There’s nothing like an article on libido to get people pulling you to one side and asking some extra questions. I’ve had some eye-opening conversations this week!

It’s just a good thing that the kids haven’t seen it, as we’ve arrived at the stage where I am so embarrassing, whether it’s dancing in the kitchen or singing in the car; let alone writing about sex in the paper. I suppose I’m relieved too, as I’m not sure I’m ready to explain exactly what libido is.

At 12 and 9, the girls do know about the birds and the bees from a mechanical perspective, but I’m not quite ready to explain desire or attraction yet. Will I ever?

When it comes to adults and romance, it seems that our biggest obstacle is just being too tired; we’re all exhausted at the end of a busy day.

The obvious solution then is to plan a little love for the mornings, but when I suggested this, everyone with babies and small children laughed at me. So back we went again to the evening option!

However, the evening is tricky. So many people undereat during the day because they are busy and caught up in their work. When they get through the door at night, though, all bets are off. First come the snacks and then comes dinner, usually with a hefty dose of carbs! Thing is, a heavy dose of carbs can make us sleepy … not exactly the mood we’re looking for. So making sure you have enough food during the day is important (eat breakfast and have a good lunch!), but then skipping the carbs at night can be a good idea (or at least go lighter). Given that when we’re tired, we crave carbs, we still need to find solutions that feel like carbs and provide some level of comfort. If you want pasta, try the Banza chick pea pasta (Miles, in the Nutrifit section). It’s got an amazing fibre/protein content and net carbs are lower. If you want to go even lighter, then try making cauliflower rice which has approximately 5g carbs per cup vs 46g carbs per cup of brown rice. It’s a massive difference.

While I do like the plain and simple version, this recipe is absolutely packed full of flavour and will win over most sceptics. I always shy away from shredding the cauliflower itself (it seems like a lot of mess to clean up) so use the pre-prepared version available in most grocery stores. Makes the whole process extra quick and easy, which leaves more time for ... love!

Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs light olive oil

• 16oz store-bought cauliflower rice (plain, finely chopped raw cauliflower)

• ¼ cup pine nuts

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

• Red pepper flakes, pinch

• ¼ tsp fine sea salt

• ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 1 tbs lemon juice

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

1, Wrap the cauliflower rice in a clean tea towel or paper towel, twist and squeeze as much water as possible from the rice — you might be surprised by how much water you can wring out.

2, Toast the pine nuts in a large pan over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently so they don’t burn. Allow them to turn golden (about three minutes). Transfer to a bowl to cool.

3, Return the pan to the heat and add the olive oil and garlic. Cook while stirring until the garlic is fragrant, about ten to 20 seconds. Add the cauliflower rice, red pepper flakes and salt, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring just every minute or so, until the cauliflower rice is hot and turning golden in places, about six to ten minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the pine nuts, parsley and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve warm. So easy!

• Catherine Burns is a qualified nutritional therapist. For more details: natural.bm, 505-4725, Natural Nutrition Bermuda on Facebook and @naturalbda on Instagram