Cortisol triggers insulin. What is cortisol? You might know by the name stress hormone. It secreted by the adrenal glands and at lower level there is nothing wrong with it (normally at morning it is the highest and at night the lowest).

Cortisol hormone releases sugar (glucose). In fact it turns protein in sugar.
It is a very destructive hormon, also it makes belly fat. Abdominal fat is correlated with developing cardiovascular disease, for example stroke and heart attack.

The things above mean that even if you don’t eat sweet things and you’re nervous, sugar will be made by your body which turns on insulin.
The real damage is made by insulin but the cortisol will activate it.

Cortisol is just to opposite of Growth hormone and the main reason, men over 40 should read carefully this article because as we age, the oposing growth hormone drops down and cortisol raises because there is nothing to “push it down”. I will talk a little bit more of growth hormone below.

When the cortisol level is high, the body produces less testosterone and because of this it can lead to decreased muscle mass.

Men over 40 : angry man

How can you “battle” against your high cortisol levels?

Obvisouly you will want to lower your stress. How ?
Here are a few tips for lowering your stress hormone:

  • Exercise more!
    Workouts lower your insulin and also make you calmer, lowering your cortisol levels.
    Exercise will also help you get rid of the excess of sugar.

  • Improve your sleeping.
    As I mentioned above, growth hormone is the opposite of cortisol. And growth hormone activates during sleep!

    So if you can improve your sleep or you can sleep more you will lower your cortisol level.
    But try to sleep naturally, don’t use drugs!

  • Look at the problems differently!
    There are two kind of problems:

    • The problems you can change
      If you can change the situation there is no need to worry about, you should act as soon as possible to make it go away
    • The problems you can’t change
      If you can’t change the problem, will worrying help? Certainly not.

    Try to “catch” yourself when you start worrying. In another article I will write more about technics against training your brain against stress.

  • Have potassium!
    Potassium helps recovering your nervous system. Eating a lot of salads will help you get the potassium.

  • Don’t eat all day!
    I know, almost every fitness magazine keep saying to eat 5-6 times a day, but think about it: each time you eat, your insulin levels spike. I am not speaking about the total calories now, I am speaking about if you keep your insulin level contantly high can easily lead to insulin resistance.
    Many people also keeps eating at night during watching films, before the computer etc.

    I advice you to eat only 2-3 times a day, you can eat the same amount of calories, but don’t snack between the meals.

    This will help increasing you IGF hormone which regulates blood sugar when you don’t eat.
    (insulin is the opposite: regulates blood sugar when you eat)

  • Get enough sunlight!
    Sun makes most people calmer (myself included, I am a sun lover) and it also increases your D vitamine level.

  • Have long walks!
    Long walks make your stress hormone levels drop and also helps you with fat buring a lot.

  • Avoid negative people!
    Try to meet, speak positve people insted of negative people who will make you sad, angry, frustrated.

You can even combine the methods above. For example you can have a long walk on the beach, exposing yourself to sunlight, or you can sleep in the sunlight, but never combine sleeping and walking! Just joking 🙂

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How much stress do you have a day? I would like to read your comments below 🙂

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