Stress Management Tips – How to Naturally Lower Cortisol Levels

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Cortisol – What It Is and How to Naturally Lower Cortisol Levels

If you’re feeling super stressed, your cortisol levels might be higher than normal. Here’s how to tell if your stress hormones are affecting your everyday life, and what to do about it.

High cortisol is a common imbalance that can affect your health more than just making you feel anxious. Depression, fatigue and weight gain are just a few of the symptoms of high cortisol. If they persist, you’ll want to get your levels checked.

Read on to learn how cortisol works, and what you can do to naturally lower your levels.

What is Cortisol?

Cortisol is a primary hormone involved in our body’s stress response, which is why it’s known as “the stress hormone”.

On any normal day, cortisol plays many important and beneficial roles. It helps wake us up in the morning, maintains normal blood glucose levels, and provides vital energy to our muscles and brain.

However, cortisol’s main role is to regulate our stress response. In essence, when we’re feeling threatened or facing danger, cortisol is released to provide us with a surge of energy needed to get away from the threat. This is also called the “fight-or-flight” response and has been hard-wired into our bodies as a survival mechanism.

While this system is great at helping us survive, a problem arises when cortisol is chronically elevated due to abnormally high stress levels. It’s easy for your system to produce too much cortisol, as your body can’t tell the difference between an emotional threat (like your boss yelling at you at work) and an immediate threat to your life (like being chased down by a tiger).

In ancient times, people experienced dangerous situations only for a short period of time. Their cortisol levels spiked, the danger passed, and levels returned to normal. Now, however, we’re under a constant barrage of stress every day, which keeps our cortisol levels high.

6 Symptoms of High Cortisol Levels

Chronically high cortisol levels can cause a number of scary side effects. Check them out below.

1. Weight Gain (Especially Around Your Abdomen)

One of the key indicators of high cortisol levels is weight gain, especially around your stomach. While scientists aren’t definite on why exactly this is the case, studies show that people who have higher stress and cortisol levels also tend to have more belly fat.

2. Breakouts and Skin Changes

Your skin is intricately linked to your stress levels and is often the first perceiver and target of the stress response.

In other words, stress and high cortisol levels immediately show up on your skin in the form of breakouts, dryness, inflammation and other negative skin changes.

3. Mood Swings

High cortisol levels can cause your mood to shift as well. While researchers state that high cortisol isn’t always associated with depressed moods, there are studies that show cortisol can create negative mood states, alternating from anxiety to depression.

One study showed that people with excessive cortisol secretion often have a depressed mood which returns to normal after cortisol is balanced.

4. Changes in Sexual Function

Libido is also repressed in those with high cortisol levels. Studies show that since high cortisol activates the sympathetic nervous system (the fight-or-flight system) it can also increase fear and anxiety, even going so far as to cause erectile dysfunction. Because of this, researchers have mentioned cortisol may become a “useful index” for evaluating sexual function.

5. Fatigue

If you find yourself feeling abnormally tired throughout the day, you definitely want to get your cortisol levels checked. Researchers have found that fatigue (the kind that can’t be alleviated with rest) is associated with salivary cortisol levels.

6. Inflammation

It turns out high cortisol levels can also cause widespread inflammation throughout your body. Even if you don’t experience inflammation in the form of skin problems, you might notice something may feel “off” or that you’re feeling unusually tired or run down.

5 Causes of High Cortisol Levels

So what exactly is going on that causes cortisol levels to skyrocket in the first place?

We break it down below.

1. Chronic Stress

Stress is the number one cause of chronically elevated cortisol levels. This is because cortisol is released any time your body senses a threat (be it physical, emotional, or mental).

If you’re constantly worried or stressed about something, your body is most likely not getting any breaks from cortisol release, causing it to stay elevated.

2. Depression

As we saw earlier, depression and mood swings can be a symptom of high cortisol levels. In addition, it also appears that depression can also cause high cortisol levels.

