If you claim to have never heard of testosterone,
I would be tempted to call you a liar, and if you are a guy reading this, I would
definitely call you a liar! Testosterone is that most manly of hormones we guys
crave, its what separates the boys from the men, literally. Its what gave your
voice its base, helped you get your muscles and male aggression and is even
responsible for your sex drive (more on this later, I promise!)
Feeling a little tired? Not motivated to
exercise, muscle wasting, fat increasing? You could be suffering from low
testosterone level my brother. Testosterone is important to both men and women
but triple important in men, so I will be writing this strictly from a male point
of view for the guys. Recent scientific studies have shown that there has been
a general drop in male testosterone levels globally, this is not good. Many theories
and reasons have been advanced for this drop.
From chemical pollution in the
atmosphere to the modern-day male workload, they are varied. Today I would like
to look at some of the most likely and fixable reasons your testosterone levels
might be dropping and the ways in which it can be arrested. As a special bonus,
I will also be looking at 6 foods you should definitely avoid if you want to
boost your testosterone levels. So please scroll down with us and get the full
gist on the big T!
Thanks, and do have a wonderful weekend!
1.
ENVIROMENTAL TOXINS AND
FREE RADICAL DAMAGE:
Guys, your testicles are
extremely sensitive to factors both inside and outside your body, your body’s
ability to produce testosterone can be affected by its response to things like
outside pollution and toxins ingested by it. To reduce the loss of testosterone,
you should limit your exposure as much as possible; these toxins include man
made chemicals from plastic cont5ainers used in storing food, toxins from
cigarette smoke and excessive alcohol consumption. Also, if you want to maintain
and even increase your testosterone levels, exercise is inescapable. Lifting
weights is especially important if you want to boost your test levels.
2.
NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP
OR REST:
Not sleeping isn’t a virtue,
it doesn’t make you a tough guy, lets get that fact straight. If you are
feeling low energy levels and can’t perform in the gym or in bed, check your
bed time! (sorry, I just had to) lack of sleep or not getting enough sleep has
dire consequences for your testosterone levels, sleeplessness promotes the
production of cortisol, a catabolic hormone in the body, also called the stress
hormone. Cortisol has its uses, but when you don’t sleep enough, it is over
produced, leads to muscle wasting, and loss of your much-needed testosterone
along with those muscles. You should aim for a minimum of 7 hours sleep at
night, and try to nap during the day, it helps. 7 hours sleep is not such a
tall order, just give the remote and smartphone a rest when you get home! Try shutting
down from 10pm till 5am or 11pm to 6am. It’s possible my brother.
3.
YOUR BODY FAT IS TOO
HIGH AND YOUR BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL FLUCTUATE:
Excess body fat will
interfere with a lot of your body’s hormonal systems, eventually leading to
lowered testosterone production. High insulin level from either short term or long-term
overeating increases the activity of an enzyme found in your fat tissue that converts
testosterone to estrogen, and you definitely do not want that. The more fat you
have, the more estrogen, and the more estrogen, the less testosterone. The easiest
way to control and correct these hormonal imbalances is to reduce your body fat
through exercise and avoid overeating. The best way to do this is by reducing
the amount of carbohydrates in your diet.
4.
YOUR GUT MIGHT NOT BE IN
ORDER:
You are what you eat,
almost literally. Good gut health and liver function are integral to having high
testosterone levels. Excessive eating leads to hormonal imbalances and weight
gain, this I have touched on, but did you know that it stresses your digestive
system and your liver? Your liver’s primary job is to detoxify the body and
when it can’t do this efficiently, your testosterone levels suffer. Apart from
over eating, alcohol, drugs and some foods have an inflammatory effect on the
body and can lead to a drop-in testosterone. You can increase the efficiency of
your gut by increasing your intake of green leafy vegetables, and omega 3 oils.
AND FINALLY……..
You should really try to
eliminate, or reduce to the barest minimum, the following foods from your diet
to help boost your testosterone levels:
1.
DAIRY
2.
REFINED CARBOHYDRATES
3.
FRIED FOOD
4.
SOY
5.
SWEETS
6.
DIET SODA
Thanks, and do have a wonderful day!
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