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11 Top Testosterone boosting foods for men

testostorone rich foods

Have you been working out hard in the gym with no results? Have you wondered what could be the reason? We are all aware that workout does a lot of good to our body. A regular workout does everything from increasing your odds of living longer to supporting your memory function and for men, a good workout can also boost your testosterone.

While testosterone is the primary sex hormone in men, it is also responsible for everything from muscle development to hair growth to mood regulation to sex drive. So yeah, it’s pretty important when it comes to your health and well-being.

But, at times despite the work out the testosterone levels could be low and hence the desired results from the workout is not visible. But, there is nothing to worry. One can increase their testosterone levels naturally by eating the right foods.

Here is a list of testosterone boosting foods

  1. Brazil Nuts: This tree nut is an excellent natural source of the mineral selenium and a great testosterone booster. The high selenium content is mainly responsible for Brazil nuts positive benefit on T levels. Brazil nuts also have a good ratio of fats. These nuts contain zinc, amino acid Arginine and fatty acids which are needed to make hormone testosterone. Arginine is a precursor to nitric oxide, important for vasodilatation and known to increasing testicular blood flow for better hormone production. Brazil nuts are packed with the most bio-active form of Arginine. Just have 3-6nuts per day and boost your T levels.
  2. Beans: Are rich source of fibre, protein and zinc. Beans pack a bigger shot of zinc than any other member of the veg family. Add it to a food that’s high in protein and fibre\ and low in fat, and you have a winning combo. You can opt for baked beans, lima beans, navy beans, and kidney beans –All are good choices.
  3. Eggs: Testosterone is synthesized from cholesterol, and as such, food containing cholesterol is a good source of building blocks for testosterone. Start your day with three or four eggs or egg whites cooked in olive oil coconut oil. You can also opt for boiled eggs too.
  4. Cruciferous Veggies: Elevated oestrogens levels lead to fat accumulation and can interfere with muscle growth. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage may help a man’s body excrete excess oestrogens and increase the amount of testosterone available to cells. Indole-3-carbinol, a compound found in cruciferous vegetables, may increase the excretion of estradiol (one oestrogen hormone) thus increasing the testosterone production. Since these veggies are rich in fibre..it also helps you to keep full and thus helps in fat loss too.

5 Garlic: Garlic is an active ingredient, allicin, enhances testosterone levels and inhibits cortisol, a hormone that competes with testosterone by limiting its actions and breaking down muscle tissue. Season some foods with garlic, but eating crushed garlic cloves provides the most direct benefit.

6 Oyster: Oyster is loaded with Protein, magnesium, lots of zinc. Along with increasing physical endurance, oysters pack more zinc than almost any other food source. Just six oysters give you almost seven times the recommended daily allowance of zinc, and zinc plays a key role in muscle growth and testosterone levels.
Eat a serving of oysters once a week — raw or cooked but not fried.

  1. Pumpkin seeds: They are good source of zinc -a mineral that plays a role in thousands of different enzymatic reactions in the body, including those involved in testosterone production. Sprinkle more testosterone-boosting pumpkin seeds into your diet by adding them to oatmeal, yogurt, and salads, and even add them into your protein shakes.
  2. Coconut: Coconut can not only help your diet taste like a tropical meal, it can also keep your T-score at healthy levels. That’s because the giant nut is a source of saturated fat, which plays a role in testosterone production. A healthy person can take up to 8-10 percent of their calories from saturated fat to help keep testosterone at its peak without any major concern over increasing your risk of heart issues.

9 Wheat Bran: Who would have thought that brown wheat bran could help peak up your T-levels? But the fibre-rich bran of the wheat kernel is an excellent source of the mineral magnesium.  One study found that magnesium was more effective at boosting testosterone if paired with high-intensity exercise. Add wheat bran to your flour or oatmeal, pancake batter, and protein shakes.

10 Pomegranate: This beautiful red fruit has been used medicinally for centuries. With high levels of antioxidants, vitamins A, C, E and iron, researchers have found one glass of pomegranate juice/one fruit a day can increase testosterone levels between 16 percent and 30 percent, can improve mood and increase libido too.

11. Whey protein- or ricotta cheese: This is high in protein and low in fat.-This not only fix your protein dose but also helps in increasing testosterone production restricting body’s production of cortisol hormone. So Have it as post workout meal or grab as mid snack.

So, stack these foods if you haven’t already and enhance your workout and overall physical health!

 

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Confused about eating healthy? Follow these 13 Strategies to eat healthy

eat-healthy

Healthy eating is not about strict dietary limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and stabilizing your mood. There are loads of information and dietary advice floating out there where if an expert tells you that certain food is good for you, you’ll find another one saying exactly the opposite thus confusing you totally. But, let me give you some simple tips by which you can cut through the confusion and learn how to create a tasty, varied, and healthy food habit at work.

