Assorted Conversations

Ep. 50 - The Aphrodisiac Food Conversation with Amy Reiley

• Helen

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 51:11

Text me what you think of today’s episode!

Want to make dinner feel like more than dinner? We sit down with chef, author, and aphrodisiac food expert Amy Reiley to explore how everyday ingredients can lift mood, boost confidence, and deepen connection without turning your kitchen into a lab or your meal into a gimmick. Amy traces her path from wine writing to gastronomy and nutrition, sharing how a health crisis opened her eyes to the power of food and why intention matters as much as what’s on the plate.

We dig into what actually makes a food “aphrodisiac,” from circulation and hormones to endorphins and mood. You’ll hear practical picks you can use tonight—coffee to bridge dinner to intimacy, ginger to soothe digestion and heighten sensation, chili for warmth and a gentle rush, and salmon for steady sexual health support. Amy also disarms the hype, calling out harmful myths like rhino horn, shark fin, and “Spanish fly,” and replaces them with ethical, affordable choices that are easy to love. Dessert fans get good news too: smart swaps like chickpea flour in dark chocolate brownies can add fiber and protein without killing the joy.

Beyond ingredients, we focus on ambiance and agency. Small shifts—pillow picnics on the floor, fairy lights in the yard, a shared espresso—change the experience and help you be present. Amy’s free “What Turns You On at the Table” worksheet guides you to track how food affects your energy and mood and make one weekly upgrade you’ll actually keep. We also talk gender-specific needs, from testosterone support for men to hormone balance, peri- and post-menopause, postpartum, and fertility considerations for women, and how a well-stocked “Passion Pantry” sets you up for better choices every day.

If you’re curious, cautious, or just ready to refresh your routine, this conversation offers science, stories, and simple steps to turn meals into moments. Listen, grab the worksheet at eatsomethingsexy.com/podcast, and tell us the aphrodisiac ingredient you’re trying first. If you enjoy the show, follow, share with a friend, and leave a quick review—your support helps others find us.

Guest Links

Eat Something Sexy Home Page

Amy's FREE Podcast Worksheet - What Turns You On At The Table

Assorted Conversations Links

Podcast Homepage

Assorted Conversations Facebook Page

  • Stay up-to-date on podcast happenings and share them with your friends

Assorted Conversations Podcast Facebook Community

  • A collaborative and supportive community for you to engage with us, our guests and other listeners
  • Share your passion, network and connect as we all pursue what makes us happy.
  • Exclusive behind-the-scenes content and info
  • Special online events for community members

NOW on TikTok
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Instagram
Support Assorted Conversations on Buy Me a Coffee
Say hello or ask a question: aconvospod@gmail.com

Credits

Music Credit: True Living by Patrick Moore

Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com

Cold Open And Theme

SPEAKER_05

Thanks for tuning in this week. Just a reminder, hit that follow or subscribe button wherever you're listening to this podcast. Thanks, and here's this week's episode. Everyday people following their passions.

SPEAKER_08

That's probably like one of the highlights of my life so far, just being able to be creative like that. I mean I've always wanted.

SPEAKER_00

And then I decided to get another hive, and that turned into a lot of hives. As long as I can do that, I want to be a good citizen. Help people out.

SPEAKER_05

Putting themselves out there, taking chances, and navigating challenges along the way.

SPEAKER_04

I I absolutely identified with having stage ride because, you know, any time I went on stage, I just felt like I was having a hot attack.

SPEAKER_01

Very first laugh, very first practice session, I crashed, turned the car upside down, made a spectacle of myself, and I got back on that horse and started riding again.

SPEAKER_05

As they pursue what makes them happy and brings them joy.

SPEAKER_02

As long as people are having a good time and I have the opportunity to put smiles on people's faces. I I love what I do.

SPEAKER_03

I have done things that I never thought I could do. To have somebody tell me how real it looks and how, you know, from their actual memory. Because that's telling me I captured what I was trying to get.

Meet Amy Reiley

SPEAKER_05

Welcome to Astorted Conversations. I'm your host, Helen. Hello, and welcome to another Assorted Conversation. I don't know where you're located, but here in Boston, we're getting ready for yet another Arctic blast. I love winter, but this is just too much. It's the kind of weather that just makes me want to stay in and stay warm. This week's guest is all about turning up the heat in the kitchen and making food that tickles more than your taste buds. I got to have a conversation with an aphrodisiac food expert who has put her gastronomy degree to great use as she's researched and recipe tested foods that can not only improve your health and confidence, but can also put you in the mood. She links good nutrition and good health with forming deeper connections outside of the kitchen. Buckle up for this week's conversation just in time for Valentine's Day, and I'll see you on the other side. Today's guest is a chef, author, and leading expert on aphrodisiac foods. With a background in culinary arts and nutrition, she blends food science, wellness, and pleasure to explore how what we eat can influence mood, confidence, and connection. She 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 as the one wearing clothes. Her work in aphrodisiacs is quoted in publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, Epicurious, Wine Enthusiast, Health, and of course, Playboy magazine. Her endeavors show that intention matters just as much as ingredients, and that dinner can be both nourishing and quietly transformative. Let's just say this conversation may change the way you think about what's on your plate. I am so happy to welcome Amy Riley to Assorted Conversations. Hi, Amy.

