Here is a testosterone diet guide you can use to increase your testosterone levels naturally. I have been using testosterone supplements and working out to increase testosterone for years. Neither would be possible to build testosterone without a focused diet.
Testosterone production actually starts in the brain. The Brain releases a hormone through the blood and travels to the testicles where it converts cholesterol and other nutrients into testosterone. Your diet can actually increase your levels or decrease them just by the foods you eat and the times you eat them.
When we mention the word diet, it makes us think we need to eat less. But, to eat for testosterone, eating less can actually restrict the production of testosterone. For this article, though, I will call it a diet to make it easy.
Most of the food you would normally eat are in this kind of diet. Some of the foods you’re warned to stay away from for healthy eating, will be the focus foods and in higher amounts. This is because of their ability to produce greater amounts of testosterone.
On a side note, some testosterone can be converted into estrogen which is a female hormone and that is not what you are looking for. Your diet is responsible for testosterone levels and estrogen levels, and can be controlled with the right foods from a strict testosterone diet.
Before we dive into how much to eat, and when to eat, I will give you a list of the top foods to concentrate on when eating to produce more testosterone on your body.
Top 10 foods that boost testosterone:
Olive Oil
On the top of the list is Olive Oil. Cholesterol produces testosterone and the fats in olive oil convert the cholesterol into testosterone. Regular consumption of olive oil when eating foods high in cholesterol like eggs have have been shown to increase testosterone levels in the body.
Nuts
Almonds, cashews, Brazil nut, pecans and peanuts are providers of protein, vitamin b, and zinc and will increase testosterone levels. Nuts are also full of nutritious fats the body needs for building testosterone and fat loss.
Salmon
High in Omega-3 fatty acids, Salmon has great testosterone converting nutirents including a great source of quality protein. Supplementing with Vitamin D will also increase testosterone which salmon is loaded with.
Vegetables (Cruciferous)
Cruciferous for testosterone includes, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale, cabbage, Collard greens. Besides preventing cancers, these vegetables include nutrients to prevent estrogen buildup. Estrogen will prohibit the production of testosterone so. Therefore, eating these vegetables, will break down your estrogen levels and allow your body to produce testosterone as efficient as possible.
Eggs
High in Cholesterol, again the main ingredient to increase testosterone levels in the body, is egg yolks. Everyone tells you not to eat the yolks because of cholesterol but this is where you have to ignore that to increase your testosterone levels and increase the consumption of eggs and the yolk more specifically.
Beef
Zinc is one of the best supplements for increasing testosterone and beef is loaded naturally with it. High in protein and zinc makes beef a great source to consume for increasing your levels of testosterone. Beef will also give you a harder erection and contains L-Arginine which is one of the top ingredients to male enhancement.
Tuna and Seafood
Linked to testosterone production, vitamin D is a great supplement to consume. Tuna is loaded with Vitamin D and it is also packed with lean protein.
So, the foods recommended are pretty easy to understand and they are pretty good foods to eat. Obviously sugar, salt, and soda is not on the list, but you probably already knew that. Unfortunately soda is my demon, and we all have them. As long as you come to terms as to what your demon is, you can limit it and still enjoy it.
Testosterone Diet Guidelines
Now, I will get into the guidelines on calories, protein, carbohydrates, fats, vegetables, meal replacements, how many times to eat meals and when to eat them. Each Section is crucial for optimum, natural testosterone production.
Calories
Do not restrict your calories. Shutting down your metabolism by not eating enough will prevent the body from working and the prohibit production of testosterone. You can’t produce anything in the body if you don’t have enough energy from the right calories. Your brain actually will slow down the conversion of cholesterol into testosterone.
With that in mind, do not over eat either. Overeating the wrong nutrients can produce body fat which can convert to estrogen.
Below you will find an easy way of calculating how many calories you should be eating for your testosterone diet to be effective.
CALORIE CHART BELOW:
You Are Lean Looking to build Bigger Muscle |
You Want To Lose A Couple Inches Around The Waist and Build Muscle |
You Need to Lose 20 Lbs of Fat or More and Build Muscle |
__________ Your Current Weight x18 x20 x18= ______ x20=______ Your Total Daily Calorie Range Example Your 160 LBS x18 and x20 2880 to 3200 calories |
__________ Your Current Weight X14 x16 x14= ______ x16=______ Your Total Daily Calorie Range Example Your 190 LBS x14 and x16 2660 to 3040 calories |
__________ Your Current Weight X10 x12 X10= ______ x12=______ Your Total Daily Calorie Range Example Your 200 LBS x10 and x12 2000 to 2400 calories |
Calorie Tips:
- If your calories are under 2000 Calories, Stay at 2000 don’t go below.
- If your current calorie count totals more than this chart, gradually cut your calories every few days, or your body will store fat.
- If you lose or gain weight, re-calculate your calories by 100 or 200 calories according to your goals
Portion Amounts:
Protein- 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight per day- 1 gram of protein equals approximately 4 Calories
Carbs- 2 to 1 carbs to protein, so double what your protein intake is-1 gram of carbs equals 4 calories
Fat- Add up the calories of protein and carbs, then minus the total from your daily total and the rest should be calories from fat- 1 gram of fat equals 9 calories.
Protein
Second to water, protein is the most important nutrient in a testosterone diet. 1 gram or protein is recommended. Anything more than that is a waste and your body will treat it as waste or store it as fat.
