Cortisol is a steroid hormone our adrenal glands produce. Cortisol and adrenaline are essential to regulating our blood sugar, fat storage, and mobilization of our metabolism. They drive our sexual desire and our hormone cycles and levels. In case of an emergency, they put you into fight mode to get you out of danger. Your adrenaline is working with Cortisol by raising your blood pressure and increasing heart rate and oxygenation.
It is working to protect our bodies from infection and danger. Your body has an immediate immune response releasing inflammatory messengers called cytokines. Functions like digestion and reproduction get sidelined because those can be done later when you are out of danger.
INFLAMMATION
Cortisol works to keep inflammation from getting out of hand. It is essential for our survival. We need Cortisol, just not every minute of every day. Our adrenal glands should naturally secrete cortisol in a rhythmic fashion. It goes up and down throughout our day. But when we are under chronic stress, it is ramped up all day. This is when problems start to arise.
People ask me all the time if stress can really make them fat. And the answer is yes, it really can. It could be the reason you aren’t losing that weight, even though you are following a strict diet, counting macros, and exercising. If you are experiencing a lot of stress from work or family, then performing a stressful workout, and stressing out about counting your macros, then you are just piling on more stress.
CORTISOL
Cortisol tells your liver to convert stored energy into your bloodstream. Elevated blood glucose is good when you are being chased by a bear, but not when you are sitting at your desk stressing out to meet a work deadline or laying in bed fretting about your monstrous to-do list the next day. Now, your pancreas is releasing more insulin to control your blood sugar.
Elevated insulin is telling your fat cells to open up wide for more. When this system is activated all day, every day, it starts to work against us. You start noticing the pounds climb on the scale, or maybe the scale just isn’t coming down.
If you are an adult living in this world you know someone who is experiencing chronic stress. Maybe it’s you. We work too much. We squeeze too much into our schedule. We eat processed crap that’s easy and convenient. We go to bed too late. We get up too early. We are tired, hungry, and overworked.
So, what do we do? Here is the conversation I have with clients and the tips I am going to give you. These are easy and simple but will take practice and self-discipline.
My Top 6 Tips To Overcome Stress
1. Start saying NO, to people, events, projects, and other things that you don’t NEED.
2. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier.
3. Turn off the t.v, the computer, and your phone at least 1 hour before bed.
4. Eat food that grows, not food in a package.
5. Stop drinking your calories and drink water.
6. Cut down on your daily caffeine.
These are key things I practice regularly, I am not perfect, and it has taken time, but I promise they yield good fruit. If you still need help book a FREE Clarity Call with me to learn about optimizing your health and nutrition. Click HERE
