Cortisol is the buzzword at the moment! But as with many buzzwords, do people actually understand it? Let’s try and shed some light on an area that is commonly misunderstood or not even comprehended at all.
Let’s clear up one thing first- is cortisol (your stress hormone) a bad thing? The answer is definitely no. We wouldn’t be around without it as a matter of fact. Cortisol is actually protein mobilising, gluconeogenic and hyperglycaemic. Now all of these things are actually a good thing in the right circumstances. However, under constant stress they are the polar opposite and detrimental to the body.
Now we’re sure you’ve heard of the ‘fight or flight’ response, but let’s have a small recap anyway. In a nutshell, your body produces cortisol (adrenalin) to help you react to life-threatening situations. You either turn around and face what is chasing you (fight) or you run away (flight). However, if our body is under chronic stress, we perceive we are getting chased by something or someone deadly throughout the day. If your body thinks a lion is chasing you while you’re in line for a coffee its socially awkward at best.
The consequences of this can be severe, causing a hormonal cascade. It can result in a lowering of our sex hormones like testosterone, causing an imbalance of electrolytes due to problems with aldosterone. The fun doesn’t stop there though; it puts more pressure on our dietary cholesterol requirements, and that cholesterol is the precursor for all our steroidal hormones. Meaning our libido, energy and cognitive functions are all dependent on cholesterol.
I Don’t like This Ride and I Want to Get Off
It’s the lamest ride at the carnival, and what’s worse it can be hard to get off. So let’s focus on how to get off this loathsome merry-go-round.
If you constantly put yourself in this fight or flight mode, you’re essentially putting your body into a hypercortisolemic state, meaning too much cortisol production. This results in complications such as being wired when you should be sleeping, elevated blood sugar levels, and sugar cravings. Who can put their hand up and say they’ve never been in this state at some stage?
As is in life, ultimately what comes up, must go down. It’s the same for cortisol and whilst in theory it may sound nice to say your body can take it, at some point you will flat-line. This is when people reach a point of being hypocortiselmic, that is, not producing enough cortisol. This is a bad place to be! It’s characterised by depression, anxiety, unwillingness to get out of bed in the morning and gut related issues. That’s one big un-happymeal of issues.
Stress has changed the playing field, and you’re taking the field with a bat made of glass. So what can be done? Adaptogens are something commonly used in the natural medicine field and in a lot of instances to great success. However, using the wrong one at the wrong time could come at a cost. Hence why you need to have a great understanding where your saliva cortisol levels lie and your blood chemistry sits before you go down this path.
Go Take a Soak
So what can we do without needing too many tests and analysis? From a supplement perspective it’s easy- magnesium! No mineral is harder to extract from your nutrition than magnesium. Why is it so important in stress management? It’s because it’s essentially involved in the cortisol magnesium cycle. Meaning too much stress will deplete your magnesium levels, and on the flip side you need magnesium to dampen the cortisol response. Magnesium is also essential in mitigating the calcium influx caused during a stress response and balancing out essential neurotransmitters for dealing with stress. Looking for supplements to deal with stress? Check out quercetin australia.
Whether you have high or low cortisol, Magnesiums positive impact will be evident. You don’t only have to take it as an oral supplement; epsom salt baths and gravity float tanks full of kilos of magnesium sulphate are becoming increasingly more popular. Why? Due to the fact that one of the best ways to absorb magnesium is through the skin. Not only that, but mineral baths are a proven way to lessen that hormonal cascade effect. If it seems simple, that’s because the most effective measures often are!
Frankie Says Actively Relax
Lastly lets look at the area of balancing your excitatory behaviour with more inhibitory behaviour. By this I mean the field of cortisol management and stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system (rest + digest). By this I mean yoga and meditation.
The growing evidence to support the positive neurological benefits of mediation is becoming common. Not only this, but we know that yoga and meditation have a positive impact on GABA production. This neurotransmitter is inhibitory, meaning it will help to relax and shut down our brains. Who wouldn’t want this to aid them with a more relaxed and peaceful nights sleep!
But really, who meditates or goes into a shavasanah when they have finished a heavy workout session? From our experience, not many people at all. However here at 5EW it’s a huge emphasis at the end of all our workout sessions. Remember it’s hard to get the benefit from a workout without giving your body the ability to absorb nutrients and recover.
What we need to remember is that not all stress is bad! It can be our ally when used in the correct circumstances. However, often we’re not controlling it and more importantly not giving our body the right formula to deal with it. At 5EW we take a very measured approach in order to understand what side of the stress spectrum the individual is sitting. This can dictate the type of training that you might need to do and also the food you need to consume. Have you ever heard ‘eat according to your stress levels’? It’s a 5th Element principle. However, this is a whole other topic for another time!
Just talk to us if you need help in this area and we can arrange a consult to help get you back on track with stress management strategies tailored for you.
