When we talk about cortisol, the conversation often revolves around stress. While it’s true that cortisol, often called the “stress hormone,” plays a significant role in our body’s response to stress, its effects extend far beyond just managing stress levels. What i’ve found working with clients is, it’s CRUCIAL for you to understand the full impact of cortisol on your body, so you can see the FLOW Impact it’s having on a range of symptoms in your body. I find it useful to give clients objective data when talking about the role of cortisol in your body, as often we aren’t expecting some of the symptoms or we aren’t aware of it’s impact. Data is KNOWLEDGE which in turn helps us take action specific to our OWN individual needs.
What is Cortisol?
Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, located on top of each kidney. It plays a key role in various bodily functions, including regulating metabolism, reducing inflammation, and controlling the body’s sleep-wake cycle. Under normal circumstances, cortisol levels rise in the morning to help us wake up and decrease throughout the day to prepare for sleep.
The Stress Connection
Cortisol is often associated with the body’s “fight or flight” response to stress. When faced with a stressful situation, cortisol levels spike to provide a burst of energy and focus. This is part of the body’s natural defense mechanism. However, chronic stress can lead to consistently high cortisol levels, which can cause a range of symptoms in our bodies.
Symptoms of High Cortisol
Elevated cortisol levels can lead to a range of symptoms, many of which might surprise you:
- Hormonal Imbalances: High cortisol can interfere with the production of other hormones for example DHEA, progesterone, melatonin, estorgen to name a few. This can lead to a number of symptoms in your body ranging from irregular menstrual cycles, reduced libido, thyroid dysfunction, low energy, low mood, anxiety, feeling easily overwhelmed.
- Digestive Problems: Chronic high cortisol levels can contribute to digestive issues like leaky gut syndrome, bloating, SIBO, an imbalance of gut bacteria, loose stools, constipation, parasites, candida, yeast overgrowth, UTI’s, re occuring kidney infections, gallstones and many more.
- Mental Fog and Memory Issues: Elevated cortisol can. increase to brain fog, memory problems, forgetfulness, spaciness and difficulty concentrating.
- Weight Gain: Particularly around the abdomen, high cortisol levels can contribute to weight gain and make it harder to lose excess fat. (Us practitioners call it the cortisol belly)
- Immune System Suppression: It can weaken the immune system, making you more susceptible to infections and illnesses.
Managing Cortisol Levels
Balancing cortisol levels involves more than just managing stress levels at the office, managing the never ending to do list and having better time management (all things we used to believe were the only ways to manage our cortisol levels)
- 1. Regular Exercise: Incorporating regular physical activity is crucial for regulating cortisol levels and improving overall health. Weight lifting is one of the most effective forms of exercise for managing cortisol, as it helps build muscle and stabilize hormone levels. While weight lifting should be a staple in your routine, it can also be beneficial to include cardio-based activities from time to time to release built-up cortisol and clear your mind. However, it’s important to adjust your exercise routine according to your hormonal phase. Cardio may not be suitable as a daily practice, so listen to your body and adapt accordingly.
- 2. Healthy Diet: Focus on increasing your protein intake at meals, incorporating healthy fats, and adding a variety of plant-based foods rich in fiber. A diet high in plant points—such as leafy greens, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds—supports hormone balance and reduce cortisol spikes.
- 3. Adequate Sleep: Quality sleep is essential for controlling cortisol levels, as poor sleep can significantly contribute to elevated cortisol. If you find yourself trapped in a cycle of anxiety about sleep, which can further spike cortisol, consider using magnesium supplements before bed. Additionally, employing various tools and strategies to support your cortisol levels can help break this cycle and improve sleep quality.
- 4. Mindfulness Practices: Engage in mindfulness techniques to manage stress and support healthy cortisol levels. Practices such as meditation, breathing exercises, “legs up the wall” poses, somatic exercises, yoga, and pilates can be game changing for you.
- 5. Toxic Load: Be mindful of the toxic load in your environment. Reducing exposure to environmental toxins and choosing natural, non-toxic products can lower the strain on your body and support healthier cortisol levels.
- 6. Mental and Emotional Support: Seek mental and emotional support when needed. Engaging in therapy, support groups, or other forms of emotional care can help manage stress and maintain a balanced mood, which in turn supports healthy cortisol levels.
- 7. Testing: Remember the importance of testing rather than guessing when it comes to understanding your cortisol levels and overall health. Accurate testing can provide valuable insights into your hormonal balance and guide you in making informed decisions about your health and wellness strategies.
Cortisol is a vital hormone with far-reaching effects beyond just stress management. By understanding its broader impact on the body and taking steps to maintain balanced levels, you can improve your overall health and well-being. When it comes to CORTISOL and it’s long term management it’s ESSENTIAL you are testing and not guessing. Too often I hear people saying “I wouldn’t have expected that to impact my cortisol levels like it has, or I would have expected that to reduce my cortisol levels, when it’s had the reverse impact on their bodies and symptoms. My BEST advice is buy our STRESS test kits, get the workshop to go with it and get educated so you don’t waste another day not supporting your body how it needs.
When you know the quick hacks to support your body and change your cortisol levels in a FEW minutes, your life changes. (sounds too good to be true, but when you get the data, it’s that easy to implement.)