Home & Lifestyle winter 2018

Boost testosterone naturally

T estosterone is the main sex hormone produced by men and is responsible for many masculine characteristics. The hormone plays a role in growing facial and body hair, regulating sex drive, building muscle mass and mental wellbeing. Therefore, lacking the hormone can result in hair loss, increased body fat, reduced muscle mass and a low libido. Boosting testosterone can merely be put down to this: get enough sleep, eat well, stay active and manage your stress. Sleep is important to maintain a healthy body. A lack of sleep inhibits your body to produce many hormones including testosterone. Research has shown that testosterone levels are higher the longer you sleep. It is recommended that you achieve 7-9 hours of good quality sleep each night to give your body enough time to rest and repair.

Your body produces testosterone in response to how active you are. Basically, if you don’t exercise your body reduces testosterone production as it is not required to support muscular growth and bone density. Similarly, increasing your activity levels stimulates your testosterone production to improve muscle mass and bone density. Research shows that multi-joint exercises such as squats, dead lifts and bench presses are the way to go. Free-weights are also preferred over machines as your core muscles are more engaged triggering more testosterone production. When you are under physical or emotional stress, your body releases the hormone Cortisol. High levels of cortisol within the body reduces the amount of testosterone produced by the body. Therefore, reducing stress and subsequently cortisol will help to maintain testosterone levels.

When it comes to your diet and testosterone, zinc and vitamin D are of particular interest. Zinc plays an important role in testosterone production and even a mild deficiency can impact hormone levels. The good news is an adequate amount of zinc is usually achieved by maintaining a well-balanced diet. The best foods for zinc include beef, turkey, prawns, scallops, seeds, lentils, spinach and asparagus. A study on the link between vitamin D and testosterone, has shown that individuals with higher levels of vitamin D, also have higher testosterone. There are small amounts of the vitamin available in fish, eggs, UV-irradiated mushrooms and fortified milk or cereal products. However, the best source of vitamin D is not obtained through diet but through exposure to sunlight.

Simple and Tasty Chicken Punjabi Curry Ingredients 4-6 Chicken thighs whole 2 tablespoons oil or gee 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 4 Cloves minced garlic 1-2 onions finely chopped 2 tablespoons grated ginger 1 small tomato, chopped 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon garam masala 1 tablespoon tumeric 1-2 green chillies, chopped 1 cup water Method 1. Heat oil on medium heat and add cumin seeds, once change colour add the onion and saute 5 mins. 2. Add ginger and garlic cook another 5 mins or until onions brown. 3.Add tomato paste, chillies, tomato, tumeric, garam masala and stir to mix then add water. 4. Bring to boil then simmer 5 mins. (Gravy should be thick not watery) 5. Add chicken, mix well and cook on low heat 40 mins or until tender. Garnish with coriander and serve with rice. Serves 2-3

& Lifestyle Magazine | Winter 2018

6 Home