While we need a little cortisol to live, too much can lead to a host of unpleasant symptoms.
Hello anxiety, weight gain, cravings and that horrible “tired but wired” feeling.
The good news is that the solutions to lowering your cortisol and keeping it in a healthy rhythm throughout the day are pretty easy!
Ditch the sugar.
Balancing your blood sugar by focusing on nutrient-dense foods will assist in bringing your cortisol levels back into balance. It is particularly important to avoid eating sugar or carbohydrate-containing foods alone.
If you’re choosing to have a piece of fruit, for example, couple it with some healthy fats such as nuts and seeds to help stabilise your blood sugar response to that meal.
Just JERF.
A whole foods diet focusing on minimally processed food, a variety of colourful veggies and low-fructose fruit, along with ethically sourced and high-quality protein sources and healthy fats will provide your body with the macro and micronutrients it needs to support your system.
Having a high-protein breakfast is particularly effective in stabilising your blood sugar levels and normalising your cortisol rhythm throughout the day.
Sleep it off.
It is a bit of a catch 22. High cortisol can make it difficult to sleep, and not enough sleep can make it difficult to lower cortisol. If you’re struggling to get adequate Zzzs, try some of these strategies.
Manage your stress and avoid overtraining.
Any stress on your body, whether that be being chased by a tiger, excessively exercising or getting road rage, receives the exact same hormonal response in your body.
If you are chronically putting yourself in these situations without balancing it out with stress reduction habits such as restorative yoga, meditation, deep belly breathing, or play, then your cortisol is going to remain chronically elevated. Not fun!
Supplement wisely.
If you are JERFing but finding you need some extra support, then the top supplements I would recommend discussing with your practitioner would be magnesium, vitamin C, B complex and adaptogenic herbs such as withania, rhodiola and rehmannia.
I would also suggest using therapeutic grade essential oils including frankincense, lavender, bergamot and myrrh. The compounds in these oils have been shown to reduce inflammation, regulate cortisol and promote sleep.
If your symptoms of elevated cortisol have been going on longer than a couple of months, or are not improving despite implementing many of the strategies above, I would suggest working with a healthcare practitioner to correct this before it becomes a bigger problem.
0 comments :
Post a Comment