SPEAKER_07

Well, hi, thank you so much for having me.

Origin Story And Health Wake-Up

SPEAKER_05

Oh, thanks for being here. So I would love to know the initial reaction that people give you when you tell them you're an aphrodisiac food specialist.

SPEAKER_07

You know, I got a lot of people step back a couple paces. A few go, what exactly is an aphrodisiac? Which I think is a pretty reasonable reaction, but most are pretty excited. You know, it's sort of like when you meet that doctor who you think can answer all of your problems. Uh, I start getting those kind of questions.

SPEAKER_05

Right, right. Oh, that's funny. Was there any moment, you know, based on people's reactions or questions that have been asked of you, that you thought, wait, this is actually my job?

SPEAKER_07

Oh, I think that every day.

SPEAKER_05

How did this, you know, all begin? What first sparked your interest in the connection between food, pleasure, and intimacy?

SPEAKER_07

So I I have two stories. One is a little weird and one is a little boring, but they both kind of came together. It was the confidence of the two. So it started with I I got very, very sick in my early 20s, and I kept losing weight, and no one could figure out what was wrong with me. I am quite tall and I was less than 90 pounds. And wow. When I was finally, I went to a doctor who really was both a naturopath and you know, and uh primary care physician, and and that doctor figured out that it was a combination of a mold allergy and a systemic yeast infection. Oh wow, which is something I'd never heard of. But luckily the treatment was very simple. It was just horrible. I had to modify my diet and only temporarily, but I had I was on about the most restrictive diet you could ever imagine. I couldn't have anything fermented, anything that could potentially contain mold and anything with any kind of sugar whatsoever.

unknown

Wow.

SPEAKER_07

So I could eat like four vegetables and some meat.

SPEAKER_05

Wow. That kind of sounds like my renal diet.

SPEAKER_07

I'm sorry. That being said, within a couple of weeks, I felt different. I felt remarkably better. And it just was this light bulb for me of whoa, like what you put in your body, the food you put in your body has this tremendous of an effect on like it can make you feel fantastic. And I just wanted to show this to other people. I wanted to teach other people that that, you know, we maybe want to think a little bit more about what we're putting in our bodies. That eighth grade health class did not prepare us for survival in the modern world with all the temptations, you know. Um, the the you know, down the candy aisle and the fast food and everything else that is tasty, but not maybe not rewarding to our bodies.

From Wine Writing To Aphrodisiacs

SPEAKER_05

Right. Right.

SPEAKER_07

So I sort of I went, I decided, well, I I wanted to be a writer and I wanted to write about food and wine. And at the time I was following that path. Food, wine, and travel was really my thing.

SPEAKER_05

And my three favorite things in life.

SPEAKER_07

Exactly, exactly. It was quite indulgent, I admit it. And I was working primarily as a wine writer at the time, just because that was how I found the most work and it was very enjoyable, which was because I was a bit of a novelty being in my early 20s and writing about wine.

SPEAKER_05

Right, right.

SPEAKER_07

And once I stopped being a novelty, you know, at the ripe old age of 26 or whatever it was, I needed to find more topics to write on. And and I still had this goal that I wanted to show people about how they could make great food choices and feel amazing. And so I stumbled upon the topic of aphrodisiacs and I was like, whoa, well, this is it. Like this still combines my wine, my passion for wine, right? Right. Um, potentially travel with this whole idea of eating, to how eating can if impact you know your life. And and if I sell it to people as impacting your romantic life, they're probably more apt to listen than my just telling them if you cut down on the fast food, you're gonna feel better, right? If I take that for you, if you make some great food choices, you're gonna have a better sex life, probably more successful. Right. So that's there it is. That's how it all happened.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, that's funny. So this really wasn't a personal curiosity prior to it becoming a professional endeavor. It really was just an offshoot of the direction you were already moving in.

SPEAKER_07

Yes, completely.

SPEAKER_05

Interesting. How did how did your culinary and nutrition education kind of shape the way you approached aphrodisiac foods?

SPEAKER_07

Well, you know, I I first I approached it primarily historically and looked at it, you know, from the anthropological perspective. And then I started realizing that how much how much nutrition, you know, the nutritional information supported all of this, all these or you know, the discoveries throughout early history, like these foods. Let's face it, people were using these foods as aphrodisiacs in cultures that were starving. Right. So they had to have really seen something, something they had a real effect. And so when you start looking at the nutrition, you realize, oh, yeah, that that really supports it, which inspired me then to get nutrition and coaching certification so I could kind of better understand this idea and better support my knowledge.

SPEAKER_05

Right. Yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah.

