Jordan Harbinger #694 with Carole Hooven
In this modern world of gender fluidity, where there is even denial of differentiation between the sexes. Carole Hooven stands above the crowd unwavering in her scientifically based beliefs.
As you listen to this podcast, you might shed a tear at how crazy the world around us has become. But also raise a cheer for people like Carole Hooven who refuse to cower and be beaten down.
Rarely could you find a human more empathetic. But somehow, even somebody as caring and intelligent as Carole is attacked for her views on gender and sexuality.
The Two Sexes
There is no denying there are two sexes. Can we just all agree on that please? Yes there can be fluidity in self identification. Yes there can be differences in the hormone levels of a male or female which makes one more masculine than another.
But this self identification and hormone level has nothing to do with the sex you are born as. You are born male. Or you are born female.
Behavioral Differences Between the Sexes
Whatever we may want to feel or believe about this subject, the science is undeniable; hormone levels of testosterone play a significant role in how male or females behave.
This is not just a human fact. It is an animal fact, and certainly a primate fact.
Researchers have lived with chimpanzees, who are our closest equivalent relatives.
When they follow young females who spend most of their time with their mothers, there is a lot of petting and grooming. Plenty of general care for each other in relative peace and quiet.
Boys Will Be Boys
But follow the young males around, and you will see a totally different behaviour. It is loud and boisterous. There is fighting, one-upmanship, and a general feeling of potential violence at any time.
This reminds me of my own childhood. My brother and I, with nothing else to do, would just go into the garden to fight. When I think back, it feels like all we were ever doing was fighting. This continued into our teenage years and only stopped once we reached a certain maturity.
This is the role that testosterone plays in our body. It’s the hormone which drives strength, vitality and competitiveness.
Modern Day Testosterone Levels
A scary fact facing our survival as a species, is the lowering levels of testosterone in young men these days. There are many contributing factors towards this, such as endocrine disruptors found in plastics and household cleaning products; pornography being readily available; an increasingly sedentary lifestyle; processed packaged foods; obesity and much more.
It is no hyperbole to say; if we do not reverse this trend, the human species is facing the possibility of extinction. For if men are no longer driven by testosterone to have sex with multiple partners, we could eventually disappear.
What’s more likely to happen if this testosterone reduction continues, is the disappearance of males. Men are after all the non-essential sex. Women can easily procreate without us through artificial insemination. And could easily adapt the necessary chromosomes to only produce females in the future.
That being said, the earth would be a far more peaceful place without war, genocide, and terrorism, which are all caused by men in a vast majority of cases.
Testosterone As We Age
Although testosterone levels do naturally decline as we age, this does not mean they have to.
By sleeping properly, eating whole nutritious foods, and by exercising with resistance training, men can keep testosterone levels at a decent level.
Interestingly I have just sent off blood samples for the first time to check various blood markers, and specifically my testosterone levels. I am certainly not averse to HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) to increase my T-levels if needed.
My intuition is I am a little low, but hoping not too low. I feel an increase in testosterone may be what I need to get me over some performance humps. Or help with some recovery I am struggling with in certain joint areas.
Jordan interviews the wonderful Carole Hooven, author of T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone That Divides Us. You will learn everything you need to know about this essential and powerful hormone, and hear some amazing stories about the battles she has to undertake just to stand up to her proven scientific principles.
In this discussion you will learn:
- What creates differences between the sexes.
- How testosterone is at the core of who we are, regardless of gender.
- The ways testosterone shapes our minds and bodies in the womb and beyond.
- What we’ve learned about testosterone from people who have transitioned between genders.
- How politics is affecting science and research in testosterone.
- And, as always, so much more…