Overcoming Low Testosterone Naturally: My Journey from Feeling 84 at 34 to Optimal Health

Welcome aboard the 2% Solution podcast, your haven for practical health tips and inspiring life stories.

Your host, Dai Manuel, recounts his battle with a chronic autoimmune disease and the journey it took him on. Testosterone - a hormone significant to men and women - underpins the conversation.

From Dai's personal experiences with hormone fluctuations to the repercussions of low testosterone levels, we leave no stone unturned. We're pulling back the curtain on this often misunderstood hormone and arming you with tips to maintain healthy levels.

After the deep dive into testosterone, we switch gears to a more proactive stand, discussing natural methods to keep your testosterone levels in check. The magic lies in the essentials - quality sleep, regular workouts, a well-rounded diet, stress management, and your dose of vitamin D.

We have personal anecdotes and scientific research to back it all up. But that's not all. Tune in as our host shares his health journey, grit, determination, and secrets to staying motivated.

The cherry on top is our 2% rule, a motivational mantra encouraging you to aim for a tiny yet consistent daily improvement. So, ready to make that 2% difference? We thought so.

If you're interested in more strategies to support healthier hormonal health, give this article a read: The Top 5 Hormone Hurdles for the Over-40 Gents (And How to Leap Over Them)

Chapters

• 0:03 Testosterone
• 8:08 Natural Ways to Boost Testosterone Levels
• 18:02 The 2% Solution

Transcript

Dai Manuel: 0:03

Their health heroes and wellness wizards. Welcome to tip Friday on the 2% solution podcast, where we mix humor with our health hacks Dai Manuel I'm , your jovial guide in the quest for fitness and health, and today we're diving into the world of testosterone. This is the hero hormone for men and, yes, it's important for ladies too. So grab a healthy snack and let's get the low down on keeping our T levels more upbeat than a caffeine fuel squirrel and if you've ever seen a caffeine fuel squirrel, you'll never forget it. But you know, a little sign up before I get into today's episode.

Dai Manuel: 0:37

It was a number of years ago. I was diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease and this chronic autoimmune conditions called autoimmune neutropenia. I know it sounds kind of weird, right? Good luck trying to spell it too. You know it came about, this discovery, let's just put it this way I did a Tough Mudder. It was actually the first time they were ever in Whistler, and for those that know me and I've often shared on some of these past episodes as well that I'm not a runner at all Short distances, sure. Long distances, no, thank you. And so you're probably wondering well, tough Mudder, there's a marathon distance, and you're absolutely right. But the nice thing about it it gets broken up with all these cool obstacles. There's usually a bunch of other people getting muddy, getting cold, doing crazy stuff on those obstacles, and we just have to get to each obstacle by doing little short runs. Well, some are longer than others. But long and short of this story. At that time when I did Tough Mudder, when I finished it felt great.

Dai Manuel: 1:33

Remember getting back home afterwards we were staying at a friend's condo, had a shower, we all went down to the common area, got in the hot tub and it was interesting because I had really bad chafing in my thighs, my inner thighs. For those that also were aware, I'm a bigger dude, you know, I'm 6'1", about 2.15", pretty lean. I've got a lot of muscle mass on me and pretty boy bones. To begin with too. As such, I'm not really built for distance running. My thighs got quite chafed and when I sat into the hot tub I guess it's probably not a good idea considering all the bacteria that's often in hot tubs.

Dai Manuel: 2:11

Anyways, I got sick, really sick to the point where my body was systemically shutting down Literally just every little aspect. My temperature spiked would not come down even when I gave myself some medication, and so the following morning we rushed me to the emergency and I was then hospitalized for just over a week and they had no idea what the hell was going on. My immune system was literally crashing. I was going into systemic shock and Oregon failure was a really big concern of theirs. And to top it all off, it was at St Paul's here in Vancouver, which is a teaching hospital, because a lot of the various educational programs here in BC, specifically in Vancouver, this is the hospital where a lot of these students do their practicums and so forth. So I had this literally it was like a train of hematologists or hematologists to be making their rounds, and so every day was rather interesting to get a new group of students coming in, all hypothesizing about what was going on in my body, and the hematologists ordered some major blood work.

