TESTOSTERONE

Natural Testosterone Restoration

Although Bio-Identical Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy is an awesome option for a large number of men across the United States, there are a lot of natural ways to boost Testosterone Production. No matter how old you are, the tips in this article will benefit you and help you maximize the benefits of your body's own Testosterone. Whether twenty or sixty, these tips are all guaranteed to improve your hormone health.

Why Consider Natural Methods before Turning to Treatment?

Not everyone qualifies for therapy. Some men are too young. Other men have Normal Testosterone Levels but want to do everything they can to delay Testosterone Deficiency as long as humanly possible. Only men diagnosed with Low-T are approved for Testosterone Replacement Therapy, but any man can take steps in his own life to promote a healthier hormone balance.

Many Doctors Promote Natural Methods before They Turn to Hormone Treatments

The majority of physicians will not prescribe Testosterone without discussing your lifestyle choices and how they impact your hormone balance. There are a lot of healthy things that you can do to boost your natural Testosterone Production, and these methods may delay your need for Testosterone HRT.

Improving Personal Habits in Combination with Therapy Yields Profound Rewards

Even if you decide to utilize Testosterone Patches, Gels, or Injections, these same steps that improve Testosterone Release still positively impact your health and amplify the effects of your hormone treatment. Remember that, although Hormone Replacement Therapy can impact your life in a positive way even if you don't change any aspect of your lifestyle, the only way you can really maximize your health and wellness outcome is to become an active and conscientious participant in your own life.

That's why we call ourselves the Conscious Evolution Institute. We recognize that it is a combination of individual effort and high-quality medical supplementation that provides the life-changing outcomes that our patients desire.

In this article, we will discuss a few things that you can do to encourage your body to produce more of its own Testosterone.

Get the Sleep that Your Body Needs

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of a healthy life, even though we only partially understand it. Sleep is a period of rest and rehabilitation that repairs the body after a long day of wear and tear. If you don't get the sleep that your body so desperately requires, your hormone balance will suffer significantly as a result.

Two hormones that poor sleeping habits affect profoundly are Testosterone and Human Growth Hormone. When you don't get a full night's sleep, your body doesn't rehabilitate properly, and resources start to get reallocated as a result. Testosterone Production is one of the first processes which get diverted.

In one study, participants were forced to wake up after only four hours of sleep. Even after a single night of abridged sleep, Testosterone production dropped significantly. As a direct result of this relatively minor sleep deprivation, participants produced an average of twenty percent less Testosterone. Research also shows that Sleep Apnea can contribute to severe Testosterone Deficiency over time. It appears that Testosterone Secretion is linked not only to the length of sleep, but the quality as well.

What Can I do to Sleep Better?

Choose to make restful sleep one of the central goals of your life. Take a weekend to figure out exactly how much sleep that your body needs for you to fully recuperate. This ranges from person to person, and changes dependent upon age. Some men need nine hours of sleep per night, whereas others wake up refreshed after only seven hours of sleep.

Just figure out what your body needs, and make every effort to fulfill that need. Take the time to truly appreciate the importance of good sleep and the effect that it has upon your health. Sleep is equally as important as diet and exercise in regard to living a happy, healthy, and productive life.

If you are having trouble establishing a healthy sleeping pattern, think about turning to a therapeutic dose of melatonin about 45 minutes before bed. Also, limit your nighttime caffeine consumption. It takes eight hours for caffeine to fully leave your system, so try to avoid drinking any caffeine in the evening hours preceding your chosen bedtime.

Another way to encourage sleep is to eliminate sources of distraction from the bedroom. In this modern, wired culture, cell phones, televisions, and laptops make it to where you have the world at your fingertips even beneath a pile of blankets. Leave the toys in the living room. By establishing your bedroom solely as a place of rest, you turn your bedroom into a place of rest and relaxation, rather than a playroom.

If you still have trouble sleeping well, even after making a valid attempt at changing your habits, talk to a physician, because there are a number of options and treatments available that can help you solve the underlying issues which limit your ability to sleep.

Work to Maintain a Healthy Muscle-Fat Ratio

Testosterone Production is significantly affected by the presence of adipose fat. The more of it there is, the harder it will be for your body to produce Testosterone effectively. This is because fat cells produce an enzyme known as aromatase.

