Hormonal health is big business these days and there is good reason for it.

Hormones are chemical messengers that carry instructions to the systems and processes of our body. Unbelievably powerful, they determine how fast or slow we age, how strong and fit we are and whether we become overweight or remain slim or succumb to disease or stay well and healthy.

As we age, the amount of hormones our body makes dwindles which in turn accelerates the aging process making us susceptible to disease. Normally up to about age 30 we produce all the hormones we need to keep us feeling youthful, healthy and fit. However, when our 40’s and 50’s arrive, we need to begin looking closer at our self-care making sure to include proper exercise and healthy eating if we want to maintain them.

The male hormone testosterone is what fuels and “makes a man a man” giving him the vitality, vigor drive, energy, strength and motivation to take on the day. The correct amount of this hormone in the womb makes the foetus a boy. A boy turns into a man during adolescence when this hormone is surging and for the remainder of life this hormone will have profound effects on both the body and brain impacting your physical activity.

Because testosterone also influences psychological factors, experiencing loss of this powerful hormone results in mood shifts, memory and libido loss, as well as loss of assertiveness and confidence. When this “take charge and get things done” hormone is lacking, so too is the dominant (not aggressive) male attitude.

Men who experience low testosterone levels feel tired, even to the point of feeling “down in the dumps”. Sadness and deep depression can be the result when a man feels as though his man-hood and life force are being drained.

It’s normal for men’s testosterone levels to drop as they get older but truth is testosterone levels are dropping rapidly and not just in older men. Testosterone loss is reaching and affecting men in their early 20s.

Even though most men are able to withstand and hold off any serious physical decline well into their 30s, as the late 30s and 40s roll around all the poor choices they made as young men begin demanding attention and are impossible to ignore. No longer do surging hormones take care of this situation.

As the years slip away so too do the hormones. As men reach their late 30s their bodies begin to change. Lean muscle is being replaced by body fat while strength and energy are slowly declining.

Research suggests that more than one third of men over 45 may have clinically low testosterone levels and the odds rise to 2.4 times for obese men.

The decline of this hormone is responsible for the visible and invisible signs of the aging process in men.

These signs can include:

• Pot bellies
• High blood pressure
• Low self esteem
• Loss of lean muscle mass
• Loss of bone density
• Weight gain
• Lack of mental alertness
• Hair loss
• Mood swings
• Lack of energy

The root of the problem lies in our modern lifestyles, one that includes too little intense exercise and poor nutrition. Add to that too little sleep, too much stress, too much alcohol and too many sugars as well as unhealthy fats, processed foods and not enough protein and you have a sure recipe for damaging and inhibiting testosterone production.

The end result is your body will gradually be drained of energy, vigor, vitality and eventually life itself.

It’s obvious that healthy testosterone levels are essential to male health; the lower the testosterone the more challenged and lower quality of life.

If you suspect that you or anyone you know or love may be experiencing the devastating effects of testosterone my “Strong Men Stay Young” program can help you put things right again and get back the “pep” and male “verve” you had a few years ago.