This is probably due to the psychological and emotional stress involved in depression, and the fact that depression often occurs after a significant, stressful event in your life.

3. Exercising Too Much

While it can be a good thing to get in a weekly dose of intense exercise, studies show that too much high-intensity exercise can stress out your body to the point where your cortisol levels increase. On the flip side, moderate lower-intensity exercise doesn’t cause a rise in cortisol.

4. Eating Disorders

Eating disorders (and even intense calorie monitoring in general) can also lead to increased cortisol levels due to the stress placed on your body and mind.

You need a certain level of calories per day to carry out basic functions, and when this need is not met, your body feels threatened and releases cortisol.

5. Severe Illness or Injury

Any type of severe injury or illness is not only going to increase the amount of stress your physical body is under, but also psychological stress.

Since both are intense stressors, they naturally increase cortisol release. In addition, inflammation is a natural part of the healing process, and as we mentioned earlier, inflammation and cortisol levels are linked.

What Happens When You Have Low Cortisol Levels?

While high cortisol is more common, low cortisol can cause Addison’s disease or hypopituitarism, which occurs when production of cortisol by your adrenal glands is too low.

Low cortisol levels can be caused by severe stress that damages the adrenal glands, either through chronic emotional stress, injury, or infection.

Symptoms you may have low cortisol include:

• Dizziness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever
• Weakness
• Confusion
• Skin rashes and sweating
• High heart rate
• Chills
• Low blood pressure

How to Test for Cortisol Levels

Your doctor can order blood and urine tests in order to test your cortisol levels, but saliva tests are usually the most popular method of testing.

During a blood test, your doctor will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. This test is usually done twice a day – once in the morning when cortisol levels are at their peak, and again around 4 pm when levels are lower.

A cortisol saliva test can usually be done at home, and your doctor will recommend or provide you with a kit for the test with instructions. The kit will include a swab to collect your sample and a container to store it.

For a urine test, your doctor will probably ask you to collect all urine during a 24-hour period, since cortisol levels vary throughout the day.

What Do Normal Cortisol Levels Look Like?

Cortisol levels can vary person to person, but normal morning cortisol ranges for children and adults are between five to 23 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL) or 138 to 635 nanomole per liter (nmol/L). In the afternoon, they can be from 3 to 10 ug/dl at 4 pm, and are usually less than 5 ug/dl after the usual bedtime.

4 Ways to Naturally Lower Cortisol Levels

Now that you’re aware of the symptoms of high cortisol and what could be causing it, let’s look at natural ways you can help lower your levels.

1. Optimize Your Diet

Adopting an anti-inflammatory Paleo diet can do wonders for keeping your cortisol levels down. To help keep your blood sugar under control (which helps reduce inflammation), and to lessen stress on your body, avoid the following:

• Sugar
• Processed foods
• Caffeine
• Alcohol

Instead, focus on these whole foods:

• Fresh veggies
• Sweet potatoes
• Wild-caught fish
• Grass-fed beef
• Pasture-raised chicken
• Nuts and seeds

2. Embrace Adaptogen Herbs

Adaptogens are herbs that help your body naturally manage anxiety. Studies show that they are able to reduce the effects of stress, while increasing attention and stamina. In addition, they also help boost your immune system to make you more resistant to stress in the first place.

Some of the best adaptogen herbs include:

• Rhodiola Rosea
• Ashwagandha
• Schisandra
• Ginseng

3. Reduce Stress

Of course, one of the best ways to lower cortisol levels is to reduce stress in your life. A few ways you can do this are:

• Meditation. Studies have shown that meditation helps reduce physiological and immune markers of stress and inflammation as well as helping to increase the perception of wellbeing.

• Yoga. Also referred to as “moving meditation,” yoga is an excellent tool for reducing stress levels. Even practicing for as little as three times a week can have a significant effect on depression, stress, and anxiety levels.