History Meets Nutrition

SPEAKER_05

Okay. Now, what what are some of the the I know some, you know, oysters has always been pointed to as an aphrodisiac, but uh with all of your research and knowledge, what name some aphrodisiac foods that that are, I guess, powerful.

What Counts As An Aphrodisiac

SPEAKER_07

So oysters are actually great. My only problem with, and they do, they have nutrition both nutritionally and they are they're kind of a sexy food and they're kind of like luxury foods. So they really fit the bill as an aphrodisiac for sure. My problem with oysters, though, of course, is A, they're a luxury food. So you can't always, you know, it's not something you just could run to the store and pick up every day, for most of us anyway. But also, yeah, kind of have to have a little bit of an ick threshold to enjoy an oyster. Exactly. Not everyone, not everyone has that. So I do like to promote a lot more food options that are potentially more sexy to people. Chili peppers are very effective. That's another one where not they're not for everyone, and that's fine. Because obviously, not everything is for everyone. And my recommendation if you want to use chili peppers in a romantic situation is to make sure the person that you're trying to seduce actually likes heat. Otherwise, for ginger. Ginger has some of the same properties as chili in that it helps warm your body, raise your body temperature. Um, it can make your tongue tingle, but just kind of give you that more, a little bit more of an awareness of your of your senses and of your mouth. It can make your lips plump up a little bit and maybe make you look a little more kissable. So I do like ginger. And the other thing I like about ginger is it aids digestion. So, you know, it kind of helps helps the meal go through while you're trying to get in the mood for something else. So that's a great one. Believe it or not, coffee, coffee is an aphrodisiac.

SPEAKER_05

Huh.

SPEAKER_07

And I I love coffee as an aphrodisiac. I love the idea of like an espresso at the end of the meal if you're trying to move from the kitchen to the bedroom. Because coffee not only, you know, gives you that little burst of energy, obviously, coffee is also a mood enhancer. And we all yeah, we all kind of, you know, you need you need to be in a good mood to get into the other mood.

SPEAKER_05

I'm I'm I'm in a much better mood after I've had a cup of coffee.

SPEAKER_07

Yes. And people think it's just because you're awake. But you can be awake and grumpy, you know. The next time you try coffee, pay attention. Like, are you does it just make you awake, or does it make you awake and like everything feels a little better?

SPEAKER_05

Right.

unknown

Right.

SPEAKER_05

What I mean, what makes an aphrodisiac food an aphrodisiac food? I know, you know, you had mentioned chili peppers, and I know capsaicin has it, you know, a really good effect on on your system.

unknown

Right.

SPEAKER_05

But I I can't see that that's in coffee or oysters. So is there is there kind of a common denominator amongst the aphrodisiac foods?

SPEAKER_07

No, and that is the tricky part of my job. Yes, yes, and no. I mean, obviously, they all in some way contribute to either desire or sexual performance. But the ways in which they do so can be so very different. I mean, obviously, with coffee, you get a little burst of energy and you get a little mood enhancement versus capsaicin, where you can, you know, kind of get can can get that endorphin release, you can get the raised body temperature. So these are very different things. There are other foods, and oysters would would be among them, although oysters aren't a good example because they have kind of that that built-in sensuality to them.

SPEAKER_05

Right.

Coffee, Chili, Ginger, And Salmon

SPEAKER_07

So maybe salmon, another seafood. So we'll take salmon, where it's largely it's not necessarily so much that it's considered a sexy food, partially because it's so ubiquitous. Like it's just salmon is like if you're gonna have fish, someone's always gonna serve salmon, and sometimes it's not great salmon, you know. The salmon was dry. The salmon was dry, or fish. Sometimes it can be fishy. I mean, you there is great salmon, believe me, but occasionally it's it's not. So we don't maybe think of it necessarily as quite as sexy of a food, but salmon is a food that is great for sexual, has many benefits to your sexual health. So eating salmon regularly could actually enhance your sexual performance.

SPEAKER_05

So is are there is there a group of foods that just plays into better health in general, and then another subset of those that take it one step further to play into your your your your sexual life?

SPEAKER_07

Yes, you can definitely use aphrodisiacs that way. And in fact, in one of my cookbooks, Romancing the Stove, I tried, I know, I tried to separate each chapter into how you might want to use aphrodisiacs. So there was a whole chapter of recipes that would be simply beneficial to your sexual health. There was a chapter that was like, if you want to have a long romantic weekend, make recipes from this chapter because you know you're gonna kind of feel more amorous all weekend long. There were others that were like, just if you if you just want to have that romantic dinner kind of effect.

SPEAKER_05

Right, like on Valentine's Day.

