Testosterone Is The Key To Male Vitality
Common household items are zapping men’s testosterone prematurely… below are a list of things you need to avoid!
Testosterone is known as the male hormone.
Estrogen is known as the female hormone.
But a lot of people don’t realize is that men and women both create testosterone and estrogen.
As we get older, men develop more estrogen, and women develop more testosterone.
These male and female hormones are like a tipping scale – if your estrogen raises, your testosterone levels will drop. If your testosterone raises, your estrogen levels will drop.
Low testosterone, high estrogen in men results in:
– Lack of sex drive
– Shrinkage of penis size
– Decreased erection
– Man boobs
– Increased body fat
– Decreased muscle mass
– Lack of energy
– Moodiness
– Depression
– Weight gain
– Low self esteem
– Brittle bones
– Thin hair
A magic pill
Most men want a quick fix – so they opt for testosterone pills, patches or gels. But these medications have terrible side-effects.
Studies and clinical trials have linked testosterone replacement drugs to serious health risks including heart problems and cancer.
Testosterone replacement therapy can also upset the balance of hormones in the body. The testicles may shrink (and stop producing T after you stop the medication) , and there is a risk of infertility that is irreversible.
Other side effects included: reaction at application site, enlargement of male breasts, oily skin, changes in hair patterns and growth, acne, prostate disorders, and back pain.
With all these terrible risks, it’s probably best to raise your testosterone naturally.
What is causing your low testosterone?
First, you need to start limiting your exposure to estrogen.
Xenoestrogens are a man-made form of estrogen. ‘Xeno’ is a Greek word that means ‘foreign’ or ‘alien’. Once ingested, this alien chemical mimics estrogen in our bodies. This toxin is responsible for hormone related cancers – notably breast and prostate cancer.
Unfortunately, xenoestrogens are found everywhere. It’s is almost impossible to avoid this toxin completely, but by being aware of the worst offenders, you can dramatically reduce your exposure.
Hot food served in a plastic container – Plastic containers are a cheap and easy way to serve, store and deliver food, but most people don’t know that these plastics are loaded with Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is a xenoestrogen that binds to estrogen, androgen, and thyroid receptors.
The Scientific American reported that hot food served in heated plastic containers absorbs chemicals 55 times faster than room temperature containers. So avoid buying hot food served with plastic, never microwave food with plastic and never pour hot liquid into a plastic container. And NEVER microwave food covered with cling wrap!
Don’t be fooled into using “microwave safe” plastics as it only means that your container won’t warp from the heat. Instead, use glass, ceramics or steel to store/consume foods and liquids.
This rule extends to plastic water bottles. You may think that refilling your bottle is a cost-savvy and environmentally conscious idea, but these bottles are designed for one-use-only, so constant use will expose your water to higher concentrations of BPA over time. This is especially true if you leave the bottle to warm in the sunlight.
Canned food – nearly all cans are lined with bisphenol-A (BPA).
Artificial food additives – According to a study published in the journal, Chemical Research in Toxicology, 31 substances added to food for the purpose of preservation, coloring, texture and flavor are high in xenoestrogens. This is more reason to stay way from highly processed foods.
Dryer sheets – Although dryer sheets make your clothes feel soft and fresh, they are filled with xenoestrogens. These toxins seep into your skin and go directly into your cells.
Hair and skincare products – Most lotions, creams and gels are filled with xenoestrogens. Notably, parabins (methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben). Also 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC).
Sunscreen lotions – The key ingredient that stops you from burning is a xenoestrogen called Benzophenone. Instead, use zinc cream as an alternative for sunscreen.
The trouble with skincare lotions is that they are absorbed through the skin – which bypasses the liver for detoxification. So if you wouldn’t drink these chemicals, you should think twice about rubbing them into your skin!
Food controls your hormones. This means you’ll need to make some diet changes to increase you testosterone levels.
What to avoid
Avoid GMO foods – GMO foods are resilient to insecticides and herbicides… so they are sprayed heavily. These chemicals are xenoestrogens. Where possible, go organic.
Reduce your consumption of chicken – Depending on what country you live, many chicken farms feed their stock with antibiotics and hormones. Although all chicken in the U.S is hormone-free, nearly all chicken farms feed their chickens GMO soy and corn. This makes chicken high in estrogen and xenoestrogens.
This is the same for other livestock that’s grain-fed. Alternatively, switch to grass fed.
Cut out soy – Soy is naturally high in estrogen. Soy is hidden in a lot of unsuspecting products like bread and highly processed foods. Make sure you read the labels at the supermarket before you buy.
The majority of soy is GMO grown – which is another reason to avoid.
