This Valentine’s Day, how do you want to feel? (My favorite question!)

Sexy, sensual, confident, relaxed, open-hearted, and liberated?

Regardless of your current relationship status (single, dating, married, it’s complicated), this is your body, your health, and your life. You're the author of your self-love story, and you get to choose your mood.. and how to show up for YOU. Design your day accordingly!

Here are a few tips on how to create your best, most delicious Valentine’s Day… or any day. (Whether you’re spending it with yourself, your friends, your pets, or with someone else.)

Create a romantic environment

Small upgrades make such a difference. Breathe some fresh energy into your home (especially your bedroom) with a few tiny adjustments…

Open your windows

This is immediately uplifting, especially if your windows have been shut all winter long! Let the stale, stuffy, stagnant air flow out. Let the fresh air flow in.

Sweep the floor

Turn on a fan. Dust in the corners. Get the energy moving and circulating in a new way. Clear away the cobwebs. Literals cobwebs. Emotional cobwebs, too.

Change your sheets

Seriously, nothing feels better than slipping into a freshly made bed. Especially right after soaking in a nice, warm bath with lavender and epsom salts!

Give your kitchen some love, too

I’ve got you covered with some fun inspiration on how to make your kitchen feel more spacious, alive, and inspiring. A little decluttering changes the whole vibe!

Choose foods to promote a sensual, relaxed mood

There’s a direct connection between the food you eat and how you feel. This Food-Mood Connection has been confirmed by numerous studies—and I share it more deeply in my book, Food Story.

To create a sexy mood that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day (or any day!) there are a few key ingredients to add to your plate:

Focus on foods with aphrodisiac properties like dark chocolate, oysters, figs, hot chili peppers, tahini, asparagus, and strawberries.

Try some Maca powder (an adaptogen made from Peruvian ginseng) which boosts libido and energy levels. Maca has a nutty, malty flavor that can be added to smoothies and desserts.

Whip up an epic snack board and add in all your favorite sensual ingredients like spiced hummus, guacamole, pesto, strawberries, pomegranates, figs, and some kind of chocolate! It looks pretty and is fun to make and eat!

Savor foods rich in zinc (pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, chickpeas, lentils, whole grains) which support the body’s production of sex hormones like testosterone and prolactin.

Try pomegranates and watermelon. I mean, is there anything sexier than a vibrant fruit platter? These fruits are vasodilators, which means they subtly dilate your blood vessels. Think: all natural Viagra. Drizzle with dark chocolate for even more sensual benefits!

Give yourself tons of extra self-care

Instead of heading out for a heavy Valentine’s Day dinner (lobster, steak, pasta, and lots of wine) why not take yourself out for a different kind of “date night”? Create an experience that leaves you feeling energized, not sluggish. Listen to this podcast episode on how to love yourself more.

Whether you’re craving a solo date or a date with someone special, you could:

✨ Indulge in a professional massage.

✨ Create a DIY spa experience at home (sheet masks, anyone?) 

✨ Take an extra-long shower and exfoliate your skin, head to toe. 

✨ Create a meditation experience at home (“Alexa, play spa music…”) lie on the floor and just breathe slowly, in and out, for several minutes.

✨ Head out for a walk, yoga class, or any kind of experience that connects you to your body.

✨ Put the phones away and discuss some rich questions: What are your dreams for this year? What’s something you’d love to experience with me? What does a “good life” mean to you? What does an “amazing relationship” mean to you? What’s something you’re worried about right now? What’s something you’re excited about? (You can delve into these q’s with your sweetheart or journal by yourself.)

✨ Or, permit yourself to stop cooking, stop planning, and stop doing a million things. Do nothing at all. Stay home. Turn off all the devices. Unplug. Close the curtains, snuggle up, and enjoy an indoor day or evening with zero on the agenda. Sometimes, the sexiest, most loving thing to put on your schedule is rest.

Remember: Love comes in all shapes and sizes!

No matter how you spend the holiday... enjoying your own company, hanging with friends, or with a partner (or your pup!), be sure to give yourself plenty of extra love. Nourish yourself. Fill your own cup first…. on V-Day and every day!