Everyday Choices And Sexual Health

SPEAKER_07

Yes, this induced someone dinner foods. And so, yes, you could absolutely sort of separate them out. I for me, I really like to look at them as just making strong choices that make your body like feel more ready for that mood all the time. Like the foods that make you feel more confident and feel more sexy and have energy. Um to me, that's a huge part of it, especially as a parent of two, you know, I've got I've got a 10 or 13 year old, and all I want are foods that give me energy. Yeah, I'm never gonna like I don't even want to face the bedroom without like my energy. So, you know, so that's where I that's really how I I mostly other than trying to help people walk people through that romantic dinner situation. I really like to just encourage them, make the great choices for you or for you and your partner that that just make you feel like more, you know, the most ready you could be, right? You know, both sexual health-wise and desire-wise. And it's different for everyone. And it's not like, and people get a little scared when I talk this way. I have worked with, I actually have worked with a few one-on-one clients, and people get a little scared, like, are you going to like put me on a diet? And it's not, it's not like that. It's really just becoming aware of the foods that affect you and how they affect you and which ones affect you in a positive way, where you could make small shifts away from the ones that don't. And I actually have, I have that was perfect timing because I have, I've just made, I just made a little exercise, a little worksheet. I hate the word worksheet, a little exercise for your listeners. It's a podcast exclusive. Fantastic. I've called it What Turns You On at the Table. And it really is just to help you like become aware for yourself of like, how did I feel after that food? Like the thing I said about the coffee after you have your cup of coffee. Did it give me a little bit better of a mood? And it's it's just walks you through that through your day so that you can, and then gives you a suggestion of when or where to maybe make that shift to a one better choice and see how that goes. And it's repeatable if you like it and it works for you. Like you could do it once every week and make another shift every week, you know, to help yourself just feel fantastic.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, that's that is great.

SPEAKER_07

I'm excited. So go to my website, eat something sexy.com/slash podcast, and you can download it there and go through this exercise and really experience like how food makes you more sexy.

SPEAKER_05

Right, right. And be and because everybody's different. Right, completely, and that's the thing. Yeah. Do you find as far as aphrodisiac foods are concerned, that there are inherent differences between men and women, or is everybody just completely different?

SPEAKER_07

Oh yeah. I mean, yes, there are there are there are I wouldn't say big differences, but there are significant differences between men and women. And that just comes down to simple nutrition. Men and women need different, have different nutritional needs. We have different, you know, our hormone balance is different. Our muscle composition, our body composition is different. Men need more protein. They need foods for testosterone production. So, yeah, so there are, in fact, on eat somethingsexy.com, I made a list of 10 best foods for men if you're considering sexual health, and the 10 best foods for women if you're considering sexual health. And I do want to say, because people go there and like, oh, I don't want to eat kale or whatever it is they don't, you know, that they find that you don't have to eat all of them, but here's a list of foods, you know, 10 foods that are great choices for you.

SPEAKER_05

Right. And maybe pick up pick two or three or four.

SPEAKER_07

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05

That that you know you like or that it doesn't have that ick factor for you. Yes. Oh, that's fantastic. So as you got deeper into researching and and and experimenting, what surprised you most about you know what you were uncovering?

SPEAKER_07

Ooh, actually, what surprised me most was the reluctance of the public, particularly of mainstream media, to accept what I was talking about. And not because the ideas were radical. It was just the whole topic was just naughty.

SPEAKER_05

Taboo.

SPEAKER_07

Yes.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07

I wouldn't I wouldn't quite go so far as taboo, but it was like, oh, this is uncomfortable.

unknown

Yeah.

Personalized Worksheet And Website Guide

SPEAKER_07

Actually, I won't even Yeah, I'm gonna say what it was. I got banned from Martha Stewart Radio because in an interview on Martha Stewart weddings, I used the words erectile dysfunction.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, you're kidding.

SPEAKER_07

And it was just, I mean, it was out of like was a it was a thoughtful answer out of real concern for, you know, it like it wasn't like I was just trying to slip in some erectile dysfunction.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. Well, nobody ever really tries to do that. In fact, it's probably impossible, but yeah. Was this before or after we had presidential candidates doing commercials for erectile dysfunction medication?

SPEAKER_07

Yeah, this was this was to be fair, it was like 15 years ago. That being said, I still I'm still up against a lot of these same challenges.

SPEAKER_05

Um yeah, yeah. Wow. What what what do you think the biggest myth about aphrodisiac foods is and that makes you laugh because you've got the information?

SPEAKER_07

Oh gosh, you know, the like the weird and taboo aphrodisiacs that people actually think that they work. It doesn't really make me laugh because it's so terrible, but it's just like how could anyone think that powdering the horn of a rhino, which by the way, is just made of the same thing our hair is, so you're basically, you know. Ingesting powdered hair. How? How is that going to eliminate erectile dysfunction? I said it.

SPEAKER_05

And I will not ban you. As a matter of fact, I'll have you back. So is that is that Spanish fly?

Gender Differences And Top Foods

SPEAKER_07

What is Spanish fly? Let's just rhythm a whole role. So Spanish fly is not a fly, it's actually a beetle. And it's, I mean, I think that it may actually have an effect, but it's also weird and dangerous, and half of what's sold a Spanish fly isn't even it's probably ground up. Black flies, not the beetle anyway. But that's one to very, yeah, very much stay away from. And there, you know, there are others too. Like I I kind of like the idea of snake whiskey, which is a Thai thing. I think it's Thai, Cambodia. No, it's Thai. I like kind of like the idea of it just because I kind of I feel bad for the snake, but I kind of like the idea, the vision, the visual of a snake in a bottle of whiskey. I don't know why. Just as like something fascinating to look at. But why? Why is putting it so why is killing a snake and putting it in a bottle of whiskey going to suddenly make you more virile? I don't know.

