With June being Men’s Health Month, I can’t help but think about all the important men in my life, as well as all the men that I see in my practice on a daily basis. One of the most common reasons men come to our Wellness Center is because at some point in their life, they begin experiencing drastic changes in their sense of well being. They lose drive and motivation, their libido tanks, they become fatigued, they start gaining weight and they suddenly start having mood swings. All of these are prime and very common symptoms of low testosterone.
Aside from the fact that it’s responsible for making men, well, men….testosterone is a hormone; a chemical messenger that is absolutely critical for life. It is charged with producing red blood cells, delivering energy, maintaining muscle mass, and of course, retaining sex drive.
Around the age of 30, testosterone slowly begins to decline. And while it’s almost unavoidable, there are many ways you can help slow the process and even boost testosterone naturally.
Here are the top 5 tips I give my male patients to help them boost their testosterone naturally:
- Eliminate sugar. Consuming sugar causes a host of health problems, such as fatigue, high cholesterol and blood pressure, elevated blood sugar and candida overgrowth. In addition, too much sugar in a man’s diet also contributes to unnecessary weight gain and increased body fat, which naturally reduces the body’s ability to produce testosterone. Stick to fibrous organic fruits and vegetables, as well as lean protein. Additionally, because simple carbohydrates, like white rice and bread, convert to sugar, it is key to avoid these as well.
- Add vitamin D & zinc. Vitamin D offers an array of health benefits, one of them being that it helps regulate testosterone levels naturally. Be sure you supplement with a highly absorbable medical-grade vitamin D-3 on a daily basis to increase testosterone and avoid becoming deficient (I suggest our vitamin D-3 50,000 IU weekly). Similar to vitamin D, the mineral zinc has been shown to improve low testosterone levels in men and here’s why: a diet low in zinc inhibits the pituitary gland from being able to release the hormones to stimulate testosterone production. Therefore, low zinc equals low testosterone. In my experience, zinc is one of the top minerals for raising testosterone levels. I recommend no more than 60-100 mg of zinc chelate daily.
- Increase healthy fats. Avocados, nuts, nut butter, olive oil and coconut oil all contain healthy amounts of cholesterol, (Yes, your body needs some cholesterol.) Your body also needs and uses these healthy fats and cholesterol to convert into hormones, including testosterone. Additionally, more and more research is proving that a diet rich in healthy fats can also help you burn fat. So therefore, eat fat to burn fat and improve testosterone levels.
- Decrease stress. Easier said than done, right? I know…this is probably one of the toughest things to do as a busy businessman and father. I see it all the time in my own husband who works long days and then comes home to be a dad to our two kids. But I cannot stress (no pun intended) the importance in reducing the amount of stress you expose yourself to on a daily basis. When you’re constantly in a state of stress, your body is producing high levels of cortisol and while moderate levels of cortisol are good for you, too much cortisol actually negates the positive effects of testosterone. Reduce your stress load by exercising often, getting enough sleep, meditation and by supplementing with stress-reducing supplements. A few of my go-to supplements for stress reduction are Kavinace, Magnesium and Tranquility.
- Lose the weight. Simply put, the heavier you are, the lower your testosterone levels. So therefore, losing the extra weight can help improve your testosterone levels. Again, this can be done by eliminating sugar and increasing healthy fats.
- Get tested. It’s as simple as that. You need to have your hormone levels checked so that you can see if your levels are truly low and if they are, you will want to replenish low testosterone levels with bioidentical testosterone hormone replacement therapy.The quickest and most effective way to accomplish this is through pellet hormone therapy, such as BioTe, or testosterone injections. My medical team or myself are happy to discuss these options with you should you feel you are experiencing symptoms of low testosterone.
Like I mentioned, testosterone is critical for life. You don’t have to go through this life suffering from low energy, lack of drive, unnecessary weight and moodiness. I hope you can take some of these tips and apply them to your lifestyle so that you can not only feel good, but feel great again.
If you’re questioning your testosterone levels, take this quick assessment today to see if you could be experiencing low-t symptoms.
