Ok, so I want us to first understand that testosterone is a naturally occurring hormone in the body and is correlated with feelings of strength, mental clarity, determination, endurance, libido and generally just feeling great. When I say we could likely benefit from increasing testosterone, it’s because there are so many factors in our day to day life that are reducing our levels and even converting the “T” we have into estrogen. This conversion is called aromatization and it would serve us well to understand what is creating this energy sucking effect. Understand, I am not saying estrogen is bad in any way. I’m saying our diet and lifestyle is curving our hormonal levels to be lacking in the “T” department for the majority of us.
This a similar conversation as to why likely we could using more alkalinity in our diet. Not because acid is bad and alkaline is good but because our diets and lifestyles are so inundated with factors that throw our PH balance off with too much acid. This is a different conversation which will be discussed in a later post…
Back to the “T” conversation, let’s break down a list of top food sources and activities which are connected to increasing levels to a more optimal range and you are already doing phenomenal, then these foods and activities will still taste good be healthy.
1) Lift heavy weights (heavy is obviously a relative term), high intensity interval training (HIIT) is a great approach to stimulate hormonal development. Also, sprinting is a great habit to get into. Try exercising with the rule of 10 reps. You do three sets of compound movement such as deadlift or squat and do as much as you can for 3-4 reps for 3 sets and then from their do 30 seconds of explosives plyometrics such as jump, sprint, explosive push-ups. Then, here’s the kicker-you only do “active rest” between sets. Active rest for 3 minutes by dancing to your music, “free running”, don’t be afraid to move complexly (weirdly)-your body greatly appreciates the adaptation of it!
2) MCT’s (Medium chain triglycerides) such as coconut oil or cod liver oil. I would strongly recommend RAW, organic, grass fed, free range dairy ideally from goats but cows will do just fine. Eggs are a great source of the helpful “T” building fat as well. I am currently experimenting with this by taking a blood panel in February and eating a VERY high fat diet and following all other steps I’ve included on this list and will take another blood panel in April). I will of course post my results in 2 months when I get them back!
3) Zinc- Natural food sources only such as oysters, spinach, pumpkin seeds, cashews, pine nuts, almonds
4) Selenium- A few brazil nuts per day is all yah need. That’s correct, you don’t need to down the whole bag, in fact this begins to be detrimental. A little goes a long way-think minimum effective dose in life…
5) Cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower will surely boost hormones amongst a multitude of other invaluable effects. You won’t be able to eat too much, have at it!
6) POSTURE!- Studies have shown standing in a hunched over “defeated” position to actually decrease “T” and increase the stress hormone cortisol. The opposite happens when standing tall in a “victory” position. If you want to be strong like a lion, move like a lion not a sloth. Your biology is listening to your movement feedback, choose it wisely…
7) Sex- Our bodies, minds and hormones love it! Why? Well for starters fellas, “T” is predominately produced in the testicles. You gotta turn the lights on in the factory if you want your employees to go to work. The adrenals are responsible for a bit as well. A point I think is not touched on in regard to sex is the creative expressive and animalistic movements incorporated in it. Our bodies crave animalistic dynamic expression and we are being energetically choked out by sedentary lifestyles and linear basic movements. Not to mention, pelvic thrusting, that’s right, I said thrusting, is doing what? Activating our glutes (butts) which have become dysfunctional and underutilized from sitting too much! This activity could be the saving grace for sedentary individuals.
8) Cold Showers/Baths- Yes, I do this everyday and yes some people think it’s crazy. I suggest at least a few minute cold shower at the end of every hot shower. Extra credit, do ice baths for 15-20 minutes if you can handle it. This has been shown to increase “T” and boost immune system by increasing white blood cell count
9) Vitamin D- Get the heck off the computer and go the freak outside! Mandatory for pretty much everything including hormonal balance.
10) Get Agressive!- It’s ok to get riled up as long as no one gets hurt. We absolutely with out a doubt need to get out of the zombie state state so many folks are stuck in. Wake up, eat gluten cereal, sit in car, sit in office, sit in car, do linear isolated workout routine, sit in car to make it home to sit down and watch the game, then sit down for some dinner and then lay down to watch some tv, fall asleep and do it all over again the next day. Do we seriously wonder why mid-life crisis exists, duh. Time to break the mold and start growling, spitting and getting dirty because you can and your hormones appreciate it!