Testosterone is by far the holy grail of male hormones. Low levels of the T hormone can lead to a vast array of unpleasant situations. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to increase testosterone naturally and boost your overall health.
Healthy testosterone levels are linked to higher muscle mass, more rapid body fat burn, improved libido, mood, and sleep. Should we also mention that more recent research has linked low testosterone levels to a higher risk of heart disease, depression and low quality of life? You should also take into account the fact that the natural production of testosterone in our bodies underpins a healthy metabolism, improved strength as well as bone mineral density. Of course, other hormones have a role to play in the good functioning of our bodies. However, striking just the right balance between testosterone and estrogen and boosting the production of testosterone for men is of paramount importance.
Here are our two cents on the matter and 20 ways to increase testosterone naturally. Keep obesity, heart disease or type 2 diabetes at bay and improve your quality of life. It all starts with a few small changes that make all the difference.
Increase Testosterone Naturally
The best way to alter the way our bodies work is by choosing the natural alternative. Supplements may play a role, but most research is divisive and conflicting as far as T-boosting supplements go. However, there are ways to naturally increase testosterone which is far more efficient and healthier.
Consume Fenugreek
Fenugreek is a herb that promotes body fat reduction. Used for centuries in different foods, it has recently surfaced as one a T-hormone booster. The trial and research, mentioned in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, saw increased testosterone levels for participants who consumed fenugreek during the trial compared to those who consumed a placebo. Fenugreek is included in curries as a fragrance herb. Alternatively, you can find fenugreek tea to consume at leisure.
Spice it up with Ginger
How to naturally increase testosterone levels? By consuming this one spicy flavored root named ginger. Some love it, some hate it. Nonetheless, ginger has been tested and proved to soothe inflammation and keep nausea at bay, as well as promote healthy body fat loss.
The great news is that ginger is also beneficial to naturally increase testosterone and improve semen quality. Best consumed raw, ginger can also be found in concentrated capsules or supplements. Grate some ginger in your drink glass, add it to salads or eat it as such.
Don’t be a Naysayer to Dietary Fats
Fats have been antagonized for a long while. Some of them, for good reasons. However, good, healthy fats are crucial for increasing testosterone naturally. Optimizing the T hormone production is largely dependent on a healthy diet rich in good fats.
Dietary fats are a bullet-proof way to increase testosterone naturally. The higher the intake of saturated fats and monounsaturated fats, the higher the production of testosterone. Alternatively, a low-fat diet has been proved to lower the T-hormone production, as well as to lower androgen levels.
Here is some inspiration for monounsaturated fats-containing foods. Almonds, peanuts and peanut butter, olive oil, almond or avocados are among the top choices. As for healthy saturated fats, egg yolks, cheese, dark chocolate, red meat or coconut oil are ideal diet choices.
Say Yes to Cholesterol
Having a healthy intake of cholesterol on a daily basis boosts the production of testosterone. If your diet lacks cholesterol, the muscle-building and disease-preventing hormone production drops. HDL cholesterol levels and T-hormone production are strongly interconnected. Testosterone production is linked to the protein intake.
The surest way to get a healthy dose of cholesterol is to incorporate whole eggs in your diet. A diet which follows a restricted carbs rule leads to increased lipoproteins levels in the body. In turn, this reduces the insulin resistance while leveling the playground when it comes to health problems like hypertension, heart disease or sky-high blood glucose.
Egg yolks are one of the good HDL cholesterol sources. Nonetheless, they’re far from being the only source of lipoproteins. Seafood (e.g. lobster, shrimp or squid) or red meat are equally fit to be incorporated into an HDL balanced diet.
Consume Zinc
Zinc deficiency, both in men and in women affects testosterone levels. To avoid suppressed concentrations of the muscle-building and body fat burning hormone, make sure the daily recommended dose of this mineral doesn’t lack from your diet. Following the recommended guidelines for Zinc intake is another natural way to increase testosterone.
Get Your Vitamin D
Vitamin D has been linked to several types of research to boosted production of free testosterone. Arguably one of the most important vitamins related to testosterone production, Vitamin D3 is, in fact, a hormone. Its production is naturally stimulated by exposure to the sun. However, as exposure to UV comes with associated risks, it would be wise to include Vitamin D in your diet by supplements.
Vitamin D aids to increase testosterone naturally. However, before starting to take supplements, check with your physician. The recommended dose varies from individual to individual and depends on a multitude of factors.
Learn More on Diindolylmethane (DIM)
Sure, it’s difficult to pronounce. Nonetheless, DIM is crucial to keep testosterone production at optimal levels. A natural component of indole-3-carbinol, DIM is naturally found in cauliflower and broccoli. Recent research has suggested that the T-hormone and estrogen can be balanced thanks to DIM. That is due to the fact that DIM lessens the strength of estrogen by breaking it down into different forms.
Clean Your Diet
A balanced diet packed with essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins can increase testosterone naturally. The key is to be determined to follow a diet and make it part of your lifestyle altogether. Testosterone is the holy grail of hormones. With dropping testosterone levels, there is hardly any muscle mass growth or body fat loss. This is why watching your diet and including leafy greens, red meats, and healthy fats as well as HDL containing foods is crucial.
