum

Bring the orange zest, cinnamon sticks, cloves, ginger, water, and sugar to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat and then simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let steep, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding the solids.

Combine the remaining ingredients with the spiced syrup in a punch bowl and stir. Add ice before serving.

The Mimosa 1 – Safe! – It’s engrained in the nature of our parents, and it’s an equation that is almost universally infallible – if dad loves eggnog, mom loves her mimosas. This is how we’ll be making ours comes Christmas morning:

• Freshly squeezed orange juice (try the Omega Citrus and Veggie Juicer!)
• Bottle of Veuve Clicquot

Mix 3 parts Veuve with 1 part orange juice by first pouring in the champagne, and gently pouring in the orange juice on top. Serve chilled with a strawberry wedge on the rim!

By the way, Veuve Clicquot is considered one of the finest champagnes in the world, and the sticker prices isn’t as shocking as you would think: I pick up my bottles at my local Total Wine for just $38.95 a pop, and it comes in a stunning box and package – making it the perfect gift for friends and family!

Smoothies typify summer days as an icy fruity blend to help us keep cool and a fun way to get our daily vitamins and minerals. My smoothie intake tends to slow as the weather turns cold (the chill comes early here at 7,000 feet above sea level), and it’s a challenge for me to drink cold drinks when there is frost on the windows and snow on the ground.

But then I find myself missing the fresh fruity goodness. So I wondered, how can I have my smoothie without the chill?

The answer is the Un-Frosty Smoothie that offers all the smoothie goodness without all the smoothie ice, while featuring some of the best of the best in nutrition—as it’s power-packed with vitamins and minerals.

The best part about this smoothie, is that it brings together some of my favorite fruits accented with almond milk and turmeric. The concoction offers both tart and sweet tastes mirroring the layering of the smoothie itself.

The Un-Frosty Smoothie

• 2 cups cranberries
• 1 apple, organic fuji or pink lady, chopped
• 1 frozen banana, peeled
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp of turmeric, divided in half
• ¼ – ½ cup of almond milk
• Honey, stevia, or agave nectar to taste

Blend the cranberries, apple, banana, and lemon with ½ tsp turmeric. Pour into two glasses.  Mix in sweetener to taste. Mix together almond milk and ½ tsp turmeric and gently layer on top of the fruit mixture. Drizzle top with sweetener.

Nutritional Benefits

The ingredients in this smoothie are some of my favorites; I love how they come together to create this mid-winter treat and keep it real nutritionally. From apples to lemons, click the appropriate link below to find out more about the nutritional benefits each.

Cranberries are a good system cleanser from your digestive to your urinary tract. It is a powerful ally to your cardiovascular system. Cranberries are a fall/winter treat that keeps on giving vital nutrients such as Vitamin C and K. Click here to learn more about the captivating cranberry.

Apples are part of what I call ‘the crunchy food group’.  There is nothing quite as satisfying as a noisy bit of crunching as you munch on an apple. Click here to find out why the benefits of eating an apple a day is more than just an old wise tale.

Turmeric is a spice of the gods. It assists in healthy blood flow and reducing inflammation (great for arthritis sufferers, especially in the winter). Turmeric is a daily staple in my diet and I invite you to add it to yours. Click here for more about tumeric and a yummy warm drink recipe.

Lemons are a flavor enhancer for almost anything, plus they help alkalize any combination of foods. Lemons also assist in enhancing digestion. Click here for more on lemons.

Almond milk is just another delightful way to get your daily almond fix. Almonds are a powerhouse of energy for the body and mind. Click here to learn how to make your own almond milk and reap the benefits of the awesome blend.

As I wandered through the ingredients aisle for this recipe, I realized that I do actually eat these foods daily (excepting the seasonal cranberries). And the effect they have had on my life is substantial!  The power of these fresh, organic fruits and nuts (and spices!) empowers me and energizes me – they keep me fit and healthy.

My holiday wish for you all is that you engage the same kind of energy and nutrition – to power up for 2012!

Start your morning with a “one a day” juice concoction sure to get your cells a-humming. Filled with uber-nutritious greens, both of these juices offer a yummy way to feel clean and think clear all day.

The power in both of these juices is the no-holds barred essence of nutrition in the ingredients, like organic spinach, celery, carrots, cucumbers, and parsley.