SPEAKER_05

And and that that is a that is considered an aphrodisiac food in Southeast Asia, yes.

SPEAKER_07

Whoa. Yes, I don't know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_05

I'm I'm thinking, no, I'll have a cup of coffee, thanks.

SPEAKER_07

Right, exactly. Much more practical and delicious.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, yeah. What what other what other like odd or unique things have you found in other cultures as far as what they consider aphrodisiacs?

Myths, Taboos, And Media Pushback

SPEAKER_07

Well, you know, what's most fascinating to me is historically cultures in East and West chose very often chose the same food when when similar foods were available, they held the same foods in regard as aphrodisiac. You know, and they were, I mean, they were living in very separate worlds. There wasn't communication, there wasn't a trade, it was they all found the same properties were effective.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, wow.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

That's pretty interesting.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

That is really interesting. If this this is this is just a kind of a jokey thing, but if aphrodisiac foods had a PR team, what rumor would you want them to shut down?

SPEAKER_07

Oh man. You know, I think we go back to the dangerous and not dangerous andor not actually effective foods. Like stop with the shark fins, stop finning sharks in the name of fertility.

SPEAKER_05

Right.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Doing nothing.

SPEAKER_07

It it does nothing for anyone. So, but yet people think they'll have a better sexual performance, maybe more children, whatever it is, from from eating shark fin. And it's like, no, you all you did was make a shark suffer.

SPEAKER_05

Wow.

SPEAKER_07

Yep.

SPEAKER_05

So has your expertise ever turned a normal meal into something more memorable? And I don't know, maybe we need your husband for this.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_07

So got another story for you. So when I was working on my very first cookbook, Fork Me Spoon Me. I had this friend, this male friend. I didn't know him all that well, but I knew that he worked long hours and he didn't cook. Now, I don't know if you know much about creating a cookbook, but it involves a tremendous amount of recipe testing.

SPEAKER_05

Right.

SPEAKER_07

And, you know, you're just making the same recipe over and over, maybe with a little refinement, or maybe just making it again to double check it. At any rate, you're eating the same foods over and over and over again. And I really didn't want to eat my food anymore. So I just kept inviting him over because I had I have all this food. I have all this food. So let's see, that was almost 20 years ago. So 20 years later, we've got a 10-year-old and a 13-year-old child together.

unknown

Oh damn it.

SPEAKER_07

And I had no romantic designs when this started.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, that's funny. That is funny.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

So we've we've got fork me, spoon me, we've got romancing the stove.

SPEAKER_07

And I actually became pregnant while recipe testing romancing the stove.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

So there's there's a lot of truth. I I really need to pick these up. And then there's eat something sexy.

SPEAKER_07

No, so eat something sexy is my website.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, okay.

Dangerous Fakes And Folklore

SPEAKER_07

Yes. And you know, I've got types in if you're aphrynesiac curious. I have tons of resources there. I do have another book. It's an all-desert book because I have an incurable sweet tooth. I I was co-written by a woman with a PhD in nutrition. So we went deep and got very serious, but it's called Eat Cake Naked. And it's all aphrodisiac desserts. And the idea was to reshape a lot of desserts with ingredients that would that had nutritional benefits and could potentially improve your sexual health. Oh. Without tasting like dirt.

SPEAKER_05

Right, right.

SPEAKER_07

Give me a couple of example recipes that are so my favorite example is that our brownie recipe, which is they are so good. It's dark chocolate, dark chocolate chunk brownies, which we added nuts for protein, right? But then we took out the white flour and put in chickpea flour. Oh. You will never know it when you taste it. But now suddenly our brownies, you know, we're we're white flour free, we're gluten-free, but they also now have fiber and more added protein.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, that's fantastic. Yep. Yep. That's and those are substitutions. I mean, I know, I mean, I cook, I bake. I probably I don't cook as much as I used to. I when I was married and had a family, I cooked a ton, but it's just me now. So you know, my kids are grown and gone. I cooking for one's boring.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah, it's so boring.

SPEAKER_05

I guess it is very boring. So, you know, just as an average cook, chickpea flour is not a substitution I would even dream of making. Yeah, yeah. Oh, fantastic, fantastic. Has when you've when you've cooked for friends, do they read way too much into the menu?

SPEAKER_07

Oh, totally. Yes, yes. It's like, and then sometimes it's embarrassing because they'll come over with their children. Like our families will have a meal together. I'm like, no, this is not, I'm not sending you home to like get it on. This is just, we're just having a meal together.

