Cortisol and Being a “B”

My husband has this endearing way of letting me know, um…that I am not being myself. Just a few days ago, he very randomly asked me if I knew of any foods with Cortisol. I raised my eyebrow and just kind of thought to myself…”okay, what’s going on?” Because I know he will never admit it, I did the wife thing and with a bit of personal reflecting, I gathered his question was either his way of telling me I am being a ‘B’ or he genuinely wants to know for himself.

Cortisol is the one they call the ‘stress hormone.’ The short answer is, no, Cortisol isn’t found in food. It is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands. Cortisol helps regulate blood sugar, inflammation, and blood pressure. It does all kinds of things so it is really important to keep your levels not too high and not too low. There’s a sweet spot for Cortisol. Read the summarized checklist below from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Signs it might be too low (abbreviated):

1. Chronic fatigue
2. Muscle weakness
3. Loss of appetite
4. Weight loss
5. Abdominal Pain

Signs it might be too high (abbreviated):

1. Weight gain
2. Muscle weakness
3. High blood pressure
4. Acne and stretch marks
5. Thin skin/bruise easily

So, how can you avoid Cortisol fluctuations? First, if you feel like something is up, go see your doc and get some bloodwork drawn before you do anything else. Second, here are some things you can do from home that help regulate Cortisol and pretty much every function in your body (this is where you start eye-rolling, but trust!):

1. SLEEP (7-9 hours)!
2. Exercise regularly
3. Eat colorful, balanced meals
4. Manage stress, meditate
5. Hydrate

I hope you were able to keep your eyes tactfully in your skull, and all jokes aside, I am your cheerleader. If I can help you, just let me know.

Fuel well!

~T