Connecting with your T-levels

We’ve talked about saving the whales, saving those cute pandas (you know the ones which wear way too much eye makeup) and most recently, saving the koalas. But what if I told you there was a species out there that has seen a 52% drop in its fertility rates in the last 40 years? And those rates continue to plummet.  What if I told you that the male of the species is suffering from a devastating drop in its testosterone levels and that’s impacting on its ability to function in every area of its life? The figures tell us that species is heading towards extinction.

Here’s the thing – that species is us – human beings. We’re rapidly heading into a biological crisis and no one is talking about it. But it’s a conversation we need to be having.

Testosterone is your best friend

Testosterone is the principal male hormone. As an androgen it’s responsible for switching on the changes that make us men – from the womb, through puberty and on through our lives. Beyond that, testosterone supports the 3 H’s – it keeps us Healthy, Horny and Happy. It helps us produce sperm, build muscle, stay lean, maintain energy, and stay positive and emotionally balanced. Plus, women find themselves attracted to men with healthy T-levels, so it’s an essential ingredient when it comes to the dating and mating game.

Where’s the testosterone gone?

In 1992 the British Medical Journal published results of a study that claimed men’s sperm counts had fallen 1% every year for the previous 50 years. These findings were confirmed in a recent study by Dr Shanna Swan (you can read all about it in her book Countdown). The fertility rates mirror the changes in men’s testosterone levels over time. Consider this, 30-year-old men today have similar T-levels to those that 75-year-old men had 50 years ago. And no, it had nothing to do with the music!

The $6m question is ‘What on earth is happening and how do we stop it?’ If testosterone keeps us happy, healthy and horny then it’s no surprise that halving T-levels is going to hit men hard in all three of those areas. Overall, men are struggling with weight gain, stress, depression, loss of libido, erectile dysfunction and poorer health outcomes.

There are plenty of theories about what is causing this drop in T-levels. The reality seems to be that it’s a combination of factors:

• we’re getting fatter which negatively impacts on T-levels.
• more stress causes cortisol production and a decrease in testosterone.
• not enough sleep – reduces T-levels.
• a massive increase in exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals – these xenoestrogens are playing havoc with our hormones (in both men and women)

Four ways to boost your T-levels naturally

Here are four simple steps you can take to boost your T-levels and start to get more balance back in your life:

• reduce the xenoestrogens in your life by switching out products with parabens, phthalates and other hormone-disrupting chemicals and changing to all-natural, plant-based options. This includes personal care products and cleaning products in your home.
• stress less! Easier said than done, but taking time out for self-care – meditation, journaling, talking with friends, getting out into nature – can lower your stress levels dramatically.
• exercise regularly and push some weights. Don’t overdo this – pushing your body to exhaustion actually decreases testosterone production, so be kind and allow enough recovery time.
• sleep more. This is one of the keys to a better, happier, healthier life – it’s worth the commitment.

Jeremy Thewlis

June 2021

More information about this can be found in my book, T-Level Breakthrough.