by admin | Feb 10, 2022 | Health
How To Boost Testosterone Naturally | 5 Key Factors
Testosterone is the most important male hormone, as it regulates your sexual function, governs recovery, growth, bone density, along with many other physiological processes.
Low testosterone levels are perhaps one of the worst problems a male can encounter, as it can lead to unpleasant side effects, such as:
- Low sex drive
- Poor erectile function
- Mood swings
- Poor recovery
- Worsened body composition
Likely, you don’t want to experience these and neither do you want to stick testosterone needles in your body. If that’s the case, you are in the right place – In this article, we’ll give you the most important things you can start doing right away to boost your testosterone levels.
Naturally.
Now without further ado, let’s jump right into it!
Boosting Testosterone Naturally – The 5 Key Factors
Your testosterone levels naturally drop as you age, but before you jump into testosterone replacement therapy options, it is best to do a complete overhaul of your habits.
Here are the things that have the highest impact on your natural testosterone levels:
#1 Nutrition
Though it may be a hard-to-swallow pill, what you put in your body has a MAJOR effect on the way your bodily systems work. Including the hormonal (endocrine) system. It is a fact that food provides the body with essential nutrients, which the body needs but can’t produce on its own. Besides that, poor nutrition usually leads to the gain of excess weight.
High body fat levels have been shown to actually lower your testosterone levels. (1) This is why, if you want normal testosterone levels, you should at least keep a normal body composition. In terms of nutrients, fat & protein are the two most important components of your nutrition plan, which will nurture testosterone production.
Low intake of dietary fats has been shown to decrease testosterone levels in males. Nevertheless, though demonized, carbohydrates can also help optimize the testosterone response from resistance training. (2) In general, a healthy diet that consists of whole food and has balanced quantities of protein, fats, and carbohydrates, should do the job. Focus on foods like beef, chicken, pork, eggs, dairy, grains, beans, legumes, fish, fruits & veggies.
#2 Weight training
If you’re trying to give the body a reason to ramp up testosterone production, weight training is the perfect tool to do so. When you do workouts with heavier weights and shorter-lasting sets, you technically break down muscle tissue, in a process called “muscle protein breakdown”.
Paired with good nutrition, this powerful stimulus will unleash a flurry of anabolic (constructive) processes. And guess what… Testosterone production is a part of those anabolic processes!
The general guidelines are to workout at least 3 times a week if you are a beginner, and focus on compound movements (exercises that engage more than 1 muscle group). Whether you are a teen, young or adult male, weight training can and will boost your testosterone levels. (3)
#3 Sleep
Though many people consider the body and brain to be at complete rest while sleeping, that is actually not true. During sleep, we organize all the sensory information we got throughout the day, but we also recover and grow stronger and better. Besides that, bedtime is important for the regulation of many bodily systems, including the hormonal system. (4) In general, it is recommended that you have 6-8 hours of quality sleep per night, depending on how active you were throughout the day.
#4 Lifestyle
It is a fact that nowadays, many people use their bodies as vessels for sensory pleasure… This leads to many toxic, testosterone-lowering habits, such as drinking and smoking. If you want your body to really be at peak performance levels, there is no magical pill or supplement that will get you there. A lifestyle change is imminent and so, it should favor a lot of movement, quality food, and good recovery periods, as we talked about in points #1, #2 & #3
#5 Stress management
One of the WORST things about the modern-day lifestyle is that it puts you through A LOT of stress. When you’re stressed out (regardless of the factor), the body releases cortisol, which is the main stress hormone. Unfortunately, elevated cortisol levels have been proven to lower naturally-secreted testosterone. (5) This is why managing stress is of prime importance for your natural testosterone production.
If you feel the slightest bit of maintained stress, resort to practices like meditation, mindfulness, reading a book, going for a walk, or simply self-talking yourself to an internally regulated, calm state.
Conclusion
Testosterone is a key hormone for any male and it is a fact that its deficits can lead to unpleasant side effects no man would ever wish even to their worst enemy. Whether you are young or old, there are lifestyle changes you can implement, to favor natural testosterone production. Those are namely remaining active, feeding your body well, allowing for sufficient recovery & sleep, and last but not least, managing daily stress.
