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You’re eagerly planning your big turkey feast and can’t wait for the holiday indulgence to begin.
But maybe try something new this year while you’re prepping for your big family Thanksgiving dinner because let’s not forget that nutrition can have a profound and long-lasting impact on your health and hormones.
As the clock strikes and Thanksgiving officially begins, you feel as though there’s no more need to justify the stacks of baked cookies and neatly arranged pies. No need to explain the piles of groceries and canned goods sitting on your kitchen counter, waiting to be cooked and served to your closest family when they could easily feed an entire army.
But in order to maintain healthy testosterone levels, a balanced diet is crucial while negative habits can be detrimental to your hormonal balance. Following the right nutrition consistently is key as your body absorbs all the nutrients and vitamins you need for testosterone synthesis.
At the same time, you want to aim at keeping a healthy BMI because adverse factors can force you into a cycle of recurring aggravation, specifically because being overweight and having diabetes can all worsen testosterone deficiency.
Below we have listed some Thanksgiving health tips that can help you enjoy your family Thanksgiving dinner and maintain healthy testosterone levels at the same time. So let’s grab our forks and knives and let’s enjoy a healthy feast.
Number One Thanksgiving Health Tip: Eat in Moderation
While food is important in providing your body with vital nutrients, most of us were raised on the notion that on holidays “it’s okay” to overindulge. But let’s face it, eating in moderation and controlling your caloric intake are key components of effective health tips for Thanksgiving.
Of course, a little indulgence every now and then won’t sway the needle by much, but routinely using the holidays as an excuse to overeat throughout the year could.
See, the thing is, once you’ve established an unhealthy eating habit, it’s hard to find your way back to a healthy routine — especially, if you’re yoyoing back and forth between excessive eating during the holiday season versus your regular day-to-day diet.
Keep your portion sizes in check at this year’s family Thanksgiving dinner but feel free to add an extra serving of healthy low-calorie foods to your plate.
Foods that Can Kill Your Testosterone
We may start planning our family Thanksgiving dinner with the best of intentions, striving to eat healthy foods and steering clear of unnecessary calories. But sometimes our understanding of “healthy” can be vague or even unclear. To save you the confusion, we have compiled a list of foods that can kill your testosterone and send your levels on a downward trend.
(1) Fats & Processed Foods
Before you toss your turkey into the sizzling oil in your deep fryer, know that fried foods and trans fats are on top of the list of testosterone-killing foods — in addition to causing many other adverse health effects.
Research found a correlation between eating a diet rich in fried and processed foods and lower testosterone levels in men.
The same rings true for trans fatty acids frequented in processed foods that have been found to play a role in lower levels of total testosterone and reduced free testosterone concentrations.
(2) Pastries & Sugars
Who doesn’t love a good dessert… or two? According to the National Grocers Association, Americans purchase almost 19 million ready-to-eat pies in the week leading up to their family Thanksgiving dinner. And this doesn’t even include homemade pies, cookies, pastries, and all other desserts taking up space on your dining room table.
Researchers confirmed that dietary patterns that included high consumption of desserts, pastries, and dairy products were all triggers of testosterone deficiency.
(3) Alcohol
For some of us, social gatherings are the perfect excuse to indulge a little more than we should. But too many foods can kill your testosterone and adversely affect your overall well-being. Alcohol is no exception.
Studies have shown that high alcohol intake will lead to a reduction of blood testosterone levels but that’s not all. Alcohol has wide-ranging effects on your reproductive health, impacting the Leydig cells where testosterone is produced as well as sperm maturation, and decreasing the secretion of your reproductive hormones FSH and LH in the pituitary gland.
Besides a direct negative effect on testosterone production, alcohol has also been associated with countless other health issues, ranging from liver cirrhosis to digestive problems and heart disease.
Foods that Can Boost Your Testosterone
With several Thanksgiving health tips up your sleeve, navigating this holiday should be easier for you now. Nonetheless, you might be happy to hear that there are also plenty of foods that are NOT off-limit and can, in fact, help boost your testosterone. Here’s what you should eat at this year’s family Thanksgiving dinner:
Leafy Greens & Onions
Both leafy greens and onions can easily be worked into a vegetable casserole or can be made as a side dish to be served with the classic Thanksgiving mashed potatoes. Magnesium-rich greens like spinach and kale can be particularly helpful in boosting your testosterone levels.
Berries & Cherries
Berries and cherries are rich in antioxidants and can protect against free radicals. They can be considered a food that boosts testosterone due to their high content of flavonoids.
Whether you prefer strawberries or blueberries, or would rather try your hand at juicy red cherries, consider integrating some of these healthier foods into your Thanksgiving meal as they make especially good additions to your desserts.
Focus on Quality Family Time Rather than the Food
Instead of setting yourself up for failure, plan this family Thanksgiving dinner with your health at the forefront, choosing delicious low-calorie foods while avoiding foods that can kill your testosterone. After all, the holidays are all about family and not the food.
In lieu of the typical comfort foods, serve fresh veggies and leafy greens, while exploring exotic spices and herbs that can add an entirely new flavor palate to your cuisine.
With the right seasoning and ingredient combinations, healthy alternatives are anything but bland. In fact, many nutritious low-calorie recipes are extremely flavor-dense, rich in texture, and versatile, in addition to supporting your overall well-being.
So, this Thanksgiving, when you have your turkey sizzling in the oven, join forces with your spouse or family and discover the beauty of healthy and delicious foods.
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