Andropause and big waistline

Are andropause and big waistline (fondly called big belly) related?

I hear you saying: No way!

Sorry guys, but here is the way.

Andropause or male menopause starts after the age of 40, when men are facing an additional hormonal challenge. The levels of testosterone (from the testes), human growth hormone (from the pituitary gland), and DHEA (from the adrenal gland) begin to decline slowly.

What is even more important is that not only the quantity of testosterone is lower, but its bioavailability is also reduced due to the rise of sex human binding proteins. The latter block the circulating testosterone and make it practically unusable by the body. Read more about sex drive over 50.

Pay close attention to this.

Andropause and big waistline or abdominal obesity are NOT ONLY about hormones. Environmental factors can worsen the natural process of hormone decline in the male body. Here is how:

1. Exposure to environmental estrogen-like products

While there is little you can do to stop the natural process of aging, there is a lot you can do to prevent the harmful effects of some external factors such as the exposure to environmental estrogen-like products, used to treat plants or to produce more meat from animals. Keep in mind that phytoestrogens from soy are estrogen-like products. Read more about how toxins can make you fat. Experts say that theoretically ordinary amounts of soy products that contain phytoestrogens would not be likely to affect male hormone levels adversely. May be- but I would not take my chances if I were a man though.

In order to counter balance the estrogen-like effect eat broccoli, cauliflower, and other cruciferous vegetables considered anti-estrogenic food.

2. Low fat or free-fat diet

You certainly don’t want to miss this one.

Andropause and big waistline are also related to low fat or fat-free food intake. There is some data suggesting that men on low fat or vegetarian diets have lower testosterone levels.

In addition, because of the insufficient fat intake, there is deficiency of essential fatty acids and a metabolic shift in favor of fat stores (hence the big waistline).

To boost your testosterone level, eat plenty of red meat, fish, and take some flax oil.

People ask me why I endorse NutriSystem and the answer is very simple- this is the only weight loss diet on the market that has created a separate program by age and gender. Finally! I have been repeating/saying? for years that men and women should not eat the same types of food, and that baby boomers should not eat the same food as people in their 20s and 30s. (Another reason why I think NutriSystem is great is that) they also have a special program for people with diabetes. They also offer coupons, member discount and have very affordable rates.

3. Stress

Now this is big. Is your day stressful? Are your nights sleepless because you are tossing and turning in your bed trying to solve the problems that you didn’t solve during the day?

There is enough data to show that stress reduces testosterone and causes accumulation of abdominal fat that makes your waistline bigger (hence the connection between stress, andropause and big waistline).

I often hear boomer men complaining from not being able to get rid of the big belly no matter how hard they try to diet and exercise.

You see- this is exactly my point: Diet and exercise are not enough. How about your stress level? How about your sleep habits?

It is all connected: stress, low testosterone, lack of a sex drive , muscle weakness, and loss of hair.

See what you can do to prevent this from happening.

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