More Med, Less ED: Mediterranean Diet Linked to Better Sex

Looking to add a little zip to your sex life

Dive head first into the Mediterranean Diet. Wherever you live, whatever your age, it’s your ticket to vigor, sustaining your body, and putting you in the mood for intimacy for all the years to come. Dont blush. Sex is downright good for you. Studies show that it can relieve stress, lower your blood pressure, keep you from getting colds, burn calories, and boost self esteem.

Recent studies have found that eating a Mediterranean diet can improve cardiovascular function in patients with erectile dysunction meaning that the Med diet is, in essence, Viagra au naturel. According to a Web MD article, The link between the Mediterranean diet and improved sexual function has been scientifically established, says Irwin Goldstein, MD, director of sexual medicine at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego.

The Mediterranean Diet delivers what you need and when you need it, because it’s a smart, simple approach to eating well that others profound health benefits and keeps you at the top of your game. When combined with physical activity (sex counts) on a regular basis, it can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimers disease by 40 percent, among a variety of other benefits to bone, brain, and heart health.

The Mediterranean Diet can also help you:

• Lose or maintain weight and boost self esteem, especially important when you’re naked.
• Reduce your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, upping the odds that you’ll feel like being active, very active.
• Resist depression. The blues do nothing for libido.
• Feel full between meals. Who has time to eat when passion strikes
• Safeguard your eyesight. Remember: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

No counting calories. No weekly meal plans to follow. Just plenty of delicious, fresh food to enjoy with your beloved. It’s all about a healthy whole diet, which is a true turn on for your body and your brain. So grab your sweetie and head to the kitchen.

Here are a few tips to bring more love into your life:

1. Slow down. Whenever you can, enhance the sensuality of eating together and the pleasures of the table. Share a dinner by candlelight and savor each bite of food. Look at your partner. Enjoy conversation. Drink wine together.
2.  Eat Seafood. The legendary lover Casanova reputedly started his days with dozens of oysters.  He was on to something. Raw oysters are high in zinc, an essential mineral needed to produce testosterone. (A zinc deficiency can render you impotent.)  Shell fish, including mussels and clams, may also have a direct effect on sex hormones. And, fish such as tuna, herring, salmon, and sardines are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Eating fish and seafood twice a week boosts overall brain and heart health, and contributes to good circulation in all your parts. Studies show that men who follow the Med Diet are less likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction.
3. Eat lots of vegetables, which deliver countless nutritional benefits to support overall health. Onions are legendary for their curative powers and association with enhanced libido. Try roasting them in a hot oven and drizzling with balsamic vinegar. Let your mind wander as you prepare vegetables with phallic shapes. (Think carrots, zucchini or cucumbers rather than green beans.)  And put a little extra oomph into the presentation. Drizzle some olive oil slowly over a ripe, juicy tomato, top it with some fragrant, crumbled feta cheese, and share it with your lover. Vegetables in all shapes and sizes are vitally important to the delicious avors and healthy cooking of the Med Diet. Try to all half your plate with them at lunch and dinner.
4. Change the way you think about meat. Its really not sexy to watch someone tear into a haunch of beef. If you eat meat, cut back on how much you consume at one meal. Add small strips of sirloin to a vegetable sauté, or garnish a dish of pasta with diced prosciutto. As a main course, have 3 ounces or less of chicken or leaner meat.
5. Cook a vegetarian meal one night a week. You wont feel too full to play around before you go to sleep.  Build the meal around beans, whole grains, and vegetables, and heighten the flavor with fragrant herbs and spices.  Turn up the heat with garlic, ginger, and pepper, foods that wake up the body. When one night feels comfortable, try two nights a week for the vegetarian meal, that is.
6. Use good fats. Include sources of healthy fats in daily meals, especially extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, olives, and avocados. They deliver a wide range of health benefits including smooth skin and shiny hair.
7. Always eat breakfast. Wake your lover up with clementines or grapes, easy foods to eat in bed and instant breath fresheners.  When you’re dressed, move on to eggs or fiber-rich whole grains that can keep you feeling pleasantly full for hours. For a healthy instant breakfast, mash half an avocado with a fork and spread it on a slice of whole grain toast.
8. For dessert, eat fresh fruit or bits of cheese. Figs are linked with libido because of their resemblance to female anatomy, but you can choose from whatever is fresh and/or in season. Find ways to share a fruit dessert. For example, dip juicy ripe strawberries into plain Greek yogurt and feed them to each other.

Bottom line You need to eat well to love well.

Georgia Orcutt