Dai Manuel: 3:17

We found it had no neutrophils and neutrophils just so. You're all aware how this impacts you is when you have healthy neutrophils. You get a little scrape, you get a little viral infection or bacterial infection. You've got a line of defense that can usually prevent that from progressing into something worse. I don't have that line of defense and if I do, it's extremely weak, to the point that my body really isn't able to defend itself against a, you know, something like a panda, something like a pandemic. So I'm going to get a lot of those couple of years. My hematologist is just a joke. God, I should just live in a bubble. I'm like I can't do burpees in a bubble and but I realized I didn't want to be a victim of this condition.

Dai Manuel: 3:57

You know, we went through a lot of testing. They were concerned that it might have been a form of cancer, particular type of bone cancer, because it was responding as such. But fortunately, when we got the news a couple of weeks later, after all those tests came back, including two bone marrow biopsies would not wish those on anybody, by the way. We found out that we have this, potentially this condition and this is interesting for those in the medical system. I respect this there's a lot of uncertainty. We can't make you know. Claims or diagnosis is when there might be other possibilities that it's something else. But they got to a place where they were pretty sure that I had this condition and it was responding to various forms of treatment, one of which was a very aggressive drug, that's a biologic. It's an injection that I would take subcutaneously under my skin and it would then prompt my bone marrow to overproduce neutrophils To the point where my body felt like I was going through groin pains for 48 to 72 hours. Not pleasant at all, but it got those neutrophils to a high enough level that my body was able to do what needed to do To get me back to healthy. Ah, long and short of this whole preamble, I'm letting you know Something also was happening with my testosterone level as a result.

Dai Manuel: 5:13

I mean not just testosterone but all my hormones. But testosterone is the one, especially for a male. You know, early 30s, you know prime of my life relatively from everybody's External view, extremely healthy and I was doing all the right things. And this is why the doctors also said die, you're a bit of an enigma. And if a doctor ever says you're an enigma, I don't think it's usually a good thing. At least I didn't take it as such. I had to Google it what enigma was at that time, because I didn't know what it meant, but I thought it didn't sound very good. Long and short of it. It basically I was a bit of a mystery. And you know we've been moving forward ever since then.

Dai Manuel: 5:46

It's been in almost 10 years now, but those first couple years are really tough because my testosterone levels were that of an 80 year old so figure that out right in my Prime of my life and yet my testosterone levels were at the level of someone in their 80s, a male in his 80s. This had lots of negative effects on me, specifically in the mental health, in the energy space, and and it was tough right, it was really tough. Fortunately for me, I found a wonderful Functional medicine practitioner and his father, who was not only an MD but also a natural path, and the two of them the coppins that coppin health really helped write my shit. It was a two-year protocol that we put me on that included supplements, a little bit of Mild HGH Microdosing as well, which is human growth hormone as well as they started taking a couple other supplements that also supported my testosterone Getting to a better level. But basically we did the full gamma of testing to figure out when was I at and where did I want to get to and what is that potential? Awesome. And, by the way, spencer coppin will be a guest on a future episode, so I'm gonna actually have him on to talk about his methods, also talk deep on some of the subjects that I'll be sharing with you, especially around some of these lifestyle choices and other methods for improving hormonal health. You know cuz he's a very good expert in that space, so he can add a lot more to this and explain a bit better of how he was able to help me get back to not only a Thriving level of testosterone but also been able to maintain it all these years in spite of dealing with the chronic autoimmune condition.

Dai Manuel: 7:21

So Nice preamble, huh? So let's get into this today, right? Because first up, you're probably wondering what the heck is testosterone? I mean, think a bit of this way it's. It's basically the gym buff of hormones flexing its muscles in men's bodies and, yes, it makes cameos in women's bodies too. But it is the unsung hero behind muscles, bones and basically the oomph in your step on the day-to-day. It's also the maestro orchestrating your mood. So if you're feeling like a grumpy cat, your T levels might be singing the blues. But here's the plot twist as men age, our testosterone decides to take a lazy river ride, dipping about 1% each year post age 30. It's like our home ones hitting this news button. But don't worry, we're not doing become grumpy old men quite yet.

