This article is a list of simple and easy habits that you can utilize to help increase your testosterone levels. Apart from helping to build muscles, testosterone keeps us healthy.
It helps us burn more fat, have more focus and more energy, get better sleep, control our stress, makes us fertile, and much, much more.
If you haven’t already seen studies about the lowered levels of testosterone in the 21st century, let me just put out a few facts:
1) Testosterone levels of men are 25% lower than they were in the 1980s. Your dad had more testosterone that you did.
2) People are fatter, which means that they have less testosterone as well.
3) Cell phones are killing your testosterone, and we didn’t have to deal with those until a few years ago either.
4) Our foods are less nutritious, which means we aren’t producing as much testosterone. (So consider getting nutrition supplementation.)
5) It’s harder to get a job, people make less real income, and we typically work longer hours. All of this leads to more stress, and lowered testosterone production.
That’s the reality of it. Fortunately, I’m going to give you habits that you can very easily adapt (without having to do anything more than a quick trip to the grocery store or spend a few minutes off your ass and on your feet, working out instead. Now “man up” and get to it.
Take an ice bath or a cold shower.
Also known as the “James Bond shower”, studies have proven that taking cold showers (even if it’s just 5 or 10 minutes) leads to increased blood flow, faster metabolism, a boosted immune system, and more. Do a quick google search to see for yourself.
Eat 6 Brazil nuts every day
3 in the morning, and 3 in the evening. Brazil nuts have a huge amount of selenium, which has been linked to higher testosterone production. Honestly, I wish I had an affiliate link for Brazil nuts from the grocery store. I’d sell the s*** out of it.
Stop carrying your cell phone in your pocket
That radioactive box is killing your sperm.
Incorporate slow breathing into your yoga routine
The inherent movements of yoga lead to lowered stress levels. In almost every study that I’ve seen, even if other results have been inconclusive, the group in the study that participated in yoga classes multiple times per week reported lowered stress levels and more overall satisfaction with their lives.
When you’re stressed, your body produces cortisol, which inhibits testosterone production. Basically – you’re standing on a seesaw when it comes to cortisol production and testosterone production. Choose more on one, or more of the other.
Do exercises that focus on strengthening your core.
In a study done conducted in 1974 at the Benares Hindu University, a dozen men with an average age of 23 underwent six months of vigorous yoga training. The poses they started with were cobra, seated twist, wheel, and full lotus, and progressed to locust, bow, shoulder stand, and plow.
The end result was an average testosterone production increase of 57%. (The Science of Yoga, pg. 168.) Almost all of the above exercises are part of my Yoga Basics for Men program, with the exception of wheel and shoulder stand, which have proven to be dangerous for the cervical spine.
Meditation
Less stress means less cortisol, and as we discussed before, this means more testosterone production. If the thought of meditation bores or frustrates you, try sitting in a chair and focusing on deeply breathing in and out of your nose. Relax your shoulders. Think about what you want to accomplish. Be grateful for what you have accomplished, and for the people and other things in your life. Avoid worrying about laundry or bills. Boom. You just meditated.
Limit your sugar consumption
Some sugar is necessary to survive (like sugars found in vegetables), but you don’t need artificial or added sugars to live. Studies have shown that high levels of insulin lead to low testosterone, and insulin secretion is caused by glucose intake.
Get around 8 hours (or more, depending on your level of physical activity) of high quality sleep every night
Getting an adequate amount of sleep is the best thing that you can do for your health, even more important than dieting or exercise. But it’s also important to get higher quality sleep. Click here to read about how you can improve the quality of your sleep. (It’s easier than you think!) More sleep means less stress, fewer cravings (the ones that result from a night of poor sleep), and more recovery time for your body (not to mention countless other benefits), and these are all things that help improve testosterone.
Eat animal products
We’re higher up on the food chain. It’s natural. Vegetarianism and veganism deprive you of the nutrients that you normally receive from meat which help with testosterone production. If you’re a vegan and you have high testosterone, I’m sure that you’re doing a TON of extra work to make sure you get it.
Minimize your alcohol intake
I know that drinking is normally seen as manly by most societies, but the truth is that alcohol is minimizing your testosterone production. It lowers your sleep quality, dehydrates you, and, as a diuretic, robs you of vitamins and minerals (by pissing them out).
What will be the result? Better sex, bigger muscles, less fat, more energy, better focus, and even a more attractive you. Get to it!