It would be hard to heat up your love life if, after “50 First Dates” with the same guy, your amnesia made it impossible to remember who you’d met, or even what you thought of him. But, unlike Drew Barrymore’s character Lucy Whitmore, most women who struggle with what they consider inadequate desire can reboot their libido. And there’s nothing unusual about this issue: 30 percent of women report feeling this way at some point.
What cools the urge to merge? Low testosterone — that’s right, in women — but tiny doses may help. Side effects of medications, such as antidepressants, are a big factor. Stress may make you preoccupied with worries, which is hardly a turn-on. And painful intercourse in menopausal women can interfere. It may come from changes in vaginal tissue; estrogen creams and rings can ease it.
So talk to your gynecologist about how you’re feeling (or not feeling) and your best medical options. But don’t wait for that to try these foods that will help your body get in the mood.
- Dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa) once a day delivers mood-enhancing phenylethylamine and caffeine that can help rev up your engine.
- Pine nuts (a handful a day) may boost testosterone levels.
- Pomegranate and garlic can help dilate blood vessels, promoting lubrication and response.
- Celery packs androsterone, a hormone in male sweat that turns women on.
- Figs contain protein-building amino acids that are building blocks of muscles (and desire).
The You Docs — Mehmet Oz, host of “The Dr. Oz Show” and Mike Roizen of Cleveland Clinic — are authors of “YOU: Losing Weight.” To submit questions, go to www.RealAge.com. King Features.