Dai Manuel: 8:08

But let's talk turkey, or rather how to keep your testosterone levels strutting like a peacock. Here are eight natural ways to keep your tea in tip top shape. And, trust me, they're easier than folding a fitted bed sheet. And those guys out there, you know what I'm talking about. Kristi, my wife can test to this my efforts. When I get that out of the dryer, I roll it up into a tight ball and I just throw it in the top of the closet. I don't even try to fold those fidget sheets in where I just don't know how. So I refuse to invest any time in it. But no, testosterone is not just a buzzword from fitness mags. It's literally a crucial hormone for men's health, and as we age, our tea levels tend to take a bit of a dive. But don't worry, there are natural, scientifically backed ways to help maintain those levels, number one being embrace quality sleep.

Dai Manuel: 8:55

Let's talk about sleep. It's more than just closing your eyes. It's about quality rest. Think of it as your body's nightly reboot, similar to charging your phone. I mean, you wouldn't settle for a half charged phone, so why do the same with your sleep? Here's a wake up call from the University of Chicago man who skimped on sleep getting less than five hours a night for a week had a significant dip in testosterone levels. So make sleep your cherished companion, respected, enjoy it and prioritize it.

Dai Manuel: 9:25

Number two incorporate regular exercise. I mean I'm sounding like a broken record now, but exercise is your body's wake up call. Using strength training with HIIT training, which is high intensity interval training, keeps things exciting, but remember, overtraining is like spam mail to your body it's unnecessary and usually overwhelming. The European Journal of Applied Physiology backs this up, showing that regular workouts, particularly weightlifting, boosts testosterone as your body's way of flexing its hormonal muscles. So keep it active, but yet balanced.

Dai Manuel: 10:00

Number three opt for a balanced diet. I mean literally, your plate is your palate for hormonal health. A blend of lean proteins, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates think eggs, avocados, quinoa it's like a symphony for your hormones. The Journal of NeuroInformation highlights how such a diet positively impacts hormone levels. It's about making each meal a harmonious melody that keeps your body dancing to the right tune. I can literally attest to this.

Dai Manuel: 10:29

That was a big part of the strategy that helped me bounce back and especially to see my testosterone levels soar, because my nutritionary choices were all geared towards decreasing my body's inflammation. For those that know, too much inflammation not a good thing in our body. That was a major cause to why my condition would sometimes flare up and take a little while to recover. It was based on some of the foods that I thought were healthy and I continued to eat them. Dairy wasn't a big issue for me it's not like I'm lactose intolerant or such but dairy was creating specifically lactose, creating this inflammatory response. Those that have asthma or any breathing challenges, you'll know that if you have any dairy it actually creates more mucus. It impedes some of that quality of breath, being able to just take air into your lungs. That's again just to give you a case in point, how some of these foods, even though we think they're healthy, in unbalanced meals, or particularly if we're lopsided to eating a lot of our protein from, say, dairy sources, these are potential downfalls for us. Think balanced, think creating harmony between the foods. It's not a matter of eating all, just one type, one way of eating. We are omnivores for a reason.

Dai Manuel: 11:47

Number four you got to minimize stress. Reduce stress is key. Find your zen in meditation, deep breathing or a relaxing hobby. I'm a comic book collector. Very relaxing for me, also very nostalgic and very nerdy. I know I'm calling myself out, but think of that as an internal chill pill. Research from the University of Texas shows high cortisol from stress can literally tank your testosterone. So find your peace and keep stress at bay. It's like keeping your hormonal garden free of weeds. Number five soak up vitamin D and sunlight whenever possible. Bask in the sun for natural vitamin D or supplement when the sun's on a break. It's like carrying a little sunshine wherever you go. Numerous health studies, including those from the University of Texas, underline the importance of vitamin D for maintaining your testosterone levels. It's like giving your hormones a sunny boost. And, in case you're not aware, vitamin D3 in particular is something that I supplement with greatly.

Dai Manuel: 12:49

I live in Vancouver, canada. The climate's just like Seattle Washington, just south of us by about two hours. It's a Pacific Northwest, we're literally a rain forest, and so a lot of the year is quite gray and overcast and often rainy. I get the snow too, but the snow's in the mountains. Okay, just for those that are like oh, you live in Canada, it must be covered in snow all the time. No, it's not All right, it's not, it's just. I'm not even going to go there.