Aromatase has the nasty ability to convert Testosterone directly into Estrogen. The types of fat cells that produce the highest levels of aromatase are known as Adipose Fat Cells. The purpose of these cells is primarily to store excess body fat in case times get tough and meals get lean. The problem is that in America, most people's problem is that they eat way too much food, not that they don't eat enough.

Adipose fat is also the type of fat that creates the aesthetically displeasing shape associated with obesity. Adipose Fat develops in the highest concentrations around the core of the body, leading to the pear shape so often associated with obesity. The stomach lumps out, and the hips, butt, and thighs grow larger as well. The more fat stored in these adipose fat cells, the more active that Aromatase will be both in your cells and in your body at large, causing you to lose your ability to produce Testosterone in a natural and healthy way.

A certain level of Estrogen production is necessary to promote optimal health, and that level of production is associated with an optimal body fat percentage. Study after study has shown that Body Fat Percentage is the strongest indicator of Testosterone Production in younger males, dominant until Age-Related Decline eventually has a greater impact late in life.

Testosterone Deficiency can also be stunted by poor eating habits. Testosterone Production is bolstered by a healthy body, and if you starve yourself and don't maintain a healthy bodymass, your Testosterone Production will suffer. Testosterone is generated from fat, it's just that excess, pooled adipose fat counteracts the normal production of Testosterone.

Monounsaturated fats, saturated fats, and Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids all play a role in Testosterone production. Transfats and polyunsaturated fats should be limited as much as possible, because they mostly contribute negatively to overall health.

What can I do to correct Testosterone Deficiency caused unhealthy Body Fat?

Eat smart! If you are obese, talk to a diet specialist, or start taking steps to change the way you eat. Avoid simple sugars and carbohydrates, because they provide little in the way of nutrition, but they contribute to obesity more than any other food that you eat. In regard to meat, try to stick to lean meats such as chicken and fish in order to maintain your intake of protein and healthy fats while minimizing your overall intake of unhealthy forms of fat.

Choose physical activities that promote healthy cardiovascular health. Start jogging three to five times a week. Start slow if you'd like, and build up your tolerance to physical activity over time.

If you are underweight, start eating more and focus on complex carbohydrates and proteins which maximize efficient caloric intake while promoting optimal health. Don't just stuff your face with unhealthy forms of fat, sugar, and bread, but choose foods that contribute to healthy nutrition while not putting a strain on your pancreas or cardiovascular system.

Get Physically Active

One thing a lot of people don't realize is that Testosterone Regulation is controlled by a simple concept: If your brain recognizes that you need Testosterone, it will work harder to meet the demands of the body. Nowhere is this more true than in the case of physical activity. If you live a sedentary lifestyle, then it becomes obvious to your brain that you don't really need Testosterone.

This is kind of true in the short term, but your body has no long term concept of the detrimental effects of Testosterone Deficiency over time. In addition to this, the brain only recognizes that the body doesn't need Testosterone to survive, but you will still suffer because your body won't produce the Testosterone that it needs for you to have the energy to negotiate positive change or simply enjoy life.

A sedentary lifestyle promotes a physiological system designed to stay in place. It's essentially like physics. A body in motion tends to stay in motion. A body at rest tends to stay at rest. In order to convince your brain that you need more Testosterone, you will have to make the first move and GET ACTIVE.

Although muscles don't directly produce Testosterone on their own, the signals sent to the brain and body when you work out encourage the release of greater levels of Testosterone, as well as Human Growth Hormone. Exercise convinces your hypothalamus that your body needs more muscle mass to survive, and it starts sending signals to amplify Testosterone Production.

What Can I do To Increase Testosterone with Exercise?

If you haven't been active in a long time, we suggest taking things slow. Below are some steps that you can take to increase your Testosterone Production:

Spend twenty to thirty minutes per day walking at a healthy and brisk pace. Walking speeds up your heart rate and can shock your muscles back to life. Over time, jog or run rather than just walk, if you are physically capable.

Start to incorporate light weight training into your weekly routine. Just performing exercises with low levels of weight can have a very beneficial effect on your body. We also recommend resistance training utilizing bands or other tools. If you are unfamiliar with weight training, we suggest getting the advice of a trainer in your initial sessions.

