Hormone Optimization
What if the Site Manager for a building site just didn’t show up? What if most of the workers didn’t show up either?
We wouldn’t expect a great home to be built, would we?
Our hormones are like our bodies ‘Site Managers’, coordinating and regulating all the many functions that are taking place constantly and are essential for good health. Hormones serve as messengers and control activities throughout the body.
When hormones are working properly we feel great and energetic. When they are not working properly we feel lousy. Additionally, when our hormones aren’t functioning properly our bodies really struggle to process our food correctly and efficiently and our bodies can’t operate optimally; thus, we get fat, lethargic and depressed!
How do they work?
The 50 plus different types of hormones in the body act like tiny chemical managers which tell the processes within living cells what to do and when to do it. Hormones control growth and development, promote protein production, regulate your metabolic rate, control your appetite and so many more important functions of your body!
What are some key factors that affect how well our hormones work?
- Physical exercise • Emotions Stress levels • Food and nutrients
What stops them from working and performing optimally?
The foods we eat play a major role.
Toxins are everywhere…in our food and even in the air we breathe. Processed foods in particular have all sorts of harmful toxins which can stop our hormones from working efficiently. These toxins build up over time hindering the ability of our cells to use nutrients in the best way for our bodies to function optimally and stay healthy.
Think about the typical diet in today’s society and the types of foods we eat on a daily basis. The current diet practices are far from optimal, and even harmful to our bodies!
Most of us do a poor job of taking in the right amount of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that the body really needs to begin with; unfortunately, whatever small amount we are taking in aren’t being used in the most efficient way because of the buildup of toxins.
At the end of the day, if we are working out consistently and eating good nutritious foods but are still struggling to lose body fat, then more than likely our hormones are probably still the barrier.
Break Down the Barrier…
Research has identified 7 main hormones that are a key to unlocking weight loss, and if we can control these, we have a great chance of controlling our weight.
Here are the hormones, what they do and what can help control them:
| Hormone | What It Does | What Can Help |
| Adinopectin: | Tells fat cells to convert fat into energy | Magnesium Leafy Greens |
| Insulin: | Produced when we eat sugar-too much promotes fat storage | Small frequent meals GDA’s- Glucose disposal agents |
| Ghrelin | Tells the body it’s hungry-too much and you’ll never get full | Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night |
| Cortisol | Stress hormone- stores fat and tells you you’re hungry | Proper recovery, scheduled deload weeks and meditation |
| Glucagon | Prevents blood glucose levels from dropping too low | Increase protein intake and cycle your carbohydrates |
| Leptin | Tells the brain when you’re full. Low leptin levels increase hunger | hunger Have scheduled refeeds to keep leptin levels high |
| Norepinephrine | Increases alertness | Intense workouts, caffeine |
THE MUSCLE BUILDING HORMONE
The hormones that are the regulators of everything that makes a man a man are called androgenic hormones. The main androgenic hormone we are going to optimize is testosterone. Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone and it plays a key role in the development of you, as a man.
And ladies…Testosterone is important for you as well! There are numerous side effects to having sub-optimal testosterone levels and women should focus on optimizing testosterone as well.
The number one function of testosterone is to maintain a healthy sex drive, giving you the ability to reproduce at will. Secondary to that, it is vital to maintaining, the mass of your bones and the amount of muscle mass on your frame. Your level of testosterone also has a lot to do with your level of body fat and the amount of energy that you have.
Additionally, Testosterone speeds up protein synthesis to boost the muscle building process and also counters muscle loss, or catabolism, to prevent the body from cannibalizing itself for energy. It also plays a key role in the production of red blood cells.
Testosterone Promotes Muscle Mass
Muscles are made primarily from protein building blocks called amino acids, and Testosterone acts as a protein synthesizer. When you workout you are actually breaking down muscle, causing micro-tears in the muscle fibers. When this happens your body needs protein for growth and repair. Muscles heal when amino acids and other nutrients travel from your bloodstream into your muscles. Therefore, the more testosterone you have flowing through you, the more protein you have being synthesized which leads to more muscle growth.
