How To Get Your Mojo Back Midlife

I was forwarded an article from a friend a few days ago entitled: ‘What to eat to get your mojo back in midlife: The revolutionary new diet that tackles changing hormones – it can help you AND your man turn back the years‘ – how dare they!! Well, rather than get upset by their use of mojo I thought I’d feature this article, from the Daily Mail. There are lots of methods for increasing testosterone naturally through nutrition – and of course fitness – otherwise I’d not be doing this.

The first thought I’d quote is about how excess belly fat leads to a decrease in testosterone. This is because it contains an enzyme called aromatase which converts testosterone to two different kinds of oestrogen:

HOW HIS PAUNCH IS LOWERING HIS LIBIDO

Hormones play a significant role for men, as well. Weight gain around the middle, sleep problems, exhaustion, low libido and erectile dysfunction are all a sign of slipping testosterone levels, which fall in middle age.

Testosterone is essential for maintaining muscle, mood bone growth and sexual function. But because levels drop by 1 to 2 per cent each year from the age of 40, men often notice less muscle tone and more body fat – particularly around the gut.

In men, carrying this extra weight compounds the health problems associated with ageing. Fat ratchets up the metabolising of testosterone, meaning the more fat on the body, the more quickly it burns through your fast-dwindling testosterone supplies. Extra fat leaches testosterone out of the blood, causing energy and libido to wilt.

SLOW BURN

By the age of 45, you burn 200 fewer calories per day than you did when you were 25.

And that paunch is the worst offender. In men, belly fat actually converts testosterone to oestrogen, which reduces sex drive and can cause an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

Declining testosterone levels can also cause hair to thin, feelings of depression, low bone density, height loss and reduced muscle strength.

Sorry men, if you’re carrying around a few extra pounds, this will harm your testosterone levels – and libido. Shifting it is not as hard as you may anticipate – it’s all about controlling insulin, your fat storing hormone – and of course moving and strengthening your body. Sugars and high GI carbs trigger a spike in insulin so removing those from your diet is the simplest and fastest way to shift those pounds. Switch to low GI carbs from plenty of veggies (sorry, potatoes are high glycemic and trigger insulin), and if you’re still hungry, think about sweet potatoes (lower on the glycemic index), quinoa (high in protein too), wild rice, millet, buckwheat, butternut squash as replacements. Avoid bread. Click here for more on the grain debate.  Better still, up your fat intake rather than any of those replacements except for quinoa which is amazing. Health fat does not cause you to store fat as it does not trigger a sharp insulin response. Think eggs, avocados, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, olives, olive oils, coconut oil, eggs. Lots of eggs. Did I forget to mention, eggs?   See what Dr Caroline Apovian has to say about diet:

Diet plays a huge role in men’s testosterone production. Zinc and magnesium are vital, and without cholesterol – the kind found in ‘good’ fats, such as in oily fish and nuts – the body cannot manufacture the hormone. Other foods, such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage – can boost testosterone by removing oestrogen from men’s bodies.

Mushrooms are a great source of zinc

Egg yolks: Eat whole eggs to boost testosterone levels, because cholesterol is converted into testosterone.

Whole grains: brown rice, bulgur, couscous, amaranth, barley and quinoa contain vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that promote prostate health. Eat 100g/4tbsp with your meals.

Tomato sauce: The lycopene, the bright red pigment found in tomatoes (particularly processed tomatoes) has been found to lower the risk of cancers, including prostate cancer. For maximum absorption, eat with fat – spoon tomato sauce cooked with olive oil over a small portion of wholewheat pasta.

Watermelon: Foods rich in potassium can definitively reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke, and watermelon has more potassium – 664mg – in one large slice than a banana or a glass of orange juice.

Mushrooms: Research links zinc deficiency with low testosterone levels, so unless you have access to oysters (2-3 is enough to give you a day’s supply of zinc), fuel up on other sources of zinc – lean meats, seafood, spinach, and mushrooms. This will help protect you against prostate cancer, maintain testosterone levels, and enhance sexual function.

Read full article by clicking here

Later on she talks about ways to get more sleep which is definitely key in balancing hormones. I’d say go easy on the bulgar wheat and barley grains (except for quinoa) as they’re still high glycemic and I’d also suggest not drinking cow’s milk – switch to almond milk. She talks about how this us useful for sleep. Milk is really designed for calves, baby cows, not humans, nor human babies. Just saying. I have a whole other article on milk which I’ll be featuring soon. Watch this space.

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