Dai Manuel: 13:15

But vitamin D3 is a great supplement. In Canada, though, you can only get up to 1,000 IUs in a single pill, where down in the States you can get upwards to 5,000 IUs in a single pill. Interesting just how different governments regulate things differently. So I often pick up my D3 from the States because I'm not going to take eight pills a day. You know, up here in Canada, where I can take one or two usually, I'll often do 10,000 IUs in a day, which some people might think is really high. But again, I was working with the functional medicine practitioner. We determined that that was the level that I should take and it had a real positive effect. Within the first three months, and literally within the first four weeks, I noticed a boost in my mood. But I was mass dosing that stuff and you've got to keep in mind vitamin D3 is a hormone. As much as we think it's a vitamin, it actually is a hormone. More on that, probably in a future episode. I've got some friends that are experts when it comes to all this stuff. That might be a question we even throw back out to Spencer Coppin when he attends our show later in the next couple of months.

Dai Manuel: 14:13

Number six moderate alcohol consumption. All right. For those that know I don't drink, I haven't drank for over 14 years but that's a personal choice that I made for my lifestyle and it's worked in my favor. I'm not here to vilify alcohol and say don't drink, but do recognize that moderate alcohol consumption is important versus overindulgement. It's the overindulging that creates negative effects over time. So moderate alcohol intake is crucial. Enjoy a drink, but keep it occasional. Overindulgence can send your testosterone levels on a downward spiral, says current drug abuse reviews. Okay, it's about sipping for satisfaction, not for excess, aiming for a hormonal equilibrium, not a hormonal roller coaster.

Dai Manuel: 14:58

Just to paint some visuals for you, number seven, this one's important incorporate natural testosterone boosters and supplementation. Now please recognize that, as I mentioned some of these ideas or strategies, you're always going to want to consult with a health professional first, work with somebody a naturopath, a GP, a functional medicine practitioner that really has the experience, wisdom and knowledge to help guide, because it is very much subjective, based on what's going on internally for the individual. So there is a battery test that you're going to want to do to really get a clear picture where you at and then they can formulate a plan for you to get to where you want to get to. But this idea of incorporating natural testosterone boosters and supplements, it's basically nature's pantry and science's innovations, because they offer some great allies for your hormonal health. Foods like pomegranates, fortified cereals, oysters, are nature's undercover agents in your diet. To bolster this, supplements like DHEA can play a crucial role. Dhea is a naturally occurring hormone produced by your adrenal glands, and it acts as a precursor to testosterone. So by supplementing with DHEA, you're essentially giving your body the raw materials it needs to boost testosterone production. This is backed by research, like the study in the intentional journal of reproductive biomedicine, which found that ginger can elevate testosterone levels. So think of natural boosters and DHEA supplements as your hormonal health's special task force, working in tandem to keep your levels optimal or optimized. And number eight I sort of hinted at this in the last question, or last tip, I should say regular health checkups. Keeping tabs on your health with regular checkups is like giving your car a routine service. It's essential for smooth operation. The endocrine society's clinical practice guidelines recommend this for a reason it's not just about today's health, but maintaining a robust hormonal balance for the long haul. And that, my friends, wraps up another Fit Tip Friday here on the 2% Solution Podcast.

Dai Manuel: 17:15

I'm Diamond Well, and it's been an absolute pleasure diving into the world of testosterone with you today. We've explored everything from the importance of quality sleep and regular exercise to the power of a balanced diet, reducing stress and the benefits of natural testosterone boosters, including supplements like DHEA. Remember, fellas, it's not just about the numbers. It's about how you feel, how you live and how you embrace each day You're grappling with low T or low testosterone. Know that you're not alone and there are many natural ways to enhance your vitality. Think of today's tips as your toolkit for rejuvenation. Small changes, consistently applied, can lead to significant improvements. So keep pushing, stay motivated and never forget that your health is your wealth.

Dai Manuel: 18:02

If today's episode struck a chord with you, I'd be incredibly grateful if you could hit that subscribe button, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it and leave a review if you found value in our discussion today. Your support and feedback fuel this journey. We're on together and don't forget, the 2% solution is your go-to podcast for regular doses of inspiration and practical health tips. Join us every Monday for motivation to kickstart your week, tune in on Wednesdays for dynamic interviews with some amazing guests and, of course, catch us every Friday for more Fit Tip episodes that keep your health journey exciting and informed. Stay tuned, stay motivated and let's keep transforming our lives, one small step at a time. Until next time, keep striving, keep thriving and remember every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation. Stay healthy, stay happy and keep chasing that 2% improvement each and every day. See you next time on the 2% solution, where we make every step count towards a healthier, happier you.