This doesn’t necessarily imply that your daily meals have to be a load of heavy foods. Salads work just as well if you toss in just the right ingredients. For instance, spinach, as most leafy greens, is packed with magnesium and zinc, two essentials in boosting testosterone levels naturally. Toss some meat in that salad. Red meat (beef) is the healthy protein and HDL cholesterol source that will increase muscle mass and testosterone production.
Are you looking for some more foods packed with healthy fatty acids? Look no further than nuts. Almonds, walnuts or Brazil nuts are healthy sources of cholesterol needed by Leydig cells stimulating T-hormone production. Avocado and olives or olive oil are also ideal to include in a T-hormone boosting salad. Broccoli or simmered cauliflower are also great additions to a salad due to the high level of indoles, DIM. A simple dressing composed of olive oil and apple cider vinegar is perfect to finish the salad.
Include Omega-3 Fish Oil on Your Must Have List
Several types of research conducted on fish oil have concluded that it lowers SHBG levels and boosts the production of Luteinizing hormone. This hormone is the one which triggers the production of testosterone in the testes. As such, including Omega-3 fish oil in our diet is another way to increase testosterone naturally.
Follow HIIT Religiously
Weightlifting can only go so far in helping your testosterone levels up. However, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can help quite a lot. Increase testosterone naturally by doing short yet intense bursts of exercise combined with shorter recovery periods.
Throughout the workout, it’s recommended that you repeat the intense/ less intense bouts several times, until muscle failure or fatigue. HIIT training has been proven to improve muscle strength, boost body fat burning and metabolism, and increase testosterone levels to optimal standards.
Don’t Overdo It
Hitting the gym whether for HIIT training or weightlifting is ideal for increase testosterone naturally. Nonetheless, overdoing it and exhausting yourself can have the reverse effect. Too much training and not leaving your body sufficient time to recover unnecessarily stresses the muscle tissue. Moreover, it can disrupt sleep patterns, which are also important for a balanced production of the T-hormone.
Don’t Skip Sleep Hours
In addition to a faulty diet, disrupted sleep patterns add to the dropping testosterone levels affecting most of the male population of the U.S. The majority of the testosterone produced in our bodies is produced while our body is at rest.
For men, a sign that sleep does contribute to higher levels of the T-hormone is what is dubbed ‘morning wood’. If this is a rare occurrence, it may be a clue to low levels of testosterone. Getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night also contributes to balancing cortisol levels. Cortisol is associated with stress among other things. When cortisol levels are too high, testosterone levels significantly drop.
Try Multijoint Exercises
The way you train can be as important as foods that increase testosterone naturally. Take a hue from some bodybuilding experts on how to increase testosterone levels naturally. It seems that HIIT is a great way to stimulate the increase of testosterone naturally. However, squats, bench presses or deadlifts included in a standard routine don’t only build muscle mass, but also help jack up the T-hormone levels. Free weights are better than stable ones. Stick to multi-joint exercises and HIIT training if you’re looking for a workout routine that nicely packs all of the benefits.
Keep Stress in Check
Daily stress stimulates the production of cortisol, also dubbed the stress hormone by some. The hormone is a barrier for the healthy and balanced production of testosterone. Chronic stress obviously leads to significantly higher levels of cortisol.
Due to this fact, testosterone levels are dropping in men across the U.S. Chronic stress has become the most prevalent ‘disease’ of the modern world. As such, don’t let stress consume you. Find ways to relief stress on a day to day basis. Naturally increasing testosterone depends as much on this as on diet or following a workout routine.
Kick Sugar out of Your Diet
A high sugar consumption leads to high insulin levels in the blood. Insulin deters a balanced testosterone production, eventually causing the levels of T-hormone to drop. Sugar in moderate amounts, especially if it comes in the form of fructose and glucose is alright. It too promotes the release of dopamine and opioid hormones in the brain. However, the key word here is moderation. If you can’t drop sugar altogether, at least reduce the amount you eat every day. Even if it’s taken from fruits or vegetables.
Know Your Medications
While it’s never a good idea to drop your medication, it may be a great idea to check the labels of your medications. Some drugs contain active ingredients which lower testosterone levels despite your best efforts to keep them high.
To reverse the trend and increase testosterone naturally, talk to your physician or the doctor who prescribed the drugs. The most common drugs include opioid drugs, anabolic steroids, and glucocorticoid drugs.
Don’t Gorge on Supplements
We all have our spam folders filled with testosterone boosting supplements commercials and ads. While some of them can’t do any harm, others are downright dangerous for your overall health. There are no silver bullets when it comes to fast-tracking testosterone production. Thus, if you are looking for natural ways to increase testosterone levels, supplements aren’t the right choice.
Give Dark Chocolate a Try
Dark chocolate wouldn’t be the first thing to think of as far as ways to increase testosterone naturally are concerned. Nevertheless, the high antioxidants content of good quality dark chocolate help to increase testosterone naturally and bring a host of vitamins and minerals into your diet.
Keeping your testosterone levels optimal is critical for your overall health. Thankfully, there are ways to increase testosterone naturally. In fact, there are no shortcuts to higher levels of testosterone. A balanced diet, a good workout routine, sleep and less stress could summarize the search for ways to increase testosterone naturally.
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