I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials for the pills and gels promising to reduce the symptoms of “low T.” “It’s just a number,” they say, then promise increased muscle and bone mass, elevated mood, more energy and a whole host of other benefits. Sounds appealing.
Perhaps you can skip the pills. I have an alternate solution.
Red cabbage.
I’ve got your attention now, right? From mensfitness.uk:
Cabbage is rammed with indole-3-carbinol (IC3), a phytochemical that increases your testosterone according to a study at the Rockefeller University Hospital in New York. The study also found that when men were given IC3, their levels of the female hormone estrogen reduced by 50%.
This is probably a good time to remind you that adding cabbage to your diet of Oreos and Doritos won’t make you ripped. However, at Kaplifestyle, we are all about adding value at the margins. If, over time, we find that we can sprinkle enjoyable foods into our already strong nutritional repertoire, eventually we become a fortress of good health.
If you’re happy with your testosterone levels, don’t pass on the cabbage. You didn’t think I’d ignore the female half of my readers, right? Fromwhfoods.com:
The rich red color of red cabbage reflects its concentration of anthocyanin polyphenols, which contribute to red cabbage containing significantly more protective phytonutrients than green cabbage. Interest in anthocyanin pigments continues to intensify because of their health benefits as dietary antioxidants, as an anti-inflammatory, and their potentially protective, preventative, and therapeutic roles in a number of human diseases.
We can all use a little more color in our diet. Red cabbage also doses you with Vitamin C (so you can stop with those powders to “prevent colds”), Vitamins A and K and lots of fiber.
I know you’re on board at this point, so let’s talk about how to eat it. I’m crushing it on an airplane as we speak. Sure, you may get some funny looks when you savagely bite off a huge chunk of a ball of cabbage on your flight. Your flight attendants and fellow passengers may laugh at you, but you’ve been here before. Supreme health requires a strong shield of thick skin.
I know, you want a more socially accepted method. Start simple by shredding cabbage and adding it to your salads. I dig kale, spinach, arugula and chard, but my veggie mixes take flight when I add red cabbage. No disrespect to the greens, but they lack the subtle sweetness provided by the vividly hued leaves. Dressed lightly with hummus and paired with a grass-fed steak leaves me feeling nutritionally drenched.
If you’re struggling with the taste, you can add it to juice or, better yet, smoothies. Stronger flavors like apple, lemon and carrots will mask the cabbage while still providing nutritional benefits.
There’s no getting around it, folks love shortcuts. Supermarket shelves are packed with supplement options that offer upside similar to what you might find from a cup or two of shredded purple cabbage. You can take a multi vitamin or you can just eat the veggie. The former is a processed pill and the latter a cruciferous vegetable with endless health benefits.
See you tomorrow when we discuss lettuce (kidding).
Kap
BoojieMaw says
Lightly steaming cabbage before enjoying it will ensure you reap more of the sulfur benefits this veggie has to offer. Sulfur rich veggies are very important to our bodies for many reasons… Just another benefit you can go research 🙂
Gabe Kapler says
Dig that, BM.
ianlord says
I forget where I found this recipe, but I recently made – and have been eating it with the occasional meal – a salad with red cabbage, walnuts (recipe called for maple-glazed pecans, but I improvised), and blue cheese, dressed lightly in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. It’s a salad I plan on making far more often.
Ed H says
Finely chopped apple and dried cranberries would add a lot to that salad too.
Gabe Kapler says
Dig.
Duane says
Very nice post as always. I figure I eat about a head of red cabbage every 5-6 days in my big ass salads and it taste better than a pill.
Gabe Kapler says
Sure does.
Chester says
Stewardess! Stewardess! I paid lotsa dough for dis first class ticket and this mf next to me is eating cabbage! Ain’t dere regulations against dis kinda thing!
Gabe Kapler says
Ha. Nice.
John Beavers (@HutchBeav) says
Shredded red cabbage is always a must anytime I have a salad.
Out of curiosity, did you hit up any other joints while in KC or just stop at Room 39?
Gabe Kapler says
Also hit this one:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/eggtc-kansas-city-4
Meh.
S Rob says
Jumped on this train a few months back…I don’t consider myself a picky eater, but this stuff is extremely easy to take back raw and without any dressing. Just a bit crunchy for a quiet office…
Gabe Kapler says
Indeed.
Ed H says
Shredded cabbage with a mixture of tahini, dried ginger, olive oil and a good soy sauce…. I can eat half a head at a time this way… Shredded carrots can go in too, but I’m fine with just the cabbage.
I had a hard time not making a “pill with tahini…” joke.
Laura S says
Love the tip! I’m on a plane myself currently and have kale chips packed in my luggage! I totally get the supreme health requires thick skin comment..people give me strange looks and comments all the time when I’m eating Kale chips & protein shakes to their Doritos and beer. 😉 Always love finding ways to stay on the “clean eating path” while I’m on the road.
Gabe Kapler says
Love it, Laura.
MIchelle says
Does it come in injectable form? Nothing masks the taste for me. Of course, if I only ate for taste, I’d weigh 500 #
Gabe Kapler says
http://www.discogs.com/Ice-Cube-Lethal-Injection/release/178899
Jill D. says
Love red cabbage. I cut a head in quarters or eighths depending on size, then use the leaves to scoop up hummus.
Gabe Kapler says
Boom.
Stan Mickus says
Love the red cabbage Kap. A head a week. Does the body good.
Gabe Kapler says
Right you are.
Steve says
Thanks for the advice, Kap. Got to love raising ‘dem T levels. I guess I’ll have to eat red cabbage now!
Those looking for a ‘natural’ testosterone boost, check out D-Aspartic Acid in powdered form and mix 3g with juice to hide the bitter acidic taste. It’s an amino acid that was proven to significantly increase T levels in just 12 days! Seriously, a study in Italy proved it. Long live libido, muscle recovery, and protein synthesis.
Gainz, brah.
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