Lowering Cortisol: Natural Methods to Reduce Stress
Discover how to lower cortisol naturally and effectively. Learn what you can incorporate into your life to improve your well-being – find out now!
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What is cortisol?
Let’s start from the beginning. What is cortisol? You have probably heard of this hormone, known as the ‘stress hormone’, but you may not know how it works. Cortisol is a hormone produced by our adrenal glands, which is released when we are under physical or emotional stress. Therefore, it’s a survival mechanism of our body that helps us to cope with circumstances that we perceive as challenging or dangerous.
Cortisol causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, as well as in blood glucose levels. At the same time, it reduces the priority and resources our body allocates to non-essential functions, allowing us to focus our attention and energy on what truly matters. For instance, if we had to flee from a predator, cortisol would temporarily cause us to disregard things like a headache or feeling thirsty.
Experts point out that cortisol levels peak in the morning, while in the evening, they tend to be lower, allowing our body to relax and prepare for sleep. Although the rhythm of our society and our fast-paced lifestyle have led us to normalise stress as part of daily life, elevated cortisol levels can have very negative consequences.
Elevated cortisol: causes and consequences
Too much of anything is bad. Elevated cortisol, therefore, has detrimental effects on our health. It can lead to weight gain, digestive issues and a weakened immune system, as well as sleep disorders or mood changes like irritability, anxiety and even depression. Faced with this situation, the question is clear: how can we lower cortisol? Regular physical exercise, meditation, surrounding ourselves with people with whom we have a healthy relationship and eating a healthy diet can help us a lot.
Cortisol and sport: how it affects cortisol levels
We have already seen that cortisol is a natural response of our body, but it’s also important to have the ability to ‘turn off that alarm’ and return to calm, which is known as ‘negative feedback’. Cortisol and sport go hand in hand in this regard, as regular exercise can be very beneficial in maintaining normal daily cortisol rhythms and ensuring that this feedback cycle functions properly.
Cortisol and exercise: strategies to maintain hormone balance
To lower cortisol levels, exercise is a great ally. People who exercise daily experience an increase in cortisol levels; however, at the same time, they train the mechanisms that allow those levels to return to normal once the activity is over. This is why it’s considered that one of the most effective ways to lower cortisol intoxication is exercise.
Nature is very important for humans, so combining physical exercise with outdoor activities will yield even greater benefits. On the other hand, meditation is a recommended strategy for lowering cortisol, and combined with the physical exercise of pilates or yoga can be a highly recommended practice.
A healthy and balanced diet will also help in this context. Specifically, Omega-3 and essential fatty acids, found in walnuts, soybeans and fish like salmon, are ideal for controlling cortisol levels. Surrounding ourselves with so-called ‘vitamin people’, with whom we can have healthy and enriching connections, is also important for keeping cortisol levels in check and taking care of our health.
