Valentine's Day Special: Eat for Better Sex, Spicing Up Intimacy with Cuisine with Amy Reiley

Valentine's Day Special: Food & Sex, Eat for Better Sex, Spicing Up Intimacy with Cuisine with Amy Reiley, America's leading aphrodisiac food authority.
In this steamy Valentine's special, Ruan Willow is joined by the sensational Amy Reiley, an acclaimed authority on aphrodisiac foods, speaker, cookbook author, and wine aficionado. Amy's expertise spans from the sensual power of food to its direct impact on our sex lives. This episode delves into the tantalizing connection between what we eat and how we love, exploring how simple dietary tweaks can dramatically enhance intimacy and sexual pleasure.

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Amy shares her journey from a food and wine writer to becoming a gastronomy historian and an aphrodisiac foods expert. With her background in health and her passion for mythology, Amy has crafted a unique niche that marries the art of eating with the science of desire. She reveals surprising insights on how hydration, whole foods, and specific ingredients like dark chocolate, watermelon, and even wine can fuel our libido and improve sexual wellness.

Listeners will learn the truth behind common aphrodisiac myths, the importance of diet in sexual health for both men and women, and practical tips for crafting a romantic meal that won't leave you feeling sluggish. Amy's holistic approach is not just about better sex, but also about overall well-being and the joy of savoring life's pleasures.

From her first book, "Fork Me, Spoon Me: The Sensual Cookbook," to her latest, "Eat Cake Naked: Aphrodisiac Desserts to Heat Up Your Love Life," Amy's work is a treasure trove of delicious advice for anyone looking to spice up their love life with the help of good food.  (Cookbook affiliate link: Podcast may receive a commission on purchases. Thank you for the support! Fork Me, Spoon Me https://amzn.to/3tV2Leb
Romancing the Stove: https://amzn.to/3Ua5P0o
Eat Cake Naked: Aphrodisiac Desserts to Heat Up Your Love Life https://amzn.to/47Kzn84

Pour a glass of water, grab a piece of dark chocolate, and let the Valentine's Day celebration begin with a true feast for the senses. Discover how you can spice up your culinary life and find her top ten foods for men's and women's sexual health at http://eatsomethingsexy.com/

Show notes created by https://headliner.app
📋 Episode Chapters
(04:45) Food and wine can impact sex, but not many people think about it
(08:50) The key to everything is water, which is also not sexy
(10:51) What are some foods that harm your sexuality or improve it?
(15:51) You might increase intimacy with your partner if you feel better, expert says
(17:56) Pineapple & watermelon are particularly important for men's sexual health
(23:03) Fork me, spoon me, sensual Cookbook
(29:03) Wine can get you turned on by smelling
(31:08) Your first book was about aphrodisiacs how to use them

Transcript

Oh F*ck Yeah with Ruan Willow Podcast. Episode 390, now in season 4. This transcript was created by Headliner App. It was not edited by a human. It's not 100% accurate. Please email ruanwillow@gmail.com with questions.

This is Ruan Willow podcast episode about food and sex aphrodisiacs

>> Speaker A Ruan Willow: Hello. This is Ruan Willow with the oh, fuck yeah. With Ruan Willow podcast. I'm super excited you're here. This is, a Valentine's Day special about food and sex aphrodisiacs. I have an aphrodisiac food specialist expert here to talk with you and me and teach all kinds of stuff about food and eating for better sex. If you're under 18, it is time to leave the podcast. Now I am going to introduce you to Amy Reiley.


Amy Reiley is best known as an authority on aphrodisiac foods.

Amy Reiley is best known as an authority on aphrodisiac foods, but she is also a speaker, cookbook author, and consultant, as well as a freelance wine writer and wine competition judge. Ooh, I love all those things. In 2004, she became the second American to earn a Master of Arts in gastronomy, awarded by France's culinary temple La Cordon Blue. While, at Cordon Blue, Amy rose to prominence for her work in culinary aphrodisiacs. In 2006, Amy released her first book, fork me, spoon me. I love that title. Fork me, spoon me. The Sensual Cookbook. Cementing her role as America's leading aphrodisiac food authority, Amy regularly speaks and consults on the topic of aphrodisiacs and has appeared on the Today Show, CBS Early Show, Nightline, and even Playboy TV. You'll recognize her with the one wearing clothing. In 2005, Riley was singled out as one of the five best female wine professionals in the world of the year by France's Wine Women Awards. Her other books are Chili Aphrodisia, Romancing the Stone, the Unabridged Guide to Aphrodisiac Foods, the love diet, and her latest book is Eat Cake naked Aphrodisiac desserts to heat up your love life. Oh, I love all of these things. And she did that one with a, nutrition expert co authored with Delana Flagg. I don't know if I said that right, but she does say the name in the interview. And also you can find her@eatsomethingsexy.com she's on Facebook as natural aphrodisiacs and on Twitter X. She is forkmespoon me recipes on Pinterest forkmespoon me. And I have to mention, this is really cool what she does, too. I think this is just so amazing. She helps film and television studios, including Universal, Netflix, and Warnermedia donate leftover catering to those in need rather than having it go in the trash. I had to mention that because that is so important and that really needs to happen. So I hope you enjoy this and it was a really fun chat. I really enjoy talking with her. And hey, get her books. No better way to get ready for fun sex than to have food. A part of that. So you're full and satiated and ready to fuck. Ah.


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And now back to the show.

>> Speaker B: Let's go.

>> Speaker A: Hello, everyone. I have an amazing guest, and it's tying together two of my favorite topics, like ever, food and sex. So this is just amazing. And I'm really excited to have this guest here. Before we get started, I want to quick mention my sponsors for this podcast, manscape.com. You can get 20% off and free shipping with my code ruanwillow20. So if you want to get sexy for the bedroom, get your hair and your skin all yummy and ready for fun, sexy times. All your hair everywhere, including your pubes, you can get sexy. You can get a discount with my promo code ruawillow20 at manscape.com. 
And now back to the show.

