Are you always stressed out?  Ongoing stress may be throwing your cortisol levels off their regular pattern and increasing your risk of serious illness.  But do you know how to recognise when your cortisol levels are a problem and too high?  Introduce these natural remedies which are proven to help lower your cortisol levels naturally into your life.

 

 

What Is Cortisol?

 

When you are stressed your body responds by releasing hormones from your adrenal glands which prepare it to deal with the external threat.  These hormones are designed to change the normal functions of your body so it can quickly respond to the danger, after which they switch off as the danger passes.  However, in the modern world our stress response is triggered by ongoing, continual stressors that occur every day and never pass. So our body never switches off its stress hormone production.  This can lead to adrenal fatigue.

Under stress your body releases cortisol, one of these hormones, to help manage the stress. But when you’re under constant stress, even low level stress, cortisol is continuously released into your bloodstream, never switching off.  Levels in your body remain constantly high without ever returning back to normal as they should. And that’s when serious problems arise.  Because, as with all the stress hormones, cortisol is not supposed to be coursing through your body all the time.

Chronic stress is now linked with almost every single chronic health problem.

We’re all affected by stress to some degree, it’s a part of life.  But stress always impacts our health.  And when that stress is ongoing it puts a huge strain on every system in our body, including our heart and circulation system, immune system, digestive system, lungs, sensory organs and our brain.

 

 

Some Cortisol Facts

 

  • Cortisol release is triggered by physical or emotional stress, poor lifestyle, not enough sleep, illness or infections
  • Cortisol levels are normally highest in the morning around 7am and lowest at night although this may change for serial ‘night owls’ and shift workers
  • It is present in both chronically stressed individuals and those who are not
  • Elevated cortisol levels temporarily suppress your immune system.  After prolonged stress you’re more likely to get sick
  • Cortisol is needed for memory production but high cortisol levels reduce your capacity to recall that memory information

 

 

Role Of Cortisol

 

Cortisol has many functions in the body including:

  •  Keeping us awake and alert
  •  Preventing brain fog and fatigue
  •  Help burn fat for energy
  •  Balancing blood sugar levels
  •  Reduce inflammation
  •  Balance fluid levels
  •  Contribute to blood pressure control
  •  Help with learning and memory
  •  Help us perceive and respond to danger
  •  Support foetal development in pregnancy

 

 

Signs Of High Cortisol

 

  • Weight gain especially ‘belly fat’ around the stomach and abdomen
  • Puffy, flushed face
  • Mood swings
  • Increased anxiety
  • Increased inflammation
  • Weakened immune system
  • Fatigue, ‘tired but wired’
  • Difficulty or disrupted sleep
  • Irregular periods, fertility problems
  • High blood pressure
  • Blood sugar problems
  • Acne
  • Bone fractures and osteoporosis
  • Muscle aches and pains
  • Libido changes
  • Excessive thirst
  • Increased appetite
  • Increased urination
  • Greater susceptibility to infections

 

 

 

 

9 Proven Ways To Lower Cortisol Levels Naturally

 

These stress relievers are all proven to reduce cortisol and help lower your risk of chronic disease.

 

1. Mindfulness and Meditation

Meditation activates the relaxation response and lowers cortisol.  There has been substantial research into the benefits of regular meditation on the body and the mind. This research has shown meditation decreases the metabolic rate, boosts the immune system, lowers the heart rate, reduces stress hormones including cortisol, reduces high blood pressure, reduces pain, can help asthma sufferers, and slows aging of the brain.

The great news is that using meditation to turn off the stress response promotes relaxation without affecting alertness, memory or concentration.

15 to 30 minutes a day significantly lowers cortisol and stress related symptoms of disease. Even 5 minutes of daily meditation helps.

A daily mindfulness practice effectively lowers cortisol levels and reduces worry and anxiety.

 

2. Deep Breathing

Breathing deeply into the abdomen helps turn off the sympathetic nervous system, calm the Vagus Nerve and redirect the body into a relaxed state.  It’s quite simple once you know how to do it and you’ll find all the technique instructions here.

