By Jessica Ridenour 

Looking to add something new to your repertoire? We've got the perfect recipes to woo a new love, mend a broken heart, treat yourself, keep the flame alive & fill your family with love. So this Valentine's Day, dare to try something new. Make a romantic brunch for one! Fill your diet with natural aphrodisiacs like bananas, chocolate, honey, peaches, oats, onions, carrots, celery, and alcohol (in moderation, too much has the opposite effect). Rev your libido and mix it up this V-day, with some healthy comfort foods and great new natural products. After all, variety is the spice of life!

So your relationship is pretty fantastic. And your lover is amazing. You couldn't possibly be happier...except for one little thing that's bugging you. Sound familiar? Despair not! Whether your lover spends too much time watching television, thinking about themselves, or going through the motions under the covers, we've got a gift that will rejuvenate your romance.

Diagnosis: Couch Potato

Yum, chocolate: is there any substance more synonymous with willful self-indulgence? Yet recent studies have shown it has health effects – and thanks to John and Kira Doyle, now it also has positive social ramifications.

John & Kira's is a Pennsylvania-based company that manufatures high-end chocolates. But instead of a fussily-decorated cardboard, these arrive in a simple pine box adorned with the loveliest of bows, stamped and sealed with wax. Inside lie not the usual drunken cherries or buttercremes, but fresh and fascinating concoctions of lavender, ginger, fresh mint, lemongrass, bergamot… the list is long and eyebrow-raising. The taste isn't traditional, but surprising and fresh.

Men are defying the stereotype of the clumsy, uncommunicative father and husband in droves, finds a new book, VoiceMale: What Husbands Really Think About Their Marriages, Their Wives, Sex, Housework, and Commitment by Neil Chethik. The author spoke to 70 straight men ages 22 to 95 face-to-face (and polled 288 on the phone) about their feelings toward their significant others and families. They affirmed some of the old tropes “men are less verbal” and defied others, “men don’t do housework.” From the sound of it this goes well beyond John Gray-style stereotyping––Chethik talked to real men in formal, anonymous interviews––and comes out with a more nuanced view of relationships. An article in yesterday’s Salon explored these issues with the author.

A box of chocolates is the time-honored way to tell your Valentine, “Honey, I love you so much I spent big bucks on this delightfully packaged assortment of delicious bonbons.”

But if you don't choose your chocolate carefully, you may inadvertently send an altogether different message, such as “Honey, I'm such an ignorant clod that I bought you this box of waxy, artificially flavored chocolates made with cocoa beans harvested by child slave labor.”

It’s time to reinvent Valentine’s Day. While an evening of oysters, chocolate, and champagne may dazzle the taste buds momentarily, these old-school aphrodisiacs often leave lovebirds stuffed and sluggish.

This year, keep your head clear, your stomach light, and your heart open. Skip the edible aphrodisiacs for an herbal variation. Many essential oils will help to enhance that romantic feeling. Some oils decrease tension (it’s tough to feel sexy when you’re stressed), some trigger a calming, hypnotic sensation, and others target emotional issues that get in the way of a smooth romantic encounter (lack of confidence or self consciousness, depression, anxiety, etc.).