Jay Friedman, a full-time traveling man and award-winning sex educator, writer and speaker will be visiting Eastern for his lecture “Sexy Feast: What Our Favorite Foods Can Teach Us About Sex” at 7 p.m. Monday in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Emily Brodt, ideas and issues coordinator for the University Board, said Friedman will be using different foods to educate attendees about sex.

“He will be talking about food in relation to sex using apples, hot dogs, yogurt and bagels,” Brodt said.

Friedman did his undergraduate work at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and received his master’s degree from the University of Vermont in Burlington.

He has spoken many times on various sexuality issues in his works, including an award-winning article in the “Journals of American College Health,” a male sexuality peer education program at Cornell titled, “How to Be a Better Lover” and with his writing as an advice columnist for a health and wellness website.

Friedman was certified to be a professional sex educator by the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists.

In addition to being an educator, Friedman has been a restaurant reviewer and food writer. He has written for publications such as “Seattle Weekly,” “Serious Eats,” “Eats,” “USA Today” and is the co-editor and author of “Fearless Critic Seattle Restaurant Guide.”

“Friedman has a really interesting and dynamic topic that you do not really hear about often,” Brodt said. “The title is eye-catching and he’s going to bring good information since people do not generally hear about sex and food together.”

Brodt said during Friedman’s lecture attendees will be able to decorate cookies and while he is speaking, members of the UB will be handing out tickets to attendees to be put into a raffle.

Two tickets will be picked from the raffle and those winners will get a $25 gift card to either Buffalo Wild Wings or Papa Johns.

“I think students will find this really interesting to hear about since we do not always hear about sex from this spectrum and people do not always talk about it in an educational way,” Brodt said. “I think the lecture will be a great way to learn about sex with food.”

Abbey Whittington can be reached at 581-2812 or anwhittington@eiu.edu