Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Zappers! ~ Aphrodisiacs from A to Z

Zappers of the libido, aka anaphrodisiacs, are things that kill the sex-ay buzz. (Yeah, yeah, I know—my theme's supposed to be about stuff that turns folks on, not off. Hey, Z is a really, freaking, hard letter, and I am le tired and a bit heart-achy, so...so there!)

Le sigh.

THINGS THAT ZAP THE SEX-AY
  • Antidepressants (not all; check w/your doc)
  • Antiandrogen drugs
  • Booze (in excess)
  • Chronic illness/pain
  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Hops
  • In-laws (if you live with them, for instance)
  • Iron deficiency (in women, particularly)
  • Licorice! (Excessive consumption of licorice lowers testosterone levels in men. So just sniff it, don't eat it!)
  • Low levels of testosterone
  • Marjoram
  • Menopause
  • Opiods
  • Other medications (like those for high blood pressure, for example)
  • Pregnancy 
  • Quinine
  • Raising children (all ages)
  • Refined carbohydrates
  • Stress
  • Valerian

Please, folks: if you suspect that/wonder if any of the above meds/substances have zapped your libido, for the love of all that's holy, talk to your docs before you stop/start taking them. If you really need your blood pressure meds, there may be other ways to deal with the lowered libido, so just chillax and don't go self-medicating, 'k? Thanks.

SOURCES

Monday, April 29, 2013

Yearning ~ Aphrodisiacs from A to Z

José Ferraz de Almeida Júnior
[Public domain or Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons
Yearning is to desire as Lindt Hazelnut Truffles are to my waistline: one increases the other, over time. (I know y'all know what I'm talkin' about; can I get an Amen???)

Y U SO SEX-AY?
Everybody knows that absence makes the heart grow hornier fonder, right? It's pretty simple logic, really: sex with the one you love makes you feel good (I hope, for your sake). Your lover goes away on business for a while. As the days pass, the high from your last sexual encounter diminishes, until it's completely gone from your system. You start to crave that high. The longer you go without your lover, the stronger the craving, until your babe returns and WHAM! (And W00F!)

RECIPES
Understand that I'm not advocating manipulative behavior on anyone's part, I'm just noting things which have caused yearning for a man in me, which might work for you, if you feel like shaking things up a bit. Do, or do not, but don't be cruel to a heart that's true, 'cause that's fucked up.
  • Be unpredictable about when you reach out to your lover; uncertainty fuels longing.
  • Give your lover a couple of nights off, encouraging him/her to hang out w/pals, etc., while you do your own thing. Being reunited on that third night should feel oh, so good.
  • If you're normally super touchy-feely w/your partner, ease up the next time y'all get together. Be as friendly, chatty, caring as you usually are, but not touchy, without making a point of the fact you're not being touchy. Less makes your lover want more.

ANTIDOTES
What if you're the one helplessly (and maybe hopelessly?) yearning for another and it's making you crazy? Well, le suck (and believe me, I know). But the suckage will decrease as time goes by. (I promise.) In the meantime...

If it's a temporary separation (due to travel or school or short-term alien abduction) (What? That last thing could totally happen.):
1. Take care of yourself (eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, take vitamins/medications as recommended by your doctor).
2. Fill your free time with things you love doing. If you've no particular passions beyond your lover, find some.
3. Folks tend to let regular get-togethers w/pals slide in the first flush of romance. If you did, apologize to your neglected friends, swear you'll do better from now on, and treat them to a fun night out. (Or in with your DVR/DVD player/VCR.) (Hey, I still have/use a VCR; don't judge.)
If it's a breakup or a case of love you KNOW will never be requited, to the above, add:
4. Give yourself a finite period of time to mourn your loss. (I'd recommend not exceeding 1 - 2 weeks, but I'm not a doctor, so WTF do I know?) Of course, if the breakup comes after years of couple-dom, grieving may prove a longer process than a couple of weeks can handle. However long you set yourself, do all your talking/crying/ice-cream eating/wine-ing then but, when the period's up, STOP. You, and your friends, will need a break.
5. After this mourning period, if intrusive thoughts about the person, or the relationship, plague you, sit down and write/type up thoughts that please you/make you happy, which have nothing to do with him or her. Then, when the undesired thoughts invade your tired mind, look at your list and think on one of the good thoughts instead. Keep doing this until you don't need to anymore. (This is a pretty basic exercise employed in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, one I learned from a licensed psychiatrist years ago and, while I can't say it's easy, I've found that it does help if I keep at it.)
6. If, after employing all of the above five steps for at least a month, you don't feel more human/sane, please seek professional help.
If it's a loss due to the death of your loved one
The grieving process differs in such a way that step #4 cannot possibly qualify as helpful, at all. But I think the other steps I listed above are important, especially #6.

In the first scenario, you've the luxury of knowing the separation is temporary, as well as the reasonable expectation of your lover's return. In the other two, well...my own battered heart goes out to you. Know that you're loved and still capable of loving, abundantly, as long as your heart's still beating. I hope healing comes quickly for you, but until it does, just keep going. You have to. Yes, you really do.

