Dr. Tony Nimeh: Best way to boost testosterone

The best way to boost testosterone

By Dr. Tony Nimeh W ith all the buzz out there about how to treat symptoms of infertility and low testosterone, there is a lot to discover. You may be surprised to hear that Clomid may be prescribed to you for treatment of infertility and symptoms of low testosterone.

“C’mon Doc, my wife takes Clomid. Where’s the real stuff ”?

Let’s get to the chemistry. Clomid, or, generically, clomiphene, is a prescription medication that your wife’s doctor may prescribe to treat her own infertility. Our bodies all have sensors built into them that detect certain changes in our chemistry. A simple example is our body has a thermostat, it detects that we are cold, sends a signal to the brain, which in turn generates another signal for us to shiver, causing our bodies to produce heat.

With Clomid, it’s the same concept, just a bit more complex. Clomid acts by making a woman’s body think it has less estrogen in it that it does — estrogen being one of the two female sex hormones that basically make a woman a woman. It’s an important hormone for childbearing.

By tricking her body into thinking there is less estrogen in her body than

there really it, Clomid stimulates the body to produce more estrogen.

“That’s great, and I’m sure my wife would love it. I’ve got testosterone, how does this affect me”?

Great question. Women are not the only ones with estrogen in their body. Men also have a small production of estrogen. Estrogen can cause these same chemical receptors to act a certain way. It tells our body to produce less LH (luteinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), which in turn tells our bodies to produce less testosterone and less sperm. Both testosterone and sperm are generated in the testicles. When a man takes Clomid, this blocks the estrogen from interacting with the chemical receptors in his body, which in turn results in an increase in FSH, LH and subsequently testosterone and sperm.

“So Clomid is the best choice for my low testosterone symptoms?”

Glad you asked that. It depends on your individual needs and circumstances. Let’s discuss the benefits of Clomid. First off, it’s been around for years and since the patents have expired on it, cost is minimal. It’s a tablet that is taken orally, so you don’t have to worry about needles or injections. It acts as a stimulant within your body that causes you to produce more of your own testosterone and sperm.

While these are all great points, we have to consider that each of our bodies is different and that factors such as age, genetics, past medical issues and care play a part as well. For instance, if you have been in the habit of using an outside source of testosterone replacement in the past, there is a possibility that your body won’t be able to produce its own testosterone as well as it used to anymore, if at all.

In our practice, Clomid is our first-line choice for men with low testosterone, specifically those who still wish to have children, since it affects both testosterone and sperm production positively.

Clomid is an excellent, minimally invasive route to try, but don’t get discouraged if things don’t work out. There are plenty of other options available out there.

DASH EATING PLAN

Getting Started on DASH

HEALTHY EATING, PROVEN RESULTS

It’s easy to adopt the DASH eating plan. Even small changes made gradually lead to significant benefits. Follow these steps to begin a healthy lifestyle for a lifetime.

kale

kidney beans

blackberries

potato

salmon

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Assess where you are now. The DASH eating plan requires no special foods and has no hard-to-follow recipes. One way to begin is by using the free, interactive, online Body Weight Planner (niddk.nih.gov/bwp) to find out how many calories you need per day to maintain or reach your goal weight. Then fill in the What’s on Your Plate? worksheet for a few days and see how your current food habits compare with the DASH plan. This will help you see what changes you need to make.

Discuss medication with your doctor. If you take medication to control high blood pressure or cholesterol, you should not stop using it. Follow the DASH eating plan and talk with your doctor about your medication treatment as part of an overall plan for wellness.

Make DASH a part of your healthy life. The DASH eating plan along with other lifestyle changes can help you control your blood pressure and lower blood cholesterol. Important lifestyle recommendations include: achieve and maintain a healthy weight, get regular physical activity, and, if you drink alcohol, do so in moderation (up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men).

DASH is for everyone in the family. Start with the meal plans in A Week With the DASH Eating Plan if you want to follow the menus similar to those used in the DASH trial — then make up your own using your favorite foods. In fact, your entire family can eat meals using the DASH eating plan because it can be adapted to meet varied nutritional needs, food preferences, and dietary requirements.

Don’t worry. Remember that on some days the foods you eat may add up to more than the recommended servings from one food group and less from another. Or, you may have too much sodium on a particular day. Just try your best to keep the average of several days close to the DASH eating plan and the sodium level recommended for you.

The DASH Eating Plan is a heart healthy approach that has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure and have other health benefits. To learn more, go to www.nhlbi.nih.gov/DASH . 1

Healthy Banana Split Freezer Bites

These mini healthy banana split bites make a delicious frozen treat for kids. Ingredients silicone muffin liners strawberry yogurt vanilla yogurt strawberries banana chocolate bar walnuts shredded coconut

Directions Together: Scoop strawberry yogurt into a silicone muffin liner and in another muffin liner add scoop of vanilla yogurt.

Together: Slice bananas and mash strawberries.

Kids: Add slices of bananas and mashed strawberries on top of the each yogurt.

Kids: Add walnuts then sprinkle coconut. Place in the freezer for about 2 hours.

Together: Drizzle melted chocolate

Chef Solus Breakfast Crossword Puzzle Answer to puzzle on Page 2

Across 5 The small meal after breakfast and before lunch 8 Belgium _______ with strawberries 11 This meal helps you do great in school 12 This fruit juice has vitamin C 14 Put cream cheese or peanut butter on this 15 Ome_ _ _ with mushrooms and cheese

Down 1 French ______ or pancakes 2 This taste great with whole grain cereal 3 This comes from a cow but its not white 4 Home fries or hash ______ 6 Some kids like to eat this without milk. 7 Bananas, strawberries and yogurt mixed together to make a _________ 9 Mickey Mouse shaped _______ with eggs 10 Eat this warm with milk, raisins, and brown sugar. 13 Scrambled, poached and fried _____

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