Harmonise your internal chemical systems to get more action in the bedroom
Men's Health 2010



PUSH HER BRAIN BUTTONS
Chemical Dopamine

What it does]Harness it: Dopamine her up with a spicy chicken curry. The protein in the chicken and the capsaicin in the chilli-fuelled curry sauce will both ramp up her dopamine levels nicely. By the end of the meal you’ll both be experiencing increased heart rates, circulation and sweating. Seal the deal with a few squares of dark chilli chocolate (try Lindt Excellence Chilli Dark) and allow the increased phenylethylamines in the denser cocoa to fan her dopamine flames.
“Novelty, excitement and surprise all drive up dopamine activity,” says Dr Scott Haltzman, professor of human behaviour at Brown University in the US. Something as simple as trying a new restaurant will have this effect, but whisking her straight from work for a surprise weekend away will create a real surge. Then all you need to do is strip off and surf it.

SPARK HER EXCITEMENT
Chemical Melanocortins

What it does]Harness it: Turn on this excitement switch in her brain by piggy-backing “the sights and smells she associates with sexual reward”, says Pfaus. So start by subtly spraying the bed with your aftershave when she’s not looking – or better still, the aftershave you wore when you first got together and were having “honeymoon” sex. From there on in, it’s all about the pillow talk. “The very best way to encourage the release of her melanocortins is to make her feel like the centre of the world,” says Pfaus. That means tailoring your words to push the right psychological buttons. Talk about the hottest sex you’ve experienced as a couple and use the word “you” as much as possible (“You were amazing” or “I loved the way you did that”). By reminding her of steamy encounters gone by and focusing all the attention on her pleasure, you’ll set her melanocortins free and liberate her sexual desire.

GET ALL TOUCHY FEELY
Chemical Oxytocin

What it does]says Dr Heather Rupp, of the Kinsey Institute in the US. It’s also the key to calming her anterior cingulate cortex, the part of her brain that assesses risk – a crucial precursor to sexual arousal.
Harness it]
RIDE HER PEAKS
Chemical Oestrogen

What it does]Harness it: A study in the journal Human Reproduction found couples have 26 per cent more sex during the most fertile days of her cycle (the day of ovulation – in the middle of her cycle – and five days beforehand) when her oestrogen levels are highest.
“Towards the end of her cycle, rising levels of progesterone alter her oestrogen balance and mean she’s subconsciously looking for stability and reassurance, so go clean shaven and hold her hand,” says Rupp. “Conversely, in the first half of her cycle, women are more responsive to masculine traits.” So avoid your razor in the second week after her period. Finally, give her oestrogen levels a helping hand by making her a bowl of soy-rich miso soup. A study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine showed soy boosts sexual desire and arousal. Miso horny indeed.