>> Speaker A: Let's go.

>> Speaker A: Hello, everyone. I have an amazing guest, and it's tying together two of my favorite topics, like ever, food and sex. So this is just amazing. And I'm really excited to have this guest here. 
Oh F*ck Yeah With Ruan Willow podcast, Amy Reiley talks about food and sexuality

Okay. Now that we got all that crazy stuff aside, which is really yummy stuff though, isn't it? Right? This is Ruan Willow with the oh, fuck yeah. With Ruan Willow podcast. And I am here with Amy Reiley, and I'm really super excited to talk with her. She is a writer, an editor, and an aphrodisiacs. Aphrodisiac. I don't know if you have the s there or not. Aphrodisiac foods expert. She has multiple books on this topic, and she is online and has some websites. So we're going to get into this juicy, juicy topic of, food and how it relates to sexuality. Welcome, Amy.

>> Speaker B Amy Reiley: Hi. Thank you so much for having me.

>> Speaker A: So excited to talk with you because I love food and I love to cook, and I have, under my real name, I have a fair amount I do with food too. So it's just fun for me to be able to tie the two together.


Food and wine can impact sex, but not many people think about it

Now, tell us a little bit more about your background and how you came to be writing and creating this type of content.

>> Speaker B: So I started out. I just always had a big interest in food. I like to eat. I like to think about my next meal. and so, I was working actually primarily as a wine writer, but a food and wine writer. And I became extremely interested in the health side, of food and wine, simply because I got really sick, and I didn't know what was going on, and I kept losing weight, and the doctors just didn't. They were like, oh, you have, like, a mold allergy or something? I'm like, okay. and allergy shots weren't helping, and I didn't know what was going on. And so, I went to a couple of different natural health practitioners who were all just like, well, we got to take a look at your diet, and we've got to change everything. it was kind of miserable, but turns out they were right. and basically, I had a severe mold allergy combined with a systemic yeast infection, which is, like, sexy sounding.

>> Speaker A: Yeah, I know.

>> Speaker B: But what it means is that your whole gut is sick from the, And so I had to eliminate everything.

>> Speaker A: M wow.

>> Speaker B: Everything pretty much from my diet, and then gradually add it back in. And I was just so astounded to learn how much food can impact your health, the way you feel, the way you function. M that. I really, as a writer, I wanted to learn more about that. And, I happen to also have a real love for, greek mythology. Well, all mythology, and I have my master's degree in gastronomy, which means I am a food historian. And so I wanted to find some way to combine all of these interests and also get people as excited about food as I am and thinking about their next meal and all of these things. And so, for me, the obvious answer was, like, I'm going to talk about food and sex. Well, first of all, they're like, the two things we. I mean, we have to breathe, but we have to eat, and we have to procreate. So, like, two out of three of the things we have to do, and I can talk about them both. And this is really exciting. And there are so many ways to look at this, because I can look at it from the historical perspective and use my knowledge of how to research and uncover this history. But I also have this background now in health, and I totally understand how eating this way is really going to make changes for people. And I can really get people excited about food by telling them they're going to have better sex. So that's where we are now.

>> Speaker A: That is so amazing. And I think that's so true. And I think people don't really understand the links like this. I mean, everybody thinks, oh, I should eat healthy to be healthy and ward off illnesses or cancer, but not many people think about the fact that it impacts their sexuality.

>> Speaker B: Right? and it really does. And it's funny, if you talk to, like, a lot of urologists will say you should look at everything that's good for heart health, because anything that's good for heart health is going to benefit your sexual health. And the reason is simply it's all about blood flow. Right? Yeah. Essential. so you have to have a happy heart to have a happy sex life, right?

>> Speaker A: Because if we don't have good blood flow down to our genitals, they're not going to react normally. Right. They're not going to be at their.

>> Speaker B: Utmost potential and it can impact, at, ah, its worst, it will impact performance, but for most people, it really just impacts pleasure. M which sucks.

>> Speaker A: Pleasure is so important, right?

>> Speaker B: Yes.

>> Speaker A: And for many, it's more important than procreation because procreation is just a finite time. Right. It's a finite thing. But pleasure is lifelong.

>> Speaker B: Yes, definitely. It should be, we hope, if you do things right. Yeah.


The key to everything is water, which is also not sexy

>> Speaker A: So what are some things that people are doing wrong that, they should be doing to help their sexuality, help their pleasure, their orgasms happening?

>> Speaker B: Okay, you're going to laugh, but I'm convinced the key to everything is water, which is also not sexy. But it's a really simple place to start. I am going to drink enough water today.

>> Speaker A: Yeah.

>> Speaker B: If I drink enough water, I am not going to have a headache. I may have more energy, my sexual function will improve because everything is lubricated. I am going to look better because my skin is going to be plump, my hands are going to feel nice. It's going to feel good when I touch someone else. Water.

>> Speaker A: And it's so interesting, too, to think about. I mean, obviously we talk about sexual fluids. Your body, if you don't have enough water, isn't going to make that, right, right?

>> Speaker B: Correct. Yes. You will not. And this is particularly for women.

>> Speaker A: Interesting.

>> Speaker B: Yes. You need water for vaginal lubrication if.

>> Speaker A: You don't have enough thing.

>> Speaker B: Yeah.

>> Speaker A: And I think you're right. No one thinks of that. When you said that, I'm like, oh, it's going to be like lettuce or spinach.