Culture Overlaps And Shared Picks

SPEAKER_05

It's not a key party. Not fun. I I I I have some friends in mind that if I did what you did, I think would question every time I'd say, oh, come on over for the Super Bowl, you know, or make an app or something.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07

Remember, I had one friend over and we had coffee, and I just politely said, Would you like a cookie? And they were like, oh, what kind of cookie? Just sometimes a cookie is just a cookie.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. I think I'm gonna put that on a t-shirt. Did you face, and and you talked a little bit about it, but did you face resistance or skepticism when you continued to talk openly about aphrodisiac foods? I mean, are you still facing the same challenges?

SPEAKER_07

Of course, yes. I do think now it's changed a little bit because there's more talk about like the nutrition side.

SPEAKER_05

Right.

SPEAKER_07

All of those, do you remember those Palm Wonderful made those pomegranate ads with like research about testosterone and things? I don't incorporated it into their pomegranate juice ads at one point. And things like that have helped, like people are like, oh, so it's just nutrition, right? Or but yeah, of course, there's still there's still a lot of skepticism around the topic as as a whole.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, yeah. Well, uh that's to me, I think that's that's a short sight. Yeah. And keeping some good information from from the masses that may know how to take, you know, may take advantage of it and you know, have a better quality of life.

PR For Aphrodisiacs And Ethics

SPEAKER_07

Well, I think I kind of feel in our society it it's a little bit that way with anything that's inexpensive and could benefit your health.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. Oh, that's true. That's a really good point. Yeah. That's a really good point. How you know, obviously, there's there's still no pun intended, a hunger for what you do. How did you learn to balance your credibility and approachability on a topic that you know is still really awkward for people to put out there in the media?

SPEAKER_07

Credibility was a struggle at first. It was it was tough. And that's why the one of the first things I did was to get my master's degree in gastronomy from Le Cordon Bleu.

SPEAKER_06

Uh-huh.

Personal Story: Recipes To Romance

SPEAKER_07

And so people understood that at least I had an academic background and I did have a solid foundation in food history. So that helped. But then when I started talking about what it's, you know, it could be, you know, it could boost your testosterone or anything else for the one, they're like, well, how do you know you're not a doctor? And of course, I can read, right?

SPEAKER_06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07

We can all, we all have the ability to figure these things out for ourselves as long as we know where to look. But that's why I then went, okay, let's get nutrition coaching certification and really get deeper into this and then have those credentials as well.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. Oh, good. Yeah, because you're, I mean, you talk freely about this, you're not loose with it. I think you're respectful because you are aware of how these things can land. But at the same time, uh you're having fun with it too. And not in a disrespectful way, which which I really respect.

SPEAKER_07

Yes. I mean, first of all, the topic, let's face it, if you're talking about romance, the topic should be fun, right? It's yeah, if you're talking about making a romantic connection and sensuality and all of those things, it should be fun. And then if you're talking about the sexual health side, that's more uncomfortable. And it's important to feel at ease about that as much as possible. Otherwise, people just shut down.

SPEAKER_05

Where should a beginner start to look if they're curious but cautious about kind of getting more into understanding the science and the nutrition behind good health and good sexual health?

Dessert Science And Smarter Swaps

SPEAKER_07

So I'm gonna send you to my own website because I've worked very hard to create exactly that materials for people who are either aphrodisiac, curious, or have realized they want to make a positive change in their sexual health and need a starting point. And I will say it is a starting point. There are definitely wonderful directions you could go from there. But go to eat somethingsexy.com. I have information there about specifically about there's a whole section that's specifically about sexual health and you know that nutrition side. But I also have a list of 88 aphrodisiac foods. And if there's a food that you're curious about, you can find it there. I provide some historic information as well as some of the the science that can potentially back it up when it's available. I also provide links to where, you know, the sources for that information if you wanna if you want to fall down the rabbit hole with an ingredient, yeah, that will get you where you want to go.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, that's fantastic. So if there's a couple at home and they want to explore aphrodisiac foods at home, what's the most approachable way to do it? Like what would be the first step? What would be the second? And you know, if you want to use the information from your website, you know, to kind of reinforce the example, that'd be great.

SPEAKER_07

So I think it's different for everyone. We talked about how food affects you is different for everyone.

SPEAKER_05

Yep.

SPEAKER_07

What's gonna be the best romantic fit is different for everyone, and maybe it's just opening up the right bottle of wine together.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_07

Something that you would both enjoy just to be able to sit down and have that moment of connection. Could be as simple as that. If you if you like fun, I actually created, I sell an aphrodisiac scavenger hunt on my website. Oh, cool. You can go through and create this whole scavenger hunt for your partner with you, you and an aphrodisiac picnic as the as the final reward. When I walk you through the setup and the picnic and everything else. So that if you just love fun, that is a way to go.

SPEAKER_05

Um that sounds like a great Valentine's Day.