 

3. Spend Time In Nature

Your stress levels respond to your physical setting and it’s well documented that time spent outside in nature helps reduce stress and cortisol levels.  Twenty minutes a day walking outdoors, hanging out by the ocean, gardening, wandering through forests, even just lying on the grass, are all great.

Grounding takes your exposure to the outdoors and nature to a whole new elevated level when it comes to your health. It simply involves having bare skin in contact with the earth.  Sit or lie on the ground or walk around in bare feet.  Grounding causes changes in your body that greatly reduces inflammation, the result of raised cortisol.

 

4. Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

Cortisol production is lowered when you get enough sleep by sleeping in alignment with your body’s bio-rhythms.  The length and quality of your sleep, as well as the actual time at which you sleep, all influence cortisol levels.  However, when your cortisol levels are high quality sleep can be difficult to find.  Without enough sleep cortisol levels stay elevated, leaving you feeling even more stressed, and increasing levels further.  It’s a vicious cycle!

Melatonin is released from the brain after sunset to help you wind down and trigger sleep.  Cortisol responds to melatonin levels.  Normally cortisol is higher in the morning and low at night before and during sleep.  But with continued high cortisol levels the opposite happens and people feel wired at night and fatigued all day.  They can’t sleep when they’re supposed to or when their body ‘sleeps best’.

 

5. Exercise

Although stress hormone levels rise during exercise, exercise can also help to bring them back into balance later. The key here is moderate exercise. Avoid intense workouts and don’t push your body too hard. This is especially important if you have reached midlife, as it becomes more challenging to reduce stress hormones produced during exercise as you age.  Low intensity workouts are the key to getting the cortisol balance right.

 

6. Homeopathic Remedies

Homeopathic remedies individually selected for the person can be very effective in helping lower cortisol, and at the same time address the unique symptoms each individual experiences as a result of stress.  The appropriate remedy will be unique to each person and is far more effective when it is a close individualised match.  Consult a fully trained homeopath for the best matched remedy for you, and get your hormones back on track.

There are a great number of homeopathic remedies that help with adrenal fatigue.  A few are:

  • Sepia officinalis– for when you’re overwhelmed, exhausted and completely burnt out
  • Nux Vomica – for feeling tired but wired, and wide awake at night
  • Phosphorous acidum– for nervous exhaustion and mental or physical overwhelm
  • Arsenicum album – for feeling exhausted but anxious and restless
  • Gelsemium sempervirens – for fatigue, weakness, sleepiness, and feeling disinterested, dull and detached, dizziness
  • Phosphorous – for overwhelm and when oversensitive to things around you, with fatigue and dizziness
  • Argentum nitricum – for weakness or trembling, fear, apprehension, despair of finding help

These are just a few of the homeopathic remedies used for adrenal fatigue.  Some others are Arnica montana, Coffea cruda, Ignatia amara and there are many more.   If you’re not sure which you should take consult a homeopath.

 

7. Adaptogen Herbs and Superfoods

Adaptogens help lower high cortisol levels naturally.  They reduce inflammation and help balance hormones, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.  They also help lift your mood and reduce fatigue.

One of the most popular is ashwagandha.   Some other proven adaptogenic herbs are ginseng, rhodiola,  astragulus, holy basil (tulsi), medicinal mushrooms (reishi, cordyceps) and licorice root.  Cacao is one beneficial superfood.

 

8. Reduce Sugar

Do you crave sweets when you feel stressed?  Well, you’re not alone.  When your cortisol levels are raised the reward system in your brain turns on with a craving for food high in sugar and fat.  The bad news is that these foods raise cortisol levels, turning on a loop that’s very difficult to break.  Substituing with food rich in omega-3 or the homeopathic remedy Argentum nitricum may help break this cycle.

 

9. Say No

Don’t say maybe when you want to say NO.  Don’t spread yourself too thin or take on responsibilities you can’t handle.  This can be difficult when you’re not used to it