>> Speaker B: Much easier, though. There is nothing it's not punishing to drink enough water each day, right. I mean, maybe for some of us, eating a bowl of kale a day would be, I like it, but for a lot of people, it'd be a misery. but water. Water is easy. So easy.

>> Speaker A: That is easy. I've been doing this for several years now. Nobody ever says, have some water to have great sex. Like, you do not hear that.

>> Speaker B: It is a really good starting point.

>> Speaker A: It's really funny. That should be a meme out there. Someone should do that. Make your sex life better. All you got to do is have some more water.

>> Speaker B: Well, the trouble is, see, there's no money in promoting that, so no one's.

>> Speaker A: Ever going, that's so true. That, ah, is so true.

>> Speaker B: Yeah, no.


What are some foods that can harm your sexuality or improve it

>> Speaker A: So what are some foods then? Now that we've mentioned water, what are some foods that people either that harm their sexuality or improve it?

>> Speaker B: Okay, so I created. Years ago, I worked with a nutritionist named delana Flagg. Funny story. This girl Delana, was getting her cooking degree with the lacourton blue, and she came to me and said, I have to do an internship. Can I do it with you? And I was like, cool. So she did some research for me, she did some writing, and anyway, after she got her culinary degree, she completely switched gears and went back to school till she got her phd in nutrition, because she was just, like, so into it. yeah, so into the idea of eating for your sex life. Anyway, she and I created these lists of the ten best foods for men and the ten best foods for women. M and they're both available. If you go to eatsomethingsexy.com, you can find both lists and great explanations and all that stuff. Oh, recipes, too, how to use them. but, yeah, I can give you a list of a few foods, but you'll find there are certain things that men need that women don't necessarily need as much of, and certain things vice versa. Sure. And so I have those lists, if you want to check them out. I can tell you, for men, it's a little more focused on things that have protein. salmon, makes that list. Almonds, make that list. Ah, for women, you're going to love it. Chocolate, dark, specifically, dark chocolate.

>> Speaker A: Really? Oh, my gosh. I'm so excited because I love dark chocolate.

>> Speaker B: Yes. There's even research that, dark chocolate can help you have a healthy vagina.

>> Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. I am buying some at the store next time, and I'm buying a lot.

>> Speaker B: Eat more dark chocolate. Fantastic. honestly, eating a diet, concentrating on eating more or eating as much whole foods as possible is a great place to start. Okay. and trying to reduce, things like pesticide consumption, obviously. And I'm not saying you have to eat organic, but maybe try to reduce that a little bit. That is going to help, too. these are the obvious things, right? And then we can get more granular as we go, but, eating less fried food. I actually have been trying to eat less fried food because I found out that it's associated with migraines.

>> Speaker A: Oh, yeah.

>> Speaker B: And it seems to be helping me. Not that I ever ate a lot of fried food, but I can tell you from my experience that it truly just cutting out those french fries has helped.

>> Speaker A: Wow, that's intriguing. I think a lot of people don't dissect things like that. They just keep eating what they want and they don't really think about, okay, I'm going to eliminate one thing and see if I feel like that's probably how we should do.

>> Speaker B: Have I came up with, based on this list that Delana and I made, I actually came up with a whole program for men. I am working on one for women. and I feel that women are underserved in this area. And so I apologize. I am working on it. But it's just that my market, I know the people who I can see the stats of the people who are getting this information from me are men. They are waiting for it. So I created something called the better sex bundle for men.

>> Speaker A: Oh, yes.

>> Speaker B: And it's based around the ten best foods for men. Right. I kind of explain it all. I break it down, why these foods are great for you. Here are recipes. I give you a sample menu plan. I give you a planning sheet so you can plan your own menus and incorporate these foods. And then the key piece is that I added a journal.

>> Speaker A: Nice.

>> Speaker B: Now, it's not like a journal. Like, you have to write your thoughts and feelings from the day at all. It is more of a, like, check it off. How did I feel today? What did I do? What was different? Did I take all my medications? Did I change my medications? Because m that can have a big effect on your sexual health. Did I have enough water? Did I exercise today? Just all of those things so that you can look back at the end of each week and go, oh, yeah, my new medication is a problem, or. Oh, it really does help when I exercise.

>> Speaker A: Right? Yeah.


This book contains tips on how to increase intimacy with your partner

So this is a physical book that you write in, right?

>> Speaker B: Yes. I'm, just selling it online. So it's all download, print it as you need it.

>> Speaker A: Okay. Got it.

>> Speaker B: Or fill it out online, if you prefer. If you don't like wasting paper, that's always good.

>> Speaker A: How do people access that one so.

>> Speaker B: You can find it? If you go to eatsomethingsexy.com, it's right there, smack dab in the center of the homepage.

>> Speaker A: Got it.

>> Speaker B: I made it very easy to find.

>> Speaker A: Nice. Yeah, that's awesome. And so this is something that is pretty easy, I'm assuming, for men to do. It's not like this big. Oh, my gosh, I can't do this. This is overwhelming. This is scary right now.

>> Speaker B: It's hard in that for a lot of people, any changes, any lifestyle changes are hard. And I'm just going to give you the truth of, like, hey, you might increase intimacy with your partner if you feel better. here's how you can cook a meal together. And guess what? It's going to contain foods that are going to support your sexual health while you're doing, mean it is. I tried to make it as easy as possible, but I know for some people, it will be a little painful to have, say, a bison burger instead of mcdonald's with french fries.

>> Speaker A: Right.

>> Speaker B: It's tough. but like I said, it's things like exercise a little, drink some water. Are you getting enough sleep? Just note it down. Are you getting enough sleep? And what do you feel like when you don't?

>> Speaker B: And try to eat more whole foods. Eat more. For your snack, eat some salted almonds instead of something from a vending machine. It's not hard.

