Five Proven Ways To Fix The Hormones:
Do you know your weight is largely controlled by hormones? According to a research, hormone plays an important role to influence appetite and how much your body fat store. Here are 5 proven ways to get fix the hormones that are related to cortisol. First is insulin and you have to balance insulin by avoiding more sugary foods. Eat certain foods like fish, get enough sleep, eat protein food, and eat plenty of fiber to reduce estrogen level which is present in women ovaries.
How To Lower Cortisol Levels Naturally 6 Steps
You can greatly help manage cortisol levels and regain your health by changing your diet, exercise routine, sleep and stress levels. Assuming you havent been diagnosed with Cushings disease by your doctor, here are steps you can take to help lower high cortisol levels naturally:
1. Switch to a Whole Foods, Anti-inflammatory Diet
Poorly managed blood sugar levels and high levels of inflammation can contribute to high cortisol levels and other hormonal imbalances. Following an anti-inflammatory diet low in processed foods and high in antioxidants, fiber and essential nutrients is key to balancing hormones, controlling your cravings and getting you on the right track. These same strategies can also help with adrenal support, allowing you to reach and maintain a healthy weight, boosting energy during the day and helping you sleep better at night.
Some of the most significant dietary contributors to inflammation and high cortisol levels include:
- high-sugar, high-glycemic diet
- consuming high amounts of refined and trans fats
- drinking too much caffeine and alcohol
- experiencing insufficient intake of micronutrients and antioxidants
- not consuming enough fiber
- not consuming enough healthy fats or protein
2. Reduce and Manage Stress
Fortunately, stress management is something you can begin without too much trouble. The natural stress relievers listed below are proven to help lower cortisol and decrease the negative impact stress has on your health:
3. Exercise Regularly
Exercise The Right Way
You already know that exercise is great at decreasing cortisol youre all too familiar with that feeling after a really good yoga class or an outdoor jog. However, exercise that is too intense can actually temporarily increase cortisol. While this isnt a big deal because it decreases in the long-term, if youre having symptoms related to high levels of cortisol, you might want to decrease the high intensity workouts. A good rule of thumb should be that you should leave your workout feeling refreshed, energized, and happy if youre feeling depleted or exhausted, youre doing your body more harm than good.
Also Check: How Can You Tell If You Are Stressed
The Best And Worst Foods Proven To Affect Stress Management
W hen stress strikes, the body releases the hormones cortisol, insulin, and ghrelin, which can ramp up hunger and cravings for unhealthy foods, notes Harvard Medical School. If the stressful event continues, those hormones remain elevated, increasing levels of another hormone called leptin, which helps your body recognize when its full. These hormonal changes can raise your risk for a condition called leptin resistance, which Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism shows is linked to obesity.
Fortunately, knowing which foods to fuel up on can help you get your stress levels under control. Next, learn about the research that suggests how.
Natural Ways To Lower Your Cortisol Levels
Cortisol is a stress hormone the adrenal glands release. It helps your body deal with stressful situations, as your brain triggers its release through the sympathetic nervous system the fight or flight system in response to many different kinds of stress .
While the short-term release of cortisol can help you run quickly from danger, when cortisol levels are too high for too long, this hormone can hurt you more than it helps .
Over time, this can lead to an array of health issues such as weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, insomnia or difficulty sleeping, mood irregularities, and low energy levels (
This article discusses 11 ways to help naturally lower your cortisol levels.
Recommended Reading: Can Stress Make You Lose Your Hair
Ways To Manage Stress
Becoming aware of when and why youre feeling stressed is the first step to addressing a stress-induced hormone imbalance. By learning how to stay calm during tense situations, youll be able to better control your reactions to external stimuli.
Some great ideas for reducing stress and eliminating a hormone imbalance include:
-
Adopting a regular exercise routine
-
Practicing daily meditation, mindfulness and/or deep breathing exercises
-
Minimizing your consumption of caffeine and alcohol
-
Establishing and maintaining a healthy diet
-
Evaluating and adjusting your work-life balance
-
Seeking out emotional support from family and friends
Enlisting the help of a therapist, psychologist or other mental health professional also may help you better manage your stress and improve your health.
Its not always easy to figure out whats going on inside your body. By paying attention to how you feel and your reactions to stressful situations, you may be able to identify and treat a potential hormone imbalance.
Learn To Avoid Procrastination
Another way to take control of your stress is to stay on top of your priorities and stop procrastinating.
Procrastination can lead you to act reactively, leaving you scrambling to catch up. This can cause stress, which negatively affects your health and sleep quality .
Get in the habit of making a to-do list organized by priority. Give yourself realistic deadlines and work your way down the list.
Work on the things that need to get done today and give yourself chunks of uninterrupted time, as switching between tasks or multitasking can be stressful itself.
summary
Prioritize what needs to get done and make time for it. Staying on top of your to-do list can help ward off procrastination-related stress.
Yoga has become a popular method of stress relief and exercise among all age groups.
