If confidence were simply a matter of Mind-Set then everybody who used affirmations, spoke positively about themselves and read “The Secret” would be overflowing with confidence. The reality is that you can recite affirmations till the cows come home but your “fake it till you make it” approach will leave you with abysmal results.

Why is this?

What I have found to be true with over 25 years of study in the field of health, wellness and consciousness is the following:

There is no point in writing a cheque with your head (thoughts and words) that your Body cannot cash.

Your body is an energetic entity and the energy never lies. The people you are with feel this energy more powerfully than anything you will ever say. It’s an energy, a vitality, an infectious charisma that is seductive to the core.

So if the body is a more important contributor to the confidence equation than the mind then what can YOU do about it? The answer, my dear friends, resides in what I call the chemicals of confidence. Today I am going to zone into two of the most powerful confidence boosting chemicals that the body produces and show you what supports them and what destroys them.

The two primary chemicals of confidence are:

1: The neurotransmitter Dopamine

2: The hormone Testosterone

Very conveniently the behaviours that support dopamine in many instances also support testosterone production and vice versa.

Boosting the Chemicals of confidence

1. Eating a protein rich diet is a must if you wish to have optimal dopamine levels. Tyrosine is a key amino acid that we get from protein, particularly red meat, that is required for dopamine production. Red meat is also a great booster of testosterone.

2. Make sure you are eating enough fats in your diet with a wide range of fatty acids, not just the essential ones, found in fish oils. Saturated fat is key for testosterone production. See this blog for more news on fats THE FAT OF THE LAND

3. If you haven’t already, start weight training. It boosts both testosterone and dopamine more effectively than any other training modality. It has to be heavy and intense enough though. Little baby weights won’t cut it! For more read here: Weight Training for Women; The Science! And WEIGHT TRAINING

4. Get your zinc levels tested. The vast majority of my clients initially test low for zinc. Low zinc and low testosterone go hand in hand.

Destroying the Chemicals of Confidence

If for some reason you have a death wish and seek to destroy your confidence then try these…..

1. Eat a low fat and low protein diet (most women are already doing this by the way.)

2. Eliminate red meat from your diet. (Many people think this leads to health, it doesn’t)

3. Rely on steady state cardio for your primary exercise. Too much cardio can increase cortisol and lower both your testosterone and dopamine especially if you are already stressed or have adrenal health issues. You will know that’s you if you have troublesome belly fat that’s hard to shift. Still not sure? Get your Biosignature Hormonal Profile checked. Details here: biosignature modulation

4. Do only gentle exercise like Yoga or chi gung. While these are a beautiful compliment to your weight training and are great for GABA production (the neurotransmitter of relaxation) they do nothing for your testosterone or dopamine levels.

Why do Men seem to have more confidence than Women?

This was a question that was raised in a Women in Business meeting today. Is it luck? Is it being better fakers of confidence? No it is none of the above.

Men naturally have more testosterone! This gives them a natural edge in the confidence stakes. They also tend to train with weights more frequently than the fairer sex who are still flocking to the yoga studio asking “does my butt look big in this”?

ALL of the women I train report a massive increase in confidence. Remember weight training is one of the most powerful natural methods of boosting testosterone. And Women , even though they have less testosterone than Men, can increase what they do have. This is empowering information.
 

Men eat more red meat than women in general so they are getting a better amino acid profile and better zinc to support the chemicals of confidence.

Most men find cardio boring and stick to lifting weights. Women can spend hours on the treadmill and wonder why their confidence is still waning.

So there you have it. Become the ENERGY OF CONFIDENCE by consciously adjusting your own biochemistry.

My Book, Cracking the Mind/Body Code, goes into greater detail on the science of dopamine and testosterone. Pick up a copy here.

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For further info on Personal Training, Nutrition and Lifestyle coaching with Clare contact: info@clarerooney.com

I am confident you’ll be glad you did!