How to increase testosterone levels in men is the question circulating in your head, then you are at the right place.
You have heard about testosterone a million times, but most of the people are not acquainted with the many benefits of testosterone. It is very important that the testosterone is kept to an optimal level. But, how do you do that?
Pharmaceutical companies want you to believe that you need what they are selling. Like testosterone. There are various types of testosterone replacement therapy, but no matter how safe they claim it to be, it cannot be as safe and as effective as natural hormones.
In this article, we discuss various methods to increase testosterone naturally.
Lift Heavy Weights
Lifting heavy weight increases your free testosterone naturally. However, not all exercises are going to help you. You must focus on exercises that make use of multiple muscles like compound exercises. Do squats, deadlifts and bench presses regularly for maximum effect.
Workout Moderately
Working for more than 45 minutes or an hour is more than enough. In fact, just lifting weights for 30 minutes will increase your free testosterone. However, if you are working out for more than one hour or doing some kind of cardio that lasts for hours then stop it. Switch to lifting heavy weights for a minimum of 30 minutes and not more than one hour.
Lose Weight If You Are Obese
Having extra pounds has several side effects. One of them is low testosterone levels. Lose that extra pound by dieting. You might beleive that to lose weight one must do cardio or endurance sports. Unfortunaely, just focusing on your diet will do more good than running outdoors.
Eat Whole Foods
Avoid fast foods at all costs. They taste good but are detrimental to your health. They increase your weight and and make you obese in the long run. Opt for fresh whole foods prepared at home. They are more nutritious and good for health. You will also notice that when you eat whole foods and avoid fast foods you will automatically start to lose weight.
Increase Your Consumption of Natural Fats
The fear of fat is baseless. Fat is the best source of energy compared to carbohydrates. Switch to a diet that focuses on fat and protein and keeps the carbohydrate to a minimum like the keto diet.
note: Just by eating fats for a week and keeping your carbs low you will notice huge difference in your energy and libido level.
Avoid Alcohol
Drinking alcohol is bad for your testosterone level. When you consume alcohol your testosterone levels drop anywhere from 20% to 50%. Worst is when you drink beer. Beer is a powerhouse of estrogen. Therefore, when you drink beer you are consuming loads of estrogen. Hence, stop alcohol altogether.
If you are interested to know about a testosterone supplement that also blocks estrogen production then click here.
Quit Smoking
There is nothing much to say. The whole world knows the negative effects of smoking. If you smoke, even occasionally, its time to ditch the habit.
Drink Copious Amount of Water
Our body is 60% water. Therefore, it is essential to supply our body with clean water most of the time. Usually, when you think you are hungry it’s just thirst. Moreover, when you start drinking plenty of water your body will flush out toxins from your system easily.
Eat Vegetables
This might sound counter-intuitive. See most people are advised to eat meat to increase testosterone level. However, the same is true of vegetables. They are essential to our diet. Eat plenty of vegetable serving during each meal. If you can’t make yourself to eat vegetables then juice it and drink it.
Eat Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables increase your testosterone level greatly. Eat them daily. Some examples of cruciferous vegetables are Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Spinach, Bok Choy, Brussel Sprouts etc.
Eat Garlic
In a study, rats were fed with garlic. Their testosterone levels increased significantly. This is because garlic induce Luteinizing Hormone (LH hormone) which increases the production of natural testosterone in our body.
Eat High Saturated Fats
Saturated fats are good for your body. Olive oil, palm oil and nuts are high in saturated fats. Include them in your diet and see your testosterone levels increase greatly.
Include Dairy Products in Your Diet
Dairy products are great for protein. Include them in your diet. However, try to get pasture raised organic dairy products. Opt for milk high in fat. The same goes for Yoghurt.
Cut Sugar intake
Sugar is bad for your health period. Sugar is responsible for high blood pressure, diabetes and increased weight gain among several other side effects. All these factors result in lower testosterone levels. Therefore, quit consuming sugar altogether. Also remember that alcohol is 90% sugar.
Fast Intermittently
Intermittent fasting has shown to increase testosterone levels as high as 180% in just 24 hours. Yo don’t have to know the specifics of Intermittent fasting to practice it. Just ensure you have an interval of 16 hours before eating every 24 hours. The best way to do this is just skip breakfast.
Get Out in the Sun
Vitamin D is vital for testosterone production. Therefore, it is necessary to get out in the sun. If you can’t get out in the sun then take at least 5000 IUs of Vitamin D supplement. But remember that your body can produce Vitamin D only if it has cholesterol. Therefore, you should also consume an ample amount of cholesterol.
Supplement with Zinc:
Every testosterone boosting supplement out there consists of zinc. This is due to the fact that zinc plays a vital role in testosterone production. And almost 90% of men are deficient in zinc. Supplement with zinc daily. If possible take magnesium along with zinc to increase its absorption.
Sleep 8 Hours A Day
Sleep is overlooked in today’s modern world. There are several benefits of having deep sleep. Sleep repairs your body and regulates all hormone including testosterone. Sleep in a cool dark place. The optimum temperature is around 70 F degree. Do not watch TV, computer or mobile for 3 hours before going to sleep.
Cut Down on Stress
I should have written eliminate stress. But that won’t be practical. There is no way you can avoid stress altogether. However, you can take measures to cut down on stress. If you are stressed for longer periods of time just relax and do deep breathing or take a long walk. If yoga is your thing then its a great way of cutting down on stress.
Lower Your Blood Pressure
If your blood pressure is high then its taking a toll on your testosterone production. Opt for natural ways of reducing blood pressure. One effective method is to opt for low or zero carbohydrate diet. A common reason for high blood pressure is overeating. Therefore if you over-eat then break down your meals in six small meals.
Have Sex Often
Sex increases your testosterone level naturally. When you have sex you are telling your body to increase more testosterone. And more testosterone means more sex. This is a never-ending cycle. Hence, have sex at least twice or thrice a week.
Have a life
If you are someone who focuses most of his time for work then its time to live your life. You see we men were made to wander the woods and live outside. Got out with your friends. Do something that you love doing and have a nice laugh. Remember sooner or later you will be dead.
Take Natural Testosterone Boosting Supplements
Natural testosterone boosting supplements helps the body in producing testosterone. This is not your your synthetic type of testosterone. it is 100% all natural and does not carry any side effects. For a list of best natural testosterone supplements click here.
Conclusion: How to increase testosterone naturally?
While trying the things in above list will surely help to increase your testosterone naturally but the amount of increase may depend on many other factors. Like, what is your overall diet, how much physical activity(apart from workout) you do in a day, your genetics, your age, etc.
If your age is past 50, then only doing these things might not naturally increase your testosterone to an optimal level. In that case, you should opt. for a testosterone replacement therapy. But, keep it as a last resort.
Things you shouldn’t do if you want to increase your testosterone
1) Don’t take very long walks.
2) Avoid too much masturbation.
3) Don’t watch negative serials or that builds up stress.
4) Don’t sleep at irregular times.
5) Don’t eat too much sugar.
6) Don’t go on low fat diet.
7) Stop smoking.
8) Don’t take too many steam baths.
9) Avoid work straight after workout.
Sources:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8493042.stm
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