Good4U are definitely showing the love this Valentine’s Day. We’re giving away a whole box of delicious energy boosting snacks. We’ve also got your Valentine’s Day meal covered with super delicious Starter, Main and Dessert recipes sure to impress. So pop on over to our Facebook page for all the details.
With love in the air this weekend we thought surely food has a big part to play in setting the romantic scene. So here are a few questions our dietitian Shelly has answered about food, romance and the connection between the two:
Is the way to a person’s heart through their stomach as the old saying goes?
In the context of relationships – no. Going out and buying your partner their favourite food – which generally includes high sugar, fatty foods or a box of chocolate isn’t necessarily the most sensible route to go down. I think it’s nice to surprise each other every so often with a special meal or a candle lit dinner.
There is a very close relationship between love, sex and food. It’s hard to feel romantic if you’re starving. On the other hand, when you first meet someone and are completely infatuated, often you lose your sense of hunger.
Well I think many have experienced this at some point or another throughout their lives. The honeymoon period can often result in people losing a few pounds while people are getting to know each other and get comfortable. Once people get to the comfortable stage ‘the butterfly effect’ can potentially go out the window –and people enter the next phase also referred to as ‘The nesting period’.
But when people get too comfortable too quickly they may also adopt new habits and eating behaviours to suit new lifestyle. So suddenly the Friday and Saturday nights out on the hunt with the girls or lads are replaced with nights in with a take away, chocolates and bottle of wine. No harm in this every so often but if you totally lose the run of yourself weight can creep on very quickly. An average night in with your other half could equate to 3000kcal or more, and unless you are dancing around the living room or getting saucy in the bedroom there will be very few calories burnt.
During the initial stages of a relationship it may be largely physical attraction that brings you together and if your physical state changes significantly the attraction between you might fade away. This may seem like a shallow statement but this could be the case for some people.
So in essence what I am trying to say is that it’s important to maintain the lifestyle that you had before, keep up the exercise, meet your friends and don’t let ‘food’ become your happy place.
Cooking together can enhance a feeling of togetherness can’t it?
Yes and cooking meals can actually be quite therapeutic. Sometimes you might hear people use the excuse – I can’t cook!! It’s really not rocket science and there are plenty of basic recipe books out there to help you along your way. So if you haven’t done so before why not surprise your partner this weekend. That’s sure to spice things up.
Are there certain foods you can eat to increase your feeling of well being or stir your libido?
Well you will often here about the alleged Aphrodisiacs that can fall into 3 groups – based on appearance, strange or weird foods and foods that connote wealth and luxury. But really there is no scientific basis for the effects of these foods. However the placebo effect for some might work.
2.Selenium may support a healthy sex drive and fertility – seeds, brazil nuts and oysters.
3.Vitamin E helps produce sex hormones – eat more salmon, avocados and sunflower seeds
4.Calcium – dairy, broccoli and hazelnuts
5.Garlic – although it might seem more of a turn-off for romantic dinners with its strong odour, garlic increases the circulation and prevents hardening of the arteries, one of the causes of impotence.
True and maintaining a healthy weight will more than likely improve confidence levels and self-esteem. As long as people are comfortable with their own shape and size then this is enough.
Happy Valentine’s Day! #BeHealthyBeHappy
