A healthy diet can have a big impact on male fertility. A study conducted by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine showed that nutrition plays a huge role in the production of a healthy sperm count. The study revealed that 83% of men with a low sperm count did not eat enough vegetables and fruits.

The Society found that when men improved their diet, their sperm count improved too.

So the message is clear, if you are a man struggling to conceive eat more fruit and vegetables.

Below are some of the best fruit and vegetables to improve sperm.

Red peppers, carrots, dried apricots
These are all rich in Vitamin A. Deficiencies in vitamin A in men have been linked to lowered fertility due to sluggish sperm. The vitamin A in these foods can help grow healthy sperm and improve male fertility.

Green Salad and Spinach
The folic acid found in leafy-green vegetables such as lettuce and spinach can lessen the chances of damaged and sperm agglutination (or clumping), which decreases sperm motility. Eat in conjunction with foods high in vitamin C to help absorption.

Oranges, cooked tomatoes, and strawberries
These foods are particularly high in Vitamin C. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, and is thought to prevent low sperm count by decreasing harmful free radicals which can cause damage to sperm. Antioxidants can help protect sperm, ensuring that the maximum number of healthy sperm is available for ejaculation.

Asparagus
In just five spears of asparagus, your body gets 100 mcg of folate. Research has found that folate plays a role in producing healthy sperm in men. Asparagus is also packed with glutathion and rutin which are two powerful antioxidants which will combat free radicals.

I have never tried pork with pasta, so this recipe really caught my fancy. It is creamily delicious! The union of pesto and cream is perfect, plus the pork’s tasty juices make it more mouthwatering.

Chili flakes can also be added to this dish for to liven it up. Vegetables like broccoli florets would be an amazing addition as well.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 lbs. pork tenderloin

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup pesto

1 cup whipped cream or half and half

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

1 lb. spaghetti noodles

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the salt, pepper and garlic in a small bowl. Mix well. Rub it onto the pork tenderloin and allow the flavors to infuse for an hour or up to overnight.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the pork for 4-6 minutes per side or until it is browned. Remove the oil in the pan and reserve some of the oil.

Pour the water into the pan and set the heat to high. Bring it to a boil. After, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 10-5 minutes or until the pork is tender and the liquid is reduced to 1/4. Remove the pork from the pan and let it cool completely.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions or until al dente. Drain. Place the noodles back into the pot and drizzle it with olive oil. Toss until the noodles are coated in oil, so that they won’t stick to each other.

When the pork is cool, slice it thinly. After, heat the olive oil in the saucepan and add another 2 tablespoons of reserved oil. Fry the sliced pork for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Add the pesto and cream. Season it with salt and pepper and cook it for another 2 minutes. You may add water if the mixture is too thick.

Place the pasta in the pan and mix well. Transfer it to a serving plate or individual plates. Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese before serving. Serve immediately with bread.

Photo Courtesy Of:  FotoosVanRobin

Since it has been raining these past few days I’ve been on a lazy mood and I have been munching whenever I can. I am not really sure why, but the weather makes me think of food. Somewhere along the way I discovered that this dip also goes well with vegetable sticks and even French bread. It can also be used as a sandwich filling. It is best chilled, so you can refrigerate it for an hour or 2 before serving.

I love eating crackers with spread or dips. I often make chunky tuna and apple spread or use cream cheese, so this quick and easy recipe came as a delight. It is perfect for parties or gatherings. Unfortunately, it isn’t good for storing. Perhaps a day or two would be the most.

Be creative with this tasty recipe by using water chestnuts or corn kernels instead of avocadoes or other fruits or vegetables of your choice. Just make sure that these fruits are not watery because they may change the taste and texture of the dip. We do not want it to be soggy.

Ingredients:

3 170g cans crab meat

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

A dash of tobacco sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons white vinegar

3 spring onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup thick cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 medium sized ripe avocados

Strain the crab meat and discard the juice. Squeeze out the excess liquid and then place the crabmeat in a medium sized bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Combine the mayonnaise, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, tobacco, vinegar, spring onions and parsley in a small bowl. Add the whipped cream and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it as well.

Cut the avocadoes in half and remove the seeds. Discard them. After, scoop out half of the avocado pulp and chop it. Mix the chop avocado pulp, crabmeat and mayonnaise mixture together and then spoon some meat into the avocado halves. Season it with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Oooh, did I just say Margaritas? I did , I certainly did. I have a love hate relationship with margaritas. I love ‘em at night but totally hate them in the morning!

