A romantic night should begin with a meal and end in the bedroom. But between enjoying a bite to eat and getting it on, a whole lot can go wrong.
Some foods—such as dark chocolate, oysters, and strawberries—are known for setting the mood. But what about foods that sabotage it? Meat can leave you feeling groggy, beans will give you gas, broccoli will make you bloat like a blimp, compromising the sexy time you had in mind.
Other foods, such as cheese, black licorice, or microwave popcorn, may even wreak temporary havoc on your hormones and kill your libido, making it difficult for you to get in the mood at all.
While it may difficult to avoid all of these foods every time you're gearing up for a romantic night, there is one thing you should avoid before sex at all costs. Can you guess what it is?
(Hint: you don’t actually “eat” this—you drink it.)
That’s right. The worst thing to have before sex is too much alcohol.
The same liquid courage that makes it so much less nerve-wracking to interact with a potential romantic partner on a date can actually make it harder for you to seal the deal later on in the night.
Sipping on a glass of Merlot with your meal is one thing, but beyond two drinks, booze can quickly kill the mood in the bedroom.
Here’s why. Alcohol is a depressant, which means that it slows down all of the cellular activity going on in your body. Not only does it make you feel sleepy, it also dulls your senses, making you less responsive to touch—meaning it’s going to be harder to enjoy foreplay.
It’s a well-known fact that men who drink too much are more likely to have difficulty getting and keeping it up, but alcohol can make hooking up a challenge for women, too. Women who drink too much before sex are more likely to have trouble getting wet and achieving an orgasm. If they do come, it’s likely to feel less intense than a “sober” orgasm would.
And that’s not the only way that alcohol can kill the mood. Depending on your poison of choice, you might experience other decidedly unsexy side effects.
Beer, for example, is carbonated, which means that it’ll make you feel bloated and gassy. Some varieties of red and white wine contain melatonin, a hormone found in the human body that alerts you when it’s time to sleep. And one a study conducted by researchers at Southhampton University concluded that unusual or unfamiliar drinks—such as colorful cocktails—could make people feel drunker than drinking an equal amount of a familiar drink. Depending on what you drink, you might be in for some unpleasant surprises.
With that said, you can still easily enjoy a couple of drinks to take the edge off. The right amount of alcohol can get the conversation flowing and help to make you feel less nervous, especially if you’re shy. Limit yourself to two drinks, and the only issue you'll have to deal with is who's place to go back to.
[Images via Getty]