• Sleep. Be sure to get an adequate seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Studies show that lack of sleep results in elevated cortisol levels as early as the following evening.

4. Exercise

While too much exercise can raise cortisol levels, this is not to say you shouldn’t exercise at all! In fact, low-intensity exercise such as walking or yoga has been shown to reduce overall cortisol levels. In addition, exercise also produces feel-good hormones like endorphins, which reduces stress levels even more.

Aim for three days a week of mild aerobic exercise and/or yoga to help reduce your cortisol levels.

Watch this video – Stress Management Tips by Dr. Berg – How to Naturally Lower Cortisol Levels

The Bottom Line

Keep in mind that while high cortisol levels can be dangerous, cortisol itself isn’t necessarily your enemy. We need it daily to wake up from sleep, protect ourselves from danger, reduce inflammation, and various other vital body processes.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, it never hurts to get your levels checked and reduce stress however you can.

Written by Megan Patiry

Author Bio:

Megan is an inquisitive nutrition and wellness writer harboring an editorial love affair with the decadent and the nutritious. She is a dedicated researcher in all areas of ancestral health, a certified specialist in fitness nutrition, personal trainer, and professional almond milk latte addict.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

6 Adaptogenic Herbs to Keep Stress Hormone Under Control

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

If you have high cortisol levels, you probably experience anxiety, brain fog, and low energy. Try supplementing with these six herbs proven to keep that stress hormone under control.

When you’re under stress, your nervous system secretes cortisol as a response. Stress can manifest in many forms, and whether you’re faced with an immediate threat or even just a lack of sleep, the body’s response is the same.

The good news is that there are certain plants that can help reduce stress by lowering cortisol in the body. These substances are referred to as “adaptogenic herbs” and are renowned for improving our body’s ability to handle stress by lowering cortisol

The Negative Effects of Cortisol

Before we get into the herbs, let’s talk about the physiology of cortisol, and how stress can be detrimental to our health.

First, it’s important to know that cortisol is not the enemy; rather, it’s a survival mechanism. As far as short-term survival responses go, cortisol is necessary for helping our body to function while handling stress.

When cortisol remains chronically elevated, that’s when problems start. This signals other stress hormones, like estrogen, prolactin, and serotonin, to increase as well, decreasing important functions like immunity, digestion, and metabolism in order to preserve energy.

Side effects of elevated stress hormones include a decreased libido, brain fog, behavioral disorders, hair and muscle loss, and more.

By reducing the chronic production of cortisol, we can take a huge step towards improved health, energy and wellbeing. This is where adaptogenic herbs come into play.

6 Adaptogenic Herbs to Lower Cortisol

Adaptogens help us manage stress through their anti-fatigue and anti-stress properties. One study found that the adaptogens work in the nervous system to lower the chronic production of stress hormones, including cortisol.

There are many adaptogenic herbs, but these six are particularly effective at lowering cortisol.

1. Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract

Ginkgo Biloba is a botanical traditionally used in Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine for improving energy and reducing fatigue. It is clinically proven to reduce cortisol as well.

In fact, one study found that supplementing with Ginkgo Biloba helps keep blood pressure rates and cortisol levels steady during times of stress.

Take 120 mg/day of Ginkgo Biloba to reap its cortisol-lowering effects.

2. Ashwagandha

Abhwagandha is a potent anti-stress herb used to promote relaxation and increase energy. Recent research shows that ashwagandha has powerful effects for lowering stress hormones like cortisol, with no reported adverse effects.

For optimal anti-stress effects, take 300 mg. of high-concentration full-spectrum abhwagandha extract (a 20:1 concentration or higher).

3. Rhodiola

This powerful herb is legendary for being consumed by the Vikings for inexhaustible energy and strength. Clinical studies show that supplementing with Rhodiola extract exerts an anti-fatigue effect that increases mental performance, particularly the ability to concentrate.

To reap Rhodiola’s energy-boosting yet anti-stress effects, take 200 mg. of high-quality extract at least two times daily.

