The Elephant in the Room
We live in very interesting times.
Watching a recent Joe Rogan interview with Alex Curry (episode 1760) about 30 minutes in, I jumped up with a start! Joe was speaking about his interview with Dr Shanna Swan (episode 1638) where she spoke about the hidden dangers of phthalates in the environment. Alex was shocked to say the least, but then went on to say about how when he looks at pictures of Texans in the 1930's compared with the average person in Austin today, then the difference is beyond belief.
It reminded me of a couple of articles that appeared online recently, which states that millions of men worldwide suffer from low testosterone, and its often misdiagnosed.
Worse still, the shame and helplessness that can come from this situation is huge.
We men often sit in silence, and are too proud to ask for help. I know it personally through seeing close family members suffer in silence, and I also saw the sad consequences of them doing so.
You know the world is in trouble when you have Elon Musk talking about the declining birth rates, and how mankind may well extinct itself via infertility.
30 years ago it was rare to hear of a couple undergoing IVF, now its commonplace.
30 years ago, the average male looked a lot more buff then they do now.
But is it just low testosterone? And what is causing the changes in males globally?
It's a fact that our testosterone levels 'on average" are between 25 - 35% lower than they were on average in the 1970's. It also shown that the "natural" (I would dispute this but ...) decline from aged 30 is also steeper. So the double whammy of a lower start point and a sharper decline doesn't bode well now for the average 40 year old guy.
Add to that, not only are "we" not producing as much testosterone to begin with, we also aren't able to utilise it sufficiently in our bodies, due to our hormone receptor sites being "blocked" by testosterone imposters.
I appreciate that none of us like to be average, and no guy wants to even contemplate that he isn't at the top edge of the testosterone scale. Me included. But the truth is, there is a war going on, and we guys need to be prepared as best we can be.
I know its tough for guys to face this, but unless we do, we are buggered. It's not weak to ask for help, it's not wrong to admit to self that things need to change. Best of all, there are many things that can be done to change this, without the need for medical intervention.
I am no Doctor, nor is anything below medical advice, it's merely what I have found works for me, and my suggestion for areas in your life you might wish to review. Tips I live by to help me be the best I can be are as follows (but don't take my word for it, check it out yourself, and do what works best for you)
1. Avoid Foods that Disrupt Sex Hormones
Things like soy and hops are very estrogenic in nature, so a diet rich in these will not help your male hormone levels. Brewers droop is real, the people working in the UK hop fields experienced massive estrogenic overload, merely by touching hops. So be aware, when you pick up that cold one, its not going to be good on a regular basis - and that's from a man who loves beer.
2. Eat Whole Fresh Foods. Organic if Possible. And Avoid Simple Sugars.
What blew me away was to hear that in a "super slurpy", whatever that is, there are 93 grams of sugar!!!! Insulin resistance is a big issue for testosterone levels and utilisation, so avoid at all costs. We have lost the art of cooking that our grandparents had. I love it when my wife prepares amazing food from fresh seasonal ingredients, rather than going for the convenience of packaged food. Yes we are all time poor, but every choice has a consequence. Why not make that 10 minutes of preparation of your meal something of joy, putting good intentions into the process, and knowing your health will be improving. I learnt to cook at 15, when my mum was seriously ill, and whilst I am never going to win Masterchef, I do recognise the benefit of cooking for me, even though now I am married to a master chef.
3. Eat Plenty of 'Good' Fats.
'Good' fats -- such as cultured butter, ghee, extra-virgin olive oil, macadamia oil -- are the precursors for so many essential functions in the body, including sex hormone production. We have recently added organic beef tallow to our food, and it's had amazing benefits
4. Stay Away from Phthalates
Be aware of the personal care products that you use in daily life that contain phthalates, that Dr Shanna Swan mentioned. Also, plastics used in packaging that leach chemicals into the contents, foods that contain plasticisers (yes foods!), personal care products, toilet rolls and and and. Dr Shanna's book "Count Down: How Our Modern World is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race" is a must read. These hormones mimic and block natural testosterone, preventing whatever level of testosterone you have from doing its job.
5. Boost Gut Health
A lot of what we eliminate goes through the gut, so having good gut health will support a positive elimination of toxins. Same with liver health. The liver is the detox powerhouse, removing and regulating our homeostasis. If it's subpar, then we have real problems eliminating unwanted waste products, and then that causes real big issues for our bodies.
6. Detox Regularly
Use an infra red sauna if you have access to one, as sweating allows the cells to let go of stored toxins. Incorporate fasting to your life to do a deep clean. Take products that help support the detox process, such as activated charcoal, clays and green juices.
7. Enjoy Sensible Sunshine
The ancient Gladiators knew that sun on your balls helped them get stronger! I am not suggesting naked sun-bathng in public, but a little sunlight early morning will help your body with it's functions as well as help to regulate circadian rhythms.
8. Relax
Nothing is worse for testosterone than constant stress. Cortisol supersedes testosterone in the body. Remember, when our ancestors needed the fight or flight response to survive, stress was the key to passing on their genes., so those who evolved with a good response to stress, bred. Simple as that, Now however, we have chronic stress, not acute stress, and it's a huge cause of sexual function disruption. Think about it, our body prioritises stress hormones rather than sex hormones, as a survival function. Glad it does. But the body doesn't know the difference between stress hormones when we are in danger Vs stress hormones when we have a report deadline to meet, or someone pinched the last toilet roll in the supermarket. So take time to mediate, or whatever your preferred method of stress relief is, and you will be surprised by how your body responds.
There is so much to say on this subject. These are just a few of the things I do on a daily basis, so I can maximise my own sex hormone output and utilisation. Let me know what you do for you, in the comments below, so we can share your tips in the community.
