Archive for November, 2009

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Week 66 – Are there any Thanksgiving foods that will put me in the mood?

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

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Figs not only look suggestive, but they contain Vitamin A, which boosts sex drive

Aphrodisiacs blend smell, vision, and taste into an excellent meal of sensuous pleasure. Combine certain foods and, before you know it,  your meal is an adventure filled with delight and satisfaction. Here are some Thanksgiving foods which have the potential to turn you on:

Figs have a high dose of Vitamin A, which helps enhance one’s sex drive. Have you noticed people are serving fig jam, figs and cheese, and fig pate, at parties these days? Now you know why.

If you are a man and wanting to attract a woman, celery is your answer. It contains androsterone, a strong male hormone that sexually arouses women. Look for the celery sticks in the crudités at the Thanksgiving dinner, or served as appetizers with cream cheese.

Who can deny how sexy steamy asparagus spears look on a platter? They’re also full of Vitamin E, a natural sexual stimulant.

Avocados are highly erotic food. Turning a salad filled with the soft, smooth, mushy, fruit into the base for an enjoyable beginning. Add a tomato and an herb like basil and the combination becomes seductive.

Oysters have huge amounts of powerful zinc – a mineral that produces testosterone in both men and women, and increases sexual drive and pleasure. Zinc improves the length of an erection, as well as the quality of the sperm. Try stuffing with oysters and shitake mushrooms for a double dose of zinc.

Have you ever used fennel to make a dish more interesting? Well, that’s not all it’s good for…fennel has the ability to boost a woman’s libido.

Don’t rule out sweet potato, which is full of vitamin A, vitamin C and iron – all important sex drive nutrients.

Pumpkin pie is an olfactory sexual aphrodisiac. The smell increases blood flow to the penis by 40%. When eaten, pumpkin’s natural zinc content increases blood flow and testosterone.

Honey and it’s Vitamin B content stimulates the production of testosterone, a major manager of one’s sexual desires and sexual drive.

End your meal with wine and chocolate – the perfect combination. Red wine changes the mood, lowers inhibition and stimulates desire. Chocolate contains endorphins, dopamine, two hormones that change one’s mood, inhibitions, and arouse sexual desire.

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England’s Education Department carefully selects all weekly questions. All questions are actual inquiries made to PPNNE by college-aged students.

Should you have a question you would like to see included, please send an email to goddess@ppnne.org

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Midweek – Pass the Pumpkin Pie, Please!

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

CB006134Here’s a great reason to pig out on pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving–Pumpkin contains an anti fungal protein which works against the cause of many common yeast infections.

Researchers in South Korea discovered that the protein, Pr-2, fights not only yeast infections, but diaper rash and other unpleasant infections, as well. Who knew?

Read a full report on the link between pumpkin and yeast infections: you’ll find a plethora of other interesting tidbits you can share at the Thanksgiving table!

Here’s wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season!

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Week 65 – What’s the deal with sex in public places?

Friday, November 20th, 2009

Consensual Text is featured on Twitter and Facebook.  Fan and follow us for info on a range of topics pertaining to sex and sexual health!
sex in public places

As Ian Fortey of Cracked.com once pointed out, “There are two kinds of people in this world. Some people will look at a construction crane and think, ‘Oh, look, it’s a construction crane.’ Others will look at that same crane and think, ‘Oh, hey, I’ve gotta go have sex on that construction crane, right this second.’” Nearly 4 in 10 people want to do something different in their sex life and having sex in a public place is one way people spice things up. Planes, trains and automobiles, fast- food joints, park benches and beaches are all popular places to have public sex.

A Glamour magazine article from the mid 90’s surveyed 500 readers and found “sex in unusual or public places was his idea 22% of the time, her idea 17% of the time and both their ideas 47% of the time. Public sex was spontaneous with no planning 14% of the time.”

As exciting as it all may be, sex in public is illegal.  Lewd and lascivious behavior is interpreted in various ways depending on where you live.  North Carolina, for example, considers it a class two misdemeanor for unmarried people to rent a hotel room and have sex.  Indiana considers it indecent if a man’s genitals are covered but aroused in a public place.

While it is difficult and impractical to enforce laws regarding sexual behavior, there are nonetheless, still laws.

There’s also a flip side to this whole sex in public thing—the people who witness it.  It’s important to remember it can make others very uncomfortable. Earlier this year in South Bend, Indiana, two young girls walked in on two sets of couples having sex in a Taco Bell bathroom.  Understandably, the young girls were confused about what they saw and their parents were quite upset.

If you have a partner who likes to have sex in a taxi, on an airplane, or at the library and it makes you nervous, consider if it’s because your partner likes having sex in public places or has the desire to “do it” in unusual places.  If it’s the latter, there are many places that aren’t so public where having sex could be exciting.  Lastly, if you prefer the privacy and intimacy of sex in private places, then talk about it.  It’s an important conversation to have.


Sex Tips For Men:
How To Have Sex In Public Without Getting Caught

To see what some others think about sex in public places – here is a quick yes or no survey and a few comments from readers.

