Cortisol:
What is it & how to regulate it!
Did you know that cortisol plays a huge role in regulating your metabolism & ability to lose and gain weight? Even that stubborn body fat we can't seem to get rid of can be due to high cortisol levels!
Today's blog post dives deep into what cortisol is & how to regulate it for a more calm, worry-less lifestyle! Keep scrolling to learn more!
Stress...
We all have it. Whether the stress in your life feels like it's hindering your day-to-day performance or seems to be minimal and under control, stress can be destructive to any healthy lifestyle.
Cortisol is the body's "stress hormone." This hormone get's released throughout the day whenever there is a spike in our stress levels. With that, the release of cortisol isn't always a bad thing. Think of all the "fight or flight" response moments you've had; cortisol is responsible for helping your body respond to stress or danger!
Keep scrolling to learn more about the positives and negatives of cortisol and how to regulate high-stress in the body!
What is Cortisol?
Now that we know the importance cortisol has on our everyday lives, let's dive into what exactly this stress hormone is and how it's working in the body.
Hormones are chemicals in your body that carry important messages to and from organs, tissues, and muscles. Cortisol is a stress hormone that is released throughout your body whenever you are stressed or the body is triggered by a "fight or flight" response. Having an adequate amount of cortisol is necessary for important bodily functions and can contribute to your overall health and performance.
Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands, which sit at the top of each kidney. When your body feels stressed or in danger, an excess amount of cortisol is released into the bloodstream. Needless to say, having an adequate supply of cortisol can be beneficial, but having too much or too little can cause unpleasant health problems.
Functions of cortisol:
Cortisol has many functions to various parts of the body. The most well-known function is to send the cortisol hormone through the body as a response to stress or danger; however, cortisol plays a big role in other important functions. These functions include:
Regulating blood sugar
Regulating the metabolism
Fighting inflammation
Controlling sleep to wake cycles
Converting fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into energy
Cortisol & the metabolism
One of the most important roles that cortisol plays is aiding in regulation of the metabolism. This process is activated when cortisol stimulates the liver to increase the production of blood sugar (Konkel, n.d).
Since the metabolism plays a huge role in the ability to lose and gain weight, having too much or too little cortisol can hinder both of these abilities. It's not uncommon for those struggling with high levels of stress have a difficult time losing weight. When our bodies feel that they are in "fight or flight" mode, they temporarily pause regular bodily functions, including slowing down the rate of your metabolism (Orlando Health, 2023).
Additionally, high levels of cortisol stimulates your fat and carbohydrate metabolism, increases appetite, and causes sweet, fatty, and salty food cravings (Orlando Health, 2023).
Making sure you are doing what you can to de-stress and lower your cortisol levels is important in improving the speed and performance of your metabolism!
What happens when there is too much or too little cortisol?
Cushing’s Syndrome is diagnosed when there istoo much cortisol in the blood. This can happen when your body is at a high state of stress for a long period of time.
Cushing's Syndrome may cause some unpleasant symptoms such as:
Weight gain
High blood sugar
High blood pressure
Depression
Swelling or puffiness of the face
Muscle weakness & fatigue
Thin and fragile skin
Addison’s diseaseis when there istoo little cortisol produced in the body. This is a rare condition where the adrenal glands do not produce enough of the hormones cortisol and aldosterone (Healthdirect, n.d.).
Addison's disease may cause symptoms such as:
Low blood sugar
Weight loss
Irritability and depression
Muscle & joint pain
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
Although high-levels of stress can be dangerous to our health, having an appropriate amount of cortisol is necessary for certain functions of the body. However, it is important to keep in mind that too little or too high levels of cortisol in our bodies can bring unpleasant symptoms as listed above. Ideally, having a cortisol supply "sweet spot" in between the two will benefit your overall health and performance!
How to regulate cortisol
Now that we know the effects of what high levels of cortisol can do to the body, you may be wondering how to regulate your cortisol. Before we try to navigate all the ways to get rid of the stress in our lives, it's important to understand that cortisol is an essential hormone to keep the body healthy and balanced.
When you are looking for ways to lower your cortisol, first consider how to lower your stress levels. This may look like drawing out key contributors to your day-to-day stress, slowing down and taking rest where is needed, and incorporating stress-reduction techniques.
Ways to lower your cortisol & de-stress:
Managing stress and anxiety is easier said than done, but having a plan and starting slow will benefit you the most. Below is a list of easy ways to manage your stress levels!
Exercise & daily movement
Eating a well-balanced, whole-food diet
Meditation
Journaling
Getting adequate sleep
Reducing caffeine intake
Engaging in hobbies you enjoy
Tackling all of these techniques at once may be overwhelming. Try starting with one and focus on prioritizing daily movement, nutrition, and rest to help lower your stress levels one day at a time!
Summary
Cortisol is the body's natural "stress hormone." This hormone is released when the body undergoes little to high levels of stress. High levels of stress may bring on some unpleasant symptoms such as weight gain, high blood pressure, depression, etc.
Having too much or too little cortisol can cause the body to go into a "fight or flight" response where it pauses important bodily functions. One being the metabolism, having too much cortisol can slow this function down and make the body hold onto and have difficulty losing weight.
Engaging in stress management techniques such as exercise, prioritizing nutrition, and getting enough sleep will help lower cortisol levels. Building habits to de-stress your day-to-day life will be the best way to make long-lasting changes and keep your cortisol levels right where they want to be!
Additionally, many ofAstroFlav's products such asElevated andEmbrace include clean and safe ingredients to support energy and relieve stress! Try them out today and let us know what you think!
RESOURCES
Konkel, L., & By. (n.d.). Cortisol: The stress hormone. EverydayHealth.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.everydayhealth.com/cortisol/guide/
How too much stress can cause weight gain (and what to do about it). Orlando Health. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.orlandohealth.com/content-hub/how-too-much-stress-can-cause-weight-gain-and-what-to-do-about-it
Addison's disease. healthdirect. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/addisons-disease
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Maca increases natural energy, promotes healthy hormone balance and helps stimulate and support libido.
7-Keto-DHEA speeds up the metabolism and heat production to promote weight loss. 7-Keto-DHEA is also used to improve lean body mass and build muscle, increase the activity of the thyroid gland, boost the immune system, enhance memory, and slow aging.
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