Eat Your Testosterone – What?!

I get asked frequently about testosterone therapy and testosterone in general.  Many customers are surprised when I start the discussion with a quiz about their diets.  Foods rich in certain nutrients will help you raise your natural testosterone levels.  Also, eliminating antagonists to testosterone production will help.  I am not a doctor, so as always for the truest test you should you’re your testosterone levels checked by your doctor at your next regular appointment to get the facts specific to you.  Here are some tips:


Foods that Boost Testosterone

Food that increases testosterone is not just for men, by the way, since women also naturally produce some testosterone in their bodies and it plays a vital roles for them as well, not the least of which is keeping a healthy libido.

The general rule to keep in mind is that you want to focus on foods that contain more protein and fats.  Generally, carbs aren’t the answer, except that there are a few carb sources that are phyto-sterols which many believe also help increase your natural testosterone levels.

Despite what common wisdom claims, eatings fats doesn't make you fat, as long as they are natural fats, and not trans-fats. In fact, natural fats help keep you lean. Our bodies were evolved to metabolize natural fats readily.  And together with rich protein sources, natural fats also help your body manufacture more testosterone hormone.

Having given you the general rule to follow in selecting foods, good specific choices for foods that increase testosterone would include:

Beef -- Yep, enjoy that juicy steak.  Try to keep your beef intake slanted towards actual cuts of meats (strip, flank, roast, filet) and no too much chopped meat like hamburger as there is less control of the amount of and type of fat in those blends.

Chicken and Eggs -- Both are great sources of protein. And make sure you don't throw out the egg yolks as many folks do. 
The yolks are loaded with important vitamins like B1 and B2 and nutrients like lutein which maintain healthy eyes. But, they are also a good source for cholesterol, which -- believe it or not -- testosterone is produced from. 

And by the way, moderate consumption of egg yolks will not appreciably raise your cholesterol levels either. In fact, almost 90% of your body's cholesterol is manufactured by your liver, not from the foods you eat.

Seafood -- Especially Oysters. Seafood is high in protein, contains basically no carbs, and oysters in particular are loaded with the mineral zinc. Zinc has many functions in the body and just a couple of those are aiding in muscle manufacture and increased testosterone levels.  That’s why many people take ZMA (Zinc, Magnesium Aspartate) as a supplement (we have a great Max ZMA product).

Vegetables and Herbs to Boost Testosterone Hormone

Believe it or not, there are also solid non-meat sources that should top your list of the foods that boost testosterone.

Just a couple of these are broccoli and cabbage, and both for the same reason -- that is, because they contain something called Indole-3-carbinol.

Indole-3-carbinol, in simple terms, helps to reduce estrogen. Estogen is the hormone that females produce more of (just like men produce more testosterone). However, men also naturally produce some estrogen.

If you have too much estrogen, it can result in more fat and less muscle, which is all bad for testosterone production.

Garlic is a wonderful herb that contains a potent active ingredient called allicin that helps to increase testosterone. 

For a double whammy effect, slice fresh garlic thinly, then crisp lightly in a pan with a bit of butter or olive oil; finally, crack some eggs in the pan for garlic sunny side eggs. Delicious!

This is one of the editor's favorite food that increases testosterone, which he regularly eats for breakfast and helps keep his energy, vitality, and testosterone levels at peak levels.

Carbohydrates

There is some limited research that shows certain carbs help testosterone production.  Phyto-sterols contained in oatmeal and rice bran oil have been shown to be helpful to testosterone production.

Finally, an herb called Tribulus terrestris is something that elite athletes and bodybuilders use to boost their testosterone levels.


Tribulus terrestris is both a libido enhancer (and has been proven in multiple clinical trials in this regard) and has an ability to increase testosterone.

How does it work?  Well, our bodies contain something called luteinizing hormone. One of luteinizing hormone's functions is to command the production of testosterone in our bodies.  As we age, the level of luteinizing hormone gradually diminishes.  Tribulus terrestris helps by naturally boosting the levels of luteinizing hormone which, therefore, can help our bodies produce more of the testosterone hormone again.

4x Nutrition has numerous products with Tribulus in it, a few are Trib 650, Finaflex PCT, Pro Supps Halotropin and USP’s PRIME to name a few.

There are many other herbs and vitamins that many believe increase natural testosterone production so for more information you should come check out some of those natural anabolic optimizers at the store and talk to one of our Certified Fitness Nutrition Coaches to learn more.

Spine Health Supplements

4x Nutrition wants you to be prepared for your free Posture Assessment and Spinal Cord check. Dr. Gena Bofshever will be here on Saturday, July 21^st from 11am-2pm.

As most people are well aware, good nutrition and a balanced diet are important components of overall health. What may surprise people with back problems is that diet, nutrition and maintaining a healthy weight also play a major role in the back – including preventing many problems and healing from injuries. Eating a balanced diet that includes the right amount and variety of vitamins and nutrients will reduce back problems by nourishing bones, muscles, discs and other structures of the spine.

