What is Cortisol?

What is High Cortisol and is it so bad for me?

High Cortisol – the latest buzz word on every social media platform.  So, what is it and is it really that bad?  I am not a doctor.  I am just a person that is works within the “new age” industry and I have been noticing that no matter where I turn, I hear High Cortisol and Cortisol all the time.  I thought I would share with you some of my knowledge and thoughts on Cortisol. 

If you know me well, you will have heard me say “You understand energy you rule the world” Cortisol affects most of if not all our cells (energy) in our body.  We need it for our survival.    Today I have seen many ads for products telling us that Cortisol is the reason why we are gaining weight, or craving food.  It is why we do not sleep well at night and can upset our metabolism.    I will not lie - from everything that I have discovered and been shown it is true Cortisol does affect us in these areas, but so do other hormones in our body.  It isn’t just one hormone.   

We need to have Cortisol as this hormone regulates many of our other biological functions.  We need to have a good understanding of Cortisol so that we can work in harmony with our physical body. 

Cortisol is our number one, main “Stress hormone”. But this doesn’t make it “bad”.  Stress is a part of our lives.  Everyone will undergo stress, and it is our stress response that has evolved as our survival mechanism.  It helps us react quickly to situations that may put us in danger.   From all that I have discovered our Cortisol is essential for us to have a healthy stress response and to keep us here, to help us survive. 

We have all heard of the fight or flight response.  When we get a rush of energy into our body so we can escape or avoid danger.  Cortisol is a big part of this response.  It is cortisol that is released from your adrenal glands to increase the blood sugar into your body to help you get out of this dangerous situation.  It will increase glucose and flow it through our body to help us fight or flee from the stressful situation.

When we are in a good healthy place, our cortisol will rise quickly to help us with that stressful situation and then it will go back to normal levels quickly when the situation has passed.  It is when we sit in chronic stress or long-term stress that this can cause us problems.   It has also been shown that it can make us develop depression.   It can make you think more negatively about yourself and your life and just make you very negative and sad.   As many of us know when we slip into these negative thoughts and feelings, it of course will also affect our sleep.  We need to overeat and not the good foods, but our bodies will crave those naughty sweet treats that will lead to weight gain. 

We have heard a lot about high cortisol, but we may also have low cortisol.  This can be found in people who have had stress in childhood or early in their life.   It can cause the same symptoms.  Weight gain, constantly feeling tired and, in females, it can be linked to Leptin.  The Satiety hormone that helps our brain to understand when we are full.   If this hormone is low, it will make you feel hungrier and give you food cravings. 

The only way to find out about your Cortisol levels

Blood, urine or saliva testing

So how do you know if you have high or low cortisol?

Blood, urine and/or Saliva test. This is the only way.  Not a mini quiz on a random social media page that you stumbled upon.   Most doctors would not always request these tests done, only if they feel that this is something that you need for your good health.   Just as our energy – aura changes all the time, so are our cortisol levels.    To have a good healthy cortisol level in your body you must understand how your physical body works, and this includes your energy centres - your chakras. 

Just as the cortisol hormone will help your body work with your brain to match your physical body to the environment around you.  It matches us up with the light/dark cycle.  Just as our chakras do.  So in the morning, cortisol secretion from the adrenal glands will start in the early hours of the morning and will peak about 7am.  Then it will send signals to our brain for the rest of the day.  To help us with our survival.  You will find that it will be at the lowest levels at around midday.  It is our natural alarm clock.  Higher in the morning at the end of our sleep to help us get active, have increased energy and feel great.  Then, at night, it lowers to enhance our sleep and restorative function for our bodies.  What a great hormone.

How to maintain a healthy cortisol level in your body?

Look at your life and ask yourself what is your stress.  What can I do about it.  There are many “new age” holistic treatments you can do and it will help you, but also, if there are any issues you need to talk to a professional about, please do so. 

I thought I would list some of the techniques or choices that I make to help ease my stress when life gets busy.  Sadly, it isn’t really in one pill (that seems to cost people a lot of money) All of the suggestions I have given below can be free or found on your computer.  YouTube has great Hz frequencies to listen to while you sleep and or meditate.  Tapping is fun and so beneficial, as well as other mindfulness techniques. 

• Meditation

• Mindfulness

• Tapping

• Trying to get to bed at a decent hour

• Clearing and cleansing my chakras and environment around me regularly

•  A healthy diet (so hard with such naughty yummy foods) 

• Grounding is so important, and is free when you walk in nature without your shoes on.  Try it in your backyard, you will be amazed at how calming it is to your whole mind, body and soul. 

 Let me know how you go.  Particularly if one of these hints or tips help you understand more about you, and your amazing energy.

Please if you are feeling depressed, sad or in a negative space, reach out to your loved ones, and of course your professional people in your life – we have an amazing health system, with great qualified people that are ready to be there and help you when you need it the most.  Many hands make light work, so when you share a problem, concern or issue with another, you will find that it will lighten the load and start you on steps to embrace yourself and your life.

You are too important not to be here living a joyful happy life.