Cortisol (Im)balance

Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is produced in the adrenal cortex from cholesterol. Cortisol ensures, among other things, that you are alert and concentrated, influences your metabolic system and your immune system, and is important for your sleep and wake rhythm.

Right before you wake up, cortisol levels increase. It gives you the most energy in the morning after waking up and you are ready to start the day. During the day, cortisol levels slowly decrease, you relax in the evening and can fall asleep again.

As soon as you experience stress and tension, extra cortisol is produced, hence the name stress hormone.

If the level is continuously high, for example due to chronic stress (during a longer period of time), you can experience this as if you are in a state of overdrive, continuously alert, continuously ready to react, fight or flee.

When your cortisol levels rise, you are alert and focused. Your feeling of hunger increases, especially the craving for sugars (sugar cravings), and causes fat storage, especially at the abdominal area (belly fat).

A high cortisol level causes your brain to be less sensitive to the happiness hormones such as dopamine and serotonin, your immune system gets affected and your sleep rhythm gets disrupted, which can make you (extremely) tired and you cannot recover properly. If this goes on for too long, your adrenal glands will be ‘overused’, which result into adrenal fatigue, and a complete burnout might follow. 

Signs that your cortisol is not in balance

❌ Fatigue / Sleep problems; difficulty falling asleep, often waking up at night between 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM and being very tired during the day.

❌ Difficulty with weight loss; Too much cortisol causes hunger feelings, especially sugar cravings and more fat storage, mainly abdominal fat.

❌ Hormonal imbalance; Such as discomfort during menstruation, PMS and a low libido.

❌ Low resistance; high cortisol weakens your immune system, so you can experience more headaches, colds, flu, or feeling unwell.

❌ Mood swings / negative thoughts; nervous, agitated feelings, easily irritated, sadness, anxious and/or depressive feelings and thoughts.

❌ Increased blood pressure; high cortisol can increase your blood pressure.

❌ Skin and/or hair problems; troubled skin, pimples / acne, hair loss, thinning hair.

❌ Physical complaints; digestive problems, gut problems, back problems, many 'aches' and discomforts in the body, forgetfulness.
  

Lower cortisol

If you recognize several symptoms, there may be too high a cortisol level in your body and the following points are important to pay (more) attention to:

✅ Rest and relaxation is very important to allow your cortisol to work in a healthy way and to break down extra cortisol produced and to give your body and brain time to recover and regain balance.

✅ Exercise sufficiently, for example go for a nice walk or practice a (gentle) sport, such as yoga, jogging, cycling or swimming. This stimulates the production of dopamine and endorphins and at the same time it reduces your cortisol levels.

✅ Limited coffee, alcohol and screens. Caffeine and alcohol stimulate the production of cortisol, as does the blue screen light from your phone, iPad, computer, television. Dosing the use of these devices is therefore extra important in times of stress.

✅ Eat a healthy diet and add supplements to regain and maintain your body's balance, and to cope with future stressful periods in a healthy way.

Many systems in the body are controlled from our gut, especially the production and release of dozens of different hormones, as well as maintaining a healthy hormone balance.

If you want your body to function properly and you want to feel good about yourself, both physically and mentally, then a healthy gut flora is very important. This is exactly what Happy Juice focuses on and can support.