While yoga styles differ, most share a common goal to join your body and mind.
Yoga primarily does this by increasing body and breath awareness.
Some studies have examined yogas effect on mental health. Overall, research has found that yoga can enhance mood and may even be as effective as antidepressant drugs at treating depression and anxiety .
However, many of these studies are limited, and there are still questions about how yoga works to achieve stress reduction.
In general, the benefit of yoga for stress and anxiety seems to be related to its effect on your nervous system and stress response.
20 ).
Read Also: Can Stress Cause Frequent Urination
How To Lower Cortisol Levels Naturally
Cortisol plays a role in many bodily functions, and abnormal levels can cause health issues. Learning how to lower cortisol levels is essential to maintaining your physical and emotional health. When your levels are high, your body thinks that it is in a constant fight-or-flight situation, triggering severe issues.
As the primary stress hormone, cortisol affects almost every area of your health. It aids in regulating sleep cycles, managing the utilization of nutrients, reducing inflammation, and controlling blood pressure.
While cortisol levels should rise during stressful situations, they should quickly return to normal. When they dont return to normal, it can negatively impact your health. Thankfully, you can figure out how to lower cortisol with some lifestyle changes.
By learning how to reduce cortisol and implementing the tips, you can balance the hormone level. Since the long-term stress and anxiety can be detrimental, finding a balance is life-changing. When you lower cortisol levels, you can maintain a calm mind and a healthy body.
Laughing And Having Fun
It is hard to feel stressed when having a good time, so finding time to have fun can also lower a persons cortisol levels. One study showed cortisol levels decreasing in response to laughter.
Being happy and having a positive outlook appear to be related to lower cortisol levels, and happiness has other benefits too, such as lower blood pressure and a stronger immune system.
Recommended Reading: When Quitting Smoking Stress Management Techniques Can
What Happens When Cortisol Is High
Over the last 20 years, studies have increasingly revealed that moderate to high cortisol levels may lead to an array of health issues, such as :
- Chronic disease. Long-term increased cortisol may increase your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and other chronic diseases.
- Weight gain. Cortisol may increase appetite and signal the body to shift metabolism to store fat.
- Lack of energy/difficulty sleeping. It can interfere with sleep hormones which may impact sleep quality and length.
- Difficulty concentrating. Also referred to as brain fog, some people report trouble focusing and lack of mental clarity.
- Impaired immune system. Increased cortisol can hamper the immune system, making it more difficult to fight infections.
- Cushings syndrome. In rare cases, very high cortisol levels can lead to Cushings syndrome, a rare but serious disease.
Elevated cortisol levels can be caused from many underlying issues such as overactivity or cancer of the pituitary or adrenal glands, chronic stress, and medication side effects .
Further, existing chronic disease may lead to higher cortisol levels, causing a chicken or the egg type of scenario .
Therefore, its best to work with a qualified health professional to establish the root cause of your health issues. Along with this, you may want to introduce some effective lifestyle habits that may help you better manage your cortisol levels. Here are some recommendations:
Holistic Approach To Lower Cortisol
Our team of integrative specialists have the knowledge and experience to help you lower your cortisol naturally while rebalancing your adrenal hormones. Our comprehensive treatment plan includes guidance for eating a healthy diet and some lifestyle modifications to lower your stress levels. These will help to help restore your health and for sustainable weight loss.
- Focus on Preventive Care and Treatment of Chronic Illnesses.
- Root cause analysis and Personalized treatment.
- We help optimize your hormones, digestive health, autoimmune, metabolic health and inflammation.
You May Like: Can You Get Acne From Stress
What Can Cause Abnormal Cortisol Levels
Cortisol levels rise and fall naturally throughout the day. Absent a threat, your cortisol level is highest when you wake up in the morning and lowest when youre ready for sleep. Children tend to have less cortisol than adults do. Aside from stress, quite a few things can affect your cortisol levels, including:
- exercise
- obesity
- disease
If your cortisol levels are abnormally high for a long time, it can cause a rare disorder called Cushings syndrome. Treatment for Cushings syndrome may include a cortisol blocker. A rare cause of high cortisol is an ACTH-producing tumor outside the pituitary gland. Adrenal gland problems can also cause high cortisol levels.
According to the Mayo Clinic, overexposure to stress hormones, including cortisol, can cause trouble within almost all your bodys processes, increasing your risk of weight gain, sleep problems, and anxiety.
Dinner: Chickpea Or Lentil
Chickpea and lentil-based pastas are rich in both protein and fiber, making them a delicious healthy carbohydrate option. While pesto is often made with pine nuts, swapping in walnuts amps up the plant-based omega-3s.
Serves 2
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Method
Read Also: Can Stress Cause You To Spit Up Blood
What Is The Endocrine System
The endocrine system is in charge of coordinating the relationship between different organs and hormones, which are chemicals that are released into your bloodstream from cells within your endocrine glands.
