The following applies to any day, whether it’s in your day-to-day life, or on vacation.  One measure of a successful life is whether your vacation days are an amplification of most aspects of your daily life, just perhaps in a different setting like the beach.  Making the choice to stay home for a vacation (when money isn’t the issue) is a great indicator that you have tailored your life well. The following is ordered roughly in the order of difficulty, the first being the easiest, so if you’re forming new practices, start there.

I used to say this to my wife, and she really didn’t know what to make of it.  Our family is fairly typical in that it feels overscheduled both in day-to-day life and during summer break. Because I was unhappy in my marriage and unfulfilled at work, I also made plenty of time for mountain-biking and climbing, including camping trips where both could happen (good times!).

Shifting social paradigms

In addition to lower rates of smoking in men (smoking elevates testosterone levels), the Forbes article mentions the generational differences in how men work and live, then versus now.  The article mentions the shift in work away from manual labor with the consequence of fewer strong laborers, as well as the inhibiting effect of the hormone oxytocin which is produced by the prevalence of more supportive relationships, such as with marriage, child-raising and more cooperative work environments.

Beyond diet and exercise

Detoxification- Preparing the body for optimal health

As mentioned elsewhere in this article, it is imperative that we limit our exposure to toxins as well as cleanse our bodies of this toxic burden. Failure to do so will increase the chances of recurring symptoms as well as failure of testosterone replacement should it come to that.

Repairing the body- maximizing blood flow

Nitric oxide (NO) is a naturally produced molecule in the body that also begins to decline in production as we age (I mean WTF!), starting around age 30. This is in part why our blood pressure climbs slowly as we age (the other part is your crappy diet, yeah I’m talking to you.)

Assuming you have maximized your blood flow and ability to digest, and are no longer deficient in magnesium or iodine, and have detoxified and removed chemical inhibitors of the hormone receptors and still have low testosterone, you are ready to address the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis.

After major setbacks two years ago, including a near-divorce, being cut from a defending national champion ultimate team for personality reasons, and suffering from medical burnout, I started down a path of self-inquiry.  I quickly found myself on a path of necessary self-improvement as the extent of my disengagement from life became clear.

Know your problem. Testosterone, a hormone produced in the testicles, is regulated by the pituitary, which in turn is regulated by the hypothalamus. Low T is diagnosed in the setting of complaints which can include diminished sexual function including low sperm count, fatigue, obesity, bone frailty, diminished muscle mass and strength, as well as decreased motivation and depression.