Cortisol and Health?

I’ve been exchanging emails with an editor at one of the top-circulation women’s magazines for an article about cortisol/weight/fatigue - here is some of our correspondence that you might find interesting/useful...

Enjoy!

Shawn

On Aug 30, 2010, at 8:45 AM, JJ wrote:

That’s great news! I’ve posted questions below. Take a look and let me know when the best time is doe you to discuss today or tomorrow.

Thank you!

J

First, can you briefly explain how/why chronic stress leads to cortisol overload?

Whenever we are under stress of any kind (lions, tigers, bills, traffic, deadlines, etc), our body produces cortisol. When we have “chronic” stress - the type of stress that never goes away (like bills, deadlines, etc) - we are in a constant state of cortisol production - so we quickly become “over exposed” to cortisol. We can also over produce cortisol when our bodies are “stressed” by different factors such as too little sleep (anything less than 8 hours nightly) and even the “stress” of dieting for weight loss (women with higher levels of what we call “dietary restraint” - or worry that certain foods will lead to weight gain - also have higher cortisol levels).

What are some of the detrimental effects of this cortisol overload? Are there any specific symptoms women should look for to figure out whether they’re suffering from cortisol overload?

Cortisol overexposure leads to fatigue, depression, tension, irritability, and increased appetite (specifically cravings for sweets). In research studies, we measure an index called Vigor - which indicates your level of mental/physical energy levels - cortisol overexposure reduces Vigor (www.VigorBook.com) and controlling cortisol and other stress hormones can restore Vigor back to youthful levels.

Eventually, over-production of cortisol can exhaust the adrenal glands. Can you give an estimate of how many women suffer from adrenal fatigue? And what the symptoms of this condition are?

The adrenal glands never truly become “exhausted” but they can certainly become “shut down” - but we can wake them back up again and get them functioning normally. There are millions of women in this situation (whether we call it “exhaustion” or whatever) - statistics from the American Psychological Association suggest that as many as 65% of women have enough chronic stress to result in a stress-related disease. Symptoms of adrenal exhaustion include feelings of low Vigor (otherwise known as “burnout”) - which will include feeling tired, depressed, and “cloudy” with thinking. One of the classic signals for cortisol overexposure is that you will feeling sluggish/fatigued/cloudy during the DAY - and then when bedtime comes, you will feel restless and anxious - so this means you will be dragging yourself through the day with exhaustion and you can’t wait to collapse into bed - but as soon as your head hits the pillow, your mind starts churning over all the stresses of the day (and those coming tomorrow) - and you can’t relax enough to get a sound night of sleep. This sets up an obvious “viscous cycle” where you’re sleepy and stressed the next morning and the cycle continues to get worse.

Finally, how can we use diet/food to help regulate cortisol levels? Are there specific nutrients in  particular that can curb cortisol production?

Eating “right” is one of the most effective ways to keep cortisol levels under control - and the easiest way is to use a method that we call the “Helping Hand” approach. This method can be used anywhere - at home or eating out - to help you choose the right combination of foods to help keep cortisol from getting out of control (and in doing so, keep your energy levels high, mental function sharp, and appetite under control). Here is what the Helping Hand looks like:

The “Hand” represents Fruits and Veggies - eat as many as you want.

The “Fist” represents your “Concentrated Carbs” - things like pasta, bread, cereal, oatmeal - choose “whole grain” sources whenever you can.

The “Palm” represents your Protein - foods like chicken/turkey breast, hamburger/steak, fish filet - choose “lean” sources when you can.

The “OK sign” indicates added Fat - so use some full fat salad dressing or butter or olive oil to top off your food choices.

Your entire “Helping Hand” meal will be 400-600 calories (depending on the size of your hand) - and it will be balanced in such a way that your body will respond with more balanced levels of cortisol (and blood sugar) - so you’ll feel terrific (and probably lose weight) when eating this way (and without “counting” calories or grams of anything).

What are some of the health perks women will see once they are able to regulate cortisol production?

Mentioned above already - heightened Vigor (mental/physical energy levels), better mood, sharper focus, and less tension. Over time, most women will also realize that their “cravings” are much reduced - so although that chocolate chip cookie will ALWAYS look good - you won’t be “dying” for it when you get your cortisol back under control.