In doing all of this, you will more than likely be able to ramp up testosterone production and enjoy the benefits of normal test levels, regardless of age.
References
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1984562/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9029197/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22234399
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110531162142.htm#:~:text=The%20effects%20of%20sleep%20loss,2%20pm%20and%2010%20pm.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3880087/#:~:text=Human%20research%20has%20shown%20the,reductions%20in%20circulating%20testosterone%20levels.
by admin | Jan 9, 2022 | Mind
Wishing Into Existence
Part 2 – The Metaphysical Nature Of The Law Of Attraction
In the first article of this series, we learned that wishing things into existence is not just something magical. Rather, it is very intricately connected with your brain and its functions – In a way, wishing things into existence relates to your beliefs, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
This is where you have to start first.
By changing your beliefs, you influence the sequence of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that lead to your desired future on a physical level.
But then again, there are things that happen seemingly outside of you once you internally conform to the desired reality. These things are what we refer to as… You guessed it – “coincidences”!
The question is, do coincidences exist or are we just using that word to make sense of the unknown reality that happens once we start tapping into the potential of the law of attraction?
The Secret
The Law of Attraction has become a popular topic in the past decade and even has a very popular book behind it, named “The Secret.”
Many people have read that and other books about the law and even practiced visualization techniques to attract their desired future into their lives. But there are many misconceptions about the Law, which might be why some people don’t get results when using it.
The Heart & Brain
One of the most common misconceptions about the law of attraction is that visualization is the key to achieving your desired future.
And while it is undoubtedly a part of the process, visualization is not really the entirety of ‘the secret.’ It has been suspected that wishing things into existence is not just a matter of tuning your thoughts, beliefs, and actions into your future, but doing it for your energy field, as well. By “energy field,” we don’t mean a mystical aura with no actual scientific proof of existence.
We imply the energy field used by certain medical practitioners to measure the function of the brain and the heart.
“Wait, what?! The brain and the heart have a FIELD around them…?”
Yes, that’s absolutely right! And it makes sense because the body works with electrical signals, and every electrical signal has an electromagnetic field around it.
The Missing Link
With the above said in mind… Did you know that the heart has a stronger magnetic field than the brain? And did you also know that the heart has its own brain-like cells that function the same way as the ones in the brain? This implies that both the brain and the heart hold their very own memories and emotions. Even more so, it appears that the heart holds the strongest of emotions and may just channel them, to enhance your field … And attract the like!
The missing link, in this case, is the emotion, which you add up with the visualization to create your dream reality.
Do Your Work & Surrender
When you are trying to wish things into existence, you must accept that your human nature that wants an explanation for everything just may not work in your favor.
Instead, what you have to do is tune in your brain and heart, follow up with them, and surrender to the chance that your desired reality will come in the least expected way, but you will be there at just the right time.
Here’s how it works:
- Visualize & FEEL your desired future
This first step allows you to see & experience your desired future ahead of time as if it had already happened.
Since emotions are usually generated after an event has already occurred, a pre-generated emotion ahead of time may trick the brain into believing that the future has already happened.
Therefore, the thoughts, feelings, and emotions you’ll have after that fine-tuning will be oriented solely towards achieving your goal.
- Surrender!
Once you take care of your part, which is to tune your brain and heart to feel and act as if your desired future has already occurred, it’s time to… Surrender.
Surrender to all the possible ways in which your wish may come into existence.
Don’t try to frame, predict and force it into existence.
Do your part and let the universe do the rest because when you do, that unknown, unfamiliar future that you’d otherwise try to predict and create will surprise you in unexpected ways.
Final Thoughts
The law of attraction is a metaphysical concept that suggests you can attract things into your life by focusing on them.
This idea has been around for centuries, but it’s recently gained popularity in the last few years thanks to its use by celebrities and social media influencers.
However, this belief system is not without skeptics who wonder if it may be just another fad or scam looking to make money off people’s hopes and dreams.
