Tip #5: Avoid Sugar, Grains & Manage Your Glycemic Index
Testosterone is temporarily reduced by having your blood sugar spike, and low T is pretty much a given if you have diabetes. For example, a new study found that men who had normal insulin health had a 25 percent decrease in T after ingesting a drink containing sugar. T remained low for 2 hours, and nearly 80 percent of the men had their T drop to levels that would be considered clinical testosterone deficiency.
This study tested an acute or one time spike in blood sugar, but if your blood sugar is elevated over and over again, the entire hormonal cascade will be thrown off and you will suffer from chronically low T. We saw in #4 how lack of sleep alters blood sugar management and insulin health, resulting in lower T and higher cortisol. With an unfavorable ratio of T to cortisol, you will experience a catabolic or tissue-degrading state, leading to muscle loss, and greater fat accumulation.
Solve High Blood Sugar/Low T: The solution is to eat for optimal T by managing your blood sugar response to food. This means that you should avoid foods that are quickly digested and lead your blood sugar to increase rapidly—glucose and other sugars are obvious, but many grains and all refined or processed foods should be eliminated from your diet.
Eat high-quality protein, healthy fats, and low-glycemic carbohydrates like vegetables and low-sugar fruits. If you do eat foods that elevate blood sugar, pair them with foods that help moderate insulin and glucose—the herb fenugreek has been found to produce a lower glucose response when it is baked in whole grain bread or added to oatmeal. Berries and nuts have also been found to aid in lowering the glycemic response to high-carb foods.
Testosterone is temporarily reduced by having your blood sugar spike, and low T is pretty much a given if you have diabetes. For example, a new study found that men who had normal insulin health had a 25 percent decrease in T after ingesting a drink containing sugar. T remained low for 2 hours, and nearly 80 percent of the men had their T drop to levels that would be considered clinical testosterone deficiency.
This study tested an acute or one time spike in blood sugar, but if your blood sugar is elevated over and over again, the entire hormonal cascade will be thrown off and you will suffer from chronically low T. We saw in #4 how lack of sleep alters blood sugar management and insulin health, resulting in lower T and higher cortisol. With an unfavorable ratio of T to cortisol, you will experience a catabolic or tissue-degrading state, leading to muscle loss, and greater fat accumulation.
Solve High Blood Sugar/Low T: The solution is to eat for optimal T by managing your blood sugar response to food. This means that you should avoid foods that are quickly digested and lead your blood sugar to increase rapidly—glucose and other sugars are obvious, but many grains and all refined or processed foods should be eliminated from your diet.
Eat high-quality protein, healthy fats, and low-glycemic carbohydrates like vegetables and low-sugar fruits. If you do eat foods that elevate blood sugar, pair them with foods that help moderate insulin and glucose—the herb fenugreek has been found to produce a lower glucose response when it is baked in whole grain bread or added to oatmeal. Berries and nuts have also been found to aid in lowering the glycemic response to high-carb foods.