Hormones are a pretty important aspect of our overall health and physiology. One of the most important hormones for men is testosterone.
This hormone is the main male sex hormone, although it is also found in small quantities in women. The primary function of testosterone is the development of male sexual characteristics. Testosterone is an androgen, and in men, it is produced by the testicles.
Throughout puberty, young males will see a change in their voice, muscle development, and hair growth all due to testosterone. However, even after adulthood, keeping proper testosterone levels is extremely important in order to maintain a healthy body and mind.
Testosterone is responsible for proper sex drive, bones mass, red blood cell production, fat distribution, and muscle size and strength.
Testosterone Boosting Health Hacks
If you are looking to increase your muscle size and strength quickly, you can do so by increasing the amount of testosterone in your body and see results in as short as one week.
Lack of testosterone can lead to major issues. You can develop fatigue, depression, and heightened levels of anger if your testosterone is too low. Severe changes in mood can also be in direct correlation to testosterone levels.
Increase in abdominal fat mass can also be a result of low testosterone. All of these problems can lead to even worse chronic conditions. Because of this, it is very important to maintain the correct level of testosterone in your body for both men and women. There are many body functions that rely on your testosterone levels.
Here are some proven ways to increase your testosterone and keep it well within the necessary levels for optimal health.
Exercise
This should come as no surprise to most of you. Regular exercise and weight lifting is by far one of the most effective ways to not only increase your testosterone levels but also to deter many lifestyle-related diseases and complications.
Studies show that resistance training is the best type of exercise to increase your testosterone, although any type of a workout will produce results to a certain degree. Men who are obese can benefit even more from exercise.
Research shows that those who are overweight or obese produce much higher levels of testosterone when working out than men who are already fit and at their optimal muscle to fat ration.
Supplements which promote alertness and muscle growth can also help increase your testosterone levels when used in combination with a workout routine. Caffeine and creatine are the two most used supplements when looking to boost testosterone production.
Keep in mind that you have to go to the gym for these supplements to take effect. Taking caffeine and creatine supplements and then watching some TV on a couch isn’t going to produce results.
Diet
Your hormone levels are greatly impacted by what you eat. The same goes for testosterone.
Overeating or constant fasting can kill your testosterone production. You need to consume protein, fat, and carbohydrates to give your body the ability to produce testosterone. These are vital fuels for testosterone production.
Obviously, this doesn’t mean you should go nuts and eat the greasiest and most protein-filled foods out there. You still need to maintain a healthy balance between protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
Try to focus on whole foods and stay away from processed foods at all times. There is such a thing as healthy fats, so pay attention to those as well. Try to bake more often versus frying, as this will reduce the amount of fat you intake from frying which usually isn’t good for you.
Overall, balance is the key. You need to eat just the right amount of calories to function properly but at the same time not go overboard with the quantity of food you eat, all while maintaining the quality of the food you eat.
Reduce Stress
Stress is a big deal. It affects every person differently, but generally in a negative way. We know that increased levels of stress or repeating stressful situations also increase the production of a hormone called cortisol, which is often called the stress-hormone.
Cortisol is also a steroid hormone and is directly related to testosterone. When cortisol levels go up, testosterone levels drop.
While healthy levels of cortisol can help regulate blood sugar levels and maintain proper metabolism if your levels are out of whack then you might see major issues with metabolic function and blood sugar levels.
Furthermore, high levels of cortisol can also cause your body to store unnecessary fat around your organs and increase weight gain. They can also cause you to eat more, further exacerbating the problem.
You need to do everything you can to eliminate any situations that cause you stress. If you find yourself stressed often, it might be a good idea to begin practicing meditation or yoga. Both will help you alleviate stress. Surround yourself with positivity and laughter. Create a great environment and stay away from negativity.
Vitamin D
There are many benefits to vitamin D. Countless amounts of research shows that our bodies need vitamin D to functions properly and stay healthy.
Studies show that vitamin D can also be responsible for increasing your testosterone levels. However, even after all of this knowledge, it has been determined that nearly 50% of the US population is lacking in vitamin D.
You can easily boost your testosterone by about 25% if you start taking around 3,000 UI of vitamin D3 per day over a period of 12 months. Alternatively, you can go out more often and get a healthy dose of sunshine every day.
Vitamins And Minerals
Your body retains most of its vitamins and minerals from the food you digest. However, some minerals and vitamins are hard to come by and require a specific diet to increase. This is why we suggest taking specific vitamins targeted towards testosterone production.
Increased intake of vitamins A, B, C, and E and the mineral zinc can do wonder for your sex hormone and testosterone levels.
You can choose to take multivitamins which include the ones we listed and the mineral zinc or only focus on each vitamin and mineral individually. You will get the best results from vitamin D and zinc.
Sleep
Your body needs time to recharge and rest. Sleeping is the natural way to reenergize and start each day fresh. Just like exercise and your diet, quality sleep in the right amounts is absolutely vital for your health and can be directly linked to testosterone production.
Research showed that men who slept only 5 hours per night had a decreased production of testosterone by 15% while those who slept 4 hours showed levels that were nearly deficient.
The suggested amount of sleep is between 7 and 10 hours per night. Every additional hour of sleep you get produces on average 15% extra testosterone.
Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean you can sleep for 18 hours and get all the testosterone you could ever want. After 10 hours of sleep, your body becomes stagnant and its functions are reduced, so try not to oversleep.
Natural Substances and Herbs
Although scientific research regarding some of the herbs that claim to increase testosterone levels is somewhat scarce, there are some herbs that are proven to have a positive effect on your testosterone.
One of the tastier and more promising natural boosters of testosterone is ginger. When used as a testosterone booster, we suggest you use a ginger supplement since you would need about 14g daily intake of ginger powder to see an effect on your testosterone levels.
Based on a study that was conducted on infertile men, you can anticipate seeing an increase of testosterone levels by about 17.7% when taking ginger supplements.
Shilajit is another natural method of increasing testosterone levels. This dark tar like substance is found within rocks. It starts as an organic matter which slowly ferments over time inside large rocks and boulders.
Eventually, the heat from the sun causes it to seep out through cracks and small openings in these boulders. It is then collected, processed, and sold for many of its health beneficial properties.
Judging from two recent studies which were done involving taking shilajit in 200mg dosage by infertile men and 250mg by healthy volunteers, the results were 23% increased testosterone levels in the infertile group and 20% increased testosterone in healthy volunteers.
Change Your Lifestyle
Nothing can change your testosterone levels as well as choosing a healthy lifestyle. Sex plays a huge role in your hormone production, especially testosterone. If you maintain a healthy sex life, then you are less likely to have issues with low testosterone or other sex hormone imbalances.
Alcohol and drugs can also severely cripple your testosterone production. Try to do your best to reduce the amount of drugs you take, both recreational and medical, as well as reduce your alcohol intake.
Staying away from estrogen is also a good idea. Check to see if you have any plastic items in your home that may contain high levels of estrogen.
Finally, try to be happy. Success and happiness can greatly increase your testosterone levels. Having a positive outlook on life is irreplaceable and can produce much more than just health benefits.