If you are reasonably healthy and just want to maximize your Testosterone Production:

Focus on anaerobic exercise and moderate cardio over endurance training. Remember that Testosterone Production is promoted most effectively by anaerobic exercise. Incorporate short, frequent sprints into your runs, for example. Also, put a high emphasis on weight training rather than endurance-based cardio, focusing on high weights with low reps.

Get a Handle on Your Stress

Beyond fat and poor sleeping habits, there is nothing that contributes to Low-T like Stress. The number one hormone associated with stress is Cortisol. We don't intend to completely demonize cortisol, but for millions of people across America, Cortisol production is not managed in a healthy way. Cortisol is not only produced as a result of physical indicators of stress, but by emotional and psychological sources as well.

The primary goal of Cortisol is simple. Cortisol encourages physiological changes meant to help you instantly adapt to short term peaks of stimuli. It gets your body and mind amped up to make snap decisions. This change in physiological priority enhances your ability to do a lot of things, from negotiating a business deal, to dodging a punch in a fight, to thinking on your feet the first time you talk to a girl at a bar.

The problem is that, due to the way we are wired as human beings, we have a tendency to produce too much cortisol. One of the benefits of our large and advanced brains is that we are exceptional at managing and juggling long term goals. The problem with this, is that this management can cause us long term stress; stress that is essentially related to our own environment and self-perception. Cortisol is intended to help us manage short term stress, but if we are not good at compartmentalizing and managing stress, then our bodies will make way too much cortisol.

How Does Cortisol Relate to Testosterone Production?

The anxiety associated with the overproduction of Cortisol is bad enough on its own, but it also has a severely negative impact upon the body's ability to create and distribute Testosterone effectively. This is because Cortisol and Testosterone fight over the same pool of resources in terms of production. Depending upon specific variables in your life, either Testosterone or Cortisol production will be dominant. There are a lot of issues which contribute to Cortisol Dominance, including:

• Obesity Adipose fat cells have the ability to do a lot of things that are detrimental to the body in high doses. We are calibrated to be relatively lean creatures, so when our bodies store too much fat, from an evolutionary perspective it trades long term health for short term survivability. When an individual is overweight, he puts his cortisol production out of balance. The more fat on the body, the more enzymes that are produced which build and activate Cortisol, and this increase in production eats away at the body's ability to make enough Testosterone.

• Anxiety Psychological stress promotes the release of Cortisol into the body as a response. Increased Cortisol Production leads directly to a decrease in Testosterone Production. This creates a negative feedback loop for Testosterone, because Testosterone does have the capacity to regulate stress, but Cortisol eats away at Testosterone Secretion, inducing greater levels of stress and encouraging even greater Cortisol Secretion.

• Pain- Cortisol is one of the main hormones in charge of pain management. In terms of short-term sources of pain, this is a great thing. In combination with adrenaline, it lets you get out of a jam, or get yourself to safety without realizing how much you are really hurting. The problem is that chronic pain causes Cortisol levels to skyrocket.

How to Reduce Stress

If you are having problems with stress, there are some simple things that you can do to reduce stress in your life:

• Try to spend two hours daily doing things that you enjoy that aren't related to your anxieties. Play music, watch a movie, read, or just talk to friends. Just do something that gets your mind off the things that stress you out.

• Don't work yourself to death. Our bodies and minds have a limited amount of time that we can focus to tasks before we start to lose our edge. Try to stick with seven to ten hour days, tops, and try to be as effective as possible without straining yourself physically and psychologically.

• Think about engaging in some relaxation techniques. There are plenty of places where you can do yoga or work on meditation. For some people, prayer is even a form of meditation.

• Release that nervous energy in the gym. Physical activity is a fantastic way to cancel out some of the stress in your life while also promoting greater hormone balance.

Know Your Medications

There are particular medications that can cause your Testosterone Production to drop. If you are having issues that you feel are related to Testosterone Deficiency, talk to your doctor if you are using any of the following medications:

• Glucocorticoids Glucocorticoids are a class of drugs used for two primary purposes. They are used to suppress the immune system and they are also used to reduce various forms of inflammation. They are commonly used for arthritis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and asthma, among many other medical conditions.

