Use your brain to have hotter sex

TODAY:  Is there such a thing as an aphrodisiac?
Dr. Amen: Increasing sexual interest and performance starts with increasing blood flow to the brain and genitals. Asian ginseng 200mg, gingko biloba 60-120mg, and L-arginine 3,000mg are ways to enhance blood flow. Sexy scents and foods can also help. Here is a list of both:

Sexy Scents
For Males:

• Lavender
• pumpkin pie
• doughnut
• black licorice
• orange
• cheese pizza
• roast beef
• cinnamon

For Females:

• baby powder
• cucumber
• licorice
• lavender
• pumpkin pie

Sexy Foods

• Almonds enhance PEA
• Apples for sweet breath
• Asparagus rich in Vitamin E essential for hormone building
• Avocados for PEA, B6 and potassium
• Bananas contain the bromelain enzyme, which is believed to improve male libido
• Cabbage helps to increase circulation
• Celery contains androsterone, a hormone released by male sweat that turns women on.
• Chili peppers have capsaicin, stimulates nerve endings and raises heart rate
• Cheese actually contains more PEA than chocolate
• Chocolate increases PEA and theobromine, a substance similar to caffeine
• Eggs for B vitamins that help balance hormones
• Figs high in amino acids to increase libido
• Garlic contains allicin, an ingredient that increases blood flow to the sexual organs
• Nutmeg significantly increases sexual activity in rats
• Oysters high in zinc which helps produce testosterone, also dopamine for stimulation
• Wild Yams increase genital sensitivity

TODAY: What do men and women need to understand about how their brains work differently in order to have better sex?
Dr. Amen: Male and female brains are different, often very different. Understanding these differences can help you avoid a lot of the pain and miscommunication that happens between partners. Here are some differences that may help you.

Women have a larger corpus callosum. This means they have more access to both hemispheres at once, better them better at multitasking. They also have more overall brain activity. Women are thinking, thinking, thinking, while men need more stimulation. Women often have language on both sides of the brain, so they have more to say and can overwhelm men with words. Women are usually much more sensitive to smells and touch, so it is helpful to find out how your wife likes to be touched and to take a shower before you approach her for sex. Women also have better peripheral vision, so, opposed to her mate, she can check out a cute person of the opposite sex and not get caught. Women have greater access to the right hemisphere so they see problems faster (both real and imagined); women are more likely to be more depressed (the right hemisphere is the negative side of the brain); they read social cues much better than their mates, so they can tell when their men are lying; and they are usually better at understanding the big picture of a situation

Men have less access to the right hemisphere. This means they tend to be more unrealistically optimistic.  They have a larger left parietal lobe, so they are usually better at direction sense.  But, since they have less access to the right hemisphere, they often do not know when they are lost. With less overall brain activity, men often he need stimulation, hence the television remote and porn.

TODAY: Is this why some women are attracted to men who aren’t especially attractive? Like Woody Allen?
Dr. Amen: Yes, women are attracted to different issues than men.  Most men are very visual, which is why women spend so much time on their appearances.  Women are more often more attracted to a man’s ability to care for them, hence the younger woman with the older, more successful man. 

TODAY: And finally, can you brain wash someone into falling in love with you?
Dr. Amen: Yes, you can use the brain science in “Sex On The Brain” to get inside another person’s head to encourage them to be more attracted to you. However, you need a healthy brain to be able to keep them interested after the dopamine has worn off.

If you’d like more information on “Sex on the Brain” by Dr. Amen, check out the Web site for his publisher, Random House at www.randomhouse.com.

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