Botanical Name:
Elettaria Cardamomum

Other Names:
Cinnamon palm, Cardamon, Bastard Cardamom, Grains of Paradise, Pai-Tou, Sha-Ren, Elachi, Ela, Capalaga, Malabar Cardamom, Cardamom

Cardamom is a member of the ginger family and has a thick fleshy root, a rhizome. It is a bushy plant, about 3 meters tall with straight stems, symmetrical dark green pointed leaves, and lightly colored flowers with white and blue stripes and yellow borders throughout the year. Fruits grow in pods, about 12 per pod.

The aromatic cardamom is another ancient herb attributed to increased sexual excitement. It’s mostly used as spice for food, especially from the Far East, but Arabs have long considered cardamom an aphrodisiac and ingest it in a potion made by breaking down the plant seeds in hot water.

In Asia and Africa, cardamom has been used to flavor food for centuries. It is a very important part of Indian and Arabic cuisine. It is an essential ingredient in coffee in many cultures. For Arabic coffee, seeds are ground and added to coffee grounds before brewing, or pods are steeped in the coffee itself. In Bedouin tradition, cardamom pods are placed in the spout of the coffee pot so just the right amount of cardamom flavor is added as the coffee is being poured. In Ethiopia, coffee beans are roasted together with cardamom seeds and other spices immediately before the coffee is prepared. All of these are parts of important hospitality traditions within their cultures.

In the Far East, cardamom is often used in meals; almost every time in order to condiment them or even preserve them. So, as a consequence, there are a lot of recipes that use cardamom. It is believed that the West got its first taste of cardamom when Alexander the Great brought it back from India.

Cardamom is also used in some Scandinavian and German cookies, pastries and, of course, sausages. Its addition to a dish immediately gives it an Eastern flair.

You can use cardamom as infusion, tincture or decoction. They increase your appetite, but they are also good in fighting bronchitis, bile blockings, breathing problems. They may also improve your liver with certain diseases.

Cardamom gives very nice smelling oil, used in beauty treatments and as a skin tonic. Actually, cardamom acts like a general tonic, creating a good, positive, mood, but be aware: it also gives you a dreaming kind of state, especially when combined with coffee or tea.

Since consuming Cardamom produce good mood, along with a tonic stream, it makes your organs feel better. This kind of action is a lot similar to other natural aphrodisiacs.

According to old beliefs, to encourage a would-be lover, chew some cardamom seeds before talking to him or her. This is also useful in any situation calling for eloquence, when you must charm your audience. Cardamom seeds can also be added to lust drawing sachets.

Cardamom is fragrant and often used in perfumery. Seeds can be placed in sachets and stored with linens to keep them smelling nice. And since Cardamom is an aphrodisiac, their scent might be particularly welcome on your sheets. (If you just want to sleep, use lavender instead).

People who have digestive problems, particularly with gluten, may find it helpful to have a cup of cardamom tea after a meal, or Chai tea, which contains cardamom. It is also excellent for chest congestion.

Drinking cardamom tea after every meal can aid in digestion and prevent gas. Milk boiled with cardamom seeds is excellent with a little honey.

Cardamom should not be used by pregnant women or people with gallstones.



Tagged as: love, sex, aphrodisiac, cardamom

Latin Name: Pinus edulis. Other Pinus species also

Other Names: Piñon, pinyon

Many nuts are rich in zinc, a lack of which is said to cause impotence and infertility in men. Pine nuts especially have been used throughout the Mediterranean and the East for centuries to make up love potions. The Roman poet Ovid (a vegetarian) in his work 'The Art of Love' selected 'the nuts that the sharp-leafed pine brings forth' as an effective and powerful aphrodisiac. The Perfumed Garden, (an ancient Arabic love manual), contains many references to pine nuts including this prescription to restore a man's sexual vigor by Galen in 200 AD: "A glass of thick honey, plus 20 almonds and 100 pine nuts repeated for three nights." Nuts have also been found to be an effective brain food, due to a substance called boron that increases electrical activity in the brain. "Pine nuts first got their aphrodisiac reputation from the effort required to get them. They're nestled in the cones of the pine tree, and the best were said to come from the Himalayas," says Martha Hopkins, author of InterCourses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook. Like most nuts, they also offer protective cardiovascular benefits and are especially good sources of thiamin, iron, magnesium, and manganese, explains Mittler. Zinc also helps the immune system and promotes wound healing.

Another curiosity: the pine nut with most aphrodisiac power is the type that comes from the PINUS GERARDIANA, a pine tree who grows only in the NW side of the Himalaya Mountains at a height between 2000 and 4000 meters.