Protein works to:
- Repairs tissue in the body including all organs, and is also crucial for pre and post workouts to repair muscle
- Promotes energy and muscle function, and regulates water intake
- Helps for food digestion
- Helps to retain muscle and avoid catabolism (muscle loss)
- Helps the body burn fat more efficiently
The best protein for increasing your levels are:
- Beef
- Poultry
- Fish
- Eggs
- Protein Powder
Carbohydrates
You want to consume approximately 2 Grams per pound of body weight. That is a 2 to 1 ratio. In other words, double the calories of protein.
The problem with carbs is we love them. Late nights while watching television, I go to the fridge looking for something to eat. 9 times out of 10, I am going to grab something loaded with refined sugar, loaded with bad fats, and loaded with poor calories.
We as men are drawn to them, its in our DNA. Carbs are our primary source the body utilizes for energy.
The good news is not all carbs are bad. It is just knowing which ones are the right ones. Simple carbs are the ones we need to stay clear of as much as possible. Complex carbs are key for natural energy, without storing them as fat in your body.
Reasons to Avoid Simple Carbohydrates
- Things like candy, soda, syrups, honey, and anything else loaded with sugar are simple carbs and these foods give your body a fast energy spike and will cause the body to store fat.
- The body thinks there is enough sugar for energy so it will store everything else for later, which in turn increases fat and decreases testosterone.
- Simple Carbs also will fade quickly causing you to be hungry soon after you consumed them. This is overeating and overeating is one of the top no-no’s.
- Simple carbs are the quickest route to belly fat and belly fat is a sure testosterone killer.
NOTE- there is one time of the day when your body needs simple carbs and that is after a workout within an hour. This is because your muscles and energy levels are depleted so the body will start to feed off your muscle for energy. The more lean muscle you build, the faster and more efficiently the body will burn fat. Therefore, simple carbs will spike the energy levels right after damaging them from a hard work out, preserving muscle and helping the body to continue on the path of burning fat.
Top Reasons Complex Carbohydrates are great for your body
- Complex Carbs control your hunger. They are slow digesting carbs that help your body to feel full for longer periods of time.
- Complex carbs will give you a long lasting energy level to work out intensely, and intense work outs create large amounts of testosterone production in your body.
- When your body starves or is hungry from not eating enough of the good carbs, your body will begin to cannibalize your muscle. Cannibalism of muscle is responsible for slowing the metabolism, and slow down the production of testosterone.
So, good carbs are recommended and pigging out on sweets and cookies is not. Fiber is not recommended in high amounts due to its ability to counter act testosterone in the body. Fiber is recommended for overall health, just in moderation.
Top Complex Carbs:
- Green vegetables- Anything green and leafy is optimum and also low in calories. Eat away!
- Whole grains and foods made from them, such as oatmeal, pasta, and whole-grain breads- Great for Energy, eat with earlier meals.
- Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and pumpkin.
- Beans, lentils, and peas.
Fat
Fat in food is one of those diet “no no’s”, but for a testosterone diet, it is a “YES YES”. It is recommended that 30% of your testosterone diet calories should come from fat. So, the easiest way to do this is add your calories from protein and carbs. Take this total, subtract it from your daily calories, and this is your permitted calories allowed from fat.
If your looking to lose weight, along with increasing testosterone, you may come to your daily total not allowing any room for 30% Fat in your diet. If this happens, drop your carbs to 1.5 or even 1 gram per lb and drop the fat to 20%.
Monosaturated Fats
Found in different foods and oils, these fats can be called the good or healthy fats. This is the fat you should primarily target for your testosterone diet. This type of fat is good for your heart, converts cholesterol to testosterone, and reduces the chances of heart disease. This fat has been known to help blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, and even help with arthritis.
Top monosaturated fats include: Olive Oil and Olives, Almonds, Pecans, Hazelnuts, Peanut Butter also a protein, Peanut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Canola Oil ,and Avacados.
Polyunsaturated Fats
This type of fat helps to improve cholesterol levels. They are loaded with Omega-3 and Omega-6, essential fatty acids. Most commonly known as fish oils, this fat is great for your immune system, fat loss, and it is also know to aid in boosting testosterone.
Top polyunsaturated Fats- Fish Oil, most seafood (the best being Salmon, Tuna, Trout, Mackerel and Herring), pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, suflower seeds, tofu and walnuts.
Meal Replacement Shakes
Fast digesting protein and carbs have been shown to increase testosterone levels immediately after a workout and stimulate muscle growth. Each container of protein powder, lists the amount per serving of protein and carbs on the label. Try for 20 to 40 grams of protein and 50-100 grams of carbs post workout.
Meal Times
Now that your armed with some guidelines as far as what to eat, lets talk about when to eat. For a testosterone diet, aim to eat 6 times per day. When you wake in the morning eat your first meal as soon as possible, then space your meals out so you eat 5 more times through out the day evenly. A key point to remember is to make sure you consume carbohydrates immediately upon awakening and immediately after a workout. Your Post workout shake should cover your dietary needs immediately after your workouts.
It can be hard to plan 6 meals per day especially with a busy schedule so plan ahead, make your meals the night before, and don’t hesitate to use meal replacement shakes or sandwiches as needed when in a jam and pressed for time.
Second only to diet, when trying to increase your testosterone Levels, is a workout or fitness regimen. To read more and find a great testosterone workout, click on the link below.
Testosterone Work Out Guide to Increase Testosterone
Conclusion
The Information about a testosterone diet is essential and should be considered to really increase your testosterone levels in the body. The specific times and specific types of food are especially important because they are the building blocks of testosterone production.
Because you will have your nutrition in check and work outs in order to increase your testosterone levels, you can send your testosterone levels into orbit with one of the top testosterone producing supplements on the market today.
Below, I have provided a link to the top selling supplements on the net today!! Many of the supplements include multiple ingredients from the list above. They are scientifically tested, researched and have great reviews.