As we all know, testosterone levels start to decrease when a man reaches his early 30s and from then on, depending on his level of fitness and general health, it will sadly continue to decrease as he ages.
Testosterone is often thought of as the “fountain of youth” hormone, produced by your pituitary gland. Naturally declining testosterone levels don’t cause signs and symptoms of ageing per se, according to the Mayo Clinic.
However, they can cause changes in sexual function, including reduced sexual desire, fewer spontaneous erections and infertility. I would guess at this stage of your life the latter is not going to bother you too much, but I presume that the first two definitely could.
Decreased testosterone levels have also been known to cause disturbance to your sleep patterns, emotional changes such as low self-confidence or lack of motivation and rather alarming physical changes. These could include increased body fat, reduced muscle bulk and strength, and decreased bone density.
I hope that by now I have your attention, because if you or your hubby suffer from any of the above – then you definitely want to read on.
Testosterone levels can be measured by a simple blood test, in the saliva or via the brain hormones that drives your testosterone production
Testosterone levels for a person of 40-59 years – the normal range is 350-890ng/dl and for someone 60+ it would be around 350-720ng/dl.
Before you reach for a pill of some sort to crank up you or your husband’s testosterone, let me give you a few pointers as to how you could naturally increase testosterone production with some simple, yet powerful lifestyle changes. The first one would be staying away from sugar, which is the number one testosterone killer.
1. If you are carrying some excess weight, shedding these unwanted pounds could be the answer to you increasing your testosterone levels. Check out all the ingredients, if you are eating processed foods, and cut out all the sugary foods (everything that comes in a box or tin usually contains large amounts of sugars) and sodas. Eliminate grains and milk products initially, as both turn into sugar when metabolised by the body, driving your insulin levels up and your testosterone down into the toilet. There are many good nutritional programs, but I like this guy’s – this man is walking the talk and he has fantastic information available for free on his website.
2. Eat healthy Fats
Top of the list for me is coconut oil – good for the brain but also for getting/keeping weight off, followed by olive oil, organic milk (not in the initial stages maybe), raw nuts such as almonds or pecans, organic eggs, avocado, grass fed meats and salmon (the latter not farmed).
3. Get off your butt
Start exercising like Peak Fitness Intensity training – easy and fast – here is what you do:
4. Strength Training
In addition to Peak Fitness Intensity training, add some strength training, preferably with someone who knows how to do it properly, because a torn or pulled muscle in your groin will certainly put an end to any sexual action for the foreseeable future, even if you have by now cranked up your testosterone levels and that would simply be such a shame.
5. Keep your vitamin D levels up
Vitamin D is actually a steroid hormone and helps maintain semen quality and sperm count and increases levels of testosterone. Nowadays many people suffer from a Vitamin D deficiency, as they don’t spend enough time in the sun – so get out there and get some sun on you. Expose as much as you can of your body to the sun (depending on your skin type 10 – 20 mins per day). Or as a last resort, start taking Vitamin D3 supplements (which I don’t like as they are created in the lab and not easily bio available to us).
6. The mineral zinc is very important for your testosterone production. It is thought that 45 per cent over the over 60s have lower than the recommended daily zinc intake, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Good natural sources for zinc are protein rich foods such as grass fed meats, fish, raw milk, raw cheese, kefir etc. My husband takes zinc/copper (15mg/1mg) twice daily. Also don’t overcook your food, as this can drastically reduce the level of this particularly important nutrient – zinc.
7. Keep the dreaded stress at bay
The stress hormone cortisol is continually released when you are under stress. This becomes the alpha hormone and blocks the effects of testosterone. How about learning a simple breathing technique to stop this crushing feeling of stress:
Repeat several times when you feel stressed and your body will immediately react to the extra oxygen given to it and move you and your cells into a calmer space – magic and easy.
Of course there are other herbs such as Tribulus Terrestris, the amino acid Arginine and the Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) from whey protein that can help you get back on track, so you will start to occasionally wake up with a boner again (remember them old days?), like in your younger years and wanting more hanky panky than usual. Remember it is as they say – use it or loose it.
Happy and healthy days ahead.
Do you or your man have reduced testosterone? How has it affected your life? What do you do to maintain it? Tell us your story below.