One thing is for sure, though – Manifestation is an intimate connection between you, your brain, your heart, thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and… A tiny bit of help from the universe.
Focus on YOUR part and create the future of your dreams. Here and now.
References
- The Secret – Book by Rhonda Byrne
- Becoming Supernatural – Book by Dr. Joe Dispenza
- The Biology Of Belief – Book by Dr. Bruce Lipton
- The Divine Matrix – Book by Gregg Braden
by admin | Jan 9, 2022 | Mind, Fitness
Wishing Things Into Existence
Part I – Priming The Brain
We all know of the law of attraction – positive and negative thoughts bring correspondingly good and bad experiences. This, in essence, means that whatever you manifest into the world, the same type of thing you’ll end up finding in the world around you. What you probably didn’t know is that you can use your brain’s powerful abilities to make sure this works in your favor. In this series, we explain how and why this works both on a personal and universal level.
So without further ado, let’s get to it already!
First Steps
Alright, alright, before you jump right into becoming a warlock who turns around just to see his 1-second old thought manifested, there are some logical things to do.
Let’s have a look at the baby steps everyone should take when considering to develop the skill of wishing things into existence.
#1 Figure Out What You Want
In order to get anywhere, first, you need a destination. Although this seems self-explanatory, many people aren’t all that sure as to what they really want. This is by no means is a bad state because it allows you to achieve pretty much anything. However, to actually fulfill any sort of journey, you first have to know where you currently are and where you want to go. Try asking yourself what some of the core things that make you happy are – they might be places, activities, people, qualities you have.
The list is endless. Don’t limit yourself either with quantity or size here – daring to dream of something is the only possible path to obtaining it. For example, if NASA had worried about how far the moon actually is, Neil Armstrong would have probably never set off, let alone land. And just look at where we are now! Remember that limits primarily exist in your mind and nowhere else.
#2 Identify Ways To Achieve Your Dreams
Once you’re sure you’ve set a goal (or ten;), you can then move on to the next step.
It’s essential to look at the big things first. If you’re planning a vacation, you tend to first figure out where you’ll sleep and how you’ll get there and then worry about parking spaces and restaurant reservations. The same rules apply for any sort of plan – you make sure you have the basics down, and only then do you start sussing out the details. Personally, I find it really useful to write down my initial core ideas because it helps me visualize them easier and see my strengths and weaknesses.
However, if this doesn’t sound like your type of thing, it is in no way necessary.
#3 Believe That You’re Capable Of Anything
Some of you might find this part tricky, but it’s crucial to progress. The moment you trust you can do something, you can hold yourself accountable and start working towards it.
Think about it – if you need something done, you rely on the people that you believe can actually achieve it, not the ones you doubt could manage.
The same thing applies to you personally – if you trust your own abilities, you know the goal is possible, and therefore you’re responsible for its successful fulfillment.
The important word here, “responsible”, may sound a bit scary at first, but it’s a part of the means which get you to your destination.
As an added bonus, the sense of fulfillment once you’ve done something you held yourself accountable for is much sweeter than pretty much any other feeling in the same ballpark.
How The Magic Happens
Alright, so you have all these things aligned in your brain, but how and when does the magic happen?
Let’s have a look!
The Brain Wants To Prove Itself Right
When you have formulated a statement, your brain’s innate desire is to prove it correct. This means that it will do everything in its power to get you to that specific point. And, this happens both consciously and subconsciously and is a process on which certain evolutionary improvements have occurred.
Strengthening The Connections Between Certain Neurons
The easiest way to explain this is through neurological connections. “Neurons that fire together, wire together” is the simplified explanation of this phenomenon. Picture this as one neuron being responsible for the statement and the other for the action itself.
The stronger their connection, the easier the process – this means that by repeating the statement and supporting it with small activities, which prove it right, more significant positive outcomes will be much more attainable.
