Lifestyle

Mediterranean Diet: Benefits, Recipes, and More

November 29, 2021

The food you eat is fuel, and good fuel is extremely important to your overall health. "You are what you eat" is sort-of-kind-of-true.

Your body requires nutrients to provide energy and building blocks for essential functions like breathing, digestion, blood circulation, and keeping warm, among a multitude of other daily tasks. They're also extremely important for the growth and repair of cells in your body that make up vital organs.

The two types of nutrients you need to eat daily to maintain a healthy lifestyle include macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are needed in large quantities and include carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Micronutrients are needed in smaller amounts and include various vitamins and minerals.

Food plays a significant role in sexual function, too. Eating certain foods can help to support sexual performance, and following a Mediterranean diet, in particular, stands out as a positive influence on sexual health.

What Is the Mediterranean Diet?

Technically, there is no “official" Mediterranean diet. It’s a mixture of the foods and cuisines of the region bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including the countries of Greece, Italy, France, Morocco, and Spain to name a few.

Exact ingredients and recipes can vary depending on country and region of origin, but there are broad similarities between the cuisines of these countries.

In general, a Mediterranean-based diet will include higher amounts of the following foods compared to a typical Western diet:

BEVERAGES:

Coffee
Red wine
Tea
Water

FISH:

Clams
Crab
Oysters
Mackerel
Mussels
Salmon
Sardines
Shrimp
Trout
Tuna

FRUITS:

Apples
Bananas
Blueberries
Dates
Figs
Grapes
Melons
Oranges
Peaches
Pears
Strawberries

HEALTHY FATS:

Avocados
Avocado oil
Extra virgin olive oil
Olives

HERBS AND SPICES:

Basil
Cayenne pepper
Cinnamon
Garlic
Nutmeg
Mint
Oregano
Pepper
Rosemary
Sage
Sea salt
Turmeric

LEGUMES:

Black beans
Chickpeas
Kidney beans
Lentils
Peanuts
Peas

NUTS:

Almonds
Almond butter
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Macadamia nuts
Pistachios
Peanut butter
Walnuts

SEEDS:

Chia seeds
Hemp seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds

VEGETABLES:

Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Kale
Mushrooms
Onions
Potatoes
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnips
Yams
Zucchini

WHOLE GRAINS:

Barley
Brown rice
Buckwheat
Corn
Oats
Pasta
Quinoa
Rye
Whole wheat bread

What Are Some Mediterranean Diet Recipes?

There are dozens of easy and delicious recipes to be made when following a Mediterranean diet. It might take a while to experiment and find the ones that are suited to your tastes, but the main thing is to follow a few guidelines:

Build your meals around vegetables, whole grains, and beans instead of red meats.
Try to eat fish twice a week.
Use extra virgin olive oil instead of butter when preparing meals.
Eat fresh fruit instead of sugary foods for dessert.
Drink lots of water during the day and enjoy red wine in moderation.
Eat nuts instead of processed foods for snacks.

Easy and common recipes you can try at home include:

A tomato and cucumber salad
Greek salad
Hummus and whole grain bread, crackers, or pita
Baked fish
Grilled chicken skewers

What Foods Are Not Allowed in a Mediterranean Diet?

Mediterranean diets are also characterized by foods that you can't eat, or should at least eat less of. On the Mediterranean diet, moderate your intake of red meats and dairy products like butter, cheese, milk, and yogurt.

For best results, those who follow a Mediterranean diet limit their intake of the following foods:

Sugary foods such as candy, ice cream, pastries, soda, syrup, and other deserts
Refined grains such as chips, crackers, tortillas, white bread, white pasta, and dough with white flour
Trans saturated fats found in baked goods, fried foods, frozen foods, margarine, and microwave popcorn
Refined oils such as canola oil, cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, and soybean oil
Processed meats such as deli meats, hot dogs, pepperoni, salami, and sausage

What Are the Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet?

When followed properly, research suggests there are a lot of benefits to maintaining a Mediterranean diet for both your overall health and sexual function.

Specifically, a Mediterranean diet has been shown to help:

Lower the risk of heart disease. During one study over the course of five years, researchers concluded that a Mediterranean diet could reduce the risks of heart disease by up to 30 percent.
Improve the quality of your sleep. A study of more than 1,600 adults concluded that a Mediterranean diet could improve sleep quality, especially for older individuals.
Can help with weight loss. The dietary changes involved with a Mediterranean diet can help you to lose weight and improve sexual function as a result.
Maintain healthy blood sugar levels. The heart-friendly nutrients in a Mediterranean diet coupled with reduced sugar intake can help balance blood sugar levels and lower the risk of developing diabetes and metabolic conditions.
Protects your brain function. A study of more than 500 people found that a Mediterranean diet could reduce the risks of developing Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cognitive decline in older adults.

The Mediterranean diet shares characteristics with many Eastern diets too, including more lean meats and seafood, than the typical Western or American diet.

Are There Downsides to the Mediterranean Diet?

Eating a Mediterranean diet is mostly beneficial due to the inclusion of whole foods; it's an improvement for the majority of people in the Western world. However, there are a few potential downsides to following the Mediterranean diet.

For example, since most of the calories in this diet come from fat, it may be problematic for people with high cholesterol.

Eating less dairy can also potentially lead to lower levels of calcium, and you may need to take a calcium supplement or find alternative calcium sources to keep your calcium in an optimal range.

It can also result in lower levels of iron, so you may need to eat foods with higher amounts of iron or vitamin C, as this can help you to absorb iron more efficiently.

The Takeaway

Following a Mediterranean diet can provide lots of benefits for your overall health and even improve sexual function. The Mediterranean diet is high in whole fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and leaner meats.

The food that you eat can have a significant impact on nearly all aspects of your life. Not only is your general health at stake, but your sexual function can be negatively impacted on a poor diet. Obesity and metabolic conditions like diabetes are two common risk factors for developing erectile dysfunction, for instance.

One of the most commonly recommended treatments for erectile dysfunction, in fact, is to eat a healthier diet that's more heart-friendly and cardiovascular supportive. There are a variety of dietary routines to consider, but it’s hard to top the benefits of a Mediterranean diet.