THE OLD saying you are what you eat is about to be tested to the very limits: and it could be a Wokingham borough couple that puts it through its paces.
A gardening webstore is offering couples £1,500 if they accept the challenge to be aphrodisiac testers.
WhatShed.co.uk says that the probe is timely: a recent survey of British bedroom habits revealed that two-thirds of respondents felt things in the bedroom were in a bit of a rut, thanks to, what else? Lockdown.
So, the gardening and shed review site is looking to find three couples to try some plants over two months, and see how beautiful the music they make actually is.
All plants, tools and instructions will be provided – a mixture of plants, produce and fungi. All the couples have to do is try them and see what blooms.
The roles come after Whatshed.co.uk’s survey, which looked into the lifestyle and relationships changes of 2,000 couples aged 18-60 over the last six months.
Nearly two thirds (61%) have seen a negative change in their libidos as a result of lockdown.
And 28% of people in relationships admitting they now have sex less than they did before lockdown.
When asked why they thought their sex life was dwindling, 29% admitted that they were bored with their sex in general, 16% said their mood was affecting their arousal negatively and 13% even said they were less attracted to their partner now than they were at the start of lockdown.
Plants and food have long been considered natural aphrodisiacs, so WhatShed.co.uk has created the roles to definitively reveal which plants have the desired effect in the bedroom.
Kate Fromings, from the company, said: “Couples are always looking for new and interesting ways to improve their love life.
“Coronavirus is forcing us to spend more time with those in our households, whether we like it or not and it is not unusual that this would get boring, the pandemic really is affecting every aspect of life and, as our survey shows, that does not stop at the bedroom door.
“A lot of people hear about aphrodisiacs and their mind jumps straight to oysters, champagne, and strawberries, but there are so many herbal and plant-based aphrodisiacs that you can grow in your own back garden, you probably eat lots of them on a regular basis without even realising it.”
She added: Gardening is already proven to help with your physical and mental health and if we at Whatshed can help any couple improve their sexual health as well, then we will be more than happy to do so.”
At the end of the two months, each couple will be asked to send their reviews from both perspectives, including a description of how they used each product and intimate details.
Applicants must be aged between 25-65, with good spoken and written English.
Couples keen to apply, or those just looking for some ideas on what to grow, can log on to: whatshed.co.uk/aphrodisiac-tester/