Well, well, well. You think you know a thing, only to find out you really don’t know shit. Isn’t that just how life goes? Don’t answer that. Yes, that’s how it goes. I’ve been studying nutrition and fitness the entirety of my adult life. I know what macros are. I know what protein, carbohydrates and fats do, I know what vitamins and minerals are. I know what calories are, how to count them, that certain fatty acids and amino acids are essential. These are things I know. Here’s what I didn’t know, that I somehow stumbled across today in my continued desperate attempts to figure out how to lower my sex hormone binding globulin, which is high and climbing, binding up all my testosterone and making me half the man I used to be. That’s really just an STP reference as I’ve probably always been pretty low on the testosterone scale. Oleic acid, one of the monounsaturated Omega-9 fatty acids, has been demonstrated to increase sex hormone binding globulin. Well hell, that’s no good. Let me make sure I’m not eating too much of that.
- Olive oil.
- Avocado.
- Egg yolks.
I’ve been stuffing this crap down my gullet every day! I even increased them recently when I went keto and my last blood test showed an increase in SHBG. I was like, what the hell, a higher fat diet is supposed to be good for testosterone levels. Sure, but not those fats!
I can’t even believe it as I sit here typing this. Some of the healthiest foods in the world were wrecking my hormonal levels. Just goes to show you; everyone is a little different. What might be great for one person, or one goal, is awful for someone else.
I had to restrain myself from throwing what’s left of my olive oil in the trash. I’m sure I still will, but I didn’t want to overreact as is my tendency, and instead let it stew for a while. I’ve got half a dozen avocados in the fridge too.
I have revised my testosterone boosting, SHBG-lowering diet plan and created a foods to avoid list at the top of it. At least my newly beloved coconuts didn’t let me down. With the best of intention, I lowered my carbs and increased my fats to create a better hormonal diet. I increased my consumption of eggs, olive oil, avocados, brazilnuts, pecans and eschewed staples like cottage cheese and yogurt because they might increase estrogen levels. I went full keto after studies showed higher testosterone among ketogenic dieters. But higher testosterone, which I do have now, is pretty useless if it’s all bound up with SHBG as mine is, leaving less than 1% in the free state. It’s infuriating I’ve got to tell you.
However, I live in the present tense. The past no longer exists and I won’t let it haunt me. Starting right this very moment, I have a renewed focus on making this work for me.
- Keto is over.
- I will keep total fat intake at no less than 30% of my calories.
- I will avoid the dastardly oleic foods.
- MK 677 will increase IGF-1 and the reintroduction of carbs will increase insulin. Both drive down SHBG.
- I have a new supplement concoction I have ordered up after finding a fascinating new product that increases testosterone dramatically.
- I will ask the doc for viagra.
I will triumph.
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