>> Speaker A: No, it's not. And those are good foods. It's not like you said. You're not like, forcing kale down people's throats. You must eat this kale. It's not like that.

>> Speaker B: No, I mean, eat more. Eat more. If you're a man, eat more. Pineapple.

>> Speaker A: Pineapple. Now, I've heard the pineapple thing, and I often wondered if it was, a myth.

>> Speaker B: So that thing? Yes, the pineapple semen thing. I've read accounts from female porn stars saying, oh, it's totally true. It's sweeter. I much prefer it. I try to force a guy to drink a can of pineapple juice. Okay, so there's that. But, from, like, a research standpoint, there's no evidence. There's no reason for it to be true, really. I mean, it changes the acidity, and maybe that's all it is. Maybe there's less bitterness because the acidity.

>> Speaker A: Has changed, but makes him healthier to eat that. Not necessarily, but it makes him healthier, correct. Right.

>> Speaker B: Yeah.

>> Speaker A: Okay, got it.


Pineapple and watermelon are particularly important for men's sexual health

For men, a lot of fruits, or is pineapple especially important?

>> Speaker B: Pineapple and watermelon are particularly important for men. And I don't know if you heard this study. It was, gosh, it was maybe 15 years ago now. They discovered there's a phytonutrient in watermelon it's called citrulline. And, it's extremely good for men's sexual health.

>> Speaker A: Wow, that is so amazing.

>> Speaker B: Yeah, right. so watermelon has been a big thing. Watermelon juice, by the way, is delicious. That's a nice treat. all you need is some fresh watermelon and a blender.

>> Speaker B: You can take it with you.

>> Speaker A: It's portable, not that hard. And what I love about this is all these damn stupid, almost say asshole companies pharmaceuticals are trying to shove all these meds down people's throats to make money. And all of these people need to do try this stuff first, right?

>> Speaker B: Yes, for a lot of people. And, if you're experiencing real ongoing problems, you need to go to a doctor first, for sure.

>> Speaker A: Yeah, right.

>> Speaker B: But a doctor is going to agree with me that part of the cure is going to be some diet and lifestyle changes. You may also need medication. There are other things. And in some people's cases, it's even psychological. Sometimes it may also need therapy. You may have previous trauma to deal with. But this is for everyone. Without question. This is a piece of it and a very important piece.

>> Speaker A: That's so interesting. And it's something that people can try first. Like, if people are like, I don't want to try a med yet, of course. Feel like you said, some people do need meds, and that's just fine, but it doesn't need to be a band aid for everyone. I think that people should even try this. Try this first if they're having, issues with erections and whatnot, why, not try it?

>> Speaker B: Yes. And as I said, there are some people who should for sure, check with the doctor first, especially if you're on a lot of medications, it may not like, if you're going to increase, if you're going to triple your pineapple and watermelon consumption, you're on a lot of medications. Check with your doctor and just make sure. Hey, is this cool? because there are some weird interactions. We want to avoid those. But if you're not on anything yet and you just want to give it a try, the way you eat on this plan is, of course, it's just good for you. It's just good for everyone, and it's good for the planet because you're going to reduce your meat consumption, you're going to reduce your processed food consumption, you're going to reduce your sodium, it's just good for you.

>> Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Now I heard this one time, too, and you tell me if you know anything about this. That sugar is actually a testosterone dumper. Is that true?

>> Speaker B: I have read conflicting research. I'm not sure where I stand on it. But we know the negatives of sugar, right? So whether or not it really has a substantial effect on testosterone, does it matter? We know enough about sugar that, we have to use it moderately.

>> Speaker A: Right? Yeah, that's true. I mean, whether it is or not. But I just thought that was so interesting when I heard it. I'm like, people, all these people out there in the world are going out on dates, and they're ordering this big chocolate cake for dessert. Like, oh, that's so romantic. Let's share this piece of cake. And they're, like, sabotaging, potentially sabotaging their fun afterwards at home or wherever they go.

>> Speaker B: Absolutely. You bring up another great point. So in addition to sort of talking about, the sexual health side of aphrodisiacs, I do a lot of work, like consulting with chefs, restaurants, hotels, on planning things, like a Valentine's day menu. And I'm always like, oh, yeah, okay. So if you're trying to create this romantic moment for these people, you're trying to get them turned on so they go home and have a good time.

>> Speaker A: Right.

>> Speaker B: Get the steak off the menu. Get the mashed potatoes off the menu, please. I remember one chef who wanted m to do, like, this giant fantasy hot fudge sundae for dessert, and I was like, what would you feel like after you ate that sundae?

>> Speaker A: Right. You're not going to be in the mood to have sex. You're going to feel like a big slug.

>> Speaker B: Yes. I mean, you eat that giant baked potato, you're going to feel like a giant baked potato.

>> Speaker A: Uh-huh. It's so true, and it's so simple, and it's so logical. I mean, it just really is.

>> Speaker B: Yes. So, yes, romantic meals should be reasonably light if you're cooking them at home. They should be things that are easy to make because you don't want to spend all your energy. Right. First of all, you don't want to get it, like, all sweaty over a stovetop. It's terrible. and you don't want to waste all that energy. And sometimes when you're cooking something complicated and it doesn't go right, you just have a freak out.

>> Speaker A: Right.

>> Speaker B: If you're trying to create a romantic moment for someone, that's the way, not the way to start it.

>> Speaker A: No. Or something that takes, like, 3 hours of prep. that's a bad idea, too. I mean, it's fun and it has its place, but maybe not for that.

>> Speaker B: Not for that.

>> Speaker A: Right.


You have a couple of other books on dessert that are very popular

You have a couple of other books out there. I love your titles, by the way. Tell us the titles of your books. I love it.

>> Speaker B: So my first book was called fork me, spoon me, the central Cookbook.

