GUYS PLEASE READ THIS…..LADIES PLEASE READ THIS TOO!
Ok…GUYS!!!!…….SERIOUSLY >>
Yes those of you who are that you are male! This one is for you…..but also for those of you with wives and girlfriends they may also find this helpful, so make sure they read it too!
I was chatting with a guy before Christmas on the phone before his consultation in a couple of weeks time about a lot of things he is experiencing in regards to his own feelings and how this has affected him.
We discussed how crippling sugar and stress can be on a man’s performance and feeling!
I just wanted to share with you a few things that may help those men out there who are experiencing increasing levels of anxiety., lower sex drive, poorer self worth……just take a read….
It just so happens that I have been refreshing my memory recently on a book I have read “ The Testosterone Syndrome” – The Male Menopause by Dr Eugene Shippen.
So as we as men age into what Dr. Shippen calls the gray zone, factors such as disease, stress, diet, obesity, and general health tend to change the signals that the pituitary gland sends to the testes, causing the production of testosterone to lessen.
The trouble is…what I am seeing more of personally is younger guys presenting very similar issues when I chat with them…..
This is EXACTLY why I am launching our MOST BEPSOKE programme to date where I will work closely with 2 guys for 16 weeks in 2019. If you want to know more and read more about this programme please click HERE to take a look at what is involved.
This gradual decline in testosterone doesn’t sabotage just your sex drive. “Every system in a man’s body is impacted by a decline in testosterone, particularly the circulatory system, the muscles (including the heart), the bones, and the nervous system and brain,”
In here he suggests that there are many “home remedies” that we can use…..
“One self-care factor by itself is not powerful enough to maintain testosterone levels,” he says, “but combining multiple factors can keep male menopause at bay.”
So here are some of the key areas he suggests paying attention to:
** EXERCISE: Vital! **
“All overweight men have lower-than-normal levels of testosterone,” That’s because, as your body accumulates fat, it manufactures less testosterone and converts some of the testosterone you do have into oestrogen. Yes, men have oestrogen, but the balance between the two hormones is different from that in women.
Then the next domino falls: As your testosterone levels drop and your oestrogen levels rise, your muscles become weaker and can’t burn as much fat. In other words, being overweight leads to being even more overweight and to even lower levels of testosterone.
Exercise is the one sure way to reduce body fat and stop the rise in oestrogen and the decline in testosterone. And it doesn’t take a whole lot of activity. Just a brisk 20-minute walk three times a week can help a middle-aged or older man maintain lean body mass.
“As the pounds fall off, so will your oestrogen, allowing your testosterone levels to rise,” he says. “Many of the symptoms of male menopause will vanish as well.”
Of course, you can’t overeat and expect to lose weight, even if you exercise. You will have heard me talk about the fact you can’t out train a bad diet!
Likewise….even if your diet is BANG ON…..you won’t stimulate the same beneficial hormone responses if you don’t exercise.
** ZINC: Important! We Need To Reduce Aromatase.**
The mineral zinc helps the body deactivate aromatase, an enzyme that converts testosterone to oestrogen.
It is of course always worth getting your very own blood tests done, which I can sort for you from our studio if you are interested.
In his book Dr Shippen, recommends 50 milligrams twice a day until you see an improvement in your symptoms, which might take a month or two, at which point you should reduce your intake to 30 to 50 milligrams daily
** VITAMIN C: Low Vitamin C Can Increase Blood Pressure **
When the body’s level of vitamin C is low, levels of aromatase are high, which have been linked to lowered testosterone levels.
We know that foods such as sweet potato, kiwi fruit, strawberries all have higher level of vitamin C in them than some citrus fruits that are commonly branded around as good for vitamin C.
**MULTIVITAMIN/MINERAL SUPPLEMENT: Thrive Don’t Survive**
Along with zinc and vitamin C, Dr. Shippen recommends a high-potency multivitamin/mineral supplement (one that provides amounts that meet or exceed the Daily Value of the vitamins it contains) containing antioxidants such as beta-carotene and vitamin E to deactivate free radicals, the cell-destroying molecules that contribute to many age-related diseases.
This is something that I personally take when I am training hard because the cell turnover is high and Vitamin E helps with the lipid layer around the outer edge of the cell.
The antioxidants will also help protect your pituitary gland (the body’s “control panel” for hormone production) from free radical damage.
** CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES: On Your Plate Ideally Not a Pill**
Memorise these words for more manliness: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower. These are the cruciferous vegetables, and they’re good for you in ways that your mum never imagined.
Dr Shippen says, “All the cruciferous vegetables contain compounds called indoles, which help break down oestrogen more efficiently so it doesn’t build up in the system and depress or destroy testosterone”.
I have been talking to my clients for years about the benefits of cruciferous veggies on their waist line! Add broccoli wherever you can!
**ALCOHOL: Ditch the Drinks **
Great timing Matt I hear you say, right before the New Year…..but you can’t hide from the facts…BEER will grow man boobs!
If you drink too much alcohol, you have two strikes against middle-age male health:
Alcohol decreases zinc levels (zinc, remember, is necessary for adequate testosterone) and cuts down the clearance of oestrogen from the bloodstream.
Ok ….that’s it for now…..if you want help with your nutrition and want to get more information on the blood testing and subsequent nutrition plans I am releasing in the 2019….please reach out and I will send you the outline plans and for more details on the MOST BEPSOKE programme to date where I will work closely with 2 guys for 16 weeks in 2019, please click HERE to take a look at what is involved.
In the mean time have a great New Year.
Matt
Matt
Owner of MattLuxtonHealthandFitness
http://www.mattluxtonhealthandfitness.com
Voted Cornwall’s Best Fitness Instructor 2016
Voted The UK’s Most Innovative Fitness Entrepreneur 2012
International Best Selling Author of The Fad Free Fitness Formula
Author of The Hot to Trot Cook Book and The Equestrian Athlete Plan
Email: Info@fa-fitness.co.uk / Phone: 07841 136302
