Testosterone.

That word is synonymous with “male.”

However, as men age, their natural levels of testosterone begin to decline. You start losing this hormone, responsible for your metabolism, muscle mass and sex drive from the age of 30. This puts you at a greater risk for:

• Obesity,
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Depression, and
• Cardiovascular Disease

Thankfully, there are ways you can counteract the ravages of time. Here are five ways you can boost your testosterone – NATURALLY!

5 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Testosterone

#1 – Eat Healthy Fats

Despite what the heavily subsidized grain industry would have you believe, healthy fats are not evil. Fat is needed for your body to be able to metabolize vitamins, like A, D, E, and K. Consuming healthy fats can also help you naturally boost your testosterone levels! Healthy fats include:

• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Egg yolks
• Avocados
• Fatty fish
• Nuts

#2 – Get the Right Cholesterol

Cholesterol is bad, right?  WRONG! Testosterone is essentially made from cholesterol! So, for that reason, you need cholesterol in your diet… but, you need the right cholesterol – HDL, also known as high density lipoprotein. This “good cholesterol” is actually associated with improved cardiovascular health and weight loss, along with improvement in testosterone levels. Stay away from “bad cholesterol” – LDL, low-density lipoprotein. Good sources of HDL include most of the healthy fats list:

• Fatty fish (like tuna and salmon)
• Nuts and seeds (almonds, chia seeds, flaxseed, etc.)
• High soluble fiber fruits (apple, pears, prunes)
• Olive oil
• Red wine (1 glass, a few times per week)
• Berries also boost HDL

#3 – Supplements

There are several supplements you can take to help improve your testosterone levels. These include:

• Zinc,
• Vitamin D and
• Branched Chain Amino Acids

#4 – Maximize Your Workout

Here are some tips for maximizing the testosterone effect with your workout.

• Do high reps/low intensity – stay at 70 to 80% of your 1 rep max
• Squats have been shown to improve testosterone
• Working the large muscles of the upper back have also been shown to have positive testosterone results
• Do no more of 60 minutes of moderate to high intensity workouts, as longer hours of training can decrease your testosterone.

#5 – Sleep

Lack of sleep can significantly reduce your testosterone levels. Try to get 7 to 9 hours  of sleep per night and be sure to turn off any screens in the bedroom – TVs, computers, phones. Ambient light can disrupt sleep patterns. If you need sound to fall asleep, try a fan or white noise machine – definitely no radios or TVs where the sound level, tone and intensity can change and interrupt your snoozing.