>> Speaker B: And it came out over ten years ago. And it is still popular largely because of that title. Although it was a really fun and practical book. I will say that, I have a book called Romancing the stove.

>> Speaker B: And then, eat cake naked, which is. That is a book that I love. I mentioned Delana before I wrote it with Delana. And it's a dessert book because I am. It's funny, we talk about sugar. I am just to dessert. I love dessert. So we tried to come up with desserts that had some sort of element that is good for your sexual health. I'd say 95% of the desserts in this book have that. and it's just little things. Like instead of white flour, we use chickpea flour in the brownies and nobody would know. It's kind of brilliant. there's certain things we're like, well, what happens if you make this with half the sugar?

>> Speaker A: Right.

>> Speaker B: Still delicious. Or what if we add chia seeds? It just adds texture. Look at that. So that's kind of what we put. Sesame seeds. We did, like little mexican wedding cookies. We did that, but with sesame seeds.

>> Speaker A: Oh, nice.

>> Speaker B: This is delicious. Yeah. So we just played around with traditional flavors and kind of added, I don't want to say hidden nutrition because I don't like the idea that it has to be hidden. but that's basically we added nutrition where we could without messing up flavor too much.

>> Speaker A: I like that because do we really need a full cup of sugar? I mean, is that really necessary? I know a lot of people will do like the switcheroo where I think it was like applesauce or something. And that's a good thing to do too. But yeah, what if you just used a portion of the sugar?

>> Speaker B: Yeah. Or like the applesauce thing. So I will do that sometimes, but I will still use like half the butter because just applesauce messes up your texture.

>> Speaker A: Yeah.

>> Speaker B: And I'm a kind of a texture junkie too. I think that food should be sensual. It should have great texture and great aromas and the whole thing. I want an experience. I don't just want to eat, I want an experience.

>> Speaker A: Right. I love that. I do think that different flowers are different, though. They behave differently like, one time I remember I switched out, I think it was coconut flour, and it turned out way different than I thought.

>> Speaker B: Okay, so a little tip is that, the density of different flowers are different. And so just look up. There are great charts online. Just double check that. You need to do one to one. You might need to cut it down to three quarters to a cup, something like that. Yeah.

>> Speaker A: Okay.

>> Speaker B: It's tricky.

>> Speaker A: It felt like it was, like, too firm or something.

>> Speaker B: Yeah. You probably should have just used less.

>> Speaker A: Yeah. Oh, interesting.

>> Speaker B: Okay.

>> Speaker A: Are there better flowers? I mean, like you said, the chickpea, obviously, but are there other better flowers than the regular white flour?

>> Speaker B: Oh, totally. Almost everything out there is a better choice. I personally don't like. I mean, it's good if for nutrition, but I personally don't like the flavor of brown rice flour. and coconut flour that you mentioned. You have to be really careful with it for textural reasons. It gets weird. but all of these things that aren't white have nutrition. They also have flavor. So if you can use that flavor to make your food more interesting, it's fabulous.

>> Speaker A: Yeah. Oh, for sure. That's so interesting. I never thought about looking online to see the ratios of what's up better because I was just thinking, oh, just complete substitution. I'm just going to try this flower. Like, I'm thinking. I'm trying something cool.

>> Speaker B: I've done it too, and I should know better, but I've done it too. Yeah. Oh, that's another thing. When you're cooking a romantic dinner, don't experiment. Yeah, save it for another time.


Make sure you make something special for your romantic dinner this Valentine's Day

Unless the two of you are making a meal together and that's kind of a turn on for you, like, creating something weird. Okay, sure. That's your thing, but otherwise, yeah, don't do it.

>> Speaker A: Maybe have a backup if you're going.

>> Speaker B: To do for sure pineap ice cream in the freezer, whatever it is.

>> Speaker A: Exactly. That's so funny because I wrote this, erotic rom.com book, and one of the things that happened in it is they're playing around, they're trying to challenge each other all day long to climax, and she's trying to cook this cheese sauce. Right.

>> Speaker B: Okay.

>> Speaker A: Well, of course it gets ruined because he's using the sex toy on her and she's trying to cook.

>> Speaker B: No.

>> Speaker A: Of course. that was part of the rom.com. Like, she wrecked the cheese sauce because.

>> Speaker B: Yeah, actually, I've heard a lot of real life stories that aren't far off from that. So, yes, keep the meal simple. the other thing I say is there is no shame in takeout. Bring the food home for your romantic meal. But what I want you to do is make it something special. Don't eat it out of those cartons. You're going to get out the best china, and you're going to plate the food beautifully, and you're going to make it an occasion, and you're going to put your cell phone away, and you're going to have a romantic dinner, and hopefully you're going to have some kind of fabulous drink with it. yes, all alcohol is considered aphrodisiac.

>> Speaker A: Ah.

>> Speaker B: However, we all know you have to be a little careful. I hate the word moderation, but this is one place where it really applies.

>> Speaker A: It goes too far.

>> Speaker B: and if you choose not to have alcohol, which sometimes is the smarter choice, make some fabulous mocktail, make some special drink. It doesn't have to be an alcoholic drink. Make something special, though.

>> Speaker A: I love how we're doing this right before Valentine's day because this is going to air a couple of weeks before Valentine's day. This is just perfect.

>> Speaker B: Well, now you've got all your tips. Yes. You're ready to go.

>> Speaker A: It's perfect.


You write about wine as a form of foreplay

Now, did you say you rated wine? Is that what was the other thing you did?

>> Speaker B: Oh, yeah, I write about wine. and I have worked as a wine competition judge as very first. Yeah, my very first job after college was in a tasting room of a winery. And I was actually, believe it or not, in college, I was actually into wine, which maybe a little od, but, you know what? I spent a semester abroad in South Australia, and everyone there was into wine, and I just kind of got into it. so I took a job in a tasting room, and I learned a lot about wine, and I was just excited to write about it. And there you go.

