In my last article I gave eight dating tips and promised to tell you how to stimulate falling-in-love hormones. Ready? Then here we go . . .

Eat libido increasing foods. There are a number of foods that have long been considered aphrodisiacs and that stimulate the production of those hormones associated with falling and being in love. Here’s the doubly good news: most of them are good for you, low in fat and high in vitamins and minerals. Now, there’s a twofer we can all appreciate! Even better, nasty stuff like ground Rhino horn (once thought to be an aphrodisiac) doesn’t appear anywhere on the list that is loaded with delicious stuff—chocolate, asparagus, basil, grapes, salmon, strawberries, honey, oysters, avocados figs, and more. Invest in a copy of Intercourses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook by Martha Hopkins and Randall Lockridge (Terrace Publishing, 1997). The photographs are gorgeous and the recipes are delicious.

Prepare meals together and here’s an idea for you: have a black tie dinner for two. Wear nothing but black ties!

Exercise. Any exercise will elevate your mood. Strenuous exercise, however, such as jogging increases dopamine. Even better, exercise together. Research shows that getting sweaty together, especially if you’re also competing with each other by, for example, playing tennis or racket ball, raises your libido.

Try new things. Variety is the spice of life, it also spices up your relationship. Studies show that couples who do exciting things together feel more satisfaction in their relationship. Excitement (and especially a touch of danger) stimulates adrenaline production. Adrenalin stimulates the production of testosterone. Testosterone stimulates feelings of lust. Lust stimulates sex. Sex stimulates the hormones associated with falling and being in love. Get outside your normal routine and try new and different things. It’s fun and it’s good for you and your relationship.

Laughter. Laughing stimulates dopamine. So, for Pete’s sake, have fun together. Loosen up. Lighten up. Maintain a good sense of humor. If I wasn’t a believer in the power of laughter before I met my husband Dale, I am now. My guy regularly cracks me up. Even better, he thinks I’m funny, too. We are quick with one-line zingers and have matching funny bones—most of the time.

Here’s an example: It was 1998, and we were one of five couples on a five-night camping tour of the Manu Reserve, a rain forest in the Amazon basin. Dale was in heaven. I thought it was cool to wake to the sound of howler monkeys and see poison dart frogs and army ants in their natural environment, but I was miserable as it rained every day, almost continuously. As we motored up river in an open canoe, Lucinda and Graham—Londoners who had thought to bring a huge umbrella—were dry while the rest of us found little protection from the cheap, plastic ponchos we had bought in Cuzco. Lucinda and Graham were irrepressibly chipper. Of course they were; they were dry!

By the fifth morning, I was damp, cranky and, frankly, tired of Lucinda and Graham. When Dale attempted to joke with our non-English speaking guide, I grabbed him by the lapels, pulled his face close to mine, and said through clenched teeth, “You are not funny in the rain forest!” He didn’t hesitate for a moment. He looked down at me and said, with a perfectly straight face, “Graham thinks I’m funny.” I cracked up and my mood instantly improved.

Make it a point to look for the humor and to laugh. It beats every alternative.

Bottom line: Do those things that stimulate the production of falling-in-love hormones and you’ll feel more in love. How cool is that?