Just for Men: Protect Your Sexual Health by Avoiding These 5 Bad Habits

couple not having sex

Sex. It’s on every man’s mind, and new studies illuminate just how serious erectile dysfunction is. At the same time, low testosterone isn’t something you have to live with. A lot of times, you can solve the problem with simple diet and lifestyle changes.

Take It Easy On Drugs and Alcohol

Alcohol and drugs lower testosterone levels. Nicotine can restrict blood flow to the penis, and many drugs and alcoholic substances act as a depressant on the nervous system, making it difficult to get and maintain an erection. If you’re having trouble with drug, in particular, you may want to consider a prescription drug addiction recovery protocol – it could save your life.

Get Your Testosterone Checked

Testosterone levels can be measured with a simple blood test ordered by your doctor. If you have low T, your doctor can recommend a number of important diet and lifestyle changes. One of the most important is increasing your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is actually a steroid hormone, and it’s essential for the development of sperm and directly impacts testosterone levels.

Exercise

Weight lifting is notoriously good for boosting testosterone levels, even though the rise may not come for up to an hour after lifting. Weights also have the side-effect of making you stronger. Strong is good. Strong men are harder to kill and are more useful in general. Lift weights.

Eat Well

Most men know how to “eat well.” The problem is that “eating well” usually consists of drinking beer, eating lots of bread and excess calories, and downing untold amounts of sugary foods. Even if you’re not overweight or “out of shape”, the poor diet can have long-term consequences on your sexual health. How?

Bad diet can lower testosterone productions, and “low T” will make it hard to get an erection – obviously not a good thing.

Keep your testosterone up by eating plenty of natural fats from animals (don’t be overly concerned with trimming fat from meats, for example), good fats from plant-based sources like olive oil, and don’t replace meats with soy.

Soy contains plant estrogens that mimic estrogen in the human body. Consumption of enough soy, coupled with a reduction in complete proteins found in meat and eggs, has been linked to a 10 percent drop in testosterone levels after four weeks.

Do A Testicular Screening

You don’t have to go to the doctor’s office for a testicular screening. You can do your own self-assessment at home first. Testicular cancer affects something like 8,000 men every year. Most men who are affected are between the ages of 15 and 40, so don’t think it can’t happen to you.

Fortunately, when it’s caught early, it can be eradicated in 95 percent of cases. Here’s how to make sure you don’t end up like Lance Armstrong:

1) Check your testicles at least once a month.
2) Perform the check by first taking a hot shower. Warm water relaxes the muscles that pull the testicles up into your scrotum, and it makes it easier for you to check them.
3) Cup your scrotum. Feel both testicles at once. They may or may not be identical, but there shouldn’t be any dramatic difference in the size between them.
4) Now, gently examine each testicle individually. Use both hands to examine one testicle. Place your index and middle fingers underneath and your thumbs on the top. Now, roll the testicle (carefully) between your fingers and feel for lumps or odd bumps. Each testicle should feel smooth, almost like a peeled hard-boiled egg. If you do feel a bump or an odd lump, don’t panic just yet. There’s a tube on the back side of each testicle called an epididymis. That’s normal. But, if you do feel something that’s not a tube or a small little “nob” at the back of the testicle, it’s time to talk to your doctor.

Kevin Martel’s work as a physician’s assistant allows him to work closely with patients. He often blogs about the common concerns and questions that patients have so he can help others improve their daily health.