Food and Libido

Before we get to the libido information I stumbled upon today and thought was pretty interesting- I will share an AWESOME moment.... 

NOW MY DAILY MENU

Breakfast was WONDERFUL! 

I made spinach and egg english muffins. 

1 egg

1 wheat english muffin

Handful of Spinach

Splash of skim milk

Tablespoon of Mozzarella

2 Kiwis 

I learned this trick from my aunt. They make for wonderful scrambled eggs. Instead of scrambling in a bowl you crack the egg into your skillet (I sprayed mine with olive oil so it wouldn't stick) and then once the white gets kind of firm you stir it in the skillet so that you have more of a "marbled" scrambled egg. I think it tastes better!

Add in your handful of spinach and splash of skim milk (literally a splash like maybe a tsp)

Once the spinach is wilted remove from heat and add your tablespoon of cheese and then put a lid over it so it melts well. 

Spoon over your english muffins and eat open faced. Serve with 2 delicious kiwis! 

YUMMO

Lunch was more leftovers redone. 

I had a leftover sweet potato and the other black bean burger. How to make this delicious? 

Add chipotles in adobo to the sweet potato!

I put in some adobo and two chopped up chipotles. (Next time I would puree all this together I didn't love the texture of it chunky I wanted it more smooth but I didn't want to dirty my food processor for the 100th time) 

I added a drizzle of honey to bring out the sweet with the heat. 

To redo the burger I just ate it like a patty and topped it with half of an avocado and some cilantro with a splash of lime juice! 

For some reason I got really full and couldn't eat everything. I actually had some of the bean patty left too but I gave it to my cute little puppies... ole begging dogs. 

I don't know why I was full it was really weird! Maybe that breakfast was so awesome and filling that I didn't need as much at lunch. Either way I was glad I recognized being full and stopped eating instead of forcing it down my mouth. 

SNACKS

I made this for our travels this weekend. I wanted to have something sweet that people could try and also that I can run to if people are eating unhealthy. 

ITS "FUDGE" 

A 12 oz. box of dates 

4 TBS of cocoa powder 

AND not pictured 1 cup of your favorite kind of nuts.
 Since I wanted it to be like brownies or fudge I chose walnuts.

BLEND ALL TOGETHER

Press into a pan lined with wax paper.

NOTE: You may want to double this to get a thicker fudge or you can roll into balls. Its thin because my pan was larger than needed. BUT it tastes like MORE. 


Here is the snack I ate today. Yesterday I found FIGS. 
SO EXCITING I did a dance in the produce section!

YUMMY! 

I took two figs and cut them in half. Top them with goat cheese, a walnut, and a drizzle of honey. It was SO good. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a glass of wine. It felt very fancy party. 

WORK IT OUT! 

Haven't really talked about my work outs the last couple of days. 
Yesterday I did the train for a 5k circuit. Run 1 minute and walk for 90 seconds. I did this for 30 minutes.  I felt like a BEAST.  I was very proud! THEN I did my medicine ball sit ups and it was so hard people nearby heard dirty words OOPS. Thankfully my husband came over and said "YOU GOT THIS GO!" and I did it! 

Today I did something a little different to take a break from yesterday.
WALK 3.0 for 5 minutes 
HARD WALK 3.5 for 5 minutes 
JOG 4.0 for 5 minutes 
WALK 3.0 for 5 minutes 
ELLIPTICAL MACHINE for 5 minutes 

Then I moved to my muscles! Today was ARMS. Then I did that exercise I uploaded a few days ago with the thumbs up. It looked so easy in that photo HOLY COW it hurt. 
Swiss Ball Y Raise thank you for getting my back rolls back in check. 

Then I did the russian twist on the stability ball. It was a great tummy and arm workout! 

 

And then my favorite because its "easy" but it burns my back and legs. 

Kettlebell Deadlifts 

After that I pooped out....

THATS WHEN I WEIGHED AND SAW HOW AWESOME I WAS DOING!!! 

REMINDER 

Turkey cutlets pounded out 

spinach with goat cheese and water to thin it out just a bit and make a "sauce" but its still THICK

Put on your turkey cutlet and roll up secure with a toothpick and back in the oven at 350 deg for about 45 minutes. 

