The biological differences between men and women all pretty much have one thing in common: testosterone.
You may not have thought much about testosterone since your voice broke, but you should. Why you ask?
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you always feel physically tired?
- Do you always feel mentally tired?
- Do you suffer from erectile dysfunction?
- Have you put on weight that won’t go away?
- Do you lack drive?
- Do you feel depressed and unhappy?
- Do you feel like your sex drive has been ebbing away?
Testosterone isn’t going to cure all life’s ills. However it can help address the above ailments and contribute to your overall health.
What is Testosterone?
Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone. Most of your testosterone is produced in your testes. Women have testosterone too, but men have 40-60 times greater in their bodies. Testosterone is the reason why men have bigger muscles and organs than women. It is also the reason why men can grow beards.
The Benefits of Testosterone
Testosterone has been scientifically proven to do the following:
- Increase muscle mass and strength
- Improve your mental strength and physical energy
- Increase your metabolism
- Increase your sex drive
- Increase your erectile function
Every man has different levels of testosterone. As a man ages his level of testosterone will fall. Using steroids to increase testosterone can have negative health effects.
What Causes Our Testosterone to Decrease?
- Stress – Stress increases our level of cortisol hormone and decreases our testosterone.
- Low fat diets – Low fat diets have been proven to decrease your testosterone.
- Lack of sleep – Testosterone increases when you sleep. If you have less than 7-8 hours sleep a night, then you’re sapping your testosterone.
- Smoking – Nicotine and cotinine in cigarettes reduces testosterone production.
How To Increase Your Testosterone
To gradually increase your testosterone, try doing at least three things from the following list.
- Get at least 7-8 hours sleep a night.
- If you smoke, quit smoking. Try the Quit Smoking Today Program
- Do resistance training. Lift weights and do compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bench press and rows. Multi-joint exercises increase your testosterone more than single joint exercises such as bicep curls. If you’re looking to boost your testosterone, I highly recommend Mike Geary’s Truth About Six Pack Abs Program.
- Include fat in your diet. As your intake of fat goes up, so does your testosterone. Obtain healthy fats from nuts, fish, olives, seeds etc. If you’re looking for a diet that will increase your testosterone, I highly recommend Dave Ruel’s Anabolic Cookbook.
- Eat protein. Vegetarian diets have been proven to lower your testosterone levels.
- Eat vegetables. Include vegetables in your diet. Vegtetables such as broccoli, cabbage and brussel sprouts contain Diindolylmethane which helps balance your estrogen and testosterone levels.
- Have sex. Having an erection increases your testosterone. So if you have a partner, give her one.