Spinach offers an exceptionally well-rounded approach to vitamins and minerals to get your daily values. Click here to learn more about the nutritional benefits of spinach.

Celery is the King of Vitamin K with over 44% of your daily value. Vitamin K is a powerful bone-builder, supports the cardiovascular system, and smooths the way for a healthy nervous system. Celery, unassuming as it is, does more than you think. Click here to find out more.

Carrots, of course, are a staple in any juicer’s pantry. Carrots offer the power of orange, a.k.a beta-carotene. Click here to read what else the carrot offers.

Cucumbers add support to the health and luminosity of your skin. Adding celery to your juices soothes skin irritation and reduces swelling. Click here to learn more about cucumbers.

The inclusion of parsley in both of these recipes adds a gentle detoxifying effect. In addition to supporting the liver, this vibrant herb does a whole bunch of other good things to your body. Read more about parsley here!

Vibrant Veggies

This juice gives a wake-up call to your digestive system, getting it “on-line” for the day, gently. Because of its dense nutrients, dilute the juice concentrate with water. A 50/50 split of juice and filtered water does the trick. Choose organic veggies for the best taste and absorption.

• 1 medium cucumber
• 4 stalks of celery
• 2-3 handfuls of spinach
• 8 green or red leafy lettuce leaves
• 1 handful of flat-leaf or curly parsley
• ½ – 1 lemon
• Options: add arugula, kale, alfalfa sprouts, or micro-greens.

Juice all the greens together and add lemon to your taste.  Lemon will enhance the alkalinity of the juice. Remember to mix the juice with filtered water at a 1 to 1 ratio.

Detox Your Day

This juice is sweeter and not as green-tasting, but is still chock full of nutrition. This is a light and delightfully gentle daily detox.

• 3-5 carrots
• 1-2 handfuls of spinach
• 1 handful of flat-leaf or curly parsley
• 3 stalks of celery

Juice the ingredients in order. Dilute with water as desired or drink straight up.

Trail Runner’s ‘Tea’

• 2-3 oranges
• 1-2 hard pears
• 1 small sweet potato/yam
• Crushed ice

Recently I became a trail runner. It’s a bit of a surprise because running was never something I ever considered part of my work out. I’ve been an avid hiker for years, and then one day on the trail, I just broke into a run and kept on going.

Running a trail requires more energy, power, and focus than simply hiking it. It takes a ton of knowledge about everything from how to place my next step on the trail to not only stay upright but also to remain in good alignment, to feeding my body before and after this fun work out.

The Trail Runner’s Tea is designed specifically for energetic boost for the run and for the health-promoting qualities of the individual ingredients.

In particular, the orange offers specific protection for our cardiovascular systems – keeping our heart pumping and in good working order keeps us healthy, fit, and strong.

Specific Health Benefits of the Orange

A report released in December 2003 by the Australian research group, CSIRO, reported that a diet high in citrus fruits, with a special attention to oranges, keeps our cardio system in the clean.

The nutrients in oranges such as folate and potassium lowers the risk for cancers and other anomalies as well as lowering blood pressure. Citrus fruits protect against stroke and cardiac arrhythmias. And of course, the ever present Vitamin C that appears in citrus provides antioxidant protection of the first order.

A U.S. study showed that adding one orange a day reduced the risk of stroke by up to 19%. The consumption of oranges also assists in the relief of arthritis, diabetes, gallstones, and cognitive impairment.

The orange has over 170 phytonutrients – creating a combination package of health promoting power. It also has over 60 flavonoids, which add anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor power. The combination is hard to beat with it comes to nutrition.

Oranges are attributed to healthier lung function. That’s something we all need when out trail running (or “insert cardio activity here”)!

Respiratory health is vital for any active individual. Oranges are rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, a carotenoid of orange-red color. Fruits and vegetables of this color (including pumpkin, papaya, red bell peppers, tangerines, and peaches) offer specific lung protection.

Oranges help protect against free-radicals that may adversely affect your breathing power to help keep you running free and breath easy.

To read more about the power of the orange, check out that article. Here’s an article on the nutritional benefits of pears, and for those who already miss Thanksgiving, here’s an article all about sweet potatoes.

The holidays have arrived, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier! This is the time of year for cheer, but it’s also the time of year when our liver – the organ tasked with detoxifying our entire body – gets kicked into overdrive.

Eggnog, toddys, chocolates, and indulgent meals all force the liver to work harder to process everything going in, under the conditions of very little sleep and too much stress no less.

