Hormone balance is often associated with women’s health, but it’s a crucial aspect of
overall wellness for men as well. Maintaining a healthy hormonal balance plays a
significant role in men’s sexual and reproductive health, mood, weight management,
and more.

Men need to be nourished too. While men are more resilient to under-eating and can get
away with things like fasting more easily than women, chronic under-eating can impact
men’s health as well. Similar to how under-eating impacts women, it can lead to
sluggish thyroid function, low testosterone levels, leptin resistance, and nutrient
deficiencies that can impact their overall health and hormone levels. I am often asked if
men need different nutrition recommendations than women, but truly both men and
women need an individualized approach. Here are some areas to consider
experimenting with.

Meal Frequency & Timing

Men are classically known for being gorgers–typically thriving off eating between 2-3
large meals a day vs. more frequent smaller meals. This is typically true as long as
those men are metabolically flexible and can use fat for fuel between meals. I think a lot
of men can thrive eating less frequently, as long as they are still eating enough. As I
mentioned above, under-eating can impact men’s health and hormones too, especially
when protein intake is not adequate.

Prioritizing Protein Intake

One thing that is less nuanced and essential for all men: prioritizing protein. Protein is
crucial for building muscle, bone health, brain function, immune system function,
cellular repair, blood sugar balance, and thyroid health. Protein-rich foods are also a
great source of zinc, which is an important part of nutrition for men’s health.
Most men need at least 8oz of protein at each meal. Likely between 8-12oz depending
on their size with a daily total close to 1g per pound of body weight. If they are
overweight, they could eat closer to .8g per pound of body weight. Just like with women,
I think it’s important to meet yourself where you are and slowly increase. You don’t have
to be perfect.

Increase High Zinc Foods

Zinc is crucial for men’s health and testosterone levels. Studies show that zinc
deficiency can have a dramatic effect on testosterone and cause serum testosterone
levels to decrease. These low zinc levels are also found to interfere with sperm
production, which shows how important zinc is for male fertility.
Zinc maintains a strong and healthy immune system . it helps fight off infections and
illness by enhancing the function of immune cells.
Zinc aids in protein synthesis and muscle repair, making it essential for men who are
active or engaging in regular physical training . It helps your muscles recover faster after
workout and promotes muscle growth.

How do we ensure men have adequate zinc?
Prioritizing zinc-rich foods:

The Recommended
Allowance (RDA) Zinc For
healthy adult men is 11 mg
daily.

Things to be mindful of:

1. Build meals around protein. Most men need at least 8oz of protein at each
   meal. Likely between 8-12oz depending on their size.
2. Eating less frequently is often fine, but those meals need to be
   nutrient-dense otherwise we can still get nutrient deficiencies.
3. Ensure you get adequate dietary zinc into your diet daily to support
   testosterone levels, boost immune function and enhance muscle recovery
   and growth