How can you naturally increase GH levels? Before you do anything, you might consider a GH stimulation test, which measures your pituitary gland’s ability to release GH.

Fair warning: this is not a quick, easy test. Your doctor will draw your blood five times, though you’ll only get poked once; the subsequent four samples will come from your already-hooked-up IV line every 30 minutes. Doctors perform this test early in the morning, after you’ve fasted and abstained from physical activity for 10 – 12 hours, since exercise and other factors can alter GH levels.

You don’t need to test. If you suspect you have low levels, these five strategies can safely help optimize GH, boost fat loss, build lean muscle, and help get your sexy back:

1. Dump the sweet stuff. Excess sugar keeps your hormone insulin cranked up, storing fat and decreasing GH. A study in the journal Metabolism found elevated insulin in obese people blunts GH release. Opt for a whole, unprocessed foods diet that includes plenty of clean protein, healthy fats, and high-fiber veggies, nuts and seeds, low-sugar fruit, and legumes.
2. Spend more time in bed. Only during your deepest (stages 3 and 4) sleep can your body make GH. Studies prove this: one found young adults deficient in GH also had decreased amounts of deep sleep.  Aim for eight hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep every night.
3. Stress less. When stress – real or imagined – becomes chronic, so do cortisol levels, crashing GH levels and leaving you lethargic, cranky, and probably devouring a low-fat muffin with your venti dark roast as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Find your bliss with a non-food reward. Yoga is mine; yours might be meditation, deep breathing, watching a dumb comedy, or walking your retriever around the block. Prioritize it (seriously: put it on your calendar) and treat stress management as mandatory rather than a luxury.
4. Burst for growth. Studies show along with sleep, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or burst training is your best prescription to naturally boost GH levels.  Last year I did burst training and over a six-week period, increased GH a whopping 53%. My 42-year-old patient did a similar HIIT routine and also nearly doubled her GH levels.
5. Melatonin. Maybe you used melatonin for jet lag or changing time zones, but studies show supplementing can also stimulate GH secretion. One in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found 5 mg of melatonin nightly increased GH an impressive 157%. Combined with resistance exercise, that benefit became even greater.

Have you experienced and turned around any of the symptoms I wrote about here that result from low GH? Many people I’ve spoken with have worked with an endocrinologist or another health issue to address the underlying cause of these issues. I’d love to hear what worked – and didn’t work – for you in your journey in the comments section below.

source: http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/how-to-boost-your-fountain-of-youth-hormone-in-5-simple-steps/