Hypocortisolism

Hypocortisolism...

That's a mouthful! It's also a very big pain in the rear. 

Low cortisol usually follows a long period of elevated cortisol. I know, I know seems pretty basic, I like to keep it simple. Your adrenals cannot keep up with a high stress lifestyle, we’re just not built that way.

When you think about let's say our grandparents ( well mine) yes they had a boat load of kids to run around after. They didn't work out of the home.  I can’t imagine them trying with all the laundry, dishes and everything else that comes with kids. I only have 2 and find it hard to work part time. But I do enjoy working outside of the home too , so I kind of have the best of both worlds. 

Anyways, when our grandparents were raising kids, all of the "luxuries" we have now they didn't have. Like being able to order your groceries and just pick them up . You're out of something, order it on amazon - shipped to your door. Yet they weren't burdened by having to go out to do these things. 

The screens and rate race a lot of us live in, is causing some serious harm to our bodies. Fatigue/ burnout, Stressed, low blood pressure, salt craving, muscle weakness.. A few of the symptoms of low cortisol that shouldn't be ignored, don't keep pushing through the tired to keep going. 

SO cortisol is your main stress hormone, and it is pumped into your system by your adrenals after your HPA axis tells it too. This kicks you into what everyone knows as the "fight or flight" response. What people aren't talking about is the fact that stress causes this response and when the adrenals get overstimulated they will start sympathetically responding. Well that seems like a bit of a flaw in our bodies.. 

No truthfully this is your warning to slow down and rest. When you start to notice things like your pulse picks up at the smallest thing, you're not waking up rested, you're waking up in the middle of the night, you feel tired but wired. These are all signs to slow down before your body forces you to slow down. 

Once you have hit the point of low cortisol it takes some work to get things back to "normal" . 

Practice self care & reduce stress

Light movement .. Ditch the HITT workouts for now, and take a walk. 

20 Minutes of unprotected sunlight exposure, get your vitamin D as part of the creation of hormones. If you don't have any you can't make new ones. 

Limit your screen time. Shut them off 1 hour before bed. 

Get a good sleep routine. Go to bed at the same time and wake at the same time, making sure that you're getting that 7-9 hours every night. 

Don't skip meals, and try to keep them balanced. Protein, fat, carb. 

Last but not least, keep the coffee to 200mg if it's a must and make sure you're done drinking coffee by 10 am. 

xo - kate