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Naturopath
Chronic stress leads to increased cortisol levels, as a result of which mental, emotional or physical health problems develop. Find out here how you can lower your cortisol levels naturally.
Has it been a while since you last felt really relaxed and happy? Then you are probably suffering from a common ailment these days - excess cortisol.
Cortisol is one of the most important stress hormones and is involved in the development of mental suffering and a wide range of physical illnesses. It is an endogenous hormone that is produced in the adrenal cortex. The hormone cortisol belongs to the group of glucocorticoids and is involved in many metabolic processes.
As soon as you are faced with potential danger, a stress reaction is triggered in the body, often referred to as the flight or fight response. Initially, the stress hormones noradrenaline and adrenaline are released in rapid bursts.
The body then releases cortisol. This is produced in the adrenal cortex.
If your life consists of a series of crises (or at least feels like one), your body is constantly releasing the hormone cortisol.
This leads to a chronically elevated cortisol level, which results in serious health problems.
Chronically elevated cortisol levels are associated with reduced immune function, obesity, high blood pressure, insomnia and heart disease.
In addition, an elevated level of coritsol contributes to the development of brain disorders, anxiety, depression, mood swings, memory loss, concentration problems and all kinds of mental disorders. Stress has a negative effect on all cognitive function. Tragically, cortisol kills existing brain cells by literally stimulating them to death.
It also reduces the number of newly forming brain cells by inhibiting the production of the growth factor BDNF - a protein that plays a crucial role in the stimulation of new brain cells.
How do you know if you're addicted to stress? Here are ten signs that cortisol is your drug of choice.
Normally, cortisol levels drop at night so that your body can recover and recharge. You can recognize an increased cortisol level by the fact that, although you have been tired all day, you are at your best right at bedtime. Then you toss and turn in bed all night - and are tired again the next day.
Over time, too much cortisol in the body depletes the adrenal glands. This makes you susceptible to chronic fatigue. So if you already feel exhausted and drained in the morning, you are probably suffering from stress.
Your adrenal glands are responsible for producing cortisol. A chronically elevated cortisol level leads to exhaustion of the adrenal glands. Precursors of cortisol can also no longer be produced in sufficient quantities. In the worst case scenario, your adrenal glands fail.
The hormone cortisol causes you to put on weight, especially in the middle of your body, even though you are doing everything "right".
The hormone cortisol deactivates the body's natural defense mechanisms. An intact immune system is naturally able to keep you and your body healthy. Too much cortisol weakens it, making you susceptible to colds and infections.
Cortisol increases your blood sugar level and therefore your risk of developing diabetes. Elevated blood sugar levels lead to an increased release of insulin, which lowers blood sugar levels. And all of a sudden - how could it be otherwise - you absolutely have to eat that chocolate bar.
An excessively high cortisol level over a longer period of time leads to exhaustion of the adrenal glands. This increases the prolactin level, which leads to increased sensitivity to pain and therefore back or muscle pain. In addition, too much cortisol hypersensitizes the brain to pain. As a result, even the slightest stimulus leads to a reaction in the brain and you get a headache.
Think of the hormone cortisol as an anti-Viagra. A high concentration of stress hormones leads to a reduced release of sex hormones such as testosterone and then... nothing.
Your digestive tract is extremely sensitive to stress hormones such as cortisol. A high concentration of stress hormones can lead to nausea, heartburn, stomach cramps, diarrhea or constipation.
The hormones cortisol and adrenaline lead to tremors, a nervous stomach, panic attacks and even paranoia.
A high cortisol level leads to a reduced production of serotonin, which makes you feel melancholy and depressed.
The best way to lower your cortisol levels is to get your stress levels under control and adopt habits that balance your sympathetic nervous system. The following tips will help you to reduce the hormone cortisol:
You can lower your cortisol levels very effectively with a balanced diet consisting of wholesome, unprocessed foods.
Include the following foods in your diet. All have a reputation as 'nerve food' and will nourish and protect your brain and lower your cortisol levels.
Prebiotic foods are also recommended.
These are foods that promote the growth of intestinal bacteria. These bacteria play a crucial role in a healthy brain. Surprisingly, eating prebiotic foods lowers cortisol levels and improves your mood. Prebiotic foods include asparagus, bananas, barley, leeks, garlic, yam beans, lentils, brown mustard, onions and tomatoes. Dark chocolate, cocoa powder and cocoa nibs also have a prebiotic effect.
Most of these foods taste very good, so you can easily integrate them into your diet. On the other hand, it is not so easy to reduce or completely avoid two substances that raise cortisol levels: Sugar and caffeine. Ironically, many people consume sugar to relax. However, sugar triggers a surge of hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that can last for several hours. Coffee, energy drinks and cola give the body a caffeine boost that stimulates the adrenal glands, which subsequently release more cortisol. Regular caffeine consumption leads to a concentration of cortisol in the blood that is more than twice as high as without caffeine.
