Forget perfume, the keys to spicing up your sex life mayalready be in your kitchen.

Researchers say the smell, taste, and even appearance ofcertain foods can act as potent aphrodisiacs that not only get you in the moodfor love, but also may even make you a better flirt and lover. And knowing whatfoods are appropriate at each stage of the sex and mating process can maximizethese effects.

"Different foods have different nutrients and substancesthat affect the body physiologically in different ways, that's why differentfoods work for different stages," says clinical sexologist Ava Cadell, PhD."Some foods lower inhibitions, some get the blood flowing directly to thegenitalia, and some foods release happy hormones."

Cadell has grouped aphrodisiacs into three groups based on thephysiological effects they have on the body and how those effects can enhancesexual performance at each stage of a person's sex life.

Foods for Flirting

When looking for a potential mate, Cadell says it's importantto choose foods that secrete chemicals and hormones that make you happy inorder to increase self-confidence, lower inhibitions, and make you a betterflirt.

Flirt-friendly foods include:

• Chili peppers. Spicy foods get the heart pumping and inducesweating.
• Bananas. They contain chemicals that reportedly have a mood-liftingeffect on the brain and raises self-confidence.
• Carrots. Their phallic appearance and high-fiber content may inducesexual desire.