Reading The Menu And Social Awkward

SPEAKER_07

It's a really great Valentine's Day. It's a really anniversary. But you know what? Yeah, it's but it's also like we haven't had a night together in a while. So let's it could be a random Tuesday. Then if you, you know, it can be like a it's it can be something simple, as simple as a glass of wine or a cocktail, or maybe it's just a snack. You know, and finding an ingredient or two that are supposedly aphrodisiac, incorporating them into a snack. Like I said, I've got a list of 88 ingredients. You can find a couple you both like, right? And have that snack and tell your partner, these are aphrodisiac ingredients, you know. It can be as simple as that. Or it could be an elaborate candlelit dinner if that, you know, if that's it's it's whatever works for you.

SPEAKER_05

Right, right. What what what's one simple shift that can change how a meal feels and not just tastes?

SPEAKER_07

I the the easiest thing, it's not actually the food. It's create an atmosphere that doesn't feel like every day.

SPEAKER_05

Right.

SPEAKER_07

Whatever that means to you. It doesn't have to be the classic dim the lights and put on some berry white or whatever. Um it's whatever that is to you. String some fairy lights in the backyard, throw down a blanket, or you know what, it's or it could be it could be even more simple. Make a little make a little nest of pillows in front of the coffee table and eat there instead of instead at the table. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, that's awesome. I um, yeah, it definitely atmosphere, I think, plays plays into that. Because that was, you know, when I when I was thinking about how would I answer that question? Not that I'm the expert, but it it really is atmosphere. If you're just doing the same old, same old, it doesn't matter what's on the plate. You've got to change everything up. Yeah, and it doesn't have to be humongous changes, just a change of scenery.

Building Credibility And Credentials

SPEAKER_07

That ch that change in atmosphere, it's just makes a whole shift in your mindset. It's like I am present in a different situation than you know, I'm not in my usual. I'm here, I'm present, and this is different. And let's go.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. Yeah. And so and for some folks, it's getting all dressed up and putting on a dress heels and a suit and a tie or a jacket, you know, and a nice shirt. So, okay. All right, good. So now moving on, kind of swinging things back to you on a personal level. How has this journey changed the way you experience food personally?

SPEAKER_07

Well, I now do the things I practice what I preach. It has made me more aware of what the foods that I put in my body and how I feel afterward. And I will still fully admit that I will have things that I know I'm not going to feel so great afterwards because I just enjoy them on occasion. A large slab of chocolate cake, I'm still going to have it. Right. Even though I will probably want to go to sleep as soon as it's over. But it has really for me changed my awareness and my relationship with foods and overall, you know, my food choice overall. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

What do you hope people feel after they visited your website or tried some of your recipes or really have absorbed some of the information that you have to share with them? What's your hope that folks take away from it?

Where Curious Beginners Should Start

SPEAKER_07

I want them, I would like to see them make that shift. Have to just have that awareness that I can make these small changes that make me feel great, or I now understand the things that don't make me feel so good, or I've realized I'm not drinking enough water every day. Whatever it is, but that's that tiny, I'd love it if they walk away with at least one tiny shift that can make their life better.

SPEAKER_05

Nice. Nice. And you know, you how many years have you been been doing this? You've you've been at this for quite a while.

SPEAKER_07

I don't want to admit that. My children think I'm are convinced I'm 29. So, you know, the math doesn't add up.

SPEAKER_05

It never does.

SPEAKER_07

No, it never does. So I have been doing this. My first book came out 20 years ago. So 23 years? 23, 24? Yeah. A while.

SPEAKER_05

All those years. What surprises you most about how people respond to your work?

SPEAKER_07

I just sometimes people just are all in from the beginning. They're like, Yes, I never thought of it, but I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna try it. It's gonna be great. Like, it surprises me when that happens. Like they walk in a skeptic, but immediately just grab it. But I love that.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07

I think that's part of the reason I do it. It just that's so exciting.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. Do you have do you have success stories or stories from folks who have written to you or shared with you? Hey, I tried this recipe and you'll you'll never believe what happened.

Simple Ways Couples Can Explore

SPEAKER_07

I I do. Some of them are X-rated. One of my favorites, and this oddly, this came through someone else. I the person didn't even tell me. I so I got I got it third hand or secondhand? Second hand, I guess. I became a new bakery opened in my neighborhood about a year after Fork Me Spoon Me, my first book came out. And I quickly became friends with the owner because, as I mentioned, I have an incurable sweet tooth. And a few months into this friendship, she realized who I was in the book that I had written. And she said, No, that's your book. I have this friend. So no, it would have been a little more than a year that's after Fortney Spoon came. It was a couple, it was a couple of years. But anyway, she had this friend who said, who bought that book because she was single, and her big life goal was within a year to find a husband and start a family. So why she bought my book? I don't, but she bought Fortney Spoon Me and said, This is gonna be my guide. And she used the book, she made the recipes, she found the man, she had the child. Your kid and she swears it was all because of my book, Fork Me Spoon Me. And I'm being told this by this woman who owns a bakery who's like, I can't believe that's you.

SPEAKER_05

This was oh, that's a riot. Yeah, holy cow.

SPEAKER_07

That was really wild.