>> Speaker A: That's very cool, because I love wine. So these are hitting my things. I love dark chocolate, and I love wine. They're like my favorite things. Really? Like you're saying if you have a little bit of alcohol, a little bit of wine, that's not going to kill your sexuality, it's not going to kill your mood unless you take it too far. So it's good to know that information for people like, oh, I better not have any because I don't want to impact my.

>> Speaker B: No, not at all. And in fact, there was a Doctor who was also a vintner, Dr. Max Lake, who did a lot of research on wine and, wine as a form of foreplay, and he basically found that certain wines, the aromas of certain wines, actually kind of almost replicate human pheromones and can kind of get you turned on. You can get turned on by smelling just right. Yes. You don't even have to drink it, really. You can just sniff the wine.

>> Speaker A: That's amazing.

>> Speaker B: Yeah, he was an interesting man. but yeah, he made some really fabulous discoveries.

>> Speaker A: Oh, wow. That is totally amazing. Yeah, I like that. Because sometimes, I think alcohol gets a bad rap. And maybe it's because people sometimes do too much, but it gets a bad rap sometimes.

>> Speaker B: No, in this situation, that wine, that wine might just steal the deal for.

>> Speaker A: You and it's not going to hinder your sex. That's a good thing to know that people can still enjoy in moderation and not lose anything out.


Your first book was about aphrodisiacs and how to use them

So in your other book, fork me, spoon me. Is there a particular type of food that you focused on, and is that one a sexuality book as well? Does it talk about that or is that more geared towards just health in general?

>> Speaker B: Oh, no, that book was purely about aphrodisiacs. It was my first book and I just wanted people to know more about aphrodisiac foods and just get excited about eating them with really delicious recipes. and so I focused on twelve ingredients. Please don't ask me what they were.

>> Speaker A: Do you know any of them?

>> Speaker B: No. I used to joke that I was going to have them like, tattooed down my arm because every time I did an interview, I would forget, like two or three.

>> Speaker A: Right. Because there's so many foods.

>> Speaker B: I know, I know. Honey and chili peppers were in there. and peaches.

>> Speaker A: Interesting.

>> Speaker B: Yeah. So that book is about twelve ingredients, and you'll have to get the book if you want to find out what they are.

>> Speaker A: absolutely.

>> Speaker B: And then how to use them. And so it's a fun book. I wanted to make it as a gift book. I wanted it to be a book that people could didn't. Number one, they didn't have to cook from it. That it was a fun book to read and a fun book to give as a gift.

>> Speaker A: Absolutely.


You did a dissertation on food and sex in American popular culture

And so how did you prepare for that one? Was that one that you learned things from school or did you find it out other ways, like from your degrees? Or how did you find out the aphrodisiac pieces?

>> Speaker B: So when I was doing my master of arts at La Cordon Blue, it was a program where you did a lot of self directed study. And at every opportunity we had, I studied food and sex. and in fact, then we had, a year to do a dissertation, and I did mine on the relationship between food and sex in american popular culture.

>> Speaker A: Interesting.

>> Speaker B: And so by the time I had graduated, I really felt that I had a book in me, and I started looking for publishers right away.

>> Speaker A: Yeah, that's very cool. Something we should all know. I mean, these are just all just natural things that, I think probably years ago, this stuff was really more well known than it is now. Do you think that?

>> Speaker B: Yes and no. I think that people were more familiar with the concept of aphrodisiacs than now. But, there was no information on whether these foods really did anything. It was just folklore.

>> Speaker A: Right? Yeah, I guess we have the technology and the means to do more studies now than back then. Back then, it was probably just more by word of mouth or just people found stuff out by chance.

>> Speaker B: Yeah. Well, but if you look historically at the concept of aphrodisiacs, like throughout history, what's fascinating is, number one, that the same foods were held in regard by cultures on different parts of the world. So, you know, they found something, there was something to it that they clearly felt. and also, when you look at a lot of these cultures, people were generally starving. There wasn't the abundance of food we have now. And so you have to figure that they really saw something important in these foods to kind of use them in this way.

>> Speaker A: Right. I mean, obesity is a fairly new phenomenon, I think, in the human race. Right. I mean, because before we had to work much harder to get our food, it wasn't like it is now. And now it's just. Yeah, it's almost an overabundance that's actually causing a problem.

>> Speaker B: Yeah.

>> Speaker A: For many people. At least in our world. I mean, I know other parts of the world, sadly, they are still like that, and they still are fighting for food. and that's a huge problem, obviously. But it's interesting because everything has changed so much in modern times.

>> Speaker B: and that's how we now have the problems of our diets that are really hurting us.

>> Speaker A: Right. And obesity itself is going to make sex harder. You know what I mean? That is a thing too.

>> Speaker B: Yes, absolutely.


Kale is on my list of the ten best foods for women

>> Speaker A: that's so interesting. So when you created this, the better sex bundle for men, your goal was to reach out to a bunch of men. And so is it actually a course you said, or is it a book? I wasn't quite sure.

>> Speaker B: It's a book with support material.

>> Speaker A: Okay.

>> Speaker B: Yeah. So the core of it is a book, but then I included the support materials to help you make it a reality. It's not just a book to read and put down and go, okay, well, I learned something, but I'm not doing that. No, m. Here are the tools to help you. I'm going to hold your hand and you're going to get there. And even if you just try it and decide it's not for you, okay. But I guarantee you'll feel different. Even if it's not sustainable, you will find there is a difference.

>> Speaker A: Now, I did interview a person, too, another person who wrote about sex and eating, and they said a big thing was leafy greens. Do you agree with that one? Like, people eating leafy greens for impacting their sexuality as well.