When its done serve it up with whole wheat cous cous! 

I gave us a serving of cous cous - its 1 cup for 150 calories... it looks like WAAAY too much

AND I was right. You can't eat 1 cup of cous cous. 

More like 1/2 a cup 

NOW TO LABIDO 

SEXY SNACKS

Incorporating these foods into your everyday diet can be easy, tasty and keep your libido and your overall health active and alive.

Stress, environmental toxins and bad diet can all contribute to a dip in libido, which can underlie a bigger health issue like inflammation. This can zap your energy and slow your blood flow, all essential for a healthy sex drive.

You can get your re-energized by adding some key foods to your diet.

1. SALMON- Wild caught salmon is a great source of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA that help maintain the fluidity of our cell membranes. They keep our cardiovascular systems healthy by reducing inflammation, preventing excessive blood clotting, and keeping fats in the blood at healthy levels. Salmon is great grilled, broiled, or added to an omelet or salad. The same omega-3 fats are also found in other fatty fish like tuna, black cod, halibut, and mackerel. 

2. AVOCADOS - Yes, avocados are high in fat, but they're also high in healthy fats like omega-9 and omega-3. They're anti-inflammatory, so they support a healthy cardiovascular system and blood sugar regulation. In addition, they're high in fiber and rich in antioxidants like vitamin C, the fat-soluble vitamin K, folate, and B vitamins. They're also a source of high-quality protein.

To get a healthy dose of avocado, (rather than slathering guacamole on your beef burrito,) add avocado chunks to a tossed salad. The fats will help increase absorption of phytonutrients from your greens, carrots, and tomatoes.

3. WATERMELON- Watermelon is rich in a chemical called citrulline that helps make nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels. It also contains the phytonutrient lycopene and beta-carotene, which act as antioxidants, protecting our cells. This is the perfect time of the year to enjoy it; don’t be afraid to eat the white part of the watermelon rind where much of the citrulline is found, either. To maximize the nutrients, (if you buy the fruit whole,) leave it at room temperature until it's cut, then store the leftovers in the fridge. 

4. NUTS- Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans are a good source of L-arginine which gets converted into nitric oxide. Walnuts also contain a plant-based omega 3 fat that's necessary for a healthy cardiovascular system. Add a few to your morning oatmeal, add them to salads, or have a handful as an afternoon snack.

5. LEAFY GREENS- Fresh spinach, kale, collards, arugula, mustard greens, as well as herbs like parsley and oregano contain high amounts of chlorophyll, which is purifying to the blood and helps to increase blood flow. Some, like kale, also contain essential fatty acids like omega 3 and 6. They're a rich source of vitamins, including the fat-soluble A and K, and C, as well as minerals that keep the body rich in alkaline and improve energy levels. 

6. SEEDS- A zinc deficiency can impair testosterone production as well as contribute to depression, which also inhibits libido. Seeds such as pumpkin and sesame are rich in zinc, as well as additional essential nutrients. Eat pumpkin seeds raw in trail mix or sprouted and seasoned. Sprinkle hulled sesame seeds over steamed vegetables, or eat them ground into tahini in hummus. Other options include having them in a dressing for salads, veggies, or fish.

7. Oysters- Oysters improves dopamine levels which boosts libido in men and women. Oysters are also high in zinc which is vital for testosterone production and healthy sperm. 

8. Chocolate - It has more antioxidants than green tea or red wine. It also contains a stimulating chemical known as phenylethlamine, that  stimulates the sense of excitement and well being. The Journal of Sexual Medicine published a study that found, women who enjoyed a piece of chocolate every day had a more active sex life than those who didn't.

9. Chiles - The stuff that makes chilies hot, capsaicin, can actually rev up your libido. Have you ever noticed a natural high when eating chilies? Capsaicin promotes the release of chemicals that can raise your heart rate and trigger the release of endorphins.

10.Garlic- Eating raw garlic may make your partner turn the other way in bed, but  it can certainly stir up your sexual desire. The heat in garlic is what stirs up your libido. Garlic contains allicin, which is thought to increase blood flow to sexual organs. This trick doesn't work overnight however, apparently you need to consume it for about a month to reap its rewards. If you can't stand the raw garlic go for the capsules found at your local natural food market.