4. Schizandra

One of the nasty side effects of chronic stress is reduced mental performance and mood imbalances. This adaptogen possesses anti-fatigue and anti-stress properties that can increase mental and physical working performance while under stress.

Take 22 mg. of an extracted, concentrated dose of Schizandra alongside ginseng and Rhodiola for energizing effects.

5. Ginseng

Ginseng is perhaps the king of adaptogenic herbs, regulating the immune and hormonal response to stress. This is due to its content of medicinal saponins, which suppress cortisol production while easing stress-related depression and anxiety.

For best results, take 1-2 grams of concentrated ginseng extract containing 10.5% of the active ginsenosides.

6. Maca

The roots of the cruciferous Maca plant have been used as an energizing, therapeutic food for centuries. Maca root contains medicinal compounds known as alkaloids, which improve adrenal and thyroid functioning.

This results in a decrease of cortisol along with an increase of adaptive, anti-stress hormones like progesterone. These effects are likely responsible for maca’s energizing and natural anti-depressive properties.

Supplement with maca by mixing one teaspoon of gelatinized powder in your favorite smoothie once per day and drink up!

Watch this video – Adaptogenic Herbs For Hormone Balance – Pt. 1 | Adaptogens for Stress and Weight Loss

The Bottom Line

Stress is robbing us of precious energy. Adaptogenic herbs can be natural aids in the fight against chronic stress, especially when combined with plenty of sleep and a healthy diet.

Written by Nick Kowalski

Author Bio:

Nick Kowalski is a Transformational Coach, fitness model and unconditional lover. You can find more of his writing on his blog NicksFit. His mission is to inspire the transformation toward love consciousness. Follow him on Instagram for more living in love inspiration and transformational mindset motivation!

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

Stress Management Help – Are You Suffering from Adrenal Dysfunction?

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Did you know that four out of every five visits to the doctor’s office is stress-related?

In today’s 24/7 society, stressors present themselves in many different forms: mental stress from a busy work day, physical stress from an intense training session or constantly being on the run, or emotional stress from relationships with family or friends.

Although stress is essential for overall health (it provides the mental and physical challenges required to stimulate positive adaptation), if you have chronic or excessive stressors or poor coping mechanisms it may result in adrenal dysfunction and/or altered cortisol rhythm.

Why Are Your Adrenals So Important to Stress?

Your adrenal glands are small triangular-shaped glands positioned on top of your kidneys that secrete specific hormones in response to stressful stimuli. The glands are made up of two parts: the inner medulla that produces the hormone adrenaline in response to stress and the outer cortex that produces cortisol.

Let’s take a look at how these two hormones drive your response to stressors in your environment.

When adrenaline is produced, it triggers the breakdown of body-fat for fuel and acts by raising your blood pressure and heart rate to increase your alertness.

If you enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, you’re getting a nice little jolt of adrenaline from the caffeine that helps to increase mental focus and work capacity during exercise. This happens instantly via your sympathetic fight or flight nervous system, which is a direct connection between your brain and adrenal glands.

Whereas adrenaline preferentially catabolizes (breaks down) fat, cortisol breaks down muscle tissue to provide fuel for your body. Like adrenaline, its job is to increase your blood sugar levels to provide energy for the body to overcome the stressful event.

From an evolutionary perspective, this was critical for escaping from wild animals or other threats. Nowadays, you experience a boost when you’re in the gym or training hard, but when your session is over, your stress levels should return to baseline. (If your adrenals are out of balance, this isn’t always the case and has significant negative repercussions).

Today’s Stress Response

In nature, a stressor is short-term then subsides. For example, a zebra grazing in the savannah might spot a lion in the distance resulting in a boost of adrenaline and cortisol to increase the heart rate, breath rate, and shunt blood to its working muscles should it need to run for its life! The subsequent chase might last 10-20 minutes, then it would be over and the zebra could go back to relaxing and grazing.