LINKS

Saturday, April 27, 2013

X-Rated Movies ~ Aphrodisiacs from A to Z

Buy it from Babeland!
X-rated movies are the epitome of the man-made aphrodisiac. They exist to turn folks on. Sure, women are objectified in 'em, but so are men. Everyone's objectified, W00T, W00T! (Hey, equal opportunity rocks, OK?)

Y U SO SEX-AY?
It's been said again and again that men can't tear themselves away from porn because they're so visually oriented. You know what? So are women. According to one of BYU's* Women's Services and Resources Web pages, "1 of 3 visitors to all adult web sites are women," and "9.4 million women access adult web sites each month."

Which is all to say, whether they view it alone or with their partners, both sexes be diggin' the porn. Personally, I find it tricky to locate porn that doesn't contain some element of squick for me (though I'll persevere until I do). (Strictly in the interest of science.) But I sure as hell don't want to watch it with a partner. (My jealousy-o-meter goes from 0 to 1,000,000,000,000 in exactly a microsecond. So if any dude o' mine's checkin' out another chick, for any reason, I don't want to know.)

*Yes, that BYU!

RECIPES

*Links to naughtiness removed bc I've had a change of heart about publishing them.*

Click here for more on X-rated movies.


Friday, April 26, 2013

Walnuts ~ Aphrodisiacs from A to Z

By User:AndonicO (Own work. Edit by Digon3)
[GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html),
CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
or CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)],
via Wikimedia Commons
Walnuts, like pine nuts earlier in the alphabet, provide a very satisfying crunch between one's molars and are damned tasty as sundae toppings and in carrot cake. But what've they got going on for them that makes them aphrodisiacs?

Y U SO SEX-AY?
Walnuts contain the amino acid arginine, which is known to be helpful in numerous ways, among them, improving "athletic performance." (Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink.) (OK, so as a natural Viagra, it's not exactly a libido starter, but damn; W's a hard letter, y'all!)

Don't overdo it with the walnuts, though; too much arginine in your system can be problematic for some folks.

RECIPES

Click here for more on walnuts.

Sources


Thursday, April 25, 2013

Vanilla ~ Aphrodisiacs from A to Z

By B.navez (Photo : B.navez)
[GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html),
CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons
(Holy shit, that's a long attribution!)
Vanilla beans bring the sex-ay, y'all. You wouldn't think it, to look at one, but they do. On the other hand, given their phallic shape*, maybe you would think it.

*Um...it's sorta phallic shaped. Kinda.

Well, anyway...

Y U SO SEX-AY?
Remember the fella who did a study and determined that the scent of licorice increases the flow of blood to chicks' genitals? Apparently, the scent of vanilla does the same for "mature men," by which I believe is meant older men, as I've yet to meet a mature one. (I kid, I kid.)

(Oh, c'mon, it was a joke; back off, already. Sheesh.)

(Besides which, I'm the least mature of any creature living.)

(Fact.)

RECIPES

Click here for more about vanilla.

Source.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Uxoriousness ~ Aphrodisiacs from A to Z

Image Source
Uxorious* (uck-SOAR-ee-us) is an adjective meaning to be "...doting upon, foolishly fond of, or affectionately submissive toward one's wife." (Source) The bottom line, Gentle Readers, is that showing affection to either spouse, on a regular basis, can be a powerful aphrodisiac.

*I know, I had to drive around the block a few times to find a "U" word for my theme, but it works. (Well, it works for me, anyway.) (Plus, we all know how lazy I am, so...)

Y U SO SEX-AY?
That chemical, "certain something" will attract us to our partners and, as they endear themselves to us, we find ourselves wanting to do for them, don't we? Too, being shown affection frequently makes one feel secure, beloved, and I can't think of a better foundation for sexy intercourse in a committed relationship than those two feelings right there.

RECIPES

Click here for more about affection.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Teasing ~ Aphrodisiacs from A to Z

By Trailer screenshot (Monkey Business trailer) [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons
Teasing as an aphrodisiac is not of the "Nyah, nyah" variety. It's the type of teasing where you prime your partner's pump (so to speak) but do not readily rush to resolution. I mean, eventually you do, sure, but you start your lover's motor, let the car idle for a bit, then lather-rinse-repeat. (Yeah, I'm mixing metaphors now, but dang, this Challenge has wiped me out. I'm not feeling up to my usual lyrical prose, y'all.)

Y U SO SEX-AY?
It's all about the buildup, man. You start off slowly, with hints and suggestions, which gets the most important sexual organ, the brain, bubbling. Drop a touch here, a stroke there. Tantalize your partner with flashes of the Sex-ay Yet To Come. Later, take the object of your affection to the brink and let her or him slip back down just a bit. Do this in a steady stream of starts and stops until your lover can take no more and then give him/her the orgasm of a lifetime. But do be sure to bring about the happy ending in that session—winding your lover up only to leave her/him high and dry is cruel. (Unless, of course, your lover digs that shizz, in which case, get to it.)

RECIPES

Click for more on teasing/flirting.