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I remember a time when I had anxiety about talking in front of a large group of people and lacked the confidence to take risks. As a guy, I just never felt that masculine energy inspiring me to tackle the day.
I didn't know where the lack of ambition was coming from but I recall thinking, "Maybe I'm on the wrong career path; that's why I don't have any ambition!" I changed fields but the lack of drive and energy was still there. What I didn't know is that low testosterone in men is becoming more and more common in our society—with inactivity, laziness, and the 70-inch flat screens all partly to blame.
Have you ever suspected low testosterone?
The research is clear: People with higher testosterone and a healthier hormonal profile take more risks and are more successful in accomplishing what they want in life. The conventional cure for low testosterone involves pharmaceuticals (a gel or pill) that will affect your body's natural hormone production, so identifying the root cause and solving the case naturally should be your go-to strategy.
Without further ado, let's get to the four things to consider if you have low testosterone. Identifying these and working to improve them can help with a poor hormonal profile.
1. Address excess body fat.
The spare tire's got to go. The fat tissue that comes from inactivity and eating poorly enhances aromatase, and aromatase has the power to take your free testosterone (the bioavailable testosterone) and turning it into estrogen. When estrogen is elevated, testosterone plummets so it's imperative to keep body fat at a healthy level. Essentially, lower body fat means higher testosterone, higher libido, more energy, and more ambition.
A good body fat percentage goal for men is from 8 to 19 percent and for women it's around 21 to 33 percent. That way you get the benefits of being lean but not to the point where you are too thin.
2. Experiment with intermittent fasting.
A long fast will leave you stressed out and you'll be thinking about food and it will make it hard to live life normally. Short-term fasts, however, have been shown2 to increase testosterone levels significantly! By short-term I'm referring to about 14 to 16 hours without food, which is actually pretty natural for our bodies. During the hunter-gatherer times, humans would regularly go for long periods without food. It's a simple habit to start implementing; wake up, drink some delicious black coffee or tea, and skip breakfast. Easy as that.
3. Get serious about lowering stress levels.
Worriers suffer from chronically elevated cortisol levels, and it's pretty well-known that higher cortisol levels are directly correlated with lower testosterone levels. So what can you do about it? Mindfulness, meditation, long walks, warm baths, and delicious foods are just some of the ways you can learn to enjoy life and relax. You'll worry less and have less anxiety, lower cortisol, and higher testosterone as a result.
A lack of ambition, poor sex drive, and low energy aren't fun. And these are common side effects of low testosterone. It's important to identify the root cause of your hormonal imbalance and make lifestyle changes to get you back on track. We all deserve to feel confident, enthusiastic, and energized!
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