Thankfully, in today’s world we don’t often have to run away from lions or bears, but “modern” stressors actually exert a much more debilitating toll on our body. How is this possible?

Today, stressors last all day long! The emails don’t stop, the deadlines don’t stop, and the commitments don’t stop. Your body – and more importantly your brain – are experiencing constant and prolonged stressors, far longer than would be experienced in nature. This leads to a heavy burden on your adrenal glands and your body.

What is Adrenal Dysfunction?

While the physiological mechanisms have evolved over millions of years, the realities of sitting at a desk and having to juggle all the mental tasks from work and home life can leave your brain (and body) stuck in “fight or flight” sympathetic overdrive. For some this can manifest itself as the over-production of adrenaline and cortisol, while for others the reverse can happen and you may feel sluggish or fatigued.

In years past, clients complaining of prolonged fatigue were often diagnosed with ‘Adrenal Fatigue’, the inability of the adrenal glands to keep up with a person’s busy life or increased number of stressors.

Today, we understand this is not the whole story. A new area of medicine called psycho-neuro-endocrine-immunology (now that’s a mouthful!) or PNEI is uncovering that your brain is really the root cause of adrenal dysfunction, and therefore the key player in supporting your adrenals and stress response.

In short, the hypothalamus area of your brain is the master switch that tells your adrenal glands to ramp up the production of adrenaline and cortisol (over-performing adrenals), or dial it back (under-performing adrenals).

Do You Have Symptoms of Adrenal Dysfunction?

In clinical practice, I see many patients with either over-performing or under-performing adrenals. There are symptoms on each end of the spectrum that indicate adrenal dysfunction.

If you have difficulty waking up in the morning, poor energy during the day, feel better after eating meals, or have diminished libido then chances are your adrenal glands are underperforming.

If you’re a person with naturally high energy levels, have high blood sugars, experience excessive sweating, have difficulty falling asleep, or feel like your mind continually races with a list of tasks and deadlines then you may be suffering from over-performing adrenals.

This constant fight or flight sympathetic dominance chronically elevates cortisol levels and may lead to roadblocks in your quest for a slimmer waistline, faster 10k run time or better overall health.

There is one more piece to this complex puzzle. Your daily cortisol rhythm can also get thrown out of balance by stress.

In the morning, your cortisol should be at its highest to wake you up from deep sleep and get you ready to attack the day. In the evening, your level starts to lower and should be at its lowest point at bedtime. This allows the sleep hormone melatonin to ramp up and prepares your body for deep, restorative sleep.

If you suffer from general fatigue, poor recovery from workouts, low mood, and your short-term memory is poor (e.g. you often forget what to pick for dinner, where you left your phone, or your client’s name) then poor daily cortisol rhythm may be your area of adrenal dysfunction.

If you struggle to get out of bed in the morning, hit snooze multiple times, or feel desperate for a coffee to get going then chances are your morning cortisol rhythm is out of balance.

If you struggle to fall asleep at night, wake up throughout the night, or classify yourself as a night owl then you likely have an altered evening cortisol rhythm.

It is important to address adrenal dysfunction and/or altered cortisol rhythm as they can lead to serious negative consequences. These include increased inflammation, poor memory, increased risk of anxiety or depression, reduced testosterone production, slow thyroid function, increased belly-fat, decreased lean muscle mass, poor blood sugar control or insulin resistance, and cognitive decline.

If you’re not sure whether your adrenals are functioning optimally, you can request a salivary-cortisol test.

The Adrenal Dysfunction Fix

Diet

Diet is the first place to start when correcting adrenal dysfunction. It’s critical to obtain the building blocks essential for supporting a healthy stress response. The Paleo diet is the perfect place to start.

First, increase your intake of healthy saturated fats, such as butter, ghee, or coconut oil. Studies show that fatigued and over-stressed athletes are better able to recover and maintain performance on a high fat diet, in particular when high in saturated fats.

