Stress – It can be a good thing and a bad thing. Yes, I said stress can be a good thing. We have a stress response system within our body that is managed by the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis). The hypothalamus and pituitary are organs within our brain that communicate with the adrenal glands, which sit just above the kidneys.
The HPA axis is in control of our stress response. The response to a stressful trigger creates the “fight or flight” response from the communication of our organs on this axis. The acute response of the HPA axis is important as it can actually save us – for instance, running (faster than we ever could under our own power) from something chasing us or fighting (harder than we could have ever imagined) when necessary. Adrenaline and cortisol are released during these stressful situations, which helps our body’s fight and flight efficiency.
The negative side to stress, however, is when the HPA axis is chronically stimulated. Chronic stress on the body can occur from outside influences such as relationships, work, finances, or family life; from internal influences such as food sensitivities, poor gut health, or infections; or from a combination of internal and external stress, such as physical pain, vehicle accidents, or physical abuse.
What Is Cortisol?
Cortisol is the stress hormone released from the adrenal glands. It is the stress hormone that has the most impact, positive or negative, on our body. In chronic stress situations, chronically high cortisol levels can be detrimental to our system. It can cause interrupted sleep, brain fog, abdominal fat, irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, high blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, prediabetes, diabetes mellitus type II, gut permeability, cravings, anxiety and depression, increased hunger, and more. Cortisol can also impact hormone balance in males and females.
Controlling Stress
Most of the time, we cannot take our stress away – we cannot stop being a parent, sibling, employee, employer… We typically cannot quit our jobs or undo the vehicle accident we were in. We can, however, control our stress response to improve the health of the HPA axis. How do we do that without being able to change the stressor?
- Meal Plan: One of the most important things is fueling your body appropriately. First, we need to ensure blood sugar stability by consuming adequate amounts of protein and vegetables while balancing them with the right complex carbohydrates. We should avoid or limit the higher glycemic index carbohydrates as well as inflammatory foods. You can identify foods that are inflammatory for your body specifically by checking your IgG and IgE food sensitivity test via blood.
- Gut Health: It is extremely important to avoid foods that will cause more damage to your gut lining. The gut-brain interaction is extremely important to balance.
- Proper Vitamin, Mineral, and Amino Acid Levels: Checking your levels via blood is very important to controlling overall brain-body interactions and balance. Things like vitamin D, folate, magnesium, L-theanine, and L-glutamine are just a few that are important to monitor and take! Levels should be checked prior to starting vitamins like Vitamin D.
- Exercise: …With the proper balance. Exercise releases endorphins; however, if it is too intense or prolonged, it can also cause chronically elevated cortisol levels. A balance of strength training and cardiovascular training is vital.
- Meditation and Positive Self-Imagery: This is key to releasing endorphins and improving serotonin levels. In turn, this will help to balance the HPA axis appropriately.
- Grounding and Sunlight Each Morning: Allowing your feet to touch the ground (in the grass) and getting at least 10 minutes of sunlight each morning has been shown to lower cortisol levels.
I could easily list even more supplemental ideas to improve cortisol levels, but I’ll save those for now so you can start out slowly. Start by focusing on this list each day, and you will already be headed in the right direction for managing your stress and anxiety! It isn’t easy, but it is simple. Keep working.
Berman Health and Wellness is a Functional Medicine Center that helps individuals reach their goal weight and optimize their gut health while avoiding needless medications and achieving the highest quality of life imaginable. Focusing on and optimizing gut health is vital to protecting our brain, metabolism, hormones, and longevity.
Call 239.431.0232 or visit: www.bermanpt.com/wellness to learn more.