Man boobs (a.k.a Moobs) can be a funny thing, but only if these aren’t yours. While the thought of healthily developed mammary glands on a man can be hilarious, the mere fact that this medical condition has become widespread among us should make us think twice about viewing it as a simple laughing matter.
So whether you are the one suffering from man boobs, or you know someone who has developed these, it is crucial to know the helpful methods that can address this problem.
What are Man Boobs?
First off, let us define this so that we are clear with the matter. Man boobs have different types and causes and these are as follows:
1. Gynecomastia
This is a medical condition in men wherein their chests develop in size, complete with all the tissues required for it to be categorized an honest-to-goodness set of mammary glands.
2. Pseudogynecomastia
Much like its name suggests, this condition is characterized by big chests that do not have any mammary tissues in them. This simply means the breasts – while considerably and noticeably big – are only so because of the high amounts of fats stored in them.
The Main Causes of Man Boobs
Fortunately for us, the causes of man boobs have been properly documented. So it’s not at all a hopeless scenario. You can start the efforts of losing that unsightly set of man breasts by first understating the factors that cause it.
1. Drug use
Certain drugs have been known to alter hormone levels in men causing them to produce the female hormones responsible for developing big chests.
And we’re not only talking about prohibited drugs here. In fact, even legal ones such as Vantas, a drug that relieves the symptoms of prostate cancer, and Xanax, a popular antidepressant, have been documented to cause growth of man boobs as well.
2. Obesity
Men who are overweight are more likely to develop man boobs. Most men store fats in the abdomen and thigh areas. However, there are men whose excessive fats end up getting stored in the chest area that they appear like they have fully developed breasts like women.
3. Disproportionate Intake of Processed and Junk Food
Processed and junk food items are laced with artificial ingredients that disrupt hormone production. Not only does this promote hormonal imbalance which can cause serious illnesses, but unsightly man boobs as well.
4. Constant Eating of Hormone-laden Meat and Poultry Products
Animals that are sources of food are fed and treated with pharmaceuticals. Cows, for example, are either injected with hormone medicines or made to eat treated feeds so as to increase their milk production.
The same is true for chickens so as to maximize their egg laying capacity. Needless to say, humans ultimately end up ingesting these hormones which is one of the many causes of abnormal growth of breasts in men.
10 Tips for Getting Rid of Man Boobs
Finally, we detail here the various methods you can employ so that you reduce or don’t end up getting embarrassing man boobs.
1. Monitor Your Food Intake So that You Don’t End Up Bulking Up On Fat
Prudently watching your food intake is one way of addressing the man boobs problem. But if you are already overweight, then opt to implement healthy weight loss methods as soon as possible.
Eating more whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and unprocessed wheat products, is a good start. Not only will eating these cause your body to work harder thus promote weight loss, but the high fiber content in these items help you flush out toxins as well.
2. Take in Lots and Lots of Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits help the body burn fats naturally so you should increase your intake of these nutritious and delectable food items.
3. Steer Clear of Foods Packed in Cans
Food packaging cans are lined with bisphenol A (BPA). This compound has been found to be responsible in a number of medical conditions brought about by abnormal hormone productions.
BPA is capable of mimicking hormones as well. So if you want to get rid of those man boobs, opt not to eat canned food items so your body is not tricked into manufacturing estrogen.
4. Avoid Taking Pharmaceutical Medicines Whenever You Can
If not requiring medications, then steer of these. Of course, recreational drugs such as marijuana and cocaine are included in this list as well.
5. Opt for Meat and Poultry Items that Have Been Grown Free-range
Reduce your exposure to artificial hormones by going for meats that came from free-range farms. Eggs, and so are dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, and milk, have to come from free-range animals as well.
6. Ensure Your Fish Has Been Freshly Caught From its Natural Environment
Fish, much like pigs, cows, and chickens, are farmed now as well. Needless to say, the artificially fortified feeds the fish are made to eat, not to mention the dirty environments they are made to live in, all make these animals unhealthy for us to eat.
This is especially true if the enclosed areas have large amounts of metals and contaminants. The animals ingest these and thus invariably transfer to humans thus causing the body to experience abnormalities such as man boobs.
7. Do Away With Situations that Bring About Stress
Stress is a great contributing factor to hormonal imbalance as well. So whenever you can, take some rest when tackling demanding tasks. Perform breathing exercises too if you feel your frazzled nerves are getting the best of you.
8. Do Away with Plastic-Packaged Food
Plastics, especially the ones marked as type 3 and type 7, have been known to release BPA when exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures.
Unfortunately, a lot of food items such as bottled water and juice drinks, and prepared microwaveable meals, are packaged in these types of plastics. So always be mindful of what you put into your shopping cart and take out those that are packaged in these materials.
9. Drop the Beer and Choose Wine Instead
Drink red wine as an alternative to beer as the latter has been found to encourage production of estrogen.
10. Load Up On Low Sodium Nuts and Seeds
Lastly, consider munching on organic nuts and seeds for your snacks. These food items have been proven to promote a man’s virility. This way, your body produces more testosterone instead of the man boobs inducing estrogen.
I have heard that it is quite normal for male teenagers to get man boobs for a while (just the age that you DON’T want them!) but they will fade away after a while when your hormones stabilize. But say if they don’t go away, then what? I have tried a lot of different techniques to try and minimize my man boobs.
Doing loads of push-ups simply doesn’t work, it can even make the situation worse, because you will be packing on some muscle under the moobs and that will make them look even bigger! I think there is only one way, you have to reduce your body fat levels by increasing your metabolism, that seems to have worked best for me.
Get the body into a fat burning state, so it is forced to use fat as a fuel source. You have to be honest with yourself, cut out as much junk food as possible, also keep well hydrated throughout the day with filtered water. Stay away from sugary drinks and chocolate, reduce alcohol to a minimum.
These are the only methods that have really helped me, I have also found that the cross trainer is a great exercise machine for giving yourself a full body workout, that’s what you want a full body workout, a full body workout will boost the metabolism better than any other method, an increased metabolism equals less fat, less fat = smaller man boobs!