Here’s a partial list of supplement choices that can be directly beneficial for helping maintain a healthy spine which leads to good posture.

Vitamin A – An antioxidant that assists the immune system in fighting off diseases. It’s good for the back because it helps repair tissue and helps in the formation of bone. (Food sources: beef, chicken liver; dairy products like milk, butter, cheese and eggs; apricots, nectarines and cantaloupe; orange and green vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach)

Vitamin B12 – Necessary for healthy bone marrow and for the body – and the spine – to grow and function normally. (Food sources: meat products, such as liver, fish and red meat and poultry; dairy products like milk, eggs and cheese; and green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale and broccoli)

Vitamin C – Necessary for the development of collagen, which is an important part of the process that allows cells to be able to form into tissue. This is extremely important for healing problems caused by injured tendons, ligaments and vertebral discs, as well as for keeping bones and other tissues strong. (Food sources: strawberries, kiwi, oranges, grapefruit and tomatoes; broccoli, spinach, red and green peppers, sweet and white potatoes)

Vitamin D – Helps improve calcium absorption, which is important for the development of strong and healthy bones. Adequate calcium absorption is particularly important to help prevent development of osteoporosis, a disorder characterized by weak and brittle bones in the spine that can result in painful vertebral fractures. (Food sources: egg yolks, fish oils and most brands of fortified milk; can also be obtained by spending time in the sunlight)

Vitamin K – Needed for the bones to properly use calcium. The combination of vitamin K and calcium works to help bones throughout the body stay strong. (Food sources: liver, pork, spinach, kale, broccoli and dairy products)

Calcium – Essential for bone health and helps maintain the necessary level of bone mass throughout the lifespan and especially in old age. Calcium intake helps prevent the development of osteoporosis. (Food sources: yogurt, cheese, milk, spinach, broccoli, kale, peanuts, almonds, sesame seeds, black beans, salmon, sardines, corn tortillas and tofu)

Don’t get overwhelmed by all these supplements. No need to buy these supplements separately. 4x Nutrition has just the thing. The supplements needed for maintaining optimum spine health are contained in one product – ENVIE. It’s a complete multi-vitamin, mineral, amino, greens and antioxidant formula. ENVIE contains all-natural, organic ingredients. It also contains digestive enzymes to help improve nutrient absorption to over 90% which is double of what most vitamins deliver. ENVIE contains an equivalent of a full serving of fruits and vegetables. It tastes good too! A yummy wild berry powder that mixes easily with water and just one small scoop a day is all you need.

While you’re at 4x Nutrition getting your posture assessment and spinal check with Dr. Gena, why not pick up some ENVIE? Then you’ll be on your way to maintaining a healthy spine.

If you have further questions, please see one of the Certified Sports Nutritionist the next time you’re at 4x Nutrition. We’re happy to help any way we can.

Missy Taylor, Certified Sports Nutritionist

L-Leucine Earths Mightiest Amino

In our last blog post we talked about the internal working of how muscle grow. Now I'll turn you on to one of the most powerful aminos that will take your mild manner physic to superman levels.


First up the science of Leucine: L-Leucine is an essential amino acid, which simply means our bodies cannot produce it and we must get it from dietary sources. Leucine is the most abundant of the three branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) in muscles (the other two are isoleucine and valine). BCAAs make up a high proportion of the amino acids in muscle. They are unique because they are the only amino acids burned by muscles as fuel; thus, both blood 
and muscle levels of BCAAs decrease after exercise.


 Most people know that consuming protein induces an increase in muscle protein synthesis, which is why protein supplements are popular to consume after exercise. 

Now researchers are refining their knowledge on why protein stimulates anabolism (building up) in muscle. Scientists have shown it is the level of amino acids in the blood that directly boosts protein synthesis in muscles. In particular, the amino acid leucine is most highly related to protein synthesis.


Leucine directly activates a critical compound in muscle called the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin). It turns out mTOR is like a molecular switch that turns on the machinery that manufactures muscle proteins and leucine is one of the major activators of mTOR. So leucine not only provides the building blocks for protein synthesis, it also plays a critical role in up-regulating the process. Even when an overabundance of amino acids are available to provide the building materials for new muscle, adding extra leucine augments protein synthesis rates further. The bottom line is that adding additional leucine to your diet is an effective strategy to maximize muscle anabolism after resistance exercise.


But wait there's more! Leucine helps more then just the would be Superman, for those looking to burn fat and lean out L-Leucine can help you get a rocking hot body as well! A large number of studies have shown that high protein diets help spare muscle loss during dieting and weight loss. Researchers at the University of Illinois conducted studies that examined weight loss diets containing 10 grams of leucine per day and 125 grams total of protein per day with a minimum of 2.5 grams of leucine at each meal. In two separate studies, the groups consuming high leucine diets had greater weight loss, greater fat loss and better preservation of lean body mass!

Stop by today and let us show you some of our favorite Leucine containing products, like Amino Energy from ON or Modern BCAA by USP Labs. All have just the right amount of L-Leucine so you can reach your next body changing goal. 

Till next time,

Mikie