Good Lifestyle

You have probably heard about Cortisol before, most often in a negative light and possibly linked to stress and weight gain. Although there seems to be a connection between high cortisol levels and increasedabdominal fat Distribution, much remains to be determined by research.

Here's what we know and the factors that you can improve to reduce the risk of cortisol causing a negative weight gain or impact on your health.

What is cortisol?

Cortisol is a hormone that is naturally produced by your body and secreted by the adrenal gland. It serves many functions, including maintenancearterial pressure, controlling blood glucose and regulate your metabolism.

Cortisol levels fluctuate throughout the day with the greatest reading more likely to be in the morning and the lowest reading at midnight.

Environmental and internal factors that may cause an increase in cortisol release include:

• Chronic stress
• Acute stress
• Physical stress
• Psychological stress

As you can see, cortisol is often called stress hormone, because stress is a key factor in the regulation of cortisol release.

Although men and women probably undergo an increase in cortisol in response to stress,research Note that women have higher sensitivity to psychological stress and are therefore more likely to have a higher level of cortisol as a result of a stressful stimulus compared to men.

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How is cortisol linked to weight gain and overall health?

Research In addition, the females indicated that these with a higher size ratio of the hip (those carrying more body fat in their abdomen relative to the lower body) secrete more cortisol during and after stressful situations compared to to their ratio counterparts smaller than size.

This abdominal obesity is known to be associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases, such ascardiopathy andType 2 diabetes.

Although the abdominal weight gain mechanism associated with high levels of cortisol is not concrete,Experts believe than higher levels of cortisol can lead to an increase in food consumption and a reduction in energy expenditure.

In addition to cortisol with weight impact, high levels of this hormone may result in an increase in blood pressure, irritability, insomnia, low libido and abnormal blood glucose.

How can you change your diet to handle stress levels?

Although you may not be able to control the initial feeling of stress that you have in response to a stressful stimulus, you can work to control how your body reacts.

In fact, many dietary factors play a role in stress and cortisol levels. By making diet changes, you may be able to manage cortisol levels more efficiently and prevent weight gain.

Eat this:

• A rich diet inlean protein,healthy fats, andfibrous vegetables is ideal for many people, but especially those with high levels of cortisol. Since carbohydrate metabolism seems to have a negative impact on high levels of cortisol, it may be useful to limit high blood glucose carbohydrates (those that are generally treated and low in fiber).
• Suitable supplements like Ashwagandha roots andcordyceps (a class of fungi recently become more popular in the supplement industry)spectacle Positive advantages for stress management.

Not that!

• Avoid foods and drinks that have a stimulating effect on your adrenal gland, like caffeinated drinks.Caffeine Can induce many of the same side effects as cortisol, such as insomnia and high blood pressure, but it can also insist on the adrenal gland that is responsible for the production and secretion of cortisol.
• Alcohol, sugar and other transformed carbohydrates must also be limited. These drinks, ingredients and foods can exacerbate an existing issue with carbohydrate metabolism associated with high levels of cortisol.

What can you do to reduce cortisol levels?

In addition to these dietary factors that govern stress levels, appeasement exercises can also be beneficial in managing your stress response.

Research is to find determining exercises and relaxation practices can reduce basal cortisol levels, and when used immediately after an extremely stressful situation, these practices can evenReduce cortisol levels in response to stress.

These strategies can be easier to say than to do, but to react your mind and body how to react in stressful circumstances can be one of the best tools we need to fight against mental and physical negative stress can have on your body.

Summary

Although it is a necessary hormone with important functions, too many cortisol can lead to a cascade of negative health factors. Manage stress and improvement of food practices are two natural ways to help your body minimize cortisol levels.