How lovely it would be to be able to mix your own margarita at home and just pretend to run off to the beach and be chillin like a margarita villain. Oh , but you could !

There is always a simple way around these essential summer cocktails. Let me show you how it’s done and you can bring this frozen fruity indulgence with you whenever you feel like a drink to quench that summer thirst.

Easy Frozen Ritas

Ingredients
2 quarts ice cubes
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate
12 fluid ounces tequila (measure with empty limeade can)
1/4 cup Cointreau
Garnish:
margarita or kosher salt for the rims
lime slices cut in half

Instructions

1. Working in 2 batches, place 1 quart ice cubes in a blender. Add 1/2 can limeade, 6 ounces tequila and 2 tablespoons Cointreau. Blend at highest speed until drink is almost smooth. Pour into a pitcher and repeat with remaining ingredients. Store in the freezer.
2.To salt the margarita glasses, pour a single layer of salt on a salad plate. Moisten each glass rim with lime; dip each rim in the salt. Pour margaritas into each glass; garnish with lime. Serve immediately.

Pitcher-Perfect Margarita Recipe

Ingredients
For the margarita:
8 cups cold water
1 liter 100 percent agave tequila , chilled
2 (12-ounce) cans frozen limeade , thawed in the refrigerator
4 ounces frozen concentrated orange juice (1/2 cup), thawed
1/4 cup bottled lime juice
To serve:
Ice (optional)
4 medium limes , each cut into 6 wedges
Rich Simple Syrup (optional)
Salt (optional)
Instructions
1.For the margarita:
2.Place all the ingredients in a large pitcher or container (at least 1-gallon capacity) and stir to evenly combine. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Stir before serving.
3.To serve:
4.Serve the mixed margarita up or over ice in a chilled margarita glass with a lime wedge.
5.Alternatively, to serve over ice with salt, fill a small, shallow dish with simple syrup and a second small, shallow dish with salt. Dip the rim of a glass in the simple syrup, then in the salt. (If you don’t have simple syrup, rub a lime wedge on the rim to moisten.) Add ice and top with the mixed margarita. Serve with a lime wedge.

Photo Credit: Drunken Monkey

Photo Credit: terceslil

Photo Credit: amandasmith

There’s a better way to get your peanut butter fix without having to bother with a spoon though. However, you may just get  so hooked onto these things, sure enough that peanut butter isn’t going to last that long.

Peanut butter balls are your new nutty best friends. Yep, you get that homemade Reese’s peanut butter goodness in a homemade PB ball.  It’s so easy to make and you’re definitely going to make quite a lot of it too!

These yummy treats have the same chocolate covered creamy peanut butter filling it almost feels like you’re eating fudge.

If you’ve ever heard of the term Buckeyes, then you know it’s all about peanut butter bon bon goodness. A buckeye is simply a peanut butter ball except that the top of the bon bon is bare of chocolate coating to let the peanut butter peek through as if it was a like the nut of the Buckeye tree.

For a little bit of trivia, Ohio is home to the Buckeye tree. Peanut butter buckeyes are so popular in this state, that most ball games are never complete without this candy.

Now you can enjoy the same buckeye bonbon goodness with this recipe.

Peanut Butter Bombs

Ingredients:

cups (500 grams) creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 – 2 1/2 cups (230 – 290 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar

Chocolate Coating

9 ounces (255 grams) semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons (25 grams) shortening
INSTRUCTIONS:

Peanut Butter Balls:Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the peanut butter, unsalted butter, and salt in a microwaveable bowl, and heat in the microwave for about one minute or until just soft (check and stir the ingredients every 20 seconds). Stir in the vanilla extract and confectioners sugar and mix until it has the consistency of a dough (add more sugar if necessary).

Roll the dough into 1 inch (2.5 cm) round balls. Place on the cookie sheet and refrigerate for about one hour, or until firm.

Melt the chocolate and shortening in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Dip the balls, one at a time, in the melted chocolate, making sure the entire ball is coated with chocolate. Then, with two spoons or a dipping fork, remove the peanut butter ball from the melted chocolate, allowing any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place the chocolate covered balls back on the baking sheet. When all the balls have been dipped in the chocolate, place in the refrigerator until the chocolate has set. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. To serve: place in small fluted candy cups.

Note: If you want to make Buckeyes: place a toothpick into each peanut butter ball and dip, one ball at a time, into the melted chocolate, leaving the top quarter of each ball undipped.

Makes about 40 pieces, depending on size. Preparation time30 minutes.

Photo Credit: you can count on me

Photo Credit: front studio

Photo Credit: l e n a mnop