Now, the Bad News
Your natural testosterone production peaks around the age of 25-30. As you embark upon your 30’s and 40’s; unfortunately, your natural testosterone production diminishes by about 1% each year. There are several variables that lead to this unfortunately. This is why it’s harder to build and maintain muscle as you age. It’s also the reason we start to develop abdominal body fat and start noticing a decrease in our metabolism.
You will also notice the effects of lowered testosterone with your sex drive! Your libido will take a huge dip once your testosterone levels start to decline! Also, in the gym you won’t be able to lift as much as you could when you were younger, nor recover from workouts as fast as you could when your testosterone levels were higher. Furthermore, your cardiovascular fitness, or conditioning, will drop and will be about half what it used to be.
Taking Charge
Despite the natural age related testosterone decline; losing muscle mass and strength as you age is not a foregone conclusion. There are plenty of people out there in their 40s, 50s and beyond who are building muscle and strength that any 20-year old would envy.
You too can become one of them! Following a resistance training program designed to increase testosterone levels is one way to spark muscle growth. My programs are designed to do just that! Have no doubt; as long as you follow the plan that’s laid out and go through the process, you will be well on your way to optimizing testosterone levels.
Another key factor for ramping up your testosterone levels is making better food choices. Unfortunately, food today is not like it used to be. 7 Foods That Are Robbing You of Your Testosterone Did you know that there are foods out there that are robbing you of your libido and muscle gains? The funny thing is that some of them are even touted as health foods. Don’t be fooled …the following list comprises of 7 testosterone killing foods that you need to stay away from.
* Cheese/Milk (made from cows pumped with chemicals)
* High Polyunsaturated Fat Vegetable Oils
* Flaxseeds
* Mint
* Alcohol
* Soy Products
* Trans Fats
Top 3 Estrogen Foods to Avoid
Estrogen is the Ying to Testosterone’s Yang. The more estrogen you have pumping through your body, the less testosterone you will have, and vice versa!
Here are some estrogen promoting foods you should stay away from!
* Sugar
* Chemical enhanced milk
* Chemical enhanced meat
Go for grass fed organic meat, and raw organic dairy products to get the Testosterone boosting effects of meat and dairy without the estrogen boosting chemicals.
Foods Guaranteed to Surge Your Testosterone:
Oysters – Zinc has been shown in lab studies to increase testosterone levels – and oysters are packed with it. Low zinc levels will raise your estrogen levels, which you definitely do not want. (This is one of the biggest reasons I recommend ZMA supplementation)
Whey Protein Powder – A post workout protein powder will provide you with the building material to pack on muscle tissue. This will naturally raise your Testosterone levels. Whey protein will get the amino acids into your cells faster.
Pomegranate – According to one study, pomegranates were able to increase testosterone levels by an average of 24%. Pomegranates increase blood flow and increase nitric oxide production. Pomegranates are also anti-estrogen because they have a limiting effect on the aromatase enzyme which converts testosterone to estrogen.
Wheat Bran – Wheat bran is able to jack up your “T” levels by boosting the mineral magnesium. A study out of Turkey showed that boosting your magnesium levels can significantly improve your testosterone levels. (Another reason I recommend ZMA supplementation)
Coconut Oil – This is a great source of saturated fat and provides many antioxidant benefits. Our bodies require healthy saturated fats to produce testosterone.
Olive Oil – Don’t use olive oil to cook with, instead use it as a dressing. According to PubMed- NCBI research from March of 2016, participants who consumed olive oil daily experienced an increase in testosterone levels between 17% and 19% over a three week period. This may not sound like much to you but when you combine this one ingredient to the scope of the Ripped at 40 program, your body will be rapidly increasing testosterone production and setting you up for success.
White Button Mushrooms – Mushrooms work a little differently from other testosterone boosting foods. They actually have been proven to decrease estrogen levels, and the less estrogen your body produces, the more testosterone you have, and vice versa.