Long term use of these drugs do have an inhibitory effect on Testosterone production, however, leading to a number of symptoms such as high blood pressure, loss of bone mineral density, rapid weight gain, and loss of strength.

• Opioids Opioids are a class of drugs which essentially imitate the function of endorphins by the human body. Opioids tend to be very strong medications used in order to treat chronic pain. They are commonly used in order to reduce the pain of cancer and cancer treatments, as well as to mask the pain of rheumatoid arthritis. Medications such as codeine can be used as cough suppressants, and certain forms can be used in order to relieve anxiety attacks.

There is some evidence that long term opioid use can diminish overall well-being as a result of Testosterone Deficiency. Testosterone Replacement Therapy can be used to increase quality of life and normalize hormone levels.

• Anabolic Steroids Anabolic Steroids are hormones used to encourage the body to build and repair body tissues. There are quite a few medical uses for this class of drugs, including the treatment of osteoporosis, anemia, body fat regulation, and muscle atrophy.

Anabolic Steroids can have the unfortunate side-effect of reducing the body's capacity to produce Testosterone, however. Anabolic steroids can send signals to the brain to reduce Testosterone Production as a result of the flux of other steroids present in the body.

If you want to work on boosting your Testosterone Levels, don't just quit your medications. We do of course recommend against recreational use of any of these drugs, but in the case of Opioid addiction, work with a specialist to try to eliminate your addiction, because Opioids can be difficult and dangerous to quit alone if you are very addicted.

In regard to medications that you are taking for a legitimate purpose, talk to your doctor about what you can do to simultaneously remain on important treatments while working to elevate your Testosterone to Normal levels. For most drugs, there are ways that you can make this work effectively, or if the drugs are having too powerful of an effect on your hormone balance, there may be other effective medical options.

Avoid Testosterone Supplements

If you want to boost your Testosterone Levels with supplements or medications, you are going to have to go to a physician and invest in the real thing. Over-the-Counter Supplements which claim to boost Testosterone Levels provide little benefit, if they provide benefits at all. Also avoid any product which claims to be Testosterone that you can get without a prescription. Sometimes you'll see products that claim to be Oral Testosterone Releasers. These simply are not effective.

The hormone DHEA is available over the counter, but it is not recommended to take the hormone as a means to increase Testosterone Production. DHEA can provide other valuable benefits, such as combating osteoporosis, increasing the likelihood of arousal for men with ED, and improving skin health, but it is not the same as Testosterone and should not be thought of as a cheap Testosterone Booster.

If you want to improve your Testosterone Levels naturally, rather than invest in various supplements in hopes of increasing Testosterone Production, just eat an intelligent diet which provides your body all of the essential nutrients that it needs for healthy function. Look up respected alternatives to the Standard FDA Recommended Daily Allowances. RDAs are rough estimates of what your body needs to be healthy, but it does not necessarily encourage optimal nutritional intake to persist at your peak!

If All Else Fails, Don't Be Afraid of Testosterone Replacement Therapy

If heeding all of this useful advice does not improve your T-Levels sufficiently, don't be afraid to talk to a doctor. Testosterone Deficiency is a real and detrimental medical condition which doesn't always respond to treatment. In fact, the older that you get, the less likely that your body will be able to produce the natural Testosterone that your body needs to ensure optimal health and vitality.

If you are interested in Physician-Monitored Bio-Identical Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy, we encourage you to contact the Conscious Evolution Institute today. Even if Testosterone Replacement isn't right for you, we will use a client-centered approach to do what we can to help you optimize your hormone balance in order to maximize your health and vitality!

Coping With and Overcoming Low-T

Testosterone is the primary hormone associated with manhood. Although Testosterone is responsible for the changes which differentiate men from women after puberty, both sexes actually need and produce the vital hormone.

Men produce much higher levels of Testosterone from the Testes and the Adrenal Glands, whereas women produce much lower amounts from the Ovaries and Adrenal Glands. Even though Testosterone plays a much larger role in male health, it is also significant for women as well. Even though women produce much less Testosterone than men, they are far more sensitive to the hormone.