No Tofu – Tofu is made from soy.
Quit drinking beer – Sorry guys. Beer is made from hops, which is a very high source of estrogen.
Stop eating licorice – licorice is high in estrogen. If you’re a herbal tea drinker, make sure you read the label before you buy as many herbal teas use licorice as an ingredient.
What to consume more of
Key foods that detoxify estrogen are cruciferous vegetables such as:
– Kale
– Broccoli
– Cauliflower,
– Brussels sprouts
– Bok choy
– Radishes,
Other anti-estrogenic foods:
– Parsley
– Ginger
– Celery
– Mushrooms
– Extra virgin olive oil
– Pickled foods: kimchi, Sauerkraut, pickled onions etc…
Decrease belly fat
Have you ever noticed that obese men have high voices? This is because the more fat you have, the more estrogen your body will make.
Another reason to lose weight is that xenoestrogens are not biodegradable so they are stored in our fat cells.
The importance of a healthy liver
Because modern day living is filled with xenoestrogens, we need a healthy liver to filter out these toxins. Many men suffer from estrogen dominance (low T) because their liver isn’t filtering out xenoestrogens. Man boobs are directly linked to an unhealthy liver.
Fatty liver disease is a result of either heavy drinking, or a high carbohydrate diet (insulin resistance). When you have a fatty liver, weight loss is very difficult. So if you want to lower your estrogen levels and lose weight, you need to heal your liver first.
Luckily, the liver can regenerate itself – but to do this, you need to do a liver detox ==>check out this article on healing a fatty liver.
Reduce stress
Reduce negativity in your life… stress produces a hormone cortisol that burns out your adrenal glands and causes weight gain. Cortisol zaps testosterone levels. This means you need to cut out stress, negative thoughts, negative media, and negative people.
Switch to heavy weights at the gym
Strength training is clinically proven to increase testosterone. Be sure to focus on multi-point movements such as: squats, dead lifts, bench press, pull ups and seated row.
Make sure you’re getting enough sleep
A 2011 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). 10 men volunteered to have their testosterone levels checked during eight nights of sleep restriction. They were only allowed five hours of sleep per night. The study found that their daytime testosterone levels decreased by 10 to 15 percent.
Studies have also shown that sleep disturbance caused by sleep apnea – causes low testosterone.
Eating fat and cholesterol builds testosterone
If you’re still living in 1985 and think that low fat diets are the way to a slim and healthy life, you’re likely low in testosterone.
Your body needs cholesterol. We need it for just about every bodily function. Most of our hormone production is dependent on it. We need cholesterol to produce a chemical in our brains called serotonin (serotonin is a feel-good hormone). Your body needs cholesterol for cell function and repair. And cholesterol is essential for production of testosterone.
Because cholesterol is so essential, if you don’t consume enough of it, your body will produce its own (in the liver) to meet your daily needs.
The lipid hypothesis is the cornerstone of the ‘fat makes you fat’ lie… and although this hypothesis has no scientific proof or conclusive research to back it up, certain industries perpetuate the myth because there is so much profit in it.
Pharmaceutical companies make billions out of cholesterol-lowering drugs, so they ‘educate’ doctors on how ‘harmful’ high cholesterol levels are. When in reality, using total cholesterol as a marker for heart disease is outdated.
Review your medications
Cholesterol lowering medications lower your testosterone. Men who take statins to lower cholesterol are also cutting off the main source of their androgenic hormone production.
Pain killers such as hydrocodone (Vicodin) and oxycodone (Oxycontin) can lower testosterone levels.
Antidepressants: Most antidepressant medications lower testosterone levels.
Ketoconazole: if you’ve ever had athlete’s foot, dermatitis, or dandruff then you’ve used this ingredient. This chemical has been proven to block your body from making testosterone.
Do you suffer from heartburn? A main ingredient for common heartburn medication is Cimetidine. This ingredient also blocks the body from producing testosterone.
Illicit drugs: Anabolic steroids , marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamines, are all associated with low testosterone.
Vitamin D builds testosterone
Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D you can get – just 15 minutes a day is all you need. Alternatively, 3000 IU of Vitamin D supplements a day boosts testosterone by 25%.
Caution
It is not advisable to increase your testosterone if you’ve had prostate cancer. Increasing testosterone may cause a reoccurrence of the cancer.
Results will take time
Increasing your testosterone levels naturally will take time… so please be patient. Try to make small improvements daily and over the next few weeks and months, you’ll have created new habits. And higher testosterone.
If you want to speed the process up, click here for information that’s been proven to boost your testosterone and vitality in 14 days or less.
So maybe give it a try and let me know how it works for you.