A healthy diet is good but, a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. What is moderation? In essence, it means eating only as much food as your body needs. You should feel satisfied at the end of a meal and not stuffed. Moderation is also about a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibre, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body.

  1. Simplify: Measure portion size and do not be concerned about counting calories. Think of your healthy meal in terms of colour, variety, and freshness. This way it should be easier to make a healthy choice. Focus on finding foods you love and easy recipes that incorporate a few fresh ingredients. Gradually, your food will become healthier and more delicious.
  2.  Start slow and make changes to your eating habits over time. Trying to make your food healthy overnight isn’t realistic or smart. Changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. Make small steps, like adding a salad (full of different colour vegetables) to your daily routine once a day or switching from peanut butter to olive oil when cooking. As this small change becomes a habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices to your lifestyle.
  3. Every change you make matters. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate the foods you enjoy in order to have a healthy diet. Your long-term goal should be to feel good, have more energy, and reduce the risk of lifestyle diseases. Don’t let your missteps derail you—every healthy food choice you make counts.
  4. Think Smaller Portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently, particularly in restaurants. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entire plate, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything. At home, use smaller plates, think about serving sizes in realistic terms, and start small. In case you are not satisfied at the end of the meal try adding more leafy green vegetables or rounding off the meal with some fresh salad. Visual cues can help with portion sizes–your serving of Egg, fish, or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards and half a cup of mashed potato, rice, or pasta is about the size of the small bowl.
  5. Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Chew your food slowly, savouring every bite. We tend to rush through our meals thereby forgetting to actually taste the flavours and feel the texture of our food. Reconnect with the joy of eating.
  6. Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty or hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly.
  7. Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather than the standard three large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going.
  8. Avoid eating at night. Try to eat dinner earlier in the day and then fast for 10-12 hours until breakfast the next morning. These simple dietary adjustments such as eating only when you’re most active and giving your digestive system a long break each day will only help to regulate your weight. After-dinner snacks tend to be high in fat and calories, but some healthy options like mixed vegetable soup, salad, and buttermilk is good.
  9.  Most of us consume too much salt in our diets. Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure and lead to other health problems. Try to limit sodium intake to 1,500 to 2,300 mg per day which is equivalent to one teaspoon of salt.
  10.  Avoid processed or pre-packaged foods. Processed foods like canned soups or frozen dinners contain hidden sodium that quickly surpasses the recommended limit.
  11.  Be careful when eating out. Most restaurant and fast food meals are loaded with sodium. Some offer lower-sodium choices or you can ask for your meal to be made without salt. Most gravy and sauces are loaded with salt, so ask for it to be served on the side. Opt for fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned vegetables. Cut back on salty snacks such as potato chips, and nuts. Check labels and choose low-salt or reduced-sodium products, including breakfast cereals.
  12. Slowly reduce the salt in your diet to give your taste buds some time to adjust.
  13. Go high on Fibre – In general, the more natural and unprocessed the food, the higher it is in fibre. Good sources of fibre include whole grains, wheat cereals, barley, oatmeal, beans, nuts, vegetables such as carrots, celery, and tomatoes, and fruits such as apples, berries, citrus fruits, and pears—all the more reason to add more fruit and vegetables to your diet. There is no fibre in meat, dairy, or sugar. Refined or “white” foods, such as white bread, white rice, and pastries, have had all or most of their fibre removed. An easy way to add more fibre to your diet is to start your day with a whole grain cereal, such as Fibre-One or All-Bran, or by adding unprocessed wheat bran to your favourite cereal.

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Top 5 Health Benefits of Himalayan Single Clove Garlic

himalayan Clove

At Naturally Yours over the years I have met and spoken to hundreds of farmers, collectors and farm product distributors.

If I had to point out one thing that has always amazed me, it is the diverse agricultural heritage that we have across our country. Each region has a “gem” hidden away.

And yet they exist due to the strong knowledge and commitment that our farming community has towards preserving these little-known herbs and plants.

One such product that I came across a couple of years ago was the Himalayan Single Clove Garlic or the Snow Garlic or the Kashmiri Garlic (as this is found commonly in the Kashmir region of India) as it is popularly referred to as.

When I first saw this single clove garlic I was astonished at this small pointy somewhat lotus-like structure with a hard surface and pungent smell.

I clearly remember asking the farmer where the rest of the garlic is! The farmer calmly explained, Sir, this is all of it!

