You will find most health enthusiasts talk about cortisol negatively because benefits of cortisol often go unnoticed. Today I want to highlight both sides of the stress hormone and how to manage fluctuating cortisol levels. The blog will take you through the ups and downs of cortisol levels and help you balance it to a middle ground.

What is cortisol?

Cortisol is a stress hormone in our body that activates when we become anxious and fearful. For this reason, it is part of our fight-or-flight response. 

Cortisol is also known as a glucocorticoid which is a type of steroid hormone that fights inflammation. It controls metabolism in our muscle, fat, liver, and bones. This steroid also plays a role in our sleeping cycles. 

The hormone is secreted according to our circadian rhythm. It is at a higher level in the morning and lower levels in the evening. It drops off completely when you sleep.

We need cortisol peaks in the morning to wake us up and get us moving. It is at its peak during the first two hours when we wake up. Each person’s peak time is going to be different based on their body’s preference for waking up and going to bed.

Understanding fluctuating cortisol levels

Besides getting us moving in the morning, cortisol’s main job is to increase the glucose in our blood and store any excess in the liver for later use. A couple of ways that we can tap into these reserves is when we either haven’t eaten in a while or when we are exercising. During these times our glucose kicks in to pump more fuel into our system to help carry us through the day. 

So, what happens when cortisol is not controlled? During such times one can massively gain weight, especially belly fat. If sleep quality is disrupted and one doesn’t sleep during proper hours, that too leads to fluctuating cortisol levels.

Another thing about high cortisol is when a person has a higher chance of having vitamin and mineral deficiency. A person can only have high cortisol for so long before their level plummets and they are baseline at best. When this happens, it is inevitable – a person is going to feel irritable, depressed, and tired.

They are also going to have low blood pressure. Some diseases that are associated with low cortisol are Addison’s disease, hypothyroidism, hyperpituitarism, and low sodium and potassium.

Managing fluctuating cortisol levels

Tamed cortisol is just a good night’s sleep away. We want to make sure that we are getting 8 hours of restful sleep. This is done by not eating anything 3 hours before we go to bed. We also need to allow our bodies to digest for the remaining 12 hours before eating again.

Also, turn off devices that have bright lights and stimulate our brains before going to bed. Taking time to practice self-care, getting regular massages, and spending time out in nature are all great ways to tame cortisol.

The best way is through a balanced whole food diet. Some foods raise cortisol levels and increase stress that naturally seems to be a part of our lives now. Alcohol, caffeine, sugary treats, and processed foods are gasoline for the cortisol fire. But when we eat foods like avocados, chia seeds, flax seeds, salmon, and fermented foods, we are feeding cortisol-friendly food.

Conclusion

In today’s fast-paced life it is easy for cortisol to go out of control and take other helpful hormones with it. Finding the balance between life and health can be a struggle especially when it seems everything in life is working against you.

We like to work with our clients to find balance both in their health and in their life. If balance and tamed cortisol sounds like something you want to work towards, we would love to have you aligned.