This contributes to a feeling of sluggishness which is characterized as the Christmas blah’s. But this is the time of cheer after all – so do yourself a favor, and help bring back the cheer to your liver with these purifying strategies!

Morning Glory

Starting every morning in December with a simple tonic of hot water and fresh squeezed lemon juice helps deliver antioxidants, such as vitamin C, to our livers, which help boost its ability to work properly.

Power Packed Protein

By boosting a smoothie with the addition of nuts or chia seeds, you’re supplementing the liver with amino acids that are crucial for it to be able to remove toxins immediately. Aiming for high-quality protein, about 60 g per day is important, so stay away from saturated animal fats, as they will only serve to stress the liver more.

Fiber Is Your Friend

Getting a steady supply of cruciferous vegetables, like Brussels sprouts, broccoli and dark leafy greens, and eliminating wheat and swapping it for healthier alternatives like millet or brown rice, helps to reduce allergic reactions, thereby allowing the liver to work more effectively. Having a steady supply of fiber keeps the gut strong, and the gut is the core of immunity in the body.

Taking in enough fiber through smoothies ensures regular bowel movements, which remove toxins collected in the liver.

B Vitamins

Nuts, like almonds and pecans, and legumes like lentils, are brimming with B vitamins. Finish off smoothies, brown rice and cereal with a tablespoon of wheat germ to boost B vitamin and fiber intake. Thiamine, an essential B vitamin, may also improve the body’s ability to withstand holiday induced stress, which takes a toll on the system.

Extreme Green

A daily green juice or smoothie will help detoxify the liver and supercharge your system with antioxidants that repair cell damage. Vegetables like kale and Swiss chard turn the liver on, so it can begin flushing toxins out of the body.

The holidays are one of the best times of the year; full of parties, togetherness and a carefree approach to health. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Stave off holiday sluggishness by boosting your liver function with these easy to adapt holiday health tips!

Oranges are like having instant access to the sun. Not only is their bright orange color and ball-shape reminiscent of our life-giving star, but they also burst onto the taste bud scene with light, crisp brightness – much like the sun does in the morning!

As the seasons turn and our bodies adjust, keeping ourselves healthy is the number one priority. No one likes a cold and no one wants the change-of-season-sniffles to keep them from enjoying autumn and winter beauty.

Luckily, we have oranges. Prime season for this sunny fruit is from winter to spring. Obviously, oranges are Mother Nature’s way to bring us sunshine all year round. Conveniently packaged for portability, an orange is a bright way to liven up your day in the colder months.

Nutritional and health benefits of oranges

Check out the Immune Boosting and Cancer Preventing Benefits of one of the most popular fruits in the world:

Oranges deliver the sunshine as Vitamin C. One orange contains over 116% of the daily value required for our bodies. Of course, large doses of Vitamin C are known to be beneficial over the short and long-term. If you’re feeling peaked, power-packing some Vitamin C can give you a grand pick-me-up and even help prevent seasonal colds. Vitamin C may also be helpful in preventing ear infections, especially if you’re prone to them.

Vitamin C’s antioxidant power is well documented. Eating an orange or fresh juicing one is the first stop in cell protection against free radicals. An orange a day will keep damage to DNA (and the resulting cancer) away. For cells that turn rapidly, such as our digestive tract, it is thought that regular consumption of Vitamin C is especially helpful in the prevention of cancer.

Citrus seems to offer the most protection against digestive tract cancers, including those of the oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, and colon. Orange juice (and other citrus like grapefruit juice) has been shown to reduce the risk of kidney stones. And citrus, especially orange juice, may reduce the risk of stomach ulcers.

Drinking orange juice is good for you – all the way through.

History of this delightful little sun fruit

Oranges are Asian in origin – from an area in South China and Indonesia, in fact. They spread to the Middle East in the 9^th century and onto Europe in the 15^th century through trade routes.

Oranges came to the Americas via Columbus in the 15^th century. First, he brought them to the Caribbean, and then Spanish explorers were responsible for bringing oranges to The Sunshine State of Florida in the 16^th century.

Oranges weren’t commonplace prior to the 20^th century due to the expense of production and transportation. As a result, they weren’t widely consumed by the masses. A person might be given an orange once a year during the holidays, for example. It was a staple of my childhood to have an orange in the toe of my stocking each year.

