How to Increase Testosterone with Food

Low testosterone can cause man-card-snatching symptoms like hair loss, muscle mass loss, chronic fatigue, mood swings and decreased sex drive.

Because of this, you definitely don’t want to skimp on testosterone but, guess what, that’s not up to you. So what causes low T? Primarily age and genetics. Additionally, some health conditions such as obesity, autoimmune diseases and testicular injuries can cause T levels to slump.

RELATED: 3 Surprising Reasons Your Testosterone Is Low (And What You Can Do About It)

You can’t alter your age or genetics, but you can alter quality of your diet. The foods you eat can help boost your T levels.Try the following testosterone-boosting meals and make the bodybuilder down your local gym look like a pre-pubescent schoolboy.

Breakfast – Veggie Omelet & Superfood Shake 

Ingredients:

• Eggs (3-4)
• Potatoes (85-140g)
• Spinach (225g)
• Garlic (1 clove, minced)
• Mushrooms (55g, diced)
• Onions (75g, diced)
• Red peppers (90g, diced)
• Coconut oil (1 tbsp.)
• Avocado (half)

Method:

• Bring a skillet to medium heat to melt the coconut oil.
• Add potatoes, garlic, onions and peppers to skillet and cook thoroughly.
• Once the potatoes are soft, add mushrooms and spinach and cook for 3-5 minutes.
• Remove all ingredients from the pan, set aside momentarily.
• Add eggs (beaten with 85 ml of water) to skillet.
• Fluff eggs without scrambling them, add remaining ingredients over eggs.
• Allow eggs to continue to cook, fold the omelet once and flip. 

This simple recipe shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to prepare and it's chock-full of ingredients that support your testosterone production.

Eggs

Rocky Balboa used to chug raw eggs after a workout. Need I say more? Eggs are rich in vitamins (A, D, B) that are critical for maintaining optimal T levels. The yolks are where the magic happens, providing essential cholesterol – arguably the best friend of testosterone. 

Potatoes

Carbs. We need them for energy and testosterone. Despite popular belief, carbs aren’t bad – bad carbs are bad. Don’t eat pizza, bread or baked goods. Eat non-inflammatory, starchy carbs that provide long-lasting energy and other health benefits.

Spinach

What is Popeye’s favourite food? Spinach. No wonder the dude was jacked. Spinach is one of the best sources of magnesium you can find, which is an essential reproductive mineral. A few cups of this leafy green will nearly cover the recommended daily intake of magnesium. 

The remaining ingredients all have their own offerings to T production, but none are more important than the big three: eggs, potatoes and spinach. What you toss in the omelet after that is just a bonus. You can, however, wash this dish down with a protein shake made with grass-fed whey protein or plant-based protein powder (not soy). Add in the superfoods below for more testosterone-boosting benefits: 

• Maca Root: Provides energy and contributes to sexual health
• Cacao: Rich in magnesium
• Ginger: Improves blood flow, digestion and immunity – which all lead to increased T levels
• Cinnamon: One of the best spices around for stimulating testosterone production 
• Dark berries: Packed with antioxidants that fight off damage from free radicals 

Lunch – Steak, Sweet Potato Hash & Cheesy Broccoli 

Lunch is supposed to refuel you with valuable nutrients and energy to get through the rest of your day. Stop eating supermarket sushi or pre-made salads because you don’t have time. Be in control at lunch time with this meal.

Grass Fed Steak

Steak isn’t just steak anymore. Between GMO crops and ridiculous farming techniques, you should really do your best to eat grass-fed red meat. What your cattle eats is partially what you end up eating. So, if you like genetically-grown corn, faecal matter and steroids, feel free to go with a “regular” cut of meat. Grill, pan sear or oven bake a nice six to eight-ounce cut of beef. It will provide you with testosterone-boosting omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, iron, potassium and protein. 

Sweet Potato Hash

Add a side of sweet potato hash to go with your beef. As I mentioned earlier, you don’t need to skimp on the carbs as long as you’re pretty active and make wise choices when it comes to your carbohydrate selection. Potatoes are one of the best choices when it comes to T production. Sweet potatoes boast vitamin A and C, manganese and potassium, which all support testosterone production. 

Cube and cook about eight ounces of sweet potatoes with peppers and onions in coconut oil. Add your favourite spices, but make sure parsley, paprika and cayenne pepper make the cut. Top the hash with chopped Brazil nuts – they are loaded with selenium, an important element in the process of T production. Brazil nuts are also great providers of L-arginine and cholesterol (which gets converted to testosterone).­

Cheesy Broccoli 

Always try to have something green on your plate. The perfect complement to this meal is steamed broccoli topped with high-quality parmesan cheese. Broccoli (and all green cruciferous veggies) are awesome for your testosterone levels because they contain a compound called indole-3-carbinol. Diets high in I3C can greatly decrease your estrogen levels, which in turn allows you to create and use more testosterone. Top your broccoli with parmesan cheese for a protein-packed boost of calcium and vitamin A. 

Dinner – Prawn & Cabbage Tacos 

No more Chinese takeout for dinner! This is a great recipe that will keep your T levels up and also impress anyone you're inviting over. Try this healthier version of prawn tacos, which uses cabbage pieces instead of tortillas and garlic aioli sauce as a topping. 

Taco Ingredients

• Prawns (450 g)
• Red cabbage (one head)
• Peppers, onions, tomatoes or any other topping of choice 

Taco Preparation

• Carefully remove cabbage leaves from the head, trying to keep them as large and intact as possible. You should be able to get over ten tortilla-esque pieces of cabbage from one medium-sized head.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil, place your cabbage leaves in the water in groups of four and let them boil for about one minute. Remove and let cool. 
• While your cabbage is boiling, pan sear prawns and toppings with spices of your choice. 
• Using the cabbage as a tortilla stand-in, fill up and devour. 

Aioli Ingredients

• Egg yolk (1)
• Extra-virgin olive oil (2 tbsp.)
• Dijon mustard (to taste)
• Greek yoghurt (1/2 tbsp.)
• Lime juice (to taste)
• Garlic powder
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Sea salt

Aioli Preparation

• Mix and blend all ingredients. 
• Microwave for 10 seconds.
• Repeat 2-3 times and refrigerate until use.
• Easiest. Recipe. Ever.   

It’s kind of amusing that prawn is so beneficial for men because, well, it doesn’t exactly look like the manliest food out there. But the amount of vitamin D this little ocean creature provides is nothing to laugh at. Vitamin D is crucial when it comes to keeping your T levels booming and, unfortunately, most people don't get enough of it. You can substitute prawn for salmon or cod and still receive an adequate amount of vitamin D, protein and healthy fats. 

If you’re wondering why you’re not having real tacos, it’s because replacing the tortillas with cabbage is an easy way to cut out an over-processed carb from your diet while incorporating more cruciferous veggies.These tacos are so fire that you can keep the rest of the meal simple – try serving it with baked plantain.