The Cortisol Wave

Cortisol is one of our bodies hormones that regulates metabolism, blood sugar, blood pressure, hunger cravings, digestion, sleep and wake patterns, physical activity, immune response and response to stress

Normal cortisol levels are highest in the mornings and slowly lessen towards the end of the day

(The green line signifies a normal cortisol wave, with the black dots indicative of when cortisol is checked in a salivary cortisol test)

When cortisol is not balanced, it can have 3 unique trends:

Chronic Fatigue

Symptoms include mid-day energy drop, drowsiness and poor exercise recovery

Burnout

Symptoms include day-long fatigue, irritability, food cravings, insomnia and exhaustion

Chronic Stress

Symptoms include feeling “tired but wired,” food cravings, insomnia and anxiety

Where does this mighty hormone come from?

Let’s start with the hypothamalmus.

The hypothalamus is a gland located at base of the brain, near the pituitary gland. It plays a crucial role in functions such as releasing hormones and regulating body temperature.

Next is the pituitary gland.

Small, yet mighty (about the size of a pea) it is found at the base of the brain and otherwise known as the “master gland.” It produces many hormones, directs certain processes and stimulates other glands to produce hormones.

And lastly the adrenal glands.

These are 2 small glands located on top of each kidney. They produce hormones that we cannot live without such as sex hormones and cortisol.


When this feedback loop (HPA Axis) is working optimally, it will readily produce these hormones that we need. It will release a lot of cortisol in the morning and low levels in evenings to allow for sleep. However, when various lifestyle factors come into play that disrupt this loop, then these hormones are not produced in their optimal volume nor capacity.


This is otherwise known as HPA Axis Dysfunction

Sometimes referred to as “adrenal fatigue,” HPA Axis Dysfunction looks like this:

1. When much more cortisol is released

2. Adrenals are no longer responding to the hormone ACTH (a hormone that stimulates the adrenals to produce cortisol)

3. Cortisol keeps getting released, but it’s broken down too quickly because the body is working so hard to keep up. This can lead to one of the following:

  • Cortisol remains high all the time

  • Cortisol is low in the morning and high at night

4. This communication breakdown causes primary functions like digestion, reproduction, growth, and rest to shut down


Stress to some capacity or degree is needed. However nowadays, we are responding to nearly everything with the same degree of stress as we would to greater events. The way we respond to a car coming toward us should not be the same way we respond to an email from an upset manager.


Here is where chronic stress can negatively impact our health:

  • It greatly affects the physiology of the brain

    • Stress reduces gray matter volume in key areas of the prefrontal cortex and limbic regions - the areas involved in emotional stability, impulse control and reward regulation

    • It alters the way neural stem cells develop in the hippocampus - the region associated with memory and learning

  • It stresses the immune system

    • This makes you more vulnerable to getting sick and having flare ups

  • It disrupts your gut microbiome

    • This can increase your vulnerability to mood disorders, IBS, obesity and type 2 diabetes

So, what do we do about managing and balancing cortisol? Here are some tips:

  1. Get sunlight exposure first thing in the morning, before looking at your phone or other screens. If you live somewhere that doesn’t get sunlight in the morning, I love lamps such as Gembared

  2. Start your day slow, with practices that do not stress nor overwhelm you. Meditation, journaling, a walk, reading, physical activity, breathwork or making a cup of tea or coffee

  3. Have a breakfast that is well balanced with healthy fats, protein and complex carbohydrates

  4. Write out your goals and to do’s for the day, before looking at emails or starting your work day

  5. Keep yourself hydrated, get up from your desk every 30 minutes and walk around the office/your home/outside (bonus points for going outside and getting more sunlight exposure!)

  6. Realize that multi tasking is not ideal. The human species is actually not fit to multi task, so prioritize your tasks accordingly and work in that order one by one

  7. Be sure to eat a well balanced lunch and ideally not in front of a screen (checking emails while eating only cranks up cortisol even more, when during this time your cortisol should slowly be tapering down)

  8. End your work day with another form of relaxation, to bookend your day. Go for a walk (watching the sunset is another bonus point), practice restorative yoga, make dinner mindfully and without distraction, call a friend and chat

  9. As the sun begins to set, if Netflix is your nighttime must, wear blue light blocking glasses or download an app like Fluxe onto your computer. Blue light exposure greatly affects your cortisol and melatonin production (they go hand in hand)

  10. Do your best to be away from all screens 30 minutes before bed. Use that time instead to get ready for bed (my skin and oral care routine alone takes 15 minutes), do a word search or read a book (your eyes scanning back and forth across a page actually helps you fall asleep easier)

If you’re interested in learning more about your own cortisol pattern, consider a salivary cortisol test. Schedule a free consultation call with me to learn more about this test and let’s get you balanced

9 Common Factors Affecting Immunity

Our bodies are incredibly intelligent.
They'll signal to us when something is wrong and as long as we acknowledge and tend to the imbalanced area(s), we can keep our bodies feeling strong, resilient healthy and operating at its optimal.

In order to feel that way, you have to take care of it.
What areas should we focus on to do so? Let's go back to the basics.

  1. Chronic Stress

    We’ve come to (hopefully) now understand that stress is the driver for 99% of chronic illness and it significantly suppresses the immune system. Learning what our stressful triggers are and finding ways to taper and manage our triggers will support your bodies immunity and longevity.

  2. Nutrient Deficiencies

    When our immune system is compromised either with a cold, flu or greater compromises such as dis-ease, looking at what nutrients are deficient is a great starting point to combating. The most common deficiencies amongst those with compromised immune systems are: vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, vitamin E, vitamin C, iron and vitamin B12. This is why having a variety of foods in your dietary intake is crucial, to make sure that you’re having a robust assortment of vitamins and minerals and keeping your body properly nourished.

  3. Alcohol and Substance Abuse

    Alcohol affects the way health gut microbes interact with the immune system. Alcohol can also disrupt the gut barrier, allowing more bacteria to pass into the blood. These bacteria can cause inflammation in the liver and may lead to liver damage. Research shows that acute binge drinking also affects the immune system.

  4. Poor Diet

    A diet consisting of foods that are processed, GMO, full of sugar or salt, additives, coloring will wreak your health and greatly suppress your immune system. Opt for foods from fresh whole real foods - fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, herbs.

  5. Poor Personal Hygiene

    Keeping your body clean helps prevent illness and infection from bacteria or viruses. Simply washing your hands regularly is an effective way to keep germs from spreading.

  6. Environmental Toxins

    Toxins such as those from pesticides, heavy metals, and endocrine disruptors have been shown to affect the reproductive, respiratory, and nervous system function. Limiting our exposure to these toxins should be a priority amongst all, especially those with an already compromised immune system.

  7. Lack of Sleep

    You can do everything else right - eating healthy balanced foods, staying physically active, meditating - but if you’re not getting adequate sleep each night, you’re doing more harm than good. Sleep is crucial and even just one night of poor sleep can have a significant affect on your body and your immune system. Having a routine and consistent sleep schedule is key.

  8. Physical Inactivity or Excessive Exercise

    Physical activity through exercise actually changes antibodies in our bodies and increases our white blood cell count. White blood cells are the body's immune system cells that fight disease. These antibodies or WBCs circulate more rapidly, so they could detect illnesses earlier than they might have before.

    And for some, they push their bodies too much by over exerting on exercise and not allowing their bodies to rest when it is needed. Listen to your body’s cues and take rest dayS!

  9. Impaired Microbiota

    Imbalances in the gut microbiota may dis-regulate immune responses and lead to the development of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune dis-eases.

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