Green tea, on the other hand, contains only a quarter of the amount of caffeine of coffee and also contains two unique components that promote relaxation: L-theanine and EGCG.
According to Dr. Shawn Talbott, author of The Cortisol Connection Diet, L-theanine is an amino acid that inhibits the cortisol-promoting properties of caffeine.
Changing your diet is a long-term strategy for lowering cortisol levels. With a little help to get started, you can quickly achieve initial success. Fortunately, there is now a whole range of dietary supplements available to reduce the negative effects of stress.
These special substances are known as adaptogens. These are herbal remedies that strengthen your resistance to any kind of mental, physical or environmental stress. They reduce the stress hormone cortisol and at the same time strengthen the function of the adrenal glands. Adaptogens neither stimulate nor sedate. Rather, they act like a thermostat and bring your body into balance, also known as homeostasis. There are only a few herbs that have an adaptogenic effect.
Other supplements that can lower your cortisol levels include vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, theanine, lemon balm, lactium (made from whey protein) and phosphatidylserine.
Regular exercise improves your mental functions and protects your brain from the effects of age. You have more energy and can relax more easily. This happens, among other things, through a reduction in cortisol. You don't have to over-exert yourself to notice a reduction in your stress levels.
In fact, excessive physical exertion increases cortisol levels. Running a marathon, for example, can trigger a stress response as your brain receives the message that you are running away from danger!
With 20 or 30 minutes of light endurance training such as walking or cycling, you can reduce your excess cortisol. Regular exercises for body and mind such as yoga, tai chi or qi gong are also excellent for reducing stress.
You have probably noticed that your chest tightens in stressful situations and that you start breathing quickly and shallowly. These are the body's automatic reactions to stress. Unfortunately, most adults breathe shallowly and superficially almost all the time. This in turn leads to a reaction of the body, the stress is permanently maintained. You can counteract this and reduce the body's own reaction to stress by consciously breathing from the diaphragm. A few minutes of diaphragmatic breathing (also known as abdominal breathing) is enough to lower cortisol levels and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system to induce a state of rest.
When diaphragmatic breathing, concentrate on keeping your chest still while inhaling and breathing into your stomach instead. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach to better control your breathing.
By learning to breathe in a stress-reducing way, you turn a natural thing into a cortisol-lowering technique.
Most stress reduction techniques work at least in part by lowering cortisol levels.
One of the most insidious causes of stress lies in your own way of thinking. On average, a brain thinks 50,000 thoughts a day. For most people, up to 70% of these are negative.
The negative effects of stress result not so much from the events in your life as from your thoughts - the automatic negative reactions and cognitive distortions - about those events.
Positive self-talk and positive thinking lead to an effective reduction in cortisol.
One of the best ways to gain control over your thoughts is through meditation.
Over 18,000 studies prove the benefits of mindfulness meditation as one of the best daily habits to improve mental health and reduce stress.
Meditation lowers the cortisol level in the body and at the same time increases the level of happiness hormones in the brain such as serotonin, GABA and endorphins.
Another technique for reducing stress in body and mind is the Emotional Freedom Technique, also known as acupressure or tapping. It uses the same principles as acupuncture, with the difference that acupressure points are tapped with the fingertips instead of needles.
Anyone can learn this simple technique. Even the first application lowers cortisol levels considerably.
Another simple way to reduce stress is to spend time in the fresh air.
Of course it's good to go to a park for your lunch break. But even a few minutes in the fresh air is enough to lower your cortisol levels, blood pressure and pulse rate.
Treat yourself to a short nap in the afternoon. This is one of the easiest ways to lower cortisol levels. It really is time well spent and pays off in many ways. A 20-minute nap lifts your mood and gives you energy, creativity and productivity for the rest of the day - even better than caffeine.
Music (listening or making) or any kind of art has a positive effect on mood and reduces chronic stress by lowering cortisol levels. Last but not least, stop multitasking and focus on one task at a time instead.
Studies show that trying to multi-task creates stress and actually makes you less productive. A losing proposition on all sides. Even the seemingly harmless habit of constantly checking messages or emails increases your heart rate and cortisol levels.
Chronic stress leads to a continuous release of the stress hormone cortisol.
A chronically elevated cortisol level has a very detrimental effect on your mental, cognitive, emotional and physical health and well-being.
Fortunately, you can stop the excessive production of cortisol by making it a priority to reduce stress.
The right diet, the addition of effective nutritional supplements, moderate exercise, the right breathing technique and stress-reducing techniques such as meditation or the EFT tapping technique can offset the damaging effects of cortisol in the body and reduce its production in the adrenal cortex.
Sources (in English):
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