Tidbits about oranges

Oranges come in two varieties (more like tastes): sweet and bitter. Most common for eating are the sweet orange including Valencia, Navel, and Jaffa, and the lovely blood orange. Bitter oranges are typically used for jams and jellies. The zest of bitter oranges are used as liqueur flavorings like those found in Gran Marnier.

Selection of oranges

Choose organic, as non-organic oranges may have been injected with a Citrus Red Number 2 dye. Organic oranges, as a result, typically aren’t as “orange-y” in color. Oranges that are partially green or have a brown russeting are fine to choose.

Steer clear of oranges that have soft spots or any mold. Their appearance should be smooth textured skin that is firm. The orange should feel heavy for its size, which means they’ll be juicier.

Another reason to choose organic is that oranges are in the list of top 20 foods where pesticide residues lurk.

Bodacious Booster Shot

• 2 oranges, peeled
• 1 lemon, peeled
• 1″ or 2” piece of ginger

Juice everything together and supply your immune system with a jet pack. The immune booster will keep you healthy and strong when you’re feeling a bit run down or that scratchy throat.  And remember to relax and take it easy too!

I hope you had a chance to partake in some of the passion offered up by Libidinous Liquids: Smoothing Up Your Sex Life, Part I. And if you had some success and some fun, here are a few other whole foods to add to your “A Game”!

More Foods for a Healthy Sex Life

Chiles: due to their potent capsaicin content, chiles, have a knack for heating things up in the bedroom, too. Capsaicin is what gives the heat and spice to peppers. Eating spicy foods triggers the release of endorphins in our brain.

Chiles, therefore, is a Dr. Feelgood for your brain and your body.  Through the stimulation of our nerve endings and heart rate, chiles move our blood to important sexy areas.

By the way, if you’re preparing chiles as an aphrodisiac, wear gloves! The spice of chiles and tender flesh does not go hand-in-hand.

Fennel: This bulb’s libido-enhancing effects are mostly experienced by women. Fennel is rich in phytoestrogens, which is a naturally occurring estrogen-like substance found in plants. For more information on fennel and how it contributes to sexual health and longevity, click here.

Figs: They have uber amounts of amino acids which are known to increase sexual stamina through the quick delivery of nitric oxide through the body. Figs are also considered an aphrodisiac because they heighten our sexual interest through simply their appearance, smell, and flavor.

Garlic: While it may seem like an odd inclusion, garlic is a sexual powerhouse. Garlic has a lot of zinc, which is considered to be a libido boost. Garlic also has and action ingredient called allicin. Allicin can improve blood flow to the sexual organs of both men and women. The allicin is only activated once the garlic is chopped or crushed. Click here to learn more about the clove, its proper preparation, and its many benefits.

Ginger: This eclectic little root stimulates circulation and increases blood flow to vital sexual organs. It has been used for centuries to help both genders get back into the sexual groove. It improves libido all around, and it also can halt premature ejaculation. Ginger root is mentioned in both the Kama Sutra and the Koran as a stimulant for sexual health.

Papaya: This fruit is an estrogenic; in other words, it contains compounds that act like estrogen. Papaya is thought to increase libido and drive in women.

Pomegranate: It’s known by many around the world as the “love apple” for it’s aphrodisiac properties that arouse sexual desire. Pomegranates help the body to produce nitric oxide, which opens ups blood vessels.

Ultimately, this increases the flow of blood into and around sexual organs and enhances the libido. It seems as if drinking pomegranate juice is more effective than eating the seeds of the fruit, but sharing a pomegranate with your partner is pretty sexy!

Pumpkin Seeds: And what great timing, too! Pumpkin seeds contain a large amount of zinc which assists in the production of testosterone and sustains sexual interest in women. Pumpkin seeds also carry essential omega 3’s which helps to produce prostaglandus – an enzyme that feeds sexual health. Pumpkin seeds can enhance potency, drive, and fertility.

Pomegranate Ginger Punch

• fresh pomegranate juice
• 1-2 one inch slices of fresh ginger root
• dash of cinnamon
• fresh-pressed apple cider or juice
• splash of fresh orange juice
• water to dilute as needed

This is a strong punch, so play around with the recipe until it suits your taste. Make a little or a lot!

Add a few or all of these foods to your diet. Claim or reclaim your sexual health, stamina, and drive. And remember to always play safe!