MEN! here is the holy grail!

There is some sound nutritional and exercise-related advice there, but amateur physiologists always fail to realize that most hormone levels are under very strict negative feedback control, and the overall levels are not subject to wild modulation. Does anyone wonder why the testes shrink when one injects testosterone-like anabolic steroids? It's because the feedback mechanisms shut down natural production of the androgens in an attempt to get back to the normal set-point (which the injections far exceed).

You want big muscles? Work for them in the gym (and realize it's impossible to totally escape genetics). Don't expect any magic diet, pill, or sex recipe to provide any extreme advantage. And, it's usually not a good idea to mess with hormones.

Holy fail, not holy grail.

That is a wonderful approach to fitness--trying to do it through education about how the body works. The problem with most health advice we can find on the web is the quality of physiological knowledge. Great jumps in cause-effect are made without a shred of solid experimental evidence, and some of the ideas forwarded about changing this and changing that in one's physiology are outrageous. The basics of good nutrition can be found in various publications from science and medicine-based nutrition and dietetics associations. An exercise regime designed to meet one's personal needs can be put together by an exercise professional. It's when claims are made about a plan's ability to increase production of this hormone or to decrease this kind of fat, or to detoxify the body of some specific metabolite, without any kind of evidence, that red flags start to run up the flagpole. If the program has a statement something like, "research at a leading university shows," toss the plan immediately. If the research was solid, it would be published in an established, peer-reviewed journal. The absolute best approach to health and fitness is the one you are seeking--a plan based on a solid education on health and fitness. The problem frequently arises in the choice of information one uses for that education.

For part of your plan, start your research at the American Dietetic Association.

http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/index.html

Things to avoid:

• Most diet books - they typically suggest one-size-fits-all dietetic advice that can be dangerous to some individuals. Besides, their prime motivation is selling books.
• Information put out by health food stores. Same about selling products
• Most gym lore - gym rats, including many personal trainers, have limited knowledge of human physiology, and some of the information floating around gyms is outrageously wrong
• Anything that makes a claim without some evidence in support from recognized professional journals (a published book is not acceptable unless that book has detailed journal citations for its claims)
• Anything where there is a "quick" road to health and fitness - this is a long term endeavor
• Anything where the claims appear to be too good to be true
• Anything where the claims suggest gains can be made without effort (e.g. lose weight while you sleep)
• Anything that is directly or indirectly tied to the sale of a product, a process, or a procedure

Good luck with it. Working toward greater health and fitness can have a positive impact on one's overall outlook and attitude.

I didn't study any of that but realized I'm doing it all anyway. It's about awareness. Awareness of your body, how it works, and what works and what doesn't. My testosterone level is just fine, thank you very much.