To control cortisol levels in our body sometimes we need a little SCARE!
“I just can’t lose weight! I exercise everyday, make healthy choices but the kilos will not shift!”
Does this sound familiar? Have you caught yourself saying this exact same thing to someone? With over 7 years experience as a personal trainer in the weight loss industry, I have learnt that it takes more than a good sweat session and “healthy” food to get your body moving in the right direction.
Cortisol doesn’t have to be dirty word!
Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland, and is released as part of your daily hormonal cycle, and also in reaction to perceived stress.
Cortisol helps your body become even more effective at producing glucose from proteins (breaking down our muscles), and is designed to help quickly increase the body’s energy in times of stress.
It is believed that if we live our lives in a constant state of stress (whether it be emotion, physical or mental), we will have a constant state of elevated cortisol. With excess cortisol comes the production of glucose. With an excess of glucose floating around our bloodstream our body goes into storage mode and converts this glucose to fat and tucks it into our adipose tissue. YUK!
In response to my clients who are ticking the exercise and healthy eating box I ask them, “Have you had a SCARE today?”
SCARE is 5 principles for you to try and live by that will have a beneficial effect on the production of cortisol in your body.
- Sleep: Cortisol levels are highest in the early morning and they drop significantly throughout the day, reaching their lowest levels at around 10 p.m. This shows that the body is most ready for sleep at around this time. Studies have indicated that sleeping during the hours when cortisol levels are lowest provides the most restful sleep for full rejuvenation. Lack of sleep can lead to higher stress levels and thus, higher cortisol levels.
- Caffeine: In 2005 and 2006 studies by the National Institute of Health, researchers found that caffeine intake increased the secretion of cortisol. Furthermore, researchers discovered that individuals who are older or have a higher percentage of body fat experienced a greater level of cortisol excretion when caffeine was added to their diet.
- Adjustment/massage: Stress inhibits the body’s ability to control the inflammatory response. A great thing to do, is start to get a regular massage. This will relax your body and release tension in your muscles, which will help to keep cortisol levels under control and inflammation to a minimum. In addition to keeping cortisol under control, massage sessions reduce stress by promoting production of dopamine and serotonin, the “feel good” hormones.
- Relaxation: Practice mindfulness. A study was done on 52 males 20-25 years of age practicing Dhammakaya Buddhist meditation, and in 30 males of the same age group not practicing meditation. Researhcers found that after meditation, serum cortisol levels were significantly reduced.
- Exercise: A great antidote for many. It is important for our mental, physical and emotional being. Choosing the right type, intensity and amount of exercise for your lifestyle is important when it comes to controlling cortisol. Lower intensity exercise more frequently has been shown to be more beneficial in controlling the stress hormones in our body than that of high intensity training.
So if you’re battling the bulge, slogging it out everyday in the gym and counting each calorie you eat, STOP! Take time for you! Book a massage on a Saturday, take the dog for a walk instead of pounding the pavements, go to bed before 10pm, sit down to eat your meals, switch your afternoon caffeine hit to a herbal tea and remember to breathe.
Further reading on the link between cortisol and sleep, caffeine, meditation, and exercise.
By Lauren Edwards
Always moving, learning & developing, Lauren Edwards has carved out a successful career in the fitness industry as a personal trainer & weight loss enthusiast. Combining a passion for travel, a ‘get up and go’ attitude with a need to find the next big challenge, has led Lauren to some far reaching destinations; most recently participating in the New York Marathon to raise money for the local children’s charity Variety Club.
Helping people reach their goals is at the heart of what Lauren strives to achieve. Currently completing her qualifications as a Health Coach (Institute of Integrative Nutrition, New York) and in her final year as a Nutritional Medicine student at Nature Care College; Lauren’s nutritional studies have proved to be both enlightening and rewarding from which she hopes to help shape the future, nutritionally educating and inspiring others.
A lover of all things ‘quirky’, Lauren is a self-confessed foodie, head chef in her own kitchen and a serial social media ‘photo poster’ of all her delicious kitchen creations. You can find Lauren and her fabulous foodie photos on Facebook.