Fight Alongside Instead Of Against Yourself
Once your brain is working in the right direction, it is pretty much impossible to experience any form of self-sabotage. Everything is simpler, faster, and more enjoyable when the connection itself between affirmation and action has become a fact. This also means that you will grow to recognize and appreciate any progress, which will build up your self-esteem and allow you to aim higher and achieve bigger goals.
It’s basically a positive feedback loop, which you, yourself, program inside your brain. Priming your brain with the right ideas is essential to getting yourself to where you want to be.
Final Thoughts
However it is one of the two main parts responsible for the success of the process. In the following article, we tackle how the rest of the outside world conforms to that to create your personal vision. The entire universe can work in your favor and how this happens is incredibly curious. With that in mind, we invite you on an adventure far bigger than us as individuals, but one that is still aimed at improving each of us separately and more to the point, one in which we steer the ship.
And so, are you ready to have a look at the more metaphysical aspect of this?
Read on in part two!
by admin | Jan 9, 2022 | Diet, Fitness
The Yo Yo Effect | Part 2 – How To Lose Fat & Keep It Off
The Most Important Things For Sustained Weight Loss
#1 A Moderate Caloric Deficit
A caloric deficit is the first and most important requirement for any fat loss diet to work – It implies consuming fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its body weight. (Find that number by clicking HERE.)
And though a caloric deficit means looking and feeling better in your own skin, for the body it means ‘controlled starvation.’
Through this starvation, the body tries to adapt by lowering our energy output as a response to the deficit of energy.
This is why a caloric deficit must be moderate – This will allow you to still have energy for any daily mental and physical activities, as well as healthy functioning of all internal systems.
Furthermore, a moderate caloric deficit will allow you to retain your lean body mass (all tissues in the body except fat), which you inevitably lose during a period of time eating in a caloric deficit.
Set your daily caloric deficit at around 400-500 calories lower than your maintenance needs, or aim to lose around 1-2 lbs per week.
#2 Eat Plenty Of Protein & Fats!
Alright, a few paragraphs ago, we said that carb consumption isn’t the primary cause for weight loss.
Now you may be thinking, “Does that mean I can eat cakes and still lose fat?”.
And the answer is – Yes, absolutely!
As long as you’re in a deficit, you will lose weight, regardless of the content of food.
HOWEVER, the content of your foods will determine how your body composition changes, which is why the majority of your calories should come from quality food sources.
As we mentioned above, you will inevitably lose lean body mass during the process of weight loss.
But that can be minimized with the help of protein & fats (and weight training, which we’ll talk about in a bit).
As you may or may not know, dietary protein & fats are the two essential nutrients that our bodies need but can’t produce on their own.
This is why deriving them from quality food sources during a period of fat loss is essential for you to feel, look and perform better!
Set your daily protein at 0.8-1g per lb of body weight and your fats at 0.35-0.45g per lb of bodyweight!
#3 Don’t Forget Carbs!
Yes, carbs aren’t really your worst enemy on a weight loss diet plan!
Even more so, they can actually BENEFIT your weight loss and lean body mass retention.
How and why?
Well, it’s quite simple – Carbohydrates are the BEST source of energy for high-intensity training!
Better performance means a greater energy output and better stimulus for the muscles.
This makes it far easier for you to get in a deficit and furthermore, gives a reason for your body to retain the muscle mass.
After calculating your proteins and fats, give the rest of the calories to carbohydrates from quality sources, such as sweet potatoes, normal potatoes, starchy veggies, fruits, and honey!
#4 Train, Train Hard!
If you want to sculpt your body like a Greek sculpture during a period of fat loss, there is nothing better than combining the above-mentioned things with some hard-ass weight training.
Not only will intense training give your body a reason to retain the muscle mass, but it will also produce a myriad of benefits for your health… And make you look great.
Even more so, if you are a beginner or someone who has a lot of weight to lose, you might even gain some muscle WHILE losing fat.
Gaining muscle while losing fat is called body re-compositioning and is generally impossible for people with long training experience.
However, it can be done because re-compositioning is something reserved for beginners, people getting back to training after a lay-off, or individuals who are obese/overweight.