Tagged as: love, sex, aphrodisiac, pine nuts

We found 10 foods that are linked with love. Sample the recipes in our countdown with your sweetie and find out if these aphrodisiacs really work!

#10 Avocado
It could be the sensuous pear shape or the rich flavor of the fruit that gives avocado its aphrodisiac reputation. Whether added to salad, pureed in soups or chopped into the perfect bowl of fresh guacamole, the sea-green treat is perfect on your Valentine's table.

#9 Bananas
Rich in potassium and vitamin B, bananas are a feel-good food. For a sweet overindulgence, try a banana milkshake made with ripe bananas, milk and honey. According to banana.com, the combination will calm your stomach and re-regulate your blood sugar.

#8 Chili Peppers
This invigorating spice has an exotic reputation and stimulates endorphins. No wonder it is considered a symbol of love. Arriba!

#7 Honey
Birds and bees ring a bell? Honey is made through pollination and is a symbol of procreation. The word "honeymoon" got its name from mead, an alcoholic beverage made from honey, which was given to the happy couple.

#6 Pine Nuts
High in energizing zinc, pine nuts are also considered aphrodisiacs because of the effort required to procure these oily gems from pinecones.

#5 Figs
Used by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the fig paradoxically symbolizes both sexuality and modesty.

#4 Arugula
According to gourmetsleuth.com, this peppery plant has been documented as an aphrodisiac since the first century A.D. Toss it in a vibrant salad to give it a try.

#3 Oysters
One of the most notorious aphrodisiacs, oysters are high in zinc and have a reputation for being great for love and fertility.

#2 Coffee
The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant that ups the heart rate and makes the blood flow. Additionally, it is the top source of antioxidants in the American diet, according to a 2005 University of Scranton study.

#1 Chocolate
The mysterious powers of chocolate are well loved. Whatever is in the sweet substance that sends us running back for more, it's definitely indispensable to Valentine's Day.


Source: Reader's Digest.com



Tagged as: love, sex, aphrodisiac, valentines

Norman Cousins used this tool to recover from a serious illness. Savvy couples have used it to revive excitement in a relationship. Singles have used it to calm nerves and rev up enjoyment during dates. What is the free tool that can heal your body, increase intimacy, and prolong your life?

Laughter is the best aphrodisiac that also adds happy years to your life.

How?

The health benefits of laughter have been proven in plenty of scientific research. Laughter releases endorphins, the brain's feel-good chemicals, giving us a natural high. A belly laugh also reduces the stress hormone cortisol and boosts your immune system by almost 40%. A strong immune system helps you fight disease and stay healthy.

A hearty bout of laughter also stimulates circulation and gives your abdominal muscles a good workout. Good blood flow and fit muscles help you enjoy an active sex life throughout life.

I once worked on a film for television, directed by JoAnne Woodward who'd said, "Sexiness wears thin after a while and beauty fades, but a man that can make you laugh everyday, ah, now THAT'S a real treat."

Joanne Woodward was happily married to Paul Newman for over 40 years until his recent death. I feel for her as she grieves the loss of their true love and daily laughter.

Since we know the health and happiness benefits of laughter, why aren't we all using this tool more often?

You may not feel like laughing when worries weigh you down in challenging times. Yet, this is when you need a big dose of laughter to lift your spirits. Researchers tell us that your body doesn't know the difference between genuine or faked laughter -- the health benefits are the same.

Should you fake it until you feel it?

It's definitely worth a try. Some spas now use laughter exercises to warm up a group as they bellow a hearty, "ho, ho, ho--ha, ha, ha," while they look in the eye of each person in the room. This faked laughter often leads to the real thing, stimulating a twinkle in the eye and a rosy glow in your cheeks.

If you can't find someone to laugh with or something to laugh about, you may be overlooking the greatest source of amusement--yourself. When you can laugh at your quirks instead of being self critical, you know a secret to a happy life.

Is laughter an aphrodisiac?

Who says sex has to be so serious? Humor is a secret of a happy love life. A playful attitude is sexy, when you leave your worries and inhibitions behind. Put-down humor is cruel--never a turn on for your partner.

You can spark up your romantic routine by telling an erotically-charged joke as foreplay or between caresses. There are books of hot jokes so you don't have to write them--only share your favorites to heat up your libido and lovemaking.

I suggest you find ways to use laughter to relieve stress, revive intimacy and rev up sexual vitality and happiness in your relationship.


Click here to view source.

How to make people laugh? Click here.


Tagged as: love, sex, aphrodisiac, laughter