>> Speaker B: So, kale. Kale does make. It's on my list of the ten best foods for women. because it's nutrient dense and it's got some very important nutrients for women's health. I'm not going to tell you you have to eat a bowl of raw kale every day. No, but if you increase your kale consumption and you can find other ways to use it. Right. You could put kale in a soup. You could put kale in your lasagna.

>> Speaker A: Yeah.

>> Speaker B: but, yeah, concentrate on getting more kale. It is good. But just to say, in general, leafy greens are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

>> Speaker A: No, I mean, they're good.

>> Speaker B: And, you know, funny thing, part of the reason that leafy greens are great is because they help you hydrate. They're full of water. and that sort of, that bulk, that kind of keeps things moving, keeps, you from getting constipated. That's always nice. And not all greens are created equal. iceberg lettuce and kale are, like, not even on the same planet nutritionally.

>> Speaker A: I know, right? Although I still do like the iceberg. I still like the crunch of that.

>> Speaker B: I understand the crunch, but the flavor is so bitter. I don't know, I don't get it.

>> Speaker A: That's interesting. And I think, too, some people are turned off by the texture of kale. But you're right, you can cook it right, and then you aren't even going to notice. It's kind of like when you cook spinach, you don't really notice it as much when you're eating a raw spinach salad. Oh, yeah. You notice, that spinach in there. But if you cook it, it smooshes down and wilts. It's just kind of, like you said, hidden. It's just in there. But it's not like screaming at you.

>> Speaker B: No, not at all. So there are things you can do with kale to make it more fun. Kale chips. Kale chips count, too.

>> Speaker A: Yeah, I have tried making those once. It was kind of difficult. You put oil on it, right?

>> Speaker B: A little, yeah. You know what, it helps if you have, like, I have a toaster oven that air fries. That makes it easier. M. Yeah. but you can also buy kale chips and just check. You got to think about these. You've got to check. Well, how much fat are in these? Is it a trans fat? Oh, is it too much sodium? Because all of those things are bad. Those are dirty words for your sex life, right? Trans fat, sodium, not good for sexual. I mean, we all need some salt, right? But, too much is going to seriously impact your sex life.

>> Speaker A: Right? So what do you have to say about people who are people who don't eat meat, like vegetarians, in their sex life? Is there any negative or positive impacts there?

>> Speaker B: Okay.


At different points in my life, I have experimented with different diets

So at different points in my life, I have just experimented with different diets for various reasons. Curiosity mostly. And while I was working on my dissertation, I decided to go on a raw diet. So I took vegan one step further. and I have to tell you, there are two times in my life where I noticed without question, I felt better than I ever had. And one was when I was doing that raw diet. And the reason I did it, by the way, was because while I was working at my dissertation, I was sitting at the kitchen table and I was not enjoying what I was doing. So I kept getting up and snacking.

>> Speaker A: Oh, sure.

>> Speaker B: Like saltwater taffy. You can't do that all day.

>> Speaker A: You can do it sometimes, right?

>> Speaker B: Do that all day. So that's why I decided to eat raw. And although I didn't love the diet, it's not something I stayed with after I finished. It just wasn't for me. But I never felt better. The other time that I felt that was, it wasn't purposeful that I changed my diet. But I was in South Africa for a few weeks and, I was there doing safaris. I was there to see animals. the funny thing is, when you go on these trips to see the animals, they feed you them every night, right?

>> Speaker A: Oh, wow. Okay.

>> Speaker B: You go watch the wildebeest run all day, and then you eat the wildebeest for dinner.

>> Speaker A: Wow.

>> Speaker B: So I don't eat a lot of meat generally.

>> Speaker A: It's just not.

>> Speaker B: My thing. But I was eating wild game and I, actually do like wild game, it's just not that readily available here, and it's very expensive. But I was eating wild game every night for like, three weeks. And I had incredible, I had not only just incredible energy in general, but incredible sexual energy, like, all of it. I was like, this is so bizarre. And now that diet isn't sustainable for me because I can't go to the grocery store and buy wildebeest.

>> Speaker A: fresh out.

>> Speaker B: Yeah. But it was interesting to make these discoveries that these different ways of eating are really the incredible impact they do have on your overall health, and particularly sexual health.

>> Speaker A: Fascinating. That is very fascinating. I think that's so interesting. And I wonder if they've done studies, like, of people who are the libido, of people who are vegetarians versus meat eaters. Like, I'm just so curious about that kind of thing.

>> Speaker B: They have. And in fact, there's a documentary, I'm only on episode two now, on Netflix right now. I don't know what it's called. It's about the one about twins. People probably know what I'm talking about. Ah, where, Stanford did this study where they took twins and put them on two different healthy diets, but one was vegan and one was omnivore. And, they studied how the effects of these two diets over eight weeks. And one of the things they studied, I think only on the women, odly, and I haven't figured out why yet, but on the women they studied the impact on their ability, their sexual arousal and their sexual function.

>> Speaker B: So I will find out when I get to the end of this documentary.

>> Speaker A: Yeah, that's fascinating. Yeah, I'm definitely going to have to watch that. I'm very curious.

>> Speaker B: Right? Yes. I was just kind of like, I was a little hom. Because there were some preachy elements, but then they started talking about how they studied sexual, function, and I was like, yes, I'm in. You got me.

>> Speaker A: I'm zoned in now.


You have listed here as a writer and an editor

So tell us a little bit more about what else you do. You have listed here as a writer and an editor, and as an editor for yourself or for other people?

>> Speaker B: So, when I wrote forkby spoon me, I mentioned that I immediately went out and looked for publishers, and I was working with a publisher, and my editor called me and said, yeah, this isn't going well. You should self publish. I'm going to tell you what to do, and you're going to self publish. This was before self publishing was cool. now it's like everybody's doing it. No, people not doing it. But I was just like, you know what?

