Stressed? Anxious? Tired ALL the time? It could be your cortisol talking.
Cortisol is commonly referred to as our “stress hormone” because it’s the one activated during our “fight or flight” response.
Some cortisol is essential for keeping you alert and on the ball (and, evolutionarily speaking, able to run away from that sabre tooth tiger).
But chronically elevated cortisol in response to the constant stress and pressure we put on our bodies these days is bad news! Here are four signs you might need to look at yours.
1. You’re addicted to sugar.
Sugar cravings can be indicative of dysregulated blood sugar levels. The dysregulation often happens as a result of your cortisol being either too high or too low.
2. You’re tired but wired.
Cortisol is your “alert” hormone. So chronically elevated cortisol, or a pattern of cortisol that is inverted (low in the morning and elevated at night) can interrupt your sleep.
The kicker is that you need adequate sleep to regulate your cortisol levels. And so the tired but wired cycle begins.
3. You’re carrying extra weight around your midsection.
When cortisol is released, it causes your body to release extra glucose (sugar) into your bloodstream for immediate use.
This is great in an acute situation, however, if you are chronically stressed and have chronically elevated cortisol levels, your body can become “resistant” to this message. This can lead to things like abdominal adiposity (fat around your midsection) as well as insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.
4. You feel anxious all the time.
Yep, it just keeps getting better! Chronically elevated cortisol can be a major contributor to anxiety and other mood disorders.
Which makes sense when you think about it from an evolutionary perspective. Do you think anyone was calm while being chased by that tiger? I don’t think so…
5. You keep catching the office cold.
During times of high stress, the body produces larger amounts of cortisol. The body’s priority in this times is to survive.
So it suppresses all immediate non-essential functions, including your immune system. When your immune system is suppressed, you open yourself up to every infection that’s going around!
If you’re experiencing any of the above or suspect you have high cortisol then there are several simple, effective strategies that can help restore balance to your system once more.
I’ll be addressing these in an upcoming post so keep your eye’s out!
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