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England’s Education Department carefully selects all weekly questions. All questions are actual inquiries made to PPNNE by college-aged students.

Should you have a question you would like to see included, please send an email to goddess@ppnne.org

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Midweek – Exercise for Better Sex

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Exercise. It’s one of those things you “should” do a regular basis in order to live a long, healthy life. But what if we told you exercise could also improve your sex life? We bet you’d be a little more willing to hit the gym.

This video from Web MD highlights the perks of working out and explains how exercise can ultimately result in better sex. Talk about motivation.  

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Week 64 – Is it true men sexually peak at 18 and women around 30?

Friday, November 13th, 2009

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We’re not sure when this stat made its way into the world, but we can tell you that people have been questioning its validity for years.  But, is sexual peak about desire or satisfaction? Or frequency? Or gender? Or is sexual peak about age, hormones or arousal?

peakScientifically speaking, it is true that a man’s level of testosterone peaks at 18 and a woman’s level of estrogen hits its high point in the mid-to-late twenties.  But peak hormonal levels don’t necessarily correlate with peak sexual performance.

If we want to talk about the frequency of orgasms, or the turn around time between orgasms, then we need to talk about age.  Men seem to have their greatest frequency of orgasms in their late teens and early twenties. Women seem to have their greatest frequency and more orgasms in their late twenties through their mid forties.

But, an adult’s sexual peak, also known as their personal best, can be any age – it really just depends on the person. Energy, experience, desire, wanting to be a good lover, communicating well, and knowing how your body and your partner’s body works, all affect sexual peak. Time also plays a role—the longer people have to learn about one another’s desires and sexual responses, the greater the possibility of sexual ecstasy.

The bottom line—never assume your partner’s sexual best has come and gone simply because of age.  Rather, think of it as something that has the potential to only get better with time, experience, skill, and the desire to continuously learn. Hey, who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England’s Education Department carefully selects all weekly questions. All questions are actual inquiries made to PPNNE by college-aged students.

Should you have a question you would like to see included, please send an email to goddess@ppnne.org

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Midweek – 10 Things You Didn’t Know about Orgasm

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

Consensual Text is featured on Twitter and on Facebook .  Fan and follow us for info on a range of topics pertaining to sex and sexual health!

A few months back, we reviewed Mary Roach’s book “Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Sex and Science,” a well researched, hilarious book that answered such pressing questions as “Can you orgasm just by using your head?” and “Why doesn’t Viagra work for women?”

It seems we can’t get enough of this intelligent and witty woman.  This week we bring you Mary Roach’s video, “10 things you didn’t know about orgasm.”  It’s 20 minutes long, but seems to fly by, leaving you wanting even more. Enjoy!

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Week 63 – My partner likes to watch a lot of porn. What should I think and do about it?

Friday, November 6th, 2009

Consensual Text is featured on Twitter and Facebook.  Fan and follow us for info on a range of topics pertaining to sex and sexual health!

The first thing I want to know from you, anonymous question submitter, is your definition of “a lot” when you say your partner watches “a lot” of porn. Are we talking a few times a week? Or are we talking every-hour-on-the-hour-and-he/she-can’t-hold-down-a-job-because-of-it type of thing? man-looking-at-computer

If the first definition, then there is really nothing to worry about. It’s perfectly healthy to watch porn (as long as the people watching it are consenting adults and the movies are legal, blah, blah, blah…). Some use porn to increase sexual pleasure. Some like it as part of fore play. Some people watch it alone and some watch with their partner.

The important thing to remember is that many people are watching porn—not just your partner. As of 1992, 75% of men under 55 had used a pornographic magazine, book, sex video, or both during the year. The corresponding figure for women was 41%. In a more recent British study – 66% of women and 88% of men reported viewing pornographic material – in magazines, videos, or on the internet regularly.

Porn pictures, magazines and sex videos have pleasured people for centuries. People have viewed sexually explicit material since cave dwellers first took charcoal to a rock wall.

Porn can also increase sexual enjoyment. 89% of women who watch porn videos reported having an orgasm the last time they had intercourse. Some report porn helps them have a satisfying sex life.

AND  it is also true that many couples have good, satisfying sex without the added attraction of porn.

If your partner uses porn to masturbate – remember, masturbation is a personal act and one that is enjoyable for many people. If watching porn is part of that experience it is her/his personal choice.

If the latter definition, then there’s a problem. Porn shouldn’t be getting in the way of your relationship, (or in the way of being a functioning member of society, for that matter). If you feel your partner has become obsessed with it, it’s time to talk. Although it may seem hard to do, try not to be judgmental and try to remember what we mentioned above—watching porn is perfectly normal. What’s not normal is devoting every waking minute of the day to it and shutting out the rest of the world.

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England’s Education Department carefully selects all weekly questions. All questions are actual inquiries made to PPNNE by college-aged students.

Should you have a question you would like to see included, please send an email to goddess@ppnne.org