Hormones act as chemical messengers throughout our bodies that are released into our blood stream to reach an organ in another part of the body. Despite the fact that hormones travel all throughout our bodies, only target cells with compatible receptors are equipped to respond. When a hormone binds to a receptor, the receptor carries out the hormone’s instructions — they tell your body both what to do and when to do something.
Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone (a type of steroid hormone) produced by the two adrenal glands (located at the top of each kidney) and the pituitary gland in the brain regulates cortisol production.
You will often hear cortisol referred to as the “stress hormone” but it actually plays many important roles throughout the body, affecting almost every organ and tissue. Some of its primary functions include:
- Helping your body’s use of fats, proteins and carbohydrates (regulates metabolism)
- Suppressing inflammation
- Regulating blood sugar
- Regulating blood pressure
- Helping control your sleep-wake cycle
- Regulating your body’s stress response
One important thing to note is that, biologically speaking, there are multiple different kinds of stress, including acute stress, chronic stress and traumatic stress. Acute stress occurs during a shorter period of time when you are in sudden danger or a stressful situation. Chronic stress happens when you experience longer-term or ongoing situation causing continual frustration or anxiety. Lastly, traumatic stress occurs when you experience a life-threatening event where you experience anxiety, fear and a feeling of true helplessness. In some cases, this can even lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Regardless of which stress you are enduring, your body releases cortisol to help you react to these situations or feelings.
Because almost all of the tissues in our body have glucocorticoid receptors, cortisol can affect nearly every organ in the body, including your:
- Immune system
- Nervous system
- Cardiovascular system
- Respiratory system
- Reproductive system
- Integumentary system (hair, skin nails, nerves, glands)
- Musculoskeletal system
However… don’t stress! There are several things that you can work on daily to help lower your cortisol levels and keep them within optimal and healthy ranges, such as:
- Getting good quality sleep
- Exercising regularly
- Learning to limit stressful thinking patterns or stress in your life (wherever possible)
- Practicing deep breathing exercises
- Laughing!
- Maintaining healthy relationships
- Trying stress-reducing supplements such as Stress MAXX!
Eating to Beat Stress
- Practice Intermittent Fasting: Going without food for an extended period of time puts the body into ketosis, which means it is switching from using glucose to fuel the brain to using ketones as brain fuel
- Follow a GREEN Keto Diet
- Avoid Toxins: this means food sprayed with herbicides or pesticides, along with animals that contain harmful toxins (these act as endocrine disruptors)
- Don’t Eat Too Late
- Eat dark leafy greens/cruciferous vegetables
- Healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado, MCT oil, coconut oil, grass-fed beef, wild-caught salmon
- Omega-3 fish oil (make sure it contains DHA, EPA and DHEA)
- Adaptogens: Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, Ginseng, Turmeric
- Melatonin, Magnesium, Vitamin D