How I reduced cortisol to feel better than ever!

Increased cortisol is REAL and something that I experienced first hand. Whilst is important to remember that cortisol plays a crucial role in maintaining good health, too much of it can have a negative effect on your body.

I was waking up feeling tired, wasn't hungry in the mornings, needing coffee for energy, puffy in my face, gaining weight with NO reason, craving sugar, feeling wired and my PMS symptoms worse than ever. 
I had an inkling that I was suffering high cortisol, and it was later confirmed by health specialists -  high cortisol was causing all of these symptoms.

As busy mums - working, mothering, household chores - the mental load is real and we are constantly in a state of  prolonged physical or emotional stress. When you're stressed, your body releases hormones, triggering your "fight or flight" response. Typically, your body returns to normal once the perceived danger has passed. But when you have continual stress, your body stays in a heightened state of alertness even when you're not in danger. This is when you start to feel all the symptoms listed above. 

Here are 5 ways that I reduced my elevated cortisol levels which resulted in reducing symptoms to feel the best I ever had in a matter of weeks:

#1 No coffee on an empty stomach

This seemed IMPOSSIBLE - I used to go to bed excited for my morning coffee so I was never someone who I thought could do this. This was by far the hardest part as the thought of bypassing coffee first thing in the morning in favour of food was not appealing. BUT this I believe was the biggest game changer for me. Even something small - half a protein shake, 1 boiled egg, few bites of chia pudding until I finally had a full breakfast as my body was enjoying it so much. I then followed with a coffee one I knew my stomach was lined. I believe this really helped my metabolism and stress levels and was what created the biggest change in me mentally and physically. I removed that 'wired' feeling and was no longer running off adrenaline, but off real food! 

#2 Eat breakfast within an hour of waking up:

I was NOT a breakfast person, eating first thing in the morning was not appealing. My routine was often having one or 2 coffees to keep me energised until I ate late morning. Little did I know this was the worst habit ever. Only relying on coffee with no food was spiking cortisol and causing me to store fat not to mention feeling highly strung. It is recommended to have a protein rich breakfast and this is what I did. I started to have protein for breakfast within an hour of waking up and after a week I dropped the kilos, my energy was the best it ever had been and this was a habit that I now actually look forward to! I am now HUNGRY in the morning when I wake up and I never turn to a second coffee to fill me or for energy and instead of a second coffee, I drink LUKA Mood Boost mid morning and its my favourite ritual.

#3 No High Intensity exercise

I am a gym bunny I have to say - I am high energy and love the endorphin hit I receive from intense exercise. I am that person that loves the vibe of the gym- loud music, instructor yelling, everyone pumping iron. So for me to have to reduce high intensity exercise was a huge shift in my mindframe. I did always think slow exercise was not beneficial for my body and it almost seemed pointless but boy was I wrong. I only walked as my cardio exercise alongside Pilates a few times a week. I was BLOWN AWAY but how well this served my body. I no longer felt amped up and wired after my workouts but instead I felt so much calmer and grounded. I also noticed all my inflammation reduced and looked leaner.

#4 EFT Tapping

EFT tapping is amazing for your nervous system, I am its biggest fan. Mostly because I find meditation quite hard for 20 minutes. Brad Yates I have mentioned before and I will mention again, his EFT tapping is short and so effective. If you are not a meditator or want to be but aren't quite there yet, this is the best way to reduce cortisol and moderate your nervous system. The theory behind EFT is that by stimulating certain acupressure points while focusing on a negative feeling, you can disrupt the body's energy flow, leading to a release of emotional tension. Let me tell you, this actually works and its something I do daily to reduce my stress and ground me.

#5 Sleep 

Yes, we are obsessed with sleep but for good reason. Lack of good quality sleep creates all sorts of issues with your stress level. If you find you are waking up around 3am then this could be high cortisol! A good night sleep is imperative in balancing your stress hormones. Its about getting in a good routine before bed that will help you have the best night sleep. We always wind down at the end of the day with a book and a cup of LUKA SLEEP so you can ensure not only to fall asleep easier, but to have a more restorative night sleep so you wake up refreshed. 

If you are experiencing symptoms of high cortisol, I would definitely recommend implementing these strategies and consulting with a healthcare professional to help you manage your symptoms.

Lucy xxx