The connection between food and sex isn't hard to find -- it always seems to come up whenever someone slurps an oyster or inhales the aroma of a fresh truffle -- but around Valentine's Day, interest in culinary aphrodisiacs takes on a particular urgency. According to folk wisdom, eating certain foods can be a way to stimulate sensuality -- cultures as diverse as ancient China, India, Greece and Rome had lists of edibles designed not to curb your appetite, but to fuel it. While chocolate is perhaps the most fabled sexual tonic, there are hundreds of ingredients, like saffron or liquorice, that have at some point in history been the remedy for bedroom woes.

Scientifically, these promises might not hold water (plenty of studies have shown that eating allegedly aphrodisiac foods has no provable physiological effect on the libido), but in many cases an aphrodisiac's effect is a testament to the mind's power of association. A food's taste or aroma can be enough to get the free-associations going -- or its appearance: many reputed aphrodisiacs, like avocados and oysters, gained their aphrodisiac status simply because of their resemblance to sexual organs... Click here to read more and Watch a yummy slideshow.

Are we messed up about sex?

You put a group of people together and tell them to have sex with each other, but each person has been told, trained, influenced, all in different ways about this subject. We have left the animal instinct of sex behind. We now live in a society that defines sex and how we think about it.

Where does our sexual attitudes come from? Obviously we are influenced by every day people, our media, our loved ones, definitely the people who raised us, so how much control and opinions are of our own?

Sex, being a large part of our lives, when you think about it, does it not control how we think, feel, act and portray ourselves to others? Our sex, as in gender has separated us through eras. Our sexual preferences have us turning from one situation to another. Our sexual attitudes on a personal level influence how we deal with each experience...

... nah.... lol

I have a theory on this (note: this is just my theory, although shared by many)... I say "absolutely no, we're not!" Here's why: We don't marry and stay with the first person we have sex with (and thank god!!!) It's also natural for us to be walking along in our own little world, checking out the scenery and to have our attention captured by some gorgeous looking model specimen of a human being! Anyone who says they "don't look" is either lying to their partner so they don't get upset, or blind!!

Now I for one am the first to comment on some sexy man or woman that is within view, if hubby hasn't made some comment about them first. We both accept that this is natural behaviour and attach no meaning to it other than we can appreciate someone that looks good. We might notice them and point out how hot they are but looks aren't everything and we know we are still going home together... besides, if he didn't notice other sexy women, I'd be worried there was something wrong with him!

So what is it that says we should be monogamous? Well, its become a tradition in our society... we are supposed to marry someone and the sacred sacrament of marriage dictates that they will be our only partner from then till death do you part! Who's idea was that?? Were we always like this? Hmmm, religion has a lot to answer for! There are societies in the world where this is not the case (don't ask me which ones, I don't have time for research, I just recall reading something somewhere that talked about it).

You know you want it. Jamaica wants you! Where does your mind go when you hear the word 'hedonism'? For those who've been to the erotic paradise that word means Hedo II! A place to party, soak up the sun, people watch, and forget what time it is.

We're going to give you an inside look, the real story, the gossip, the pictures, and all the details you want to hear (with the names changed, of course).

Jamaica may have been home to pirates, buccaneers, and adventurers. What's the deal with with Hedo III today you ask? It's all inclusive. This means you don't pay for food, booze, sailboats, or snorkeling trips. They do have scuba and day trips that cost extra.

Julianne Moore is shocked by how graphic her sex scenes are in her new movie The Kids Are All Right.

The actress plays a lesbian in the comedy and is involved in several erotic sequences. And Moore said was surprised when she first saw the film as she didn’t remember it being so physical during shooting.

She told The Daily Beast website: “There is stuff I don’t actually remember doing. When I saw the movie, I was like, ‘Did we do that?’ There’s a lot of moving around. I don’t remember it being that physical. But we wanted it to be funny and we really relied on each other.”

Cameron Diaz doesn't believe in sharing her bed with the same person for her "whole life". The 37-year-old actress - who has most recently been romantically linked to baseball player Alex 'A-Rod' Rodriguez - believes monogamy is an outdated concept and says it's perfectly acceptable not to spend your life with one partner.

She said: "Relationships can last two, five or 20 years. I don't believe in sharing your bed with the same person your whole life, though. That might be a reality for some, but it surely isn't for me."”

Goodness. Haven't they ramped things up for the 2010 Pirelli calendar?

Hot-as-hell fashion photographer Terry Richardson recently had the enviable task of shooting a bevy of the world's most beautiful models for the cult calendar. Amongst the brood are Australians Miranda Kerr, Catherine McNeil and Abbey Lee Kershaw.

From left to right in the lead image you can see the full smokin' hot line-up: Eniko Mihalik, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Catherine McNeil, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Daisy Lowe, Gracie Carvalho, Marloes Horst, Lily Cole, Ana Beatriz Barros, Miranda Kerr and Georgina Stojiljkovic.

Vanity Fair were invited along to the shoot, and they captured some pretty amazing behind-the-scenes pictures. And doesn't Terry Richardson seem to be enjoying himself?

We live in a highly sexualised society, one that has handed women the ostensible right to be as free, as wild and as pleasured as they wish. From the cultural looks of things, you’d think women were having sex round the clock. Agent Provocateur is a brand like no other. Soon it will add furniture and bed linen to its sales of erotic books, £175 handcuffs and the sort of sellout frillies seen on your favourite female fashion icons.

A divorcé describes his first forays into the 21st-century dating scene: “She wanted to shag like a porn star: longer, harder, bigger, better,” he says. “She used her Rabbit [vibrator] so much, orgasms were reserved for that efficient machine, then, when we were in bed, she was all, ‘Harder, harder’.” His female counterpart, a woman in her fabled “cougar” years, says she went on a fellatio course because “I was terrified I wouldn’t be good enough”. You’d think — hope — someone older wouldn’t be so insecure, right? Wrong. In fact, the cougar is a lesser-spotted urban myth, says Boynton. “A lot of them are buying into getting their act together, but haven’t thought ‘What turns me on?’ Many women want to learn deep-throat techniques, and I have to ask them, ‘Why? Why do you want to learn to relax your throat muscles?’”

Cap D’Agde in the South of France is just like any other holiday village, except that the holidaymakers there wear no clothes.

They told us that they both enjoyed the experience, because this is what they come to Cap d'Agde for. They were not naturists, she explained, but echangistes. That's swingers to you, and so, another Cap d'Agde subculture unfolded. This husband and wife revealed to us how they lie to family and friends about where they go on holiday, and how they come to Cap d'Agde every summer to fulfil their sexual fantasies. They refused to be photographed to protect their anonymity. They told us the best part of the resort was the adults-only beach where couples openly performed sexual acts in front of each other.