Men: 3 Steps to Boost Testosterone Naturally
Dr. Nooshin K. Darvish
Quick Article Summary
Declining testosterone affects mood, bone density, cardiovascular health, and sexual function in men of all ages. This article walks through three key lifestyle interventions — diet, intermittent high-intensity exercise, and stress management — that can help raise levels naturally, and when bioidentical hormone therapy may be warranted.
At about age 35, testosterone in men begins to drop, a natural process known as andropause. For a deeper look at why low T occurs and its health risks, read Men, Young or Old, Do You Need a T Boost?. Low T can lead to unhappiness which can precipitate a job loss or divorce. Besides andropause, other causes of low T include stress, unhealthy diet, lack of sleep, and anger and resentment. So let’s see how you can boost testosterone naturally to optimize joy in your life.
Why Testosterone Matters for Men’s Health
Testosterone plays an important role in helping you maintain and build relationships, make decisions, and move forward in life. Testosterone keeps your sense of wellness, your mood, your bones, your muscles, your brain, your heart and of course, your libido and sexual function optimum. Without testosterone, you may be feeling impulsive, short-tempered, frustrated, depressed, and tired. You may have trouble making decisions or holding onto your marriage. Sleep may also become a problem as may frustration at the gym. And your risk for prostate cancer, heart disease, and chronic health issues goes up the lower your T gets. So your T becomes your best friend in assisting you achieve and maintain your physical, mental, and emotional wellness and reduce your risk for future health problems.
3 Natural Lifestyle Steps to Boost Testosterone
There are 3 simple lifestyle steps you can follow to get your T up.
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Food: Lose the junk food, alcohol and smoking and eat a healthy plant-based diet with lots of healthy fats. Avocado, raw nuts and seeds, chia seeds, almonds, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, wild cold-water fish help provide the building blocks your body requires to make testosterone from cholesterol. Chat with our nutritionist to get an individualized food plan.
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Intermittent Exercise: 30-60 seconds of sprinting followed by 60-90 seconds of slow down or rest. Repeating this cycle 5–7 times per session, only 2–3 times per week, has been shown to increase testosterone levels. Intermittent fasting can further complement intermittent exercise for hormonal optimization. Try sprinting, running, cycling, jump-roping, weight lifting, or push-ups as fast as you can for 30–60 seconds, then take a break and repeat. Watch your body and energy transform.
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Stress Management and Sleep: Since stress steals your testosterone, meditation, prayer, reflection, qi gong, tai chi, and yoga and other calming practices become vital in keeping your T at optimum levels. And of course, sleep is part of the stress management. Getting 8 hours of sleep per night helps reduce your stress and improve your testosterone levels.
Anger and resentment further decrease your testosterone levels. Techniques such as EFT (emotional freedom technique), emotional release, Ondamed therapy, acupuncture, meditation, and reflection provide useful tools in helping you release your anger and resentment. We house our anger in our liver so tapping on the liver (right upper abdomen) as you meditate can be helpful.
And of course, in addition to the above, some men do require testosterone bio-identical hormone therapy with the goal of achieving hormonal balance. Please visit with our physicians to discuss testosterone supplementation support and Testosterone Hormone Therapy.
About the Author
Naturopathic physician with 30+ years in regenerative and integrative medicine at Holistique Medical Center in Bellevue, WA.
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