STRESS How to Manage Your Cortisol
Stress — it can be a good thing and a bad thing. That’s right; I said stress can be a good thing. Our bodies have a stress response system managed by the hypothalamus- pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis). The hypothalamus and pituitary are organs within our brains that communicate with the adrenal glands, which sit just above the kidneys. The HPA axis is in control of our stress response. The response to a stressful trigger creates the “fight or flight” response by the communication of our organs on this axis. The acute response of the HPA axis is vital, as it can save our lives — running (faster than we could normally) from something chasing us or fighting (harder than we could imagine) when necessary. Adrenaline and cortisol are released during these stressful situations, which helps our body to fight or flee efficiently. However, the negative side of stress occurs when the HPA axis is consistently stimulated. Chronic stress on the body can occur from outside influences such as relationships, work, finances, and children. It can also happen from internal forces such as food sensitivities, poor gut health, and infections. Moreover, chronic stress can be intensified when it results from a combination of internal and external stress, such as physical pain, vehicle accidents, or physical abuse. Cortisol is the stress hormone released from the adrenal glands. The stress hormone has the most impact, positive or negative, on our body. In chronic stress situations, however, chronically high cortisol levels can harm our system. It can cause interrupted sleep, brain fog, abdominal fat, irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, high blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, prediabetes, diabetes mellitus type 2, gut permeability, cravings, anxiety and depression, increased hunger, and more.
Most of the time, we cannot take our stress away — we cannot stop being a mother, sister, or aunt. We typically cannot quit our jobs or undo the vehicle accident we were in. We can, however, control the stress response to improve the health of the HPA axis. How do we do that without being able to change the stressor? Let’s jump in: 1. Meal Plan: One of the most important things is fueling your body appropriately. You must ensure your blood sugar’s stability by consuming adequate protein and vegetables while balancing this with the right complex carbohydrates. You should avoid or limit the higher glycemic index carbohydrates. You should also avoid inflammatory foods. You can identify which inflammatory foods affect your body by checking your IgG and IgE food sensitivity test via blood. 2. Gut Health: It is extremely important to avoid foods
that will cause more damage to your gut lining. Balancing the gut-brain interaction is critical.
3. Proper Vitamin, Mineral, and Amino Acid Levels: Checking your levels via blood is essential to controlling overall brain-body interactions and balance. Things like vitamin D, folate, magnesium, L-theanine, and L-glutamine are just a few that are important to monitor and take! (Levels should be checked before starting vitamins like vitamin D.) 4. Exercise: Exercise releases endorphins; however, if it is too intense or prolonged, it can also cause chronically elevated cortisol levels. A balance of strength training and cardiovascular training is vital. 5. Meditation and Positive Self-Imagery: This is a key to releasing endorphins and improving serotonin levels. In turn, this will help you balance your HPA axis appropriately. 6. Grounding and Sunlight Every Morning: Allowing your feet to touch the ground (in the grass) and getting at least 10 minutes of sunlight each morning has been shown to lower cortisol levels. I could certainly list other supplemental ideas to improve cortisol levels, but I’ll save those for another time. Start by focusing on this list, and you will head in the right direction for managing your stress and anxiety! It isn’t easy, but it is simple. Keep working.
–Jenni Berman PA-C, CPT, CNS, CICI OWNER BERMAN HEALTH AND WELLNESS
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