When it comes to building lean muscle, burning fat, boosting energy and sex drive, testosterone is King. Thankfully, testosterone is produced naturally in our bodies, by both men and women alike. Although men produce much more natural testosterone than women, the hormone is vitally important in both sexes. A healthy level of free testosterone is associated with lean muscle and fat-free mass, reduced body fat, strengthened immune system, higher energy levels and increased exercise capacity, heart health, healthy blood pressure and an increased sex drive.
This testosterone stuff is starting to sound pretty good, so, how do you get your body to make more of it? Great question, and a loaded one indeed. Having your body naturally produce more testosterone is simple in theory, but tricky in practice. In order to optimize natural testosterone production, you need to ensure that your diet, sleep schedule, workouts, and supplement regimen are all in alignment.
Foods That Increase Natural Testosterone Production
A healthy and balanced diet is crucial when looking to optimize natural testosterone production. Make sure you eat ample amounts of healthy carbohydrates such as brown rice, oatmeal, whole wheat bread and pasta, ancient grains, and sweet potatoes. Also important in manufacturing testosterone is consumption of both unsaturated and saturated fats as well as cholesterol. Yeah, I said cholesterol. Remember, consumption of dietary cholesterol is very different than blood cholesterol (LDL/HDL) and consuming a healthy amount of cholesterol from oysters, eggs, and many other foods is needed to produce sex hormones such as testosterone. Believe it or not, cholesterol is the building block of all sex hormones, including testosterone, and without cholesterol your body can’t produce testosterone. Last but not least, don’t forget to eat plenty of lean protein from lean meats, fish, and organic milk. If you’re vegetarian, try and eat plenty of black beans, wild and brown rice, and high protein fruits/veggies like avocados, goji berries, hemp and chia seeds. The key is balance, and higher testosterone comes along with a balanced diet rich in all macro-nutrients.
Superfoods that support healthy levels of testosterone include:
Oysters: Rich in zinc and protein, oysters have been known for centuries to support health and sexual well-being.
Organic Eggs: Rich in healthy fats, cholesterol, and highly bio-available albumin protein. Eggs contain all the building blocks of testosterone as well as help repair muscle better than any other naturally ingested protein.
Liver: Full of glutamine and healthy fats. Try some liver pate served with whole wheat crackers, bleu cheese and a nice glass of red wine. Please, only one glass of wine.
Garlic: Rich in allicin, shown to improve blood flow. Garlic also naturally reduces LDL cholesterol, meaning more good cholesterol for testosterone production.
Chocolate: Known for centuries to be a natural aphrodisiac, the rich smell of chocolate alone is enough to set the mood.
Broccoli & Cabbage: Both contain indole-3-carbinol, shown to reduce estrogen levels and in return raise testosterone.
Avocados: High in vitamin B6, folic acid, and plenty of healthy monounsaturated fats to send your testosterone levels soaring through the roof.
Almonds: Almonds are full of the building blocks of testosterone. Eat them everyday if you can. They are also a great food choice for dieters and also for people looking to add lean muscle.
Organic Beef: Preferably grass-fed, but a little organic corn-fed marble never hurt anyone, right? Organic beef is loaded with amino acids, natural creatine, and saturated fats that promote optimal levels of testosterone.
Organic Milk: Full of healthy fats and casein + whey protein, milk’s got it what it takes to boost your testosterone.
Supplements That Increase Natural Testosterone Production
When it comes to dietary supplements that boost natural testosterone, you’ll stumble across a multitude of options all making a storm of various claims. It’s important to understand the difference between these products and pick the one that’s right for you. Looking at all the testosterone boosting supplements on the market, you can categorize them into one of two basic groups:
