The skinny fat man, or more specifically, the man boob. Are they a product of fat, or of high estrogen levels?
Well, the skinny fat man‘s life is kind of a revolving door of one thing contributing to another, all contributing to higher estrogen levels, lower testosterone levels, and a physique that doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence.
However, did you know that fat in itself creates higher estrogen levels in men? Or that we’re surrounded by a material that gives us more of this ‘woman’ hormone?
But what of this hormone? This thing that makes a woman a woman, and a man’s body look like he’s turning into a woman…
Why do men – from a societal standpoint – have feverishly rising estrogen levels? And how the hell do we turn this ship around before the “manzeir” becomes an actual item sold in
stores??
The following article will give you strategies to lower estrogen levels, and tips to build lean muscle, and never look like a skinny fat man again.
1. Get rid of your plastics.
Plastics… you know, material we drink our water out of, microwave our leftovers in, and are surrounded by as a baby, raise our estrogen levels. Back to that baby point… When we’re at our most vulnerable state, we’re surrounded by a material that raises our estrogen levels. Link between this as the heightened estrogen levels of today’s man? Just saying.
Then we start school where we carry our lunches in plastic tupperware containers, drink water from plastic bottles, and have our sandwiches wrapped in plastic cellophane.
Plastic is literally everywhere around us. Trying to cut it out of our lives is pretty tough, but it’s pretty important.
Not only do plastics raise estrogen levels, but they also have been linked to cancer (especially when heated). So, needless to say, start drinking out of a metal water bottle, don’t give your kids their food in tupperware containers, and start getting your hormones under control.
Oh, and NEVER heat food or liquid in plastic containers.
2. Eat grass fed meat.
The cows on those massive cattle farms are pumped full of hormones that raise their estrogen levels. To think that those same hormones aren’t passed on to us when we eat them is lunacy.
The only way around this is to know that your meat – of any source – comes from a farm where they aren’t fed animal bi-products, nor are they given hormones. Thus, grass fed beef, bison, free range eggs, chicken, pork and so on.
If you want to have the testosterone boosting effect of red meat, and the fats from red meat, make sure you’re not eating meat that hasn’t already been pumped full of estrogen.
3. Eat organic produce.
The pesticides that farmer’s spray on our foods contain chemicals that raise our estrogen levels. It’s worth it to pay a little extra money (or eat less food at a higher quality if you’re trying to save money) to get food that is not only good for us from a nutrient standpoint, but also a hormonal one.
4. Eat more nuts to help your nuts.
… Maybe one of my favourite bullet points ever… although #8 is a possible rival…
The fat found in nuts helps raise our testosterone levels, thus diminishing our estrogen levels. Nuts are great for testosterone production (seeds included). Again, I’d go with the organic variety.
Lately I’ve found some great deals on organic nuts in my local grocery store, so the deals do exist.
My favourite nuts:
Brazil nuts, walnuts (more omega 3’s than almonds), almonds, sunflower seeds, and cashews.
5. If you’re a boy, don’t have soy.
Soy has been shown to raise estrogen levels. This, of course, includes soy sauce, so eat your sashimi how it’s meant to be eaten: raw and sauceless.
Also, don’t touch edamame. And if you’re allergic to dairy, almond milk or milk from another animal will always be better than soy milk.
6. Eat meat.
Studies are continually showing that when we became primarily carnivores, we had our greatest spike in human evolution. Our brains were bigger, our noses were bigger (able to breathe better), and our testosterone levels were higher… yes, I’ll have an article up on this soon…
Meat is good. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Fat is good. Again, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Can you go overboard? Sure. Just make sure you’re varying up your protein sources, and each meal contains vegetables. But humans are meant to eat meat, so go grab a steak!
7. Stay away from beer.
Beer raises estrogen levels. It’s sad, very sad to say. And I’m not saying that I adhere to this principle, although I have been lately, forgoing my beer cravings for a nice glass of red wine – which has been shown to have the opposite effect.
If you want proof of beer’s effects on us hormonally, just look at your fat uncle’s beer belly. Estrogen pools our fat in our lower abdomen area.
8. Eat citrus.
Citrus fruits have shown to lower estrogen levels in men. So eat your oranges, grapefruits, and sprinkle some lemon into your water (also keeps the body alkaline).
9. Shed fat and build muscle.
More fat = higher estrogen levels. That’s what I was talking about earlier in the article when I mentioned the revolving door of pain that the skinny fat man lives in.
a) cut out grains unless they’re around your workout.
b) eat more saturated and monounsaturated fats upon rising and before bed… and in general.
c) start lifting weights and stop going for long runs. The former will help you lose fat and build muscle, the latter will help you stay a skinny fat man.
10. Take the PowerHowse Challenge.
As a society in general, we think more is better. The more you work, the more successful you’re going to be. The longer you train, the better physique you’ll have. But this simply isn’t true, especially when we’re talking about training.
A point I’ve driven home hundreds of times, and will probably drive home hundreds of times in the future, is that workouts lasting over 60 minutes result in cortisol being release. Cortisol is the enemy of testosterone.
Ever heard of the saying, “the enemy of my friend, is my enemy?” Well it reigns true int he case of cortisol as well. Cortisol is the friend of estrogen in men. In the PowerHowse Challenge we focus on short workouts that will boost your testosterone levels, help you build muscle, and raise your metabolism for up to 24 hours after you’ve left the gym.
Follow the exercises, cadences, and workouts in the program, and you’ll get rid of your man boobs, getting the abundance of confidence that accompanies a transformation.