After The Diet Ends…
Alright, it’s been five months of vigorous dieting and training – You’re finally at your desired weight. Hooray!
What now? Can you ditch it all and go back to your old habits?
Well… It’s not recommended, really! That’s how the yo-yo effect kicks in.
You must realize that weight loss is the result of new, properly established habits.
The best you can do to keep the fat off afterward is simply maintain those habits.
Here are 5 must-dos after a successful weight loss phase:
- Gradually increase food
- Gradually increase training
- Keep making good nutritional choices
- Stay active
- Accept your new look & life!
Conclusion
The yo-yo effect of dieting is a common problem that people face.
There are many ways to avoid this, but it’s important not to go on an extreme diet and starve your body of the nutrients it needs.
Instead, try eating healthy foods in a caloric deficit and include plenty of training!
You can also look into how you live day to day – do you have time for yourself? Do you work too much or sleep enough?
These things all contribute towards weight loss, and how you feel, so be sure to think about them before going on a restrictive diet plan again!
Stay active and eat well without starving yourself! Find what’s sustainable.
Do you have any more questions? Feel free to ask by contacting us over at ______
by admin | Jan 9, 2022 | Diet
The Yo Yo Effect | Part 1 – What Is The Yo-Yo & Why Do We Gain Fat?
Carbs Are NOT To Blame For Fat Gain
We’ve all been there. We vow to start our diet on Monday, and by Wednesday, we’ve already cheated.
And okay, maybe next Monday we hop back on it, and through some months of torture, we finally achieve our desired weight… Only to regain 110% of it back in twice as little time as it took us to lose it in the first place.
But why is it so hard to stick to our diets? And why do most people manage to lose fat but NEVER seem actually to be able to keep it off? And what can we do to break this vicious cycle?
The secret is in the details…
Keep reading for tips on how to overcome the yo-yo effect of dieting!
What Is The Yo-Yo Effect?
- As we mentioned above, most people go through torturous phases to lose a solid amount of weight.
- Sooner or later, however, those same people regain all their weight back and some more.
- This is referred to as the “Yo-Yo effect” because, well, it’s like a Yo-Yo – You go down by a lot, suddenly, and then you come back up!
- Why does this happen? Let’s find out by reverse-engineering the process of fat loss.
Why Do We Gain Fat?
Before you go on to hop on a weight loss diet, it is a good idea to understand why you gained fat in the first place.
Contrary to popular belief, the reasons why people gain fat ARE NOT that:
- Too many carbs
- Too many sweets
- Because of hormones, that’s why
Rather, the most common reason for fat gain is one and the same – People consume way more calories from food than their bodies need to maintain their weight and healthy functioning!
- Because the body is a smart mechanism, it won’t allow any unused energy to be wasted – It will just be stored for later.
- And that “storage for later” is… Drum rolls, ka-ching, ka-chang… FAT!
- That’s right – The MAIN function of fat is to serve as an alternative energy source.
The Body Hates Drastic Changes
Alright, if fat is just an energy source, does that mean that simply using it will allow us to ‘burn’ it off?
That is absolutely right. The only way to lose fat is to use it!
And there is a precise, step-by-step system on how to do that, which we’ll talk about in part 2 of this article series.
Before that, however, there is one main consideration, which we want to emphasize on in this first part of this series…
The body hates drastic changes, especially when it comes to nutrition!
Any drastic change impacts the body negatively because it requires too sudden of an adaptation.
This includes, but is not limited to changes like:
- Suddenly reducing food to lose fat
- Suddenly stopping
- Suddenly stopping cigarettes
Think of any new habits, diets, and training regimens as the creation of a new environment for your body to thrive in.
The introduction to the new environment must be gradual so that the body can get familiar with it and transition smoothly.
Besides that, there are many other little things to factor in, which is exactly what we’ll touch on in part two of this article series.
Read Next…
With all of the above-said in mind, we can conclude that successful and sustained fat loss must be done with the gradual introduction of new, better habits, rather than flash-dieting!
In part 2 of this article series, we’ll go over the four most important considerations that’ll help you do just that!
See you in part 2!
