Tips To Improve Energy and Strength for Men

One of the most common complaints I hear from men is “how can I improve my strength, energy and improve testosterone naturally?” Many factors influence energy and strength is proper testosterone production; Poor diet and lifestyle components can wreak havoc on Testosterone levels, leaving you feeling tired, weak, down and generally not yourself.

Testosterone is the most important and dominant sex hormone in men. It is responsible for sperm production, libido, development of male sex characteristics, and is essential for overall optimal health. Symptoms of low testosterone include: low libido, foggy brain, poor concentration, decreased memory, muscle loss, decreased strength, weight gain, low energy, and poor overall health.

Here are a few ways to help improve testosterone naturally:

1. Maintain an optimal weight: Cut out refined carbohydrates and processed foods, such as chips, soda and breads, cereals, bagels, waffles, non-organic dairy(milk, cheese, yogurt) and anything containing white flour and sugar. Replace these items with nutrient dense, whole foods such as free range & organic eggs, organic veggies and fruits, nuts/seeds, legumes, healthy oils and responsibly raised animal proteins.
2. Strength Training; Strength training is known to boost testosterone levels, provided you are choosing appropriate weight and reps. To increase strength and testosterone, you will want to increase the weight and lower your number of reps. Focus on exercises that work a large number of muscles, such as dead lifts or squats
3. Optimize Zinc: Zinc is a mineral that is important for testosterone production. Your diet is the best source of zinc; along with protein-rich foods like meats and fish, other good dietary sources of zinc include raw milk, raw cheese, beans, and yogurt or kefir made from raw milk.
4. Optimize Vitamin D: The majority of people need to supplement with a professional quality Vitamin D3 at around 2000-5000IU per day due to using sunscreen and decreased sun exposure. Vitamin D is essential for almost every function in the body. Research reveals men with higher vitamin D levels also have higher testosterone levels. Vitamin D is found in mushrooms, organic dairy products, salmon, & eggs.
5. Cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale and cabbage. Cruciferous vegetables have been shown to help men rid their bodies of excess estrogen. This is critical as estrogen dominance will contribute to lower testosterone levels.
6. Garlic. Studies have shown that garlic increases testosterone levels. Garlic is also great to enhance the immune system.
7. Vitamin A in foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, eggs, squash, and cantaloupe help improve testosterone.
8. Avoid heavy metal, pesticides and other environmental toxins known as POPS(Persistent organic pollutants). Per Wikipedia, POPS are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic ^[1] Because of their persistence, POPs bioaccumulate with potential significant impacts on human health and the environment. Avoid BPA from plastics and can, heavy metals like lead, aluminum and mercury, non-organic hair and skin products, contaminated laundry soaps and cleaning products and smoking.
9. 10-28 day detox: It is nearly impossible to avoid toxins. Completing a structures 10-28 days detox will help your body remove toxins trapped in the lipid membranes of you cells and allow them to be shuttles out by your liver. I recommend the Clear Change Detox from Metagenics.
10. Testralin: This supplement has been proven by research to help support healthy testosterone production. It is meant to support, not replace a healthy diet, exercise and stress management.
11. Stress Management: Stress impact can be detrimental to hormone cascades. Finding ways to decompress from the hectic nature of life(work, kids, family) will improve adequate hormone production. Exercise, yoga, deep breathing, meditation or other activities that you enjoy will help lessen the impact of stress on your body. Places like Yoga Yoga, Black Swan or even Pure Austin can help you find ways to decompress and feel energized.
12. Adequate Sleep: Getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night will allow your body to detoxify, regenerate and reset in order to cope with the upcoming day. View this blog on sleep for more information to help improve sleep.

To sum it up, by eating a nutrient dense, colorful diet full of whole foods, exercising, getting adequate sleep and finding ways to manage your stress will all help you improve your testosterone and in turn improve energy and strength. If you have questions about diet, detoxing, stress management, sleep or just want to have your testosterone checked, call 512-443-9355 to set up you appointment. We look forward to customizing a plan for you to improve testosterone.