Building muscle and trimming fat are the main too goals of most men that exercise. Whether you are training for a sport, or just want to look good naked, then more muscles and less fat is likely to be your goal. We all know that diet plays an important role in helping to build and maintain muscle. However, few people realise that diet also plays a role in the amount of testosterone that is produced, and testosterone is essential to muscle growth.
A natural bodybuilders diet focusses on consuming both proteins to build muscles, and also the right foods to boost testosterone levels.
Testosterone Boosting Foods:
Peanut Butter
Nuts are full of mono unsaturated fat, and men that eat higer amounts of these fats have higher testosterone levels according to International Journal of Sports Medicine. In fact, a variety of nuts is good for increased testosterone levels, plus nuts are a good source of protein.
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are a real hippy food, and therefore perfect for a natural bodybuilder! Sun flower seeds are packed with vitamin E which increases testosterone levels, according to research published in the Journal of Plant Foods For Human Nutrition. Sunflower seeds are in fact the best source of vitamin E available, with just 30g of seeds providing 90% of your RDA of vitamin E. In addition to the E’s they are also a bumper harvest of proteins (muscle), fat, selenium and zinc, all of which keep the body working more efficiently and help to elevate muscle building hormones.
Eggs
Our old friend the egg – one of the best sources of protein for vegetarians, and a favourite snack for everyone else looking to get extra protein. But also great for boosting testosterone. Eggs are full of zinc and are considered to be an essential ingredient to maintaining testosterone levels, according to the Journal of Urology. It logically follows that chicken breasts are also a great zinc / testosterone source. If you love eggs, you’ll love The Egg Diet.
Broccoli
Greens are good for us, and broccoli possibly tops the list. Along with sprouts, broccoli reduces oestrogen levels and makes testosterone more active in the body. If you cover the broccoli in cheese sauce, this will help even more, as the fats in cheese will boost testosterone too.
Cabbage
The classic addition to any plate at Sunday lunchtime, the humble cabbage, feared by school children the world over, is now our friend. Cabbage has a secret ingredient, and that secret is IC3. IC3 is a phyto-chemical that boosts testosterone. The Rockefeller University Hospital found that men who were given IC3 had lower oestrogen levels halved, and testosterone increased too.
Garlic
Garlic seems to have no end of uses. From improving circulation and keeping the heart healthy to warding of vampires, it really is our smelly friend. The reason why garlic is good for testosterone, according to the Journal of Nutrition, is its secret ingredient, allicin, which boosts testosterone. However, the garlic must be raw, as allicin becomes useless when cooked.
Avocado
Avocado always seems to sneak in to any healthy diet, which is odd, as not many people eat them. Out of all of these foods, avocado is possibly the best one to go for – although choosing all is preferable. Avocados contain vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K, folic acid and potassium – and all of these help your testosterone glands to function efficiently. They also contain healthy fats and fibre, plus zinc and protein. A true powerhouse of nutrition for any serious natural bodybuilder / athlete.
If you make an effort to include these foods into your diet, and also follow the 10 Foods For a Fat Burning Diet and follow some simple tips on Protein Timing then you should start to see the fat turning to muscle in no time. There is also an additional advantage of boosting your testosterone levels – it will boost your libido too, and you will become a wild stallion between the bed sheets. However, do not let this make you miss your workouts!
Running out of muscle building ideas? Build muscle like Batman or do the Bruce Lee workout.
In the news this week are reports that testosterone levels are related to health, in a positive way. The study saw an improvement of health in women who have heart disease / cardiovascular problems. Researchers concluded that;
Paper: Testosterone therapy in women with chronic heart failure: a pilot double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010 Oct 12;56(16):1310-6.