Himalayan Single Clove Garlic is one of the most potent herbs in the world and is known to be 7 times more potent than the normal Garlic.

7 Times! That blew my mind!

So I did my research to dig out all the facts & health benefits of this amazing herb.

  1. Reduces High Cholesterol Levels

Himalayan Single Clove Garlic is known to effectively reduce high cholesterol levels in the body. Research shows that garlic can lower about 20 mg/dl Cholesterol and Triglyceride levels in human body.

A popular recipe is to peel 3 or 4 cloves of garlic and have it on an empty stomach.

  1. Cures Cold & Cough

Scientist say Himalayan single clove garlic helps reduce the risk of getting cold and cough by over 50% when regularly consumed. In addition, it also reduces the chances of getting infected by other diseases. The presence of chemical compounds called Alliinase and Alliin helps create a powerful compound called Allicin when the bulbs are crushed or ground.

These powerful compounds help to alleviate cold and cough.  A syrup which is made of 2 bulbs crushed together and put in glass water and consumed is known to cure a cold and cough.

  1. Helps Fight Cancer 

Garlic inherently contains an organosulphur compound named diallyl trisulfide which helps fight cancer by helping the body to kill the cancerous cells. Researchers at the University of North Carolina have found that patients who consume garlic have a 66.67% per cent lesser probability to get cancer.

The National Cancer Institute says that consumption of garlic regularly reduces the risk of various cancers by 50% (average). This they attribute to the sulphur compound which helps to fight the cancerous cells in the body.

  1. Fights Diabetes

Researchers have found that consumption of 2-3 bulbs Himalayan Single Clove Garlic regularly helps decrease and control blood sugar levels. The presence of Allicin when combines with Vitamin B and Thiamine triggers the pancreas to generate insulin in the body. This, in turn, helps the body to fight diabetes effectively.

  1. Cures Heart Disease & High Blood Pressure

Himalayan Single Clove Garlic helps fight Heart Disease in two ways. One it reduces the LDL Cholesterol and the triglycerides in the body. Studies have shown that patients consuming garlic have up to 20% less LDL Cholesterol and triglycerides.

Second, it prevents the formation of plaque and clots by reducing the density of the blood. Scientists are of the view that patients consuming garlic regularly are 83% less prone to harmful blood clots.

In case of High Blood Pressure consumption of Himalayan Single Clove Garlic helps muscles relax and thereby help in reducing blood pressure levels.

A chemical compound called Hydrogen Sulfide present in garlic helps create this magic, which reduces the systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the body.

If you know of any more health benefits than the ones mentioned above please do share in the comments section below.

Ps Note: Himalayan Clove Garlic is available in GOQii Store

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8 healthy food pairings to boost your health

Milk-And-Yolk

This must have happened many times that some food products taste horrible when eaten alone and tastes too good when combined with some other food products?

That’s the way nature has designed it for us. Nature has pre-planned the best food combination for us, it just takes the right time to know it! Well, it’s not just about the taste but, it is also about the nutrients which you get out of those food combinations!

Have you heard of food synergy? Different components in a single food can work together to benefit our health, and so can components in different foods that are eaten together. David Jacobs, PhD, a researcher from the University of Minnesota, loosely defines food synergy as the idea that food influences our health in complex and highly interactive ways. Simply put, Food synergy is nothing but nutrients that work together better.

It reminds us of how a variety of foods in our diet will help us live a healthy life! At GOQii we are celebrating Food Synergy….Let me take you through some food synergies that you adopt in your daily life.

(1)   Rosemary and meat

Rosemary-STEAK

Not many people must have heard about rosemary but, it is a very useful herb which is an excellent antioxidant having a good amount of carnosol and carnosic content. This herb is native to Mediterranean. People who cook non-veg might have no idea about what happens to the meat when it is cooked at a very high temperature. Well, when meat gets exposed to high temperature, carcinogenic compounds such as heterocyclic amine is formed which is very dangerous. If meat is marinated with rosemary herb, these carcinogenic compounds will be neutralized because of its antioxidant properties.

A study by Dr. J. Scott Smith of Kansas State University in Manhattan further endorses the above statements. He studied Heterocyclic Amines (HCA’s), which are carcinogenic compounds that form when meat is cooked at high temperatures. He found that adding rosemary extract to ground meat reduced the amount of cancer-causing compounds created during grilling. He attributed this to the antioxidants found in the rosemary extract.

(2)  Green tea and lemon drop

green-tea-with-lemon

Green Tea is a great elixir and did you know that by adding lemon to your cup of Green Tea you can reap a lot of benefits. Various studies have also proved this to be right. Catechins, the main health compound in tea tied to reduced risk of cancer, heart attack, and other diseases, unfortunately, isn’t absorbed very well in the intestines. After digestion, less than 20 percent of catechins remain.

