Improving your sex life can be a lot easier. You do not need to stuff yourself with those mostly medically unproven aphrodisiacs. What you need to do to get a robust sex life is simply to let your body digest a broad range of vitamins and nutrients from your daily diet. The basic requirement for a healthy sex life is to have a well-balanced diet.

I am going to highlight the 6 things you need to take note of in your eating habits that can help to improve your romantic life as well as overall health

(1) A balanced meal vs. a carbohydrate-heavy meal

Susan Kleiner, a registered dietician, recommends your meal should include protein and fiber, such as yogurt with fresh berries or peanut butter on whole wheat toast, soya food products (such as tofu or soybean curd), smoked salmon scramble, high protein oatmeal banana chocolate chip mookies (muffin and cookie combo), vegetables, high fiber fruits (guava, pineapple, green apple, lime, lemon), low sugar soya milk, low sugar red bean soup, low sugar barley soup. As this combination of protein- and fiber-laden food needs a longer time for your body to digest, you will be able to stay energetic most of the time, so you can enjoy the sensuous moment with your partner.

Avoiding eating too much of those refined carbohydrates foodstuff such as bagel with cream cheese, refined cereals, cookies, puddings, pasta, custards, processed grains, doughnuts, cakes, candies, soft drinks, soda which can quickly raise your blood sugar level and then shortly plunge causing you to feel lethargic and have less mood for sex.

(2) Plain water and fruits vs. sugar-laden caffeinated drinks

When you wake up in the morning and/or after your normal workout, it is a good idea to drink enough of plain water to replenish the loss of fluid and to prevent yourself from getting dehydrated. How much of fluid is enough for you? The best guide is to look at the color of your urine. If it is yellowish, it means your body is still lack of water and this means you have to down a few more glasses of plain water. Throughout the day, you can supplement this with low-calorie beverages (e.g. green tea, Chinese tea, fruit juices) and fruits with high water content (e.g. water melons, lime, red grapes, lemon, carrot, tomato) to meet your body requirements. Keeping yourself hydrated can help you to stay mentally and physically alert most of the time to give you that "extra mileage" in bed.

A cup of coffee or tea can perk up your morning and help you to stay focused, but more than 2 cups can over-stimulate and get you feel tensed even at the end of the day. Avoid drinking too much of those sugar-laden beverages (natural fruit juice is okay) or soft drinks that can cause your blood sugar level to swing widely.

(3) Eating unsaturated fats vs. red meat and processed baked food

If you stick strictly to a very low-fat diet, your body will be deprived off those fats that necessary to produce the sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen) which can dampen your sex desire. A way to overcome this is to eat healthy unsaturated fats (especially those with omega-3 fatty acids) that can be found in olive oil, fatty fish, nuts and cod liver oil. For women, omega-3 fatty acids can help to prevent premenstrual syndrome and post menopausal hot flashes.

Avoid eating too much of those unhealthy saturated and trans fats which can be found in red meat and processed baked food. They can clog up your blood vessels and restrict blood flow to the genitals. According to a study done by the University of South Carolina School of Medicine on the cholesterol levels and sex lives of 3,250 men between ages 26 and 83, high levels of total cholesterol and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL which is the good cholesterol) are the major causes for erectile dysfunction.

(4) Eating chicken, fish and lean protein vs. high calories junk food

Our bodies need enough of protein to maintain the dopamine level in the brains. Dopamine is associated with the feelings of happiness and romance and may help men with erectile dysfunction problem.

Avoid eating too much of those fast food, fried foodstuff (such as fried potato chips) that can cause unwanted accumulation of unhealthy fats in your body which can eventually hurt your sex drive. Should you feel the urge to nibble anything or snack out of boredom, you can consider melon seeds, low-fat frozen yoghurt, unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds, unsalted roasted sunflower seeds, unsalted roasted peanuts, and unsalted roasted cashew nuts.

(5) Having a glass of wine after meal vs. over 2 glasses of wine, beer, or liquor

A glass of wine (especially red wine) can help in blood circulation which is good for the heart and also get you in the mood for intimacy and lovemaking by keeping you relaxed. However, too much of alcoholic beverages can depress your central nervous system, making you feel sleepy and dampening your mood for sex.

(6) Munching on dark chocolates vs. having a heavy meal before sex

According to a German study published in the journal Appetite, chocolate can help to immediately boost the mood of most women and this effect can linger on for about 90 minutes. On the other hand, having a heavy meal will divert most of the blood flow to your digestive system and very little to your genitals which can hurt sexual performance.