Next, make sure you are achieving an adequate intake of protein, as high cortisol levels will quickly break down precious muscle tissue and leave you in a catabolic state. Aim for 0.7-0.9g of protein per pound of bodyweight.

Finally, it’s not only what you add to your diet, but also what you remove. If you’re suffering from adrenal dysfunction or altered cortisol rhythm then discontinue your caffeine intake – coffee, black tea, chocolate – for 4 weeks. Sugar and caffeine cravings are classic signs of adrenal dysfunction, so be sure to eliminate all processed sugars and carbs for 4 weeks.

Meditation

Busy work days or long hours in the gym can leave you burning the candle at both ends and therefore being stuck in the fight or flight sympathetic overdrive. If the root cause of adrenal dysfunction starts in the brain, it makes sense to incorporate techniques that directly impact your central command center.

Meditation is an ancient technique that helps restore your cortisol rhythm and adrenal function by stimulating your “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system via the vagus nerve in your brain.

Not convinced? A recent study of medical students showed that those engaging in daily mindfulness meditation practices had much lower blood cortisol levels compared to a placebo. Meditation has also been shown to significantly improve anxiety and depression, classic symptoms of adrenal dysfunction.

Try this simple technique before bed to improve your “resiliency” and capacity to cope with stress:

• Start by sitting with your eyes closed.
• Inhale deeply through your nose; let your belly expand for three seconds
• At the end of your inhale, hold your breath for one second.
• Exhale deeply through your nose for another count of three seconds; let your belly draw inward toward your spine.
• Repeat for 5-10 minutes.

Sleep

Did you know that today we sleep a whopping 500 hours less each year than our grandparent’s generation? This sleep debt places a tremendous burden on our resiliency or capacity to cope with stress.

If you get less than 7 hours sleep per night, struggle to fall asleep, or wake up frequently during the night your cortisol levels will be elevated and you’ll be cutting yourself short on the recovery front.

To support deep sleep, make sure your bedroom is set up for optimal recovery. How can you improve your sleep quality? Here are some simple tips:

• Turn down the lights in your house after 9 p.m.
• Shut off your television or laptop at least 45 minutes before bed.
• Make sure your bedroom is completely dark. Try using blackout blinds or an eye mask to prevent unwanted light.
• Keep your bedroom cool and wear loose-fitting clothing or sleep naked

Nutrient Support

There are several herbs that can support adrenal dysfunction, depending on whether you suffer from over-active or under-active adrenals, or cortisol rhythm dysfunction. A key nutrient called alpha-GPC can benefit all types of adrenal dysfunction.

Supplementing with alpha-GPC provides the hippocampus with the right building blocks to restore normal cortisol rhythm by supporting the production of acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter concentrated in the hippocampus that can be depleted by busy work schedules, lacking sleep or high stress. Take 500-1,000mg daily upon rising for 8-12 weeks.

Prioritize the fundamentals of diet, sleep, and controlling your stress response (e.g. proper breathing) to upgrade your adrenal function and correct symptoms of adrenal dysfunction. Train your brain and fuel your body correctly to increase your resiliency and keep your stress response system in balance.

Watch these 3 videos below –

Ask The Expert -Truth About Adrenal Fatigue

The Difference between Adrenal Crisis and Adrenal Fatigue

Exactly How I Healed Adrenal Fatigue – No BS

Written by Dr. Marc Bubbs

Author Bio:

Dr. Marc Bubbs, ND is a Naturopathic Doctor, Strength Coach, Author, Speaker, and Blogger practicing in Toronto, Canada. He believes that diet, exercise, and lifestyle factors have the most profound impact on your overall health and performance. Marc is the author of The Paleo Project – A 21st Guide to Looking Leaner, Getting Stronger, & Living Longer and currently serves as the Sports Nutrition Lead for Canadian Men’s Olympic Basketball Team.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook