#52 Joan Part 1 | Raising Testosterone Naturally

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Low energy, low drive and a constant sense of being “off” have become oddly normal for a lot of men, but Joan isn’t buying the idea that we should just accept it. We talk about his personal turnaround from moderate testosterone levels to feeling genuinely stable and masculine again, and how that shift came from changing the inputs rather than chasing quick fixes. If you care about men’s health, natural testosterone support and building a life with more resilience, this conversation gives you a grounded place to start.

We get practical about what raises testosterone naturally: eating a nutrient-dense diet with enough healthy fats, reconsidering missing foods like organs, and looking for hidden root causes such as gut issues, hypothyroidism and the long drag of chronic stress. Joan also makes the case for friction: heavy lifting, physical challenge and real recovery. He explains why a sedentary desk life can quietly erode hormonal health unless we deliberately bring movement and strain back into the week.

Then we widen the lens to the social side. Technology, smaller families and constant digital contact can leave men isolated, and Joan argues that brotherhood and purpose are not “nice extras” but part of the health equation. We also cover Shilajit, including where it comes from and why people commonly report more energy, better focus and improved libido, with notes on how women use it too. If you want to support what we’re building in Hastings and hear more conversations like this, subscribe, share the episode and leave us a review.

Transcript

Welcome And Why To Support

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Sunny Bunani, everybody. Welcome to the Sunny Banana ICU. If you are tuning in today, remember all the proceeds, if you support this show, sunny sunnybanana.buzzbrat.com. If you support the show, all the funds will go to building and buying our new Orthodox Church here in Hastings, UK. If you care about that and you like that, please do subscribe. Other than that, also, you get this fantastic content. We'll introduce our guest today. Fantastic content. You'll have access to that about orthodoxy, about life, about being human. And lastly, you'll get a chance to buy discounted Biltong, as this podcast is brought to you by Java Biltong, bringing you purpose you can taste. High protein, clean eating, delicious snacks. Well, here we go.

Meeting Johan And His Work

SPEAKER_00 1:00

This is the Sunny Banana. And today I have a great friend. Very excited about this discussion we're going to have today. I met this gentleman last month when he visited our community here in Hastings, St. Leonard's. And I've got Johan. Johan, hello. Welcome to the Sunny Banana.

SPEAKER_01 1:20

Hey man, thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00 1:23

Brilliant, brilliant. So, Johan, am I saying that right, first of all? Uh yeah, Johan. Johan, Johan. Yeah, it's quite a popular name in South Africa as well, but it's spelt differently to yours. Yeah, it's spelled everywhere differently. Fantastic, Johan. You were very fascinating to me, and uh, I was quite intrigued by what you do, how you spoke and carried yourself when you visited us here last week, and I suppose I mean last month, and I suppose the reasons why you were coming here will come out and in your journey to faith, your faith journey. But let's start at the beginning or the at the beginning of this podcast. Let's start where tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.

Online Business And Supplements Philosophy

SPEAKER_00 2:09

Because your online presence is very fascinating, which we'll get into in this podcast. But tell us uh what you do and what you what you what are your purposes and goals with what you do.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

Yeah, so it's a bit difficult to describe like what I exactly do, especially if people ask me, you know, what's your occupation or what's your job like. And it's like a difficult answer because I do like multiple things, but when it comes down to it's you could say I'm into like online business. And it started with writing ebooks and recording courses, that was like a while ago. And after that, I transitioned into supplements, mainly now like Shilajit natural supplements. So, yeah, that's that's basically what I do. You could say it's like e-commerce, but also like content creation, social media. I think it's difficult for a lot of people to grasp what I do because most people are used to you know having like a job or something very defined, whereas I need to be creative and yeah, see ways how to basically run a business.

SPEAKER_00 3:27

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

So yeah, that's that's what I do, and the goals are basically to yeah, provide healthy supplements for people. I've been taking supplements myself for like a decade already. So I know a bit like the industry, and I know what to take and not to take. And I do see the value of like good supplements, because they can really, you know, in this in today's society, they can really like add something to your health. Since like nutrition is depleted, the soils are you know losing their minerals, and our environment becomes more and more toxic.

unknown 4:06

Right.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

But my philosophy is also not to you know be like this, oh, I'm selling supplements and you should take supplements. It's more like yeah, focus on your diet and lifestyle first. And when there is room, when there is room for supplements, like take them, you know, not to like live up 50 pills a day. That's like not my philosophy. So just like your product, which I tried in uh St. Leonard near Hastings, like you could also say it's kind of a supplement, you know, because you are getting additional protein, which is great for people who do strength or bodybuilding or are like quite active. So you see, it's like what's a health alternative to all these protein bars or shakes, and you provide like a high quality built onk. So that's that's like part of the way that I think as well, or the philosophy of let's have like a healthy addition to our existing diet, and that's like something what you and I do.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

So yeah.

From Low Testosterone To Feeling Strong

SPEAKER_00 5:16

What so you wrote some books and courses, what kind of courses?

SPEAKER_01 5:22

Yeah, my first book was about my very first book was about coffee. Yeah, that was just a trial because it only made two sales, and then I started writing basically about everything that inspired me and I was interested in, so mainly nutrition and then testosterone, and then I saw all these men's health problems emerging because I became more and more aware of my own issues. That's basically how it started. It started with me having like under moderate testosterone levels, and then I changed, I took a complete like 180 with everything, started lifting and eating like as a normal human should. And when I came back from the doctor, she asked if I was on steroids. Uh yeah, I had like two 1250 nanograms testosterone or something, like super high. And yeah, I was for the first time in my life feeling good and also like masculine and comf comfortable within myself. Not that I was like constantly anxious or uncomfortable, but you know, if if your hormones are not there where they should be, and your health is also like degrading, then you have like this you don't have much stability in your you know inner world, it's like constantly fluctuating, and that that's how it was for me for a very long time, and I thought it was just normal, you know, and I thought it was normal for everyone, and that was like the paradigm or yeah, the view of life I had back then, and then it like literally changed, like my world exploded when I discovered these you know testosterone studies that like all of the world men are affected by it. You know, people people can have like people can have like a lot of information, but if you don't connect the information, you're like still in the dark. And somehow I was able to connect it, like something like a spark went off, you know, and I start connecting all these social issues, mental health issues, environment, you know, around you. Like I started con connecting the patterns, and I was pretty blind before that. And uh yeah, that opened really my worldview, and I solved my biggest issue, which was like having low testosterone, and that's what I basically started researching and writing about, but from different angles, like gut health and digestion and nutrition and supplements and exercise and stuff. So those were the books, and then I thought like I can make it more you know creative and intimate, let's say, by recording things. So I started also recording, and yeah, that's how that was like the first part of uh my journey.

SPEAKER_00 8:35

Excellent. So would you say you're helping men?

SPEAKER_01 8:38

Yes, yeah, mainly, yeah. That's like my main following, I think it's like 80% men on on social media.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 8:51

There's there's studies which I will which I'll perhaps link into the show notes later about uh testosterone men, testosterone in men these days being much lower than it what it used to be. And you said earlier about the the soil being less deficient uh well, deficient soil and the environment becoming toxic. This is a this is a great need. I think the environment and what you put in your body is so important. So how how does one young man or man uh increase his testosterone other than just taking testosterone into his body in in you know in uh you mean like how to raise it naturally? Yeah, how to raise it naturally.

SPEAKER_01 9:43

Yeah.

Natural Ways To Raise Testosterone

SPEAKER_01 9:44

Yeah, so like mostly low testosterone is either like you have a deficiency.

SPEAKER_02 9:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:54

We like we stopped like eating massive amounts of fat, and fat has a lot of fat-soluble vitamins, and all of them promote like fertility and testosterone, and we are not eating like organs anymore, so I would say nutritionally wise, that's like a big part of the diet, but there can also be like underlying health uh related issue, and I've seen that a lot in in men, like they either have like hypothyroidism or something with their gut, you know, it's like all connected, of course. So it could be like under underlying health condition, which is usually caused by chronic stress, and not that you don't need stress, like you absolutely need stress. That's why you know you lift heavy things to break down like tissue and to recover again. So there has to be this friction, right? Yeah, uh, you can't be like pampering yourself and not doing anything. It's like you have a body, so you need to be physically active. Uh so I think that's also like the major deficiency, as in not being, you know, being a sedentary, not having like physical demanding jobs, which was more common in the past, right? Now everyone wants to do something intellectual and sit behind a desk or a computer. But if you don't compensate that with like physical strain, you're not gonna spike or trigger that testosterone release. And maybe a third factor, which is also very significant, I think, or like I kinda know from like experience that a lot of guys feel like isolated, so there is a social factor as well. And you know, I don't want to quote studies because like I used to do that, but right now I'm like more into common sense, logic thinking, and live experience. But if you isolate anyone, it's like going to spike like stress and social context or environment that lowers it, and it just stimulates you know camaraderie and brotherhood, and that's like very important as well.

SPEAKER_02 12:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

And then maybe the final thing, it's purpose, just having you know, purpose. And for a lot of men, like life seems kind of hopeless or purposeless.

SPEAKER_02 12:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:36

So if you have something, of course, per we know what the larger purpose is, like for us orthodox men.

unknown 12:43

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

But having also something personal where you can work towards on like a goal, that's that's also like definitely, you know, that's also that friction you need to overcome and the journey you have to uh that you have to take.

SPEAKER_00 12:59

Yes.

Technology Isolation And Brotherhood

SPEAKER_00 13:01

In what ways do you think people and young men or men are being isolated today?

SPEAKER_01 13:09

Well, you have you have too much technology. Too much technology, and I don't I don't really know what like caused this, I guess. Maybe like lower birth rates. I don't know how many siblings you have, but I was pretty much like only child until I was like 12 or so.

SPEAKER_02 13:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

And um yeah, if you have already like smaller families, then all the attention goes to that individual, and then maybe you're like, you know, it's all about me and you're like less social or something.

SPEAKER_02 13:50

Hmm.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

And then yeah, again, like adding all the technology, like isn't it strange that people are now actually just like texting each other in the evenings or during the day instead of even calling? And then why don't they just meet up and hang out, you know?

SPEAKER_02 14:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

Maybe it's the the culture, I don't know, it's like mul multiple factors, of course, but people are maybe more, yeah, an individual and selfish in a way. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 14:25

Yes. Every time I phone somebody, a friend or something, yeah, I feel better even after the conversation on the phone. But obviously seeing that person is is first price and ideal. Yeah, it's even more better, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Where To Find Johan Online

SPEAKER_00 14:44

So can so can people where can people find your work? Do you do you mentor people? Do you do one-on-ones and do you do do things like that? And but but tell us where we can find your work or people who are interested in this and want to find you. Where can we find your work?

SPEAKER_01 14:59

Yeah, so mainly Instagram. It's just Primal Trive. Same for Twitter. I'm not that active there. It's Primal underscore Trive. And then I would start a YouTube channel pretty soon, which will have the same name. So that's gonna be my next like main mission to build.

SPEAKER_00 15:22

Yeah. That's primal underscore thrive, or you got primaltrive.com. You've got a website too, yeah?

SPEAKER_01 15:28

Uh co, yeah, that's for the supplements.co.co.

Shilajit Benefits For Men And Women

SPEAKER_00 15:34

Okay, before we get into the deep stuff, you mentioned inner work, inner life uh there. It's always been very physical, physiological. We'll get to orthodoxy in a moment, which underpins everything, I'm sure, for you. But before we get there, let's talk about one more physical product, and that's Shilogy. I spoke to an Australian guy last week.

unknown 15:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

He also sold it and swears by it. Just tell us briefly about Shilogy.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

Yeah. Yeah, so I discovered this like almost a decade ago before it was like popular. And yeah, I I took it when I was back then I was like a vegetarian. And yeah, I took it for the first time, and it really like gave me more, you know, energy, so it worked. And it came from the Altai Mountains, Russia, so it was something, or it is something known in that area also for like ages, you know, very, very long time. I believe even my Russian granddad took it. And uh in Russia, like in the pharmacies you can buy it in like these press tablets, so it's very, very, very common there. So that was my first like introduction to it almost a decade ago. And I didn't really know that it was like also good for you know testosterone fertility until like a couple of years ago. And it's suitant it's like one of the things that suits my how to say page brand, like philosophy the best, because it comes from nature, it has like a bunch of minerals and antioxidants, yeah, it helps deliver nutrients into the cell. And yeah, it's it's I don't want to say it's good for everything, but it is kind of good for everything. Uh because it helps your cells, you know, to produce more energy, and that's where health comes from. If cells don't produce energy, they you know they're they are working suboptimally, and all of your organs and tissues are made out of cells. So and it's not only me that see so like many benefits, it's like a lot of people that I personally know who you know are were introduced into Shiloh, they started taking it and they started feeling also like better. And the three like most people ask what what benefits does it have. It's usually more energy, more like a nootropic effect, so more like better cognition or you know, concentration focus. And the third one is like testosterone libido that increases. And for the woman, then like most women are worried, it's like, oh no, it's a a male supplement, you know, my testosterone is gonna be high and I'm gonna be like a man. That's not true, it's it just works differently in women's bodies because women's women have a different physiology. Yeah, so for women, it's also great for energy and you know, for their hair and their nails. And I had one woman or like a couple, maybe two or three or so, and they took it postpartum after delivery of a child, and they were very like you know, low energy, fatigued, and healthy diet and chiligite really helped them. So it's it's a good thing for like both men and women.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

Fantastic.

Support The Church And Part Two

SPEAKER_00 19:19

We're gonna take a short break now, Johan, and I'm just uh tell our listeners out there, remember subscribe, support, support our Orthodox Church here. Find Johann's products at primal underscore thrive, also primal thrive dot the co. Find his work, it's brilliant, and we'll see you in part two to talk about orthodoxy.