For men, Testosterone is incredibly important for the proper function of numerous systems throughout the body. Everyone knows and understands some of these effects. Everyone knows Testosterone contributes to increased muscle mass. They also know that Testosterone Stimulates the growth of male beard and body hair, and that it controls male sexual desire and functional ability.

There are many functions of Testosterone which few people fully recognize, however. Testosterone is intimately responsible for bone health, for example. Testosterone also regulates healthy red blood cell production and contributes to overall psychological health.

Nutrients that Can Increase Natural Testosterone Production

There are two essential nutrients that have been shown to be incredibly beneficial to natural Testosterone Production, Zinc and Vitamin D.

Zinc and Testosterone

Zinc is an important nutrient needed to ensure healthy and natural Testosterone secretion. A recent government assessment revealed that almost half of adults over the age of sixty have a zinc deficiency directly caused by a lack of zinc in the diet.

Studies have shown that Zinc Supplementation is highly effective at increasing natural Testosterone Production. After only 6 weeks of supplementation, men can experience positive results. Research also shows that purposefully removing zinc from the diet directly leads to a decrease in Testosterone Secretion. There are a lot of great Zinc sources, including:

• Yogurt

• Beans

• Raw Cheese

• Raw Milk

• Oysters

• Roast Beef

• Lamb

• Crab

• Pumpkin Seeds

• Watermelon Seeds

If you are using a Zinc Supplement, take a supplement which provides no more than forty milligrams of zinc per day. Forty milligrams seems maximally optimal, but if you take more, you run the risk of encouraging other mineral deficiencies, such as copper deficiency.

Vitamin D and Testosterone Production

Vitamin D Deficiency is becoming increasingly common in the United States. Although Vitamin D Deficiency affects both sexes, it appears to more severely affect male health.

Vitamin D is a steroid hormone which is derived from cholesterol. It is important for the maintenance of male fertility, because it helps the nuclei of a sperm cell form. Without appropriate levels of Vitamin D, both sperm count and quality suffer.

Vitamin D is also intricately tied to Testosterone Production. There are simple tests that your doctor can perform which can reveal your Vitamin-D levels. For a healthy adult, it is important to get between fifty to seventy nanograms per milliliter of Vitamin D each day. The following are some of the best ways to get your daily recommendation of Vitamin D:

• Sun Exposure

• Salmon

• Tuna

• Flounder

• Fortified Milk

• Pork

• Eggs

• Responsible Use of Safe Tanning Beds

• Vitamin D Supplementation

The Correlation Between Low-T and Obesity

Perhaps the strongest indicator of Testosterone Health is weight. A study presented at the 2012 meeting of the Endocrine Society describes many of the intricacies regarding the connection between weight and T-Levels. Men that are overweight are far more likely to experience Low-T, and losing weight directly leads to an increase in Testosterone Production.

This is because Adipose fat cells have the capability to convert Testosterone into Estrogen, preventing men from experiencing healthy levels of Testosterone and increasing the risk of a number of different medical issues related to cardiovascular health.

Below are some recommendations which can help you to lose weight and restore healthy Testosterone Production:

Reduce Your Consumption of Processed Sugar to Lose Weight and Increase Testosterone

One of the main reasons why obesity is at epidemic levels in America is because of the consumption of empty calories directly from sugar. Sugary drinks and desserts pad on the pounds quickly, and removing these from your diet is an effective way to start carving your path to a healthier weight.

Although it is important to limit sugar consumption, try not to rely heavily on common artificial sweeteners such as Splenda and Nutrasweet, because these alternatives can have negative consequences as well.

One choice for people that don't want to forgo sweeteners completely is Stevia. This sweetener is produced from natural sources and thus far has shown no negative consequences, while containing zero calories. It can't be used for high-temperature cooking, but it is perfect for drinks and the flavoring of foods that are never cooked above about 280 Degrees.

Try to limit your sugar consumption to natural sources such as fruit so that you can get some nutrients in addition to your sugar. Try not to eat more than twenty five grams of sugar per day, and if you are sensitive to sugar, reduce your consumption to below fifteen grams each day.

