The Secret, Most Powerful Aphrodisiac In The World
It's not what you would expect.
Dean Drobot / Shutterstock I'm reading the new issue of Men's Health as research for a business I'm starting with a friend, and there was an article about food and sex.
Apparently, research reveals that food is the ultimate sex toy. As Mario Batali says, "Food is the ultimate metaphor for sex. How else can you make someone happy by putting something inside of them?"
One of the many interesting points the article made was about food as an aphrodisiac.
They listed five foods that are considered aphrodisiacs: chocolate, oysters, watermelon, alcohol, and phallic or vaginal foods like strawberries and bananas.
What interested me was that four of the five had very little to no actual physical or chemical reason they would be libido boosters. Alcohol was moderately effective at impacting libido in a measurable way unless you imbibe too much.
That strongly suggests that the real sex organ and the strongest, most powerful aphrodisiac is your mind.
We know that dopamine, one of the chemicals produced by the brain, is responsible for cravings of all kinds.
Unchecked, dopamine will turn you into an addict, and it doesn't care if you're addicted to alcohol, chocolate, or orgasms. In fact, an addictive personality will likely be addicted to all those and more. But did you know that the frontal lobe of the brain, which regulates associative memory, is the real aphrodisiac at work?
Associative memory is that part of the memory that helps us link things together; for example, the smell of the ocean reminds you of a great summer vacation. It helps us link stimuli to certain sexual responses as well. For example: let's say your partner took you to a romantic dinner. The food was perfect, you connected deeply, and you had mad, passionate sex on the floor of the living room when you got home.
The next time you go to that restaurant, or even have the same meal at a different restaurant, your frontal lobe will trigger an associative memory and you will become sexually aroused. The strength of the association will determine how quickly and powerfully the arousal becomes.
If you go to that restaurant a second time and end up in a fight, it will disassemble the original association. However, if you have another passionate love-making session, the association will get stronger.
You can use this to your advantage by consciously creating associations for yourself. And, you can have lots of fun experimenting and creating stronger associations! Where's that can of whipped cream?
Johanna Lyman is a culture and leadership development expert. She is the Principal Consultant and Practice Leader for Culture and Inclusion at Kadabra.