Did you know that male testosterone levels are on the decline? Studies show that mens' testosterone levels are on the decline! That’s why we wanted to expand on this topic and share with you 4 steps to boost testosterone naturally.
HOW TESTOSTERONE WORKS
People often associate testosterone with "male hormones." However women also produce and use testosterone. While balancing female testosterone is important, today we are going to focus solely on male testosterone.
Male testosterone drives
- Muscle mass growth and maintenance
- Libido
- Energy
- Mental sharpness
- Fat burning capacity
- Optimal bone density
- Red blood cell production
- Healthy sperm production
WHEN TESTOSTERONE PLUMMETS
When testosterone levels start to decrease, of course we see the list above start to shift. Common symptoms of low testosterone include
- Fatigue
- Weight gain in the chest and belly
- Brain fog
- Low motivation
- Low libido
- Impotence
- Poor endurance
- Cardiovascular issues
- Poor mental cognition
WHY TESTOSTERONE DECREASES
As you can see in the diagram below, testosterone is made from cholesterol. From there the body builds the Pregnenolone and turns it into testosterone. The body then takes some of that testosterone and creates estrogen.
Low testosterone develops when there is not enough material to make it OR when there is an over conversion of the testosterone in estrogen.
When the body over-converts to estrogen, we call this “over-aromatizing.” In order to boost testosterone naturally, it's CRITICAL that we remove the factors that trigger this over-aromatization process.
There are several factors that trigger over-aromatization. They are:
- Blood sugar imbalance
- Excess Inflammation
- Excess fat build up in the body
There are deeper root cause factors that lead to these issues such a toxicity overwhelm from heavy metals, chemicals and genetically modified foods.
Making simple shifts in dietary choices and implementing natural medicine into your daily rituals can hand the body the tools it needs to recalibrate aromatization and build testosterone naturally.
1. LOWER INFLAMMATION TO BOOST TESTOSTERONE NATURALLY
One of the most effective ways to lower inflammation is to adopt an “anti-inflammatory diet.” There are several cookbooks we LOVE that help make this transition seamless and delicious. Two of our favorites are The Food Babe Cookbook and the How Not To Die Cookbook.
The principles of an anti-inflammatory diet are simple:
- Eat real, whole foods
- Cook with and eat healthy fats
- Avoid genetically modified foods
- Choose organic
- Eat grass fed beef, free range poultry, pasture raised eggs and wild fish
- Enjoy 10-12 servings of fruits and vegetables per day
You lower inflammation naturally with herbal remedies. Our favorite for inflammation is Alpha CRS. It’s full of anti-inflammatory herbs and polyphenols that help to combat pro-inflammatory free radicals.
HOW TO USE:
Take 2 capsules twice daily
2. BALANCE BLOOD SUGAR: INCREASE INSULIN SENSITIVITY TO BOOST TESTOSTERONE
If the male body has too much glucose floating around the bloodstream, it can trigger all kinds of issues including low testosterone. We can help to naturally optimize blood sugar by increasing cellular insulin sensitivity.
Cinnamon essential oil has been shown to improve insulin receptivity and therefore blood sugar levels. Even more, this study showed its ability to inhibit glycosylated end products! That means that Cinnamon oils may help to combat diabetic tissue damage.
HOW TO USE:
3-4 drops in a vegetable capsule and take after each meal
Or
1 drop in a glass of water after each meal
Or
1 drop on tongue (ONLY if you like spicy!) after each meal
3. DECREASE EXCESS BODY FAT TO BOOST TESTOSTERONE
Excess adipose (fat) tissue releases estrogen and acts as an inflammation producing machine. Exercising and adopting a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet are HUGE pillars for weight loss that can not be dismissed. However you can also use Grapefruit essential oil to optimize fat burning capacity and weight loss.
Grapefruit oil helps to curb sugar cravings and literally trigger fat burning.
TO USE:
Apply 2-3 drops in coconut oil or body lotion and rub into areas where you store excess fat. Be sure to ONLY apply topically on skin that won’t come in contact with the sun for the next 24 hours as Grapefruit essential oil is photosensitive.
You can also enjoy 1-2 drops per 12-16 ounces of filtered water.
To bust sugar cravings, it’s best to smell and taste the oil.
4. BOOST TESTOSTERONE LEVELS
Steps 1-3 address the mechanisms that contribute to low testosterone levels. Here in step 4 we focus on enhancing the body’s ability to actually produce testosterone naturally.
Evan stumbled across this study last year when we were trying to optimize male and female fertility (a story for another blog).
He was so surprised to find that Cinnamon and Ginger oil in combination were found to both increase testosterone levels and increase sperm viability!
HOW TO USE:
Add 3 drops each into a vegetable capsule and take twice daily
Another Option: add 1 drop each into your morning make our hormone balancing coffee recipe:
- Your brewed coffee
- grass fed butter 1 tbsp
- vanilla extract 1 tsp
- Cinnamon essential oil 1 drop
- Ginger essential oil 1 drop
Blend and enjoy.
While this is a popular way to ingest these oils, it is much more potent to make the vegetable capsule.
COMBINE ALL OF THE TESTOSTERONE BOOSTING ELEMENTS:
You can simplify the process of steps 1-4 by taking the Alpha CRS supplement for lowering systemic inflammation and also using doTERRA’s Slim & Sassy blend, which contains Grapefruit, Ginger and Cinnamon essential oil together.
HOW TO USE:
Enjoy 2 drops of Slim & Sassy in 12-16 ounces of water. Repeat for 3-5 glasses of water each day.
Apply 2-3 drops of Slim & Sassy to areas of excess fat tissue. Rub into skin with a little bit of coconut oil or body lotion after shower daily.
You can also enhance your efforts by incorporating the recommendations in steps 1,2,3 or 4 as recommended above.
The most important thing is consistency! So be sure to set your essential oils and supplements out where you will be reminded to use them every single day.