Reduce Consumption of Processed Carbohydrates to Lose Weight and Increase Testosterone

Processed grains and other carbohydrates are just as bad, if not worse than sugar, and you should severely limit your consumption of simple carbs. Choose breads that are made from whole grain. Also avoid over-processed pastas for whole grain pastas as well. Choose brown rice over white rice, because white rice has been stripped of its essential nutrients and primarily provides you with empty calories and an insulin spike.

Choose Vegetarian Sources of Carbohydrates and Consume Healthier Forms of Fat

Generally, the carbohydrates that you consume from vegetables are better for you than those you get from grains, and infinitely better than those you get from simple sugars. It is important to eat polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that can be found in many nuts and vegetables, while limiting consumption of saturated fats. Do not eliminate saturated fats from your diet completely, however, because the body needs a certain level for healthy function, and the complete elimination of saturated fat can actually hinder Testosterone Release. Trans-fats are bad under any circumstances.

Healthy Fat Sources Include:

• Uncooked Nut Oils

• Palm Oil

• Grass-fed Animals

• Avocados

• Pasture-Raised Eggs

• Raw nuts, like Pecans and Almonds

• Organic Milk and Butter

• Coconut and Coconut Products

• Olives and Olive Products

Organic Dairy can Increase Testosterone Production

Whey protein, Quality Cheeses, and Organic Dairy can increase your production of proteins known as Branch Chain Amino Acids. Studies have shown that the increased consumption of products containing this form of amino acid can increase natural Testosterone Release while also increasing the effectiveness of anaerobic exercise.

There are many supplemental sources of BCAA, but natural sources are great too. It appears that the BCAA Leucine, is the most effective at stimulating Testosterone, and it is primarily found in the dairy products listed above.

Boost Testosterone with Exercise

Although all forms of exercise have a beneficial impact on Testosterone Levels, the most effective way to increase Testosterone with Physical Activity is through anaerobic exercise such as sprinting or weight-lifting. This form of muscle-exertion directly stimulates Testosterone Production.

Generally, exercising the largest muscles such as the quadriceps or core seems to induce the highest level of benefit, although alternating exercises daily will produce the best overall benefits, because your muscles need rest from this form of exertion.

Although cardiovascular exercise is important for its own special reasons, the ideal exercise routine will also include the following aspects in order to maximize the release of Testosterone (as well as Human Growth Hormone):

Strength Training - In order to boost Testosterone, it is important to lower the number of reps you lift while steadily increasing the amount that you lift over time. The most effective exercises are those that stimulate the greatest number of muscle groups simultaneously, such as dead lifts and squats.

Interval Training - In this form of exercise, your goal is to complete all of your lifting goals in a span of twenty to thirty minutes.

There are also advanced methods related to these forms of weight lifting which focus on completing reps very slowly in order to maximize strength training even further.

Alleviate Stress to Increase Testosterone

Excess Stress is the Enemy of Masculinity as well as Cardiovascular Health. Stress is directly caused by the release of hormones such as cortisol, which are responsible for the oft-mentioned fight or flight mechanism. Although Cortisol is a necessary hormone, the majority of us in America produce far more than is healthy, and increased Cortisol Levels sap our bodies of the Testosterone that we need to stay healthy and full of vitality.

This Testosterone Deficiency changes the way we live, reducing our overall health, while also inhibiting our sense of individuality, masculinity, and self. Although a little stress is unavoidable, many of us suffer from a condition known as chronic stress, as a result of a mixture of our bio-chemistry, diet, and environmental circumstances.

Because of this, it is important to engage in a healthy diet, reduce outside stressors, and engage in activities which physiologically reduce stress.

There are a number of mechanisms which you can use to resolve stress in your life. These tools include yoga, meditation, quiet contemplation, laughter, and breathing exercises. In addition to increasing Testosterone, these techniques can also encourage greater emotional health as well, allowing you to adopting a happier outlook and clearer mind.

Take Conscientious Steps to Live a Longer and Healthier Life

Remember that the body and the mind function as a unit, and the key to a long and healthy life is to take the steps to optimize your health, while engaging in the world in a thoughtful way in order to limit stress in your life.

If you want to keep your mind, body, and soul in optimal shape, make sure you are living your life right in all aspects. It's a lot easier than it sounds, and you'll never want to look back!