When we talk about a man’s ‘cycle’, we are talking about their testosterone cycle.

The sun is metaphorically regarded as male because it has a 24-hour cycle. Due to the sun’s gravitational pull, all the planets in our solar system orbit around it.

This echoes the 24-hour hormonal cycle in men. Men actually experience a full testosterone cycle every 24 hours, with peaks and troughs in testosterone levels during this time which affect mood, attitudes and behaviour.

In the morning, testosterone is generally at its highest, waning in the afternoon, and becoming lowest at night, much like the daylight. This essentially means that they are perfectly in sync with the standard workday. Their hormones keep them energetic, talkative, and focused so that they are ready to have a productive day.

Tips on how you might best optimise your 24 hour testosterone sun cycle:

In the morning:

During the morning testosterone levels peak. Whilst this varies with the individual man might be more talkative, energetic & focused.

It’s a great time to:

• Delve into a project or task alone

• Tackle a DIY task that’s been waiting to be finished

• Brainstorm solutions for a new project

• Give yourself the time to enjoy making love

• Avoid excess criticism or tackling tricky subjects at this time.

Around Midday:

You might be feeling a bit more chilled out than in the morning – but there’s still some energy left in there!

At this time, men are often still upbeat and often more focused, but you might not get as hot under the collar 😉

This is a great time to get some teamwork work done.

Great time to:

• Have your team meet or brainstorming/ planning  session

• Having meetings with customers or clients

• Go for a romantic or lunch date

• In the evening, testosterone has well and truly dropped, you might feel more low-key, amiable and mellow.

• It’s a great time to receive suggestions, as men are much more likely to be open to it. At this point, men’s libido is at its lowest.

This is the time to:

• Do relaxing activities such as watching a film or reading

• Enjoy some affectionate cuddling

• Enjoy some Downtime

Various factors may cause lowered testosterone levels in men and can cause hormonal imbalances: including age, type II diabetes, obesity, lack of sleep and stress.

Foods and tips to balance testosterone levels:

To increase and balance testosterone levels –

• Eat pumpkin seeds which are rich in zinc a mineral crucial for testosterone production

• Damiana herb – great herb for relaxing and improving libido

• Panax Ginseng – energising herb that improves physical and mental performance in times of stress

To reduce stress and improve sleep:

• Take up a mindfulness practise

• Exercise regularly

• Spend time in nature and in water

To cleanse the liver and relieve the body of excess heat / anger:

• Milk thistle – Cleanses the liver and regenerates liver cells

• Dandelion root – Cleansing and helps to keep the bowels open

• Hydrate adequately – A lot of research shows the beneficial effect of adequate hydration on focus, productivity and creativity as well as general wellness.