Six Ways to Lower Your Cortisol Levels

How does the stress hormone affect you? Can bioidentical replacement hormone therapy help?

It’s always important to keep your mind healthy, but especially now, with all the anxiety around the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both your mental and physical health can suffer when you’re stressed.

Have you gained weight? Are you experiencing fatigue and difficulty concentrating?

Maybe you have high cortisol levels and should look into it. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy may also be a solution.

What is cortisol?

The adrenal glands make cortisol, which is the primary stress hormone in your body. In times of stress, it triggers the body’s “fight-or-flight” response.

When you feel stressed or anxious, your cortisol levels go up, and when you’re relaxed, they go down. The hypothalamus and pituitary are the ones that tell your adrenal glands how much cortisol to secrete. 

How does high cortisol affect me?

The hormone cortisol plays an important role in maintaining overall health and well-being. It could be used to regulate other bodily functions, such as digestion and immunity

If the body’s cortisol levels rise, all its energy goes to dealing with the stressor. When cortisol levels are too high for long periods of time, this hormone can hurt you more than it can help. Symptoms may arise, however, when cortisol levels are imbalanced. 

General signs and symptoms of too much cortisol include the following:

• Weight gain
• Acne
• Impaired immune system
• Severe fatigue or lack of energy
• Irritability
• Difficulty concentrating
• High blood pressure
• Headache

Cortisol imbalance can make you feel like you can’t handle everyday tasks. Stress and prolonged exposure to stress are the biggest contributors to cortisol imbalance.

How do I lower my cortisol levels?

• Practice mindfulness meditation

  Research has shown that practicing mindfulness can help people manage stress levels and improve overall well-being. Why not try meditation techniques or yoga?

  Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress. Not only can deep-breathing exercises lower your cortisol levels, but it can also ease anxiety and depression and improve memory.

  Chronic stress brings about high cortisol levels. Many illnesses are aggravated by chronic stress, which compromises the body’s immune system. Mindfulness may benefit the body in a variety of ways by lowering the stress response.

• Get enough sleep

  Our busy lives often mean we don’t have time to get quality sleep. Studies have shown that not getting enough sleep causes an increase in cortisol secretion.

  In addition, there’s a link between disrupted circadian rhythms and mental and physical disorders like anxiety and depression. This can damage work productivity, performance, and safety.

  Therefore, it is essential that we sleep for at least seven to eight hours each night in order to allow our bodies to heal and recuperate. This will also lower cortisol levels naturally. 

• Eat a nutritious diet

  Nutrition and food play a huge role in our lives. Following a healthy, well-balanced whole food diet helps lower cortisol levels. An unhealthy diet filled with added sugars and processed foods will raise cortisol levels.

  In addition, it increases your risk for diabetes and high blood pressure. Don’t eat candy and chocolate to “relieve stress.” A healthy meal consists of whole grains, high-fiber fruits and vegetables, and moderate amounts of protein. 

• Reduce alcohol intake

  Happy hour at our favorite restaurant is always a welcome break after a stressful day at work. People think that drinking makes them feel relaxed and relieves stress. But that is not really the case. Studies have shown that heavy drinkers have elevated cortisol levels. 

  Alcohol actually interferes with sleep. A good night’s rest is crucial to getting through the day. While moderate alcohol consumption makes it easier to get to sleep, your blood alcohol level makes it difficult to fall into a deep sleep.

  Sleep deprivation disrupts your day, resulting in stress and increased cortisol levels.

• Exercise regularly

  Research has shown that regular exercise can improve energy levels and sleep quality, thereby decreasing cortisol levels. There’s also evidence that it lowers negative health effects associated with chronic stress and greater resilience to acute stress. 

  According to the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, you should spend at least 30 minutes daily on low- to moderate-intensity exercise. However, do note that overdoing exercise can have the opposite effect. Doing high-intensity workouts for long periods of time may cause you stress and increase your cortisol levels.

  Fortunately, Miami has a lot of walkable and pedestrian-friendly streets. What about brisk walking or jogging for at least 30 minutes a day? Brisk walking around your neighborhood can help you better manage stress and boost blood flow, which can improve your heart health and lungs.

• Consult a professional

  Have you consulted with a hormone doctor about your low cortisol levels? Low cortisol levels can be managed by professionals who will help you balance your cortisol levels. 

  We offer you bioidentical hormone therapy at NuLife Institute in order to balance your cortisol levels and get your life back on track. Our bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is tailored to meet your individual needs because we know that it is the best course of action for your overall health and well-being. 

Learn More Here: Bioidentical Hormones: 5 Ways to Beat Hot Flashes and Chronic Stress in Miami

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help balance your hormones to feel more like yourself again!

The Best BHRT available in Miami

NuLife Institute is all about giving our patients the best health, function, and longevity possible.

We offer Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy for patients who want to improve their quality of life due to age-related hormone decline.

NuLife Institute is a premier medical facility for functional, integrative medicine, and age management located in Miami, FL.

It is the only facility of its kind to provide personalized, non-surgical age-reversing treatment plans that are tailored fit to your body.

Our goal is to help you live a happier, healthier life as you age. Our bioidentical hormone therapy is available for men and women, so you can improve the quality of your life. Do you want to regain control of your life?

Contact NuLife Institute today at 305-400-0005 for a complimentary consultation so you can speak with an expert. Ask any concerns you may have to address your symptoms and get the safest and most effective treatment for you.