The Testosterone Boosting Diet

Project Description:

Some health fads come and go, but the consistent focus on low testosterone and its health effects has been around forever. While the panic is undoubtedly overblown, it does provide a chance to talk about men’s health and how its requirements change as men age. Good health writing often means giving standard, science-backed advice under the guise of selling the fad of the day. In this case, I focused on the fact that the best way to maintain healthy testosterone levels is to stay generally healthy.

This project included background information on testosterone, a guide to different supplements, a meal guide, and a selection of recipes. All of it required extensive research, not to mention juggling several different types of writing. It’s exactly the sort of challenge I enjoy and my experience has prepared me for.

Sample:

What makes a man? It’s a question that most men wonder about at one time or another, if not throughout their whole lives. There are men in the mold of John Wayne, who swagger through life and are quietly competent at everything they do. Others might be like Arnold Schwarzenegger, stacked with muscle and with a strict moral code. Others might be more in the mold of Jimmy Stewart, Tom Hanks, or Captain America. These men deal in the comforts of home and security, understanding and fair play. There are a dozen or more archetypes of manhood, each with a subtle variation on strength, confidence, and self-possession. But in reality, there is a physical component to each of these versions of manliness. Strength requires muscle and the frame to bear it. We often base confidence at least partly on appearance, on a man’s bearing and his presence.

There is a single simple factor that can make a tremendous difference when it comes to separating the men from the boys. That factor is a hormone called testosterone. In a very real way, it’s testosterone that turns a boy into a man. It triggers the physical changes that signal the beginning of puberty, physical changes that can have a tremendous impact on a man’s confidence and well-being. Even later in life, testosterone levels can impact energy levels and sexual performance. Testosterone can also have an impact on your health and lifespan. Perhaps most importantly, testosterone levels can have an effect on sexual drive and performance.

Despite being a vitally important part of our lives, most men have no idea how testosterone levels impact their health and other important areas of their lives. We don’t understand how it is produced, what it does, or what happens when our bodies aren’t producing enough. At best, there’s a vague understanding that testosterone is the ‘male’ hormone, with the accompanying jokes about ‘testosterone poisoning.’ Most men don’t understand how the level of testosterone in their bodies affects their lives.

Your overall health can be impacted by the levels of testosterone in your body. Low testosterone levels (hypogonadism, as it is technically called) can reduce your sex drive and make it more difficult to perform, manifesting in things like erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. But it can also have more general health effects. Low testosterone levels can influence the body in a way similar to serious, chronic conditions like diabetes, coronary disease, and even depression. As important as your sex life is, low testosterone can also affect your day-to-day life and your ability to live the life you want.

Low levels of testosterone can also cause fatigue, weakness, and depression. All of these symptoms, in one way or another, can challenge our idea of what a man should be. By addressing the underlying cause and boosting testosterone levels in the body, it’s possible to relieve these symptoms and lead a more energetic, active life, no matter your age.