SPEAKER_05

And any that that is amazing. It are there any other stories that you feel comfortable sharing?

SPEAKER_07

Oh gosh. Well, I mean, I think my own stories that I mentioned earlier are quite the testimonial.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_07

I get I get lots of kind stories about how, you know, someone made one of my recipes and it really made their Valentine, that Valentine's Day more memorable. That made that evening stand out. I just, you know, I get a lot of kind kind messages that way that I I really enjoy. Enjoy hearing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Nice. Nice. So I'm obviously not going to get an X rated story out of you.

SPEAKER_06

Nope, nope.

Atmosphere As The Secret Ingredient

SPEAKER_05

That's why I said if you feel comfortable sharing. But you know, in in in thinking about where you're at now. Where you've been, where do you see yourself going forward from here?

SPEAKER_07

Well, I really I took a bit of a pause on my career, you know, to raise to raise kids. And they're now getting to the point of being independent. I had stopped, you know, touring and and speaking and all of those things. I also stopped. I've only written one book since I had children. And so I am working on a new book. I am working on a new book concept as well, which is coming, it's coming out very soon. It's coming out for Valentine's Day. Um yeah, it's little quarterly, a quarterly, a quarterly romantic dinner plan. It's your recipes, it's your whole plan seasonally. Northern hemisphere seasonally. I do have, I actually have a lot of fans in Australia and New Zealand. So I have to sorry for them. They'll have to flip-flop the guides.

SPEAKER_05

I was gonna say you're gonna just have to mix a match.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah, they'll have to flip-flop the guides, but seasonally a menu that that you know you can experience a you can just, it's just a made-to-order one night, one romantic evening each time. So I'm starting with winter 2026 and I hope to continue every quarter for years, as well as my new book, which is actually two. I had I just I split it into two books. You asked me about the significance of men versus women. I'm calling it Passion Pantry for him and Passion Pantry for her, because that, you know, we men and women have such different, but they have different needs, and we need to respect that and promote that, particularly for women. We do get kind of oh, absolutely reflected.

SPEAKER_05

So especially uh peri and post-menopausal.

SPEAKER_07

Right, right, exactly. And postpartum.

SPEAKER_05

Yes, yep, postpartum.

How The Work Changed Her Eating

SPEAKER_07

Yeah, so and and these days for a lot of women, fertility as well, because we're waiting till later to have children, and then sometimes you need to have a shift in fertility as you know, for for fertility as well. So for women, there's so much more than for men, although for men, the problems are so much more pronounced. So there's an interest for both. And the whole I concept is this is really where I'm going, is this concept of how you stock your kitchen is what matters. Which is why they're passionate pantry. It's all about focusing on how you stock your kitchen, the things to choose to stock your kitchen, you know, so that it's inspiring and delicious where you you want to cook and you want to eat these foods, but you're eating the foods that are are very much the beneficial foods.

SPEAKER_05

Right. Oh, fantastic. I love that concept. Thank you. So uh will those be available through your website or can you pre-order on Amazon?

SPEAKER_07

I I am debating whether I'm going to sell them through my distributor or just sell them through my website. I haven't made that decision yet, but for sure they will be available through eat somethingsey.com. Yes.

Hopes For Listeners’ Takeaways

SPEAKER_05

Perfect. Perfect. Amy, I cannot thank you enough for all of your time today and and for all the laughs and all the information shared. Uh I can't wait. You know, I had gone through your website and I had I had had kind of perused it and scanned it. I am definitely going back for a much deeper dive and anxiously awaiting the Passion Pantry for women.

SPEAKER_07

Oh, that's so great. I'm really excited now. Thank you. Thank you so much. And I do, I want to remind your listeners if you're now aphrodisiac curious at all or just curious about the concept of how food affects you, like makes you feel, go to eat something sexy.com slash podcast. Get the exclusive guide I made for you. This try out the little exercise and really discover how food makes you feel.

Audience Reactions And Wins

SPEAKER_05

Awesome. Amy, thank you so much. I have had such a great time with you today. But never really considered the other connections she researched. What struck me about Amy and her work throughout our conversation on and off mic is that she really wants to help people and make a difference in how they eat, how they feel, and how those two things connect to our emotional, physical, and sexual well-being. It really is all about making things better in one of the most fun ways. She has such a great attitude about the awkwardness this topic can bring for some folks, yet still is fun with it. Just look at her cookbook titles Fork Me Spoon Me, Romancing the Stove, and Eat Cake Naked. Get over to her website eatsomethingsexy.com, complete her podcast listener worksheet, and use your results to step up the excitement in your diet and beyond. Keep an eye out for her passion pantry for men and women, which should be out close to when this episode drops, and make sure you're lined up to get her seasonal romantic meal plans. Jump down to the show notes for all the links. And while you're there, don't forget to connect with me. All my socials are linked there as well. I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, so use the Send Me a Text link in the show notes to connect with me and share your thoughts. As always, thanks for listening, and I'll see you in two weeks.

Head Shot

Helen

Host