In two studies, by Purdue University, researchers found that adding lemon juice, other citrus juice, or vitamin C helped the body absorb as much as 13 times the healthy catechins than normal. The addition of lemon juice caused 80 percent of the catechins to remain. The studies tested the effects of absorption with both rats and a human digestive model.

Lemon is rich in vitamin c (water soluble vitamin) and green tea is rich in antioxidant compounds such as catechin. When both of these are combined, lemon will increase the absorption of antioxidants making this combination the most widely used combination among people!

 (3)  Virgin Olive oil and tomatoes

tomatoes-and-olive-oil

How many of you are aware of the benefits of mixing Olive oil and tomatoes? I have seen many people using this combination mostly as their salad option. Why and how is it healthy we shall find out?

The bioavailability of olive oil and tomatoes is very high. These two Super Foods protect, energize and satiate; together, they amplify each other’s already extraordinary benefits. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene which is a phytochemical/phytonutrient which will help in maintain heart health and can reduce the risk of having prostate cancer drastically. Tomatoes basically have carotenoids which are fat soluble and only with fat, these carotenoids would be available in the body. Virgin Olive oil is very rich in good fatty acids and there is nothing better than choosing olive oil as a support for better absorption of fat soluble vitamins.

Merritt Rosen who holds a Masters in Health and Consumer Psychology from New York University calls Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Tomatoes- the hottest power couple. According to her pairing virgin olive, oil and tomatoes are the best thing one can do. Not only does heart healthy EVOO protect cells against damage and inflammation and promote healthy skin from the inside out, it also helps ensure the absorption of these fat-soluble carotenoids.

 (4)   Milk and eggs

Milk-And-Yolk

Did you know that Marilyn Monroe’s daily diet consisted of two raw eggs whipped in warm milk for breakfast? Rebecca Harrington, in an article in ‘The Cut’ magazine, quoted an old interview of Marilyn Monroe in 1952 to the now defunct Pageant Magazine in which Monroe describing her daily diet said, “I doubt any doctor could recommend a more nourishing breakfast for a working girl in a hurry.”

Milk and eggs are so far the best examples of perfect food synergy! There is nothing like having a glass of milk and boiled egg for your breakfast. Egg yolk is very rich in vitamin D and milk is rich in calcium. Vitamin D helps in increasing the calcium absorption which will keep your bones healthy and thus it reduces the risk of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis in the body.

(5)  Garlic and Fish

garlic-fish

Facing cholesterol issues? You must give this food synergy a try. For all non-vegetarians, this food synergy is a boon. Here is why it is a boon?

Garlic is rich in sulphur compounds which help in fighting diseases and fights against the inflammation in the body. Fish is a very rich source of protein. If these 2 super foods are combined together, their power of fighting diseases drastically increases.

Adding garlic to fish will help in lowering bad cholesterol and also maintain your triglyceride levels!

 (6)  Curcuma longa (turmeric) and pepper

turmeric and pepper

There are many types of research and articles which are being published on benefits of turmeric. Although the therapeutic use of Curcuma was recorded as early as 1748, the first article referring to the use of curcumin in human disease was published in 1937 by Oppenheimer. In this study, the author examined the effects of “curcumin” or “curcunat” containing 0.1 g to 0.25 g sodium curcumin and 0.1 g calcium cholate in human biliary diseases.

Curcumin has various properties like lowering bad cholesterol, prevents cancer, boosting liver function and more. But, when it comes to its absorption, only curcumin might not benefit. Adding pepper to it will boost the absorption of curcumin ( the active ingredient in turmeric) and bring out major benefits to the body.

 (7)  Spinach and lemon drops

spinach & lemon drop

We might have heard about spinach being rich in iron and we should include it in our daily diet but we might not know that iron is spinach is not readily absorbed in the body. Absorption of iron is very poor but, if you add lemon drops to it, iron absorption will be increased. Vitamin c helps in increasing the absorption of iron in the food.

 (8)  Rice and vinegar

rice & vinegar

There are many myths about rice and one of them is that a diabetic should avoid taking rice. It is said that rice spikes up the sugar levels. Adding, vinegar to your rice will slow the blood sugar spike. So, diabetics can take rice to some extent and this is also good for people looking for weight loss and loves eating rice!

Conclusion:

It is always good to know about food combinations which will help in boosting your health! Vitamin D & calcium and Iron and vitamin C combination must be taken care off. There are food combinations which should be avoided which will be covered up in my next blog. Until then stay tuned!

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