>> Speaker A: You're like, what?

>> Speaker B: I've got nothing to lose here by trying it, but if I continue with the publisher, I'm going to lose my vision. Sure. yeah. So, I did it, and the book was so successful that I was able to publish the cookbook of this phenomenal little bakery that I know.

>> Speaker A: Oh, nice.

>> Speaker B: The book was kiss my bunt. I learned everything there is to know about baking a bunt cake. And, boy, I can make a great cake now. Anyway, I wound up having to become an editor for. I mean, I'd always worked on and off as an editor here and there, but for the publishing company. and now for eat something sexy. I'm the editor in chief. I have a number of writers who are experts in different areas. I have a couple of wine writers. I have a couple of travel writers. so I still work occasionally as an editor just to kind of get their work polished and out there as the best it can be.

>> Speaker A: Right? Absolutely.


Eatsomethingsexy. com covers everything from romance to sexual health

And what else do you have on the eatsomethingsexy.com? We should talk about what else you have on your website. Oh, my goodness.

>> Speaker B: We've got it all. So everything. I tried to encompass everything sort of under the umbrella of food and romance. There's information on ingredients that are famously aphrodisiac.

>> Speaker B: So that section is all me. That's all my stuff. And I kind of go into as much as possible, historically, why it's aphrodisiac, the data that may support that or prove it wrong, because sometimes it is, and I want people to know that too. so there's that information, and then there's a whole section on sexual health, that I work with Delana on, creating new articles there to kind of get people excited about eating the right things. we have recipes. We have recipes from some really great chefs, as well as my recipes. there are a few recipes from my books. Even in there, can have them for free. And then we do have a whole travel section, which is really fun. try to focus on destinations that are good for couples or hotels that are good for couples. That kind of thing. to kind of get you planning, well, what could you be doing next? right, and then we also have products m where we kind of look at products that are either going to be a help to your romantic life. Like, I have my very favorite wine bottle chiller in there. it's just going to be, if you want to take that romantic picnic, take this along or a hike. You can have wine at the end of that hike.

>> Speaker A: Sure.

>> Speaker B: products like that, as well as products that are potentially going to help your sexual health. Like we have this, there's a turmeric tea that I reviewed. that, could be profoundly beneficial to your sexual health if drinking a tea is something that kind of turns you on. Not sexually turns you on, but taste bud turns you on. so we have a range of products like that, that kind of touch on every aspect from romance to sexual health.

>> Speaker A: Perfect. That sounds like a great site to visit.

>> Speaker B: Well, thank you. Come visit.

>> Speaker A: Yeah.


When you're making a recipe, how many times do you have to test it

So I have a quick question, too. When you're making a recipe, how many times do you have, I know it's going to be different for every recipe, but how many times do you generally, on average, have to make it before you say, okay, this is going in the cookbook?

>> Speaker B: So I created a testing system, and I would test a recipe three times. Then I would send it to at least three home cooks to try.

>> Speaker B: To make sure not only just to look at flavor or typos, because both happen. Problems with both happen, but also just to make sure they can follow the instructions. That is understandable that they could create something. and if any of them came back with problems, then I'd go through and test it at least one more time, then send it to three more.

>> Speaker A: Oh, wow. Three more.

>> Speaker B: because I wanted to make sure that the recipes worked. I didn't want to be like my friend Jim, whose cookbook had a cake that will explode in your oven.

>> Speaker A: Oh, seriously?

>> Speaker B: Yeah. He gave me his book and he said, don't make the chocolate cake. Why is that? Yeah, it was not his fault at all. somehow there was a typo. I think it was like a baking soda typo that happened after it was out of his control.

>> Speaker A: But it's true. I mean, like, normal typos in a book aren't a big deal, but in a cookbook, they're a big deal. Like one half Versus one third. I mean, that's a big deal.

>> Speaker B: Yeah. There was actually a print run on, my book, where a piece of paper got in front of three of the ingredients were missing because a paper got into the printer or something. And it was maybe 500 books had, like, three missing ingredients.

>> Speaker A: Oh, my gosh, what a nightmare. And sometimes those things aren't even found right.

>> Speaker B: I didn't find it till the books went out and people started writing to me and I was like, let me send you the proper recipe. Can I send you a new book. Like, how can I make this right?

>> Speaker A: Painful, right? Oh, man.

>> Speaker B: It is what it is.

>> Speaker A: Weird things you don't expect.

>> Speaker B: No, m. You've got to roll with it.


Is there anything that you wanted to mention before we end this podcast

>> Speaker A: Well, this has been totally amazing. Is there anything that we haven't talked about that you wanted to mention or any pieces of advice that you wanted to give that you haven't yet before we end?

>> Speaker B: no. We dove into all the areas. I mean, we've got the Valentine's Day advice. We've got the eating for your sexual health advice. and really, everybody drink more water. Go get a glass of water right now. Right?

>> Speaker A: Yes, absolutely. For sure. So all of the links we down in the podcast show notes so that everyone can find Amy's books and her website. So go check it out. It's totally amazing. Thank you so much for being on here. This was really fun conversation.

>> Speaker B: Oh, thank you so much for having me.

>> Speaker A: You have a good day.

>> Speaker B: Bye bye.

>> Speaker A: Bye bye. And don't forget to go check out powered by PodNation TV on Roku TV and Fire TV. You can check out the podcast real sharks podcast reviews that scare entertain. This. That's my sports podcast, digging in the dome slam City podcast pods like us, the happy hour podcast, and so much more. Amazing. Amazing. So check it out and enjoy.

>> Speaker B: Let's go.