• Eat chocolate: oh yes, yes. Dark chocolate with a high cocoa content contains phenylalanine, an amino acid that lifts your mood and helps to boost arousal. Also found in lean meat, tofu, shellfish, eggs and seeds.

Eat more zinc: this mineral is thought to boost libido in both sexes. Oysters (above), long considered an aphrodisiac, have lots of it, as do other shellfish, plus whole grains, nuts, seeds and red meat.

• Slow down: stress and lack of sleep give rise to those reliable passion- killers, anxiety and depression. A slower pace, and time put aside for your partner, will do wonders for you sex life.

Change your contraceptive: loss of sex drive is a known side- effect of  taking the Pill. The Pill works by reducing levels of testosterone (the hormone responsible for sex drive in men and women) in the ovaries. Changing your type of Pill might help.

• Take lots of exercise: this stimulates the brain's pleasure centers, releasing the same chemicals your body produces when you are turned on.

Take horny goat weed: Chinese medicine regards this herb as an aphrodisiac and research shows it increases levels of testosterone and blood flow. Dong Quai and damiana are other herbs that might help.