We have spoken about cortisol in a number of posts – but here is a quick refresher…
What is Cortisol?
Cortisol is one of the hormones released when we become stressed. Adrenaline and Cortisol help us to respond to situations with strength, pace, mental agility and clarity of thought. In small doses, both are very beneficial! The modern lifestyle and our ability to cope has greatly enhanced levels of stress over the years though, so now, we are releasing large quantities of hormones, and cortisol is mucking up the fine equilibrium between all of the others. Why? Because in order to create cortisol, we need pragnenalone, however, pragnenolone is already responsible for our sex hormones – estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, etc. When we rob from it too often, we create a serious imbalance. When leptin starts to get affected, then our metabolism suffers – weight gain occurs, particularly around the abdomen.
To make things even more complex, when we severely restrict calories during dieting, or take part in high intensity exercise – adrenal stress occurs. That’s right – the body treats physical stress in the same manner as emotional trauma, and we produce cortisol to deal with this too! We easily fall into a nasty cycle here – excess cortisol leads to fatty liver cells, and when this occurs – we have insulin resistance and estrogen dominance to contend with as well.
How To Reduce Cortisol?
Everything is starting to look very bleak now, isn’t it! Well, we do have one suggestion. To reduce the dangerous impact of cortisol on the liver and our overall health, one of the best ways to curb the excess levels is to detox. The emotional impact of slowing down, relaxing, taking rest and partaking in proven detox reduction methods, such as meditation and yoga helps to completely alter your mind and spirit. At Santosa we offer all this giving you the chance to carry your detox in Phuket with the help of our professionals.
The physical aspect is also of greatimportance! Clearing the liver helps to reduce the fatty liver cells which cortisol are proven to promote, and when the liver is purified, we are able to work on fat loss and our hormonal equilibrium again. Without a clean liver, these things are absolutely impossible.
The benefits that you can expect when your cortisol is reduced? Weight loss, lower blood pressure, an end to carbohydrate and sugar cravings, decreased mood swings, higher energy levels and of course, decreased feelings of stress!