Hormones are secreted by various glands and organs, including your thyroid, adrenals, pituitary, ovaries, testicles and pancreas. The entire endocrine system works together to control the level of hormones circulating throughout your body, and if one or more is even slightly imbalanced, it can cause widespread health problems affecting growth, sexual development and function, sleep, metabolism and hunger.
Once your hormones are in circulation, they target specific tissues or cells by binding to receptors that are located inside the cell or on its surface. These hormones work as chemical messengers and play a key role in your bodys daily functions.
The endocrine system is made up of many glands, including the pituitary gland or master gland thats responsible for sending information from your brain to other glands in your body. The pituitary gland also produces many hormones that travel throughout the body and have different important functions.
The pituitary gland is made up of two different tissue types: the anterior pituitary that synthesizes and releases classic hormones, and the posterior pituitary gland that secretes neurohormones that are made in the hypothalamus.
Related: Adult Acne: How to Get Rid of Hormonal Acne Naturally
Gingko Biloba Leaf Extract
Gingko biloba is another heavily researched supplement great for reducing cortisol. It is a plant extract that’s been used in Chinese medicine for a very long time. Research shows that Ginkgo biloba extract can halt a rise in both blood pressure and cortisol levels in healthy study participants. This means that when you’re stressed out, Ginkgo biloba extract can help limit the amount of cortisol released. In other studies performed on animals, Gingko biloba is shown to attenuate the affects of acute stress. Ginkgo biloba extract is definitely one to add to your arsenal, and the most convenient way to get it is through supplementation.
Also Check: How Do I Stop Being Stressed
Listen To Relaxing Music
During stressful times, listening to soft and soothing music can play a key role in reducing your stress hormone levels. In fact, music works as a natural stress buster and helps you calm down quickly.
A 2003 study by the New York Academy of Sciences found that cortisol levels decreased more rapidly in the saliva of subjects exposed to music than subjects recovering from stress in silence. The study suggests that relaxing music after a stressor can act by decreasing the post-stress response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Music is even useful in reducing stress in patients before operations or surgeries. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology in 2011 found that listening to music reduces sedative requirements to reach light sedation under regional anesthesia.
A recent 2016 study published in Public Health found that attending a cultural event can have an impact on endocrine activity and in reducing cortisol levels.
Whenever you are under stress, listen to some music of your choice. If you are skilled at playing a musical instrument, play that instrument to combat stress in your life.
Sip A Cup Of Warm Tea
Tea, one of the most consumed beverages in the world, can help reduce stress. Both black tea and green tea have stress-reducing properties.
The high content of theanine found in black tea helps reduce elevated stress hormones. It triggers the production of alpha brain waves, which encourage relaxation and mental alertness.
A 2007 study published in Psychopharmacology found that six weeks of black tea intake can lead to lower post-stress cortisol and greater relaxation, along with reduced platelet activation. Plus, black tea has many other health benefits that aid stress recovery.
Along with black tea, green tea is effective at reducing stress. The powerful antioxidants in it have a calming and relaxing effect on the mind and body.
A 2009 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that drinking a few cups of green tea daily is associated with lower psychological distress in general.
Herbal teas such as chamomile tea and rosemary tea also help keep you relaxed and calm. Due to their sedative properties, they help you enjoy relaxed sleep.
Whenever you are under stress, sip it away with a cup of warm tea.
Recommended Reading: Can You Lose Hair From Stress
Avoid Caffeinated Drinks At Night
Consuming caffeine in the evenings can interfere with your sleep quality. When you dont get enough sleep, your cortisol levels increase. Caffeine also increases cortisol secretion and increased blood pressure.
Additionally, consuming too much caffeine can cause adrenal fatigue, which is when your hormone levels are severely off-balance. Adrenal fatigue causes you to become extremely tired, and more caffeine will make it worse.
Diet For Less Stress And Lower Cortisol
A diet low in added sugars and other refined carbs is your first line of defense here. Added sugar-rich foods and other refined carbs lack one big thing: fiber. Fiber is what helps prevent those drastic blood sugar swings that result in moodiness, fatigue, and hanger, all of which can leave you feeling stressed.
Sure, refined carb-rich foods may provide very temporary, short-term stress relief , but excess intake of them can contribute to chronic inflammation and stress, and can impair your ability to handle stress. In fact, a diet high in sugar has been linked to cognitive impairments and emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression.
Also Check: Why Do I Feel So Stressed For No Reason
How To Balance Stress Hormones: Can Natural Remedies Help
This article was co-authored by Sari Eitches, MBE, MD. Dr. Sari Eitches is an Integrative Internist who runs Tower Integrative Health and Wellness, based in Los Angeles, California. She specializes in plant-based nutrition, weight management, women’s health, preventative medicine, and depression. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine. She received a BS from the University of California, Berkeley, an MD from SUNY Upstate Medical University, and an MBE from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her residency at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, NY and served as an attending internist at the University of Pennsylvania.There are 18 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 3,720 times.
