With Valentine’s Day coming up next month, you might be planning a romantic dinner with candlelight to get you in the mood, but did you know that certain foods can help get your blood moving as well? Not supposed aphrodisiacs, such as ginseng or rhino horn, but real foods that help your nervous system function better and improve blood circulation. Better blood circulation = greater erectile response. Men aren’t the only ones who need an erectile response: sexually aroused women have erections too, in their clitoris and the tissue surrounding their vulva. This increased blood flow in the genital area is necessary for sexual pleasure and orgasm.

Foods that improve neurological functioning and enhance circulation include:

• Foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel, flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, winter squash (pumpkins, butternut squash, acorn squash, spaghetti squash), and edamame (boiled soybeans).
• Foods rich in L-Arginine (which are often high in protein too), such as nuts, seeds, lentils, tuna, salmon, seafood, meat, soybeans, oatmeal, dairy, and kidney beans.

I don’t like salmon, so I take one krill oil capsule a day to get my Omega-3 fatty acids. You can take fish oil capsules instead, but you have to take more of them, and they can cause unpleasant fishy-tasting burps. Sam’s Club and Costco have good prices on MegaRed krill oil. There is some research to suggest that daily consumption of fish/krill oil capsules for several months helps alleviate mild depression. The bottom line: fish/krill oil isn’t going to hurt you, it appears to have multiple benefits, so consider taking it.

Try sprinkling nuts and chia seeds over salads, yogurt, and oatmeal. I buy nuts in bulk because they are cheaper that way and then divide them up into snack-sized bags to keep in my purse and car. You can find chia seeds at food co-ops and health food stores. They smell grassy when you open the container, but I can’t taste them in food.

Eating more soy products can increase vaginal lubrication and can also combat menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes. However, if you have a history of estrogen-dependent breast cancer, you should not consume large amounts of soy because it can increase the risk of reoccurrence.

While too much saturated fat can clog your arteries over time and impede blood flow to your genitals, you do need healthy fats to produce hormones. Olive oil, nuts, and salmon are excellent sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, better known as healthy fats. Make olive oil your “go-to” oil for cooking.

So break out your wedding china, light some candles, and prepare a romantic dinner that helps you have better sex. Grilled salmon, roasted butternut squash, and a salad with walnuts and olive oil dressing perhaps? If you have a delicious recipe that includes the foods mentioned above, please share them in the comments section. You can help other women cook up a great sex life!