Unexpected weight gain, increased acne, bloating, extreme fatigue, irritability and stress. Any of these symptoms sound familiar?? These can often be symptoms of high cortisol.
What is cortisol?
Cortisol is a hormone that your adrenal glands release to help your body regulate stress. Cortisol effects your blood pressure, energy levels, and sleep. High cortisol can cause high blood pressure, high sugar, inflammation, and can send the wrong signals to your "sleep/wake cycle" and cause extreme fatigue. Suffering from these symptoms can throw off everything, leading to decreased mental and physical health and can severely impact your daily life and schedule.
How do you lower your cortisol?
Although some causes of high cortisol can be more deeply rooted and require medical attention, often times, introducing new habits or removing harmful habits can do wonders for our health. There are also supplements that can give your body the nutrients it needs to regulate systems that are a little off balance.
Some actions that can positively affect your cortisol are:
- Establishing a consistent sleep schedule: this can help your body find a natural rhythm.
- Incorporating regular exercise into your life: prioritizing being active every day can make a huge impact on your adrenal glands and cortisol.
- Being mindful of your caffeine intake: limiting caffeine to earlier in the day and be mindful of how much you consume can significantly improve quality of sleep and reduce stress.
- Adopting a hobby that you enjoy: activities/hobbies that you enjoy can release endorphins and significantly reduce stress. Prayer/Bible study/journaling can also reduce stress and promote a calm mind.
- Staying hydrated and choosing more whole foods to sustain your body: studies show that increasing your water intake and prioritizing whole, nutritious foods can give your body essential nutrients that may help your adrenal glands regulate cortisol production.
- Introducing vitamins to support your adrenal glands: there are multiple vitamins to help support cortisol regulation by giving your body what it needs to thrive!
