Should you worry about cortisol?
Fire Team Whiskey helps mainly First Responders, Law Enforcement, and Military Members. These professions carry a heavy stress load. Being on call, shift work, and being ready at any time for a life-threatening emergency, all of these things about this profession contribute to higher than normal levels of cortisol.
So, what is Cortisol? Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It’s known as a “stress hormone” because it’s released when your body senses stress. Like other hormones, it’s vital to survival. However, chronically elevated levels of cortisol can lead to overeating and weight gain (59 Trusted Source).
if your job requires consistent exposure to stress and trauma, hormonal levels are not always restored. The fight-or-flight response can be ramped up 24/7 for some first responders. The body will constantly release cortisol. When this happens, you are at risk for blood sugar imbalances, weight gain, obesity, weakened immune system, gastrointestinal problems, and fertility issues.
It appears that people who carry excess weight around the middle respond to stress with a greater increase in cortisol (60Trusted Source, 61Trusted Source). Restrictive calorie diets can also raise cortisol. In one study, women who consumed a low-calorie diet had higher cortisol levels and reported feeling more stressed than women who ate a normal diet (62Trusted Source).
These strategies can reduce cortisol levels:
Balanced diet: Follow a balanced, real food-based diet. Don’t cut calories to extremely low levels.
Meditate: Practicing meditation can significantly reduce cortisol production (63Trusted Source).
Listen to music:. Researchers report that when soothing music is played during medical procedures, cortisol doesn’t rise as much (64Trusted Source, 65Trusted Source).
Sleep more: One study found that when pilots lost 15 hours of sleep over the course of a week, their cortisol levels increased by 50-80% (66Trusted Source).
High cortisol levels can increase food intake, trigger fat storage rather than calorie burn and promote weight gain. Adhering to a healthy diet with adequate calories, managing stress and sleeping more can help normalize cortisol production. Easier said than done! Need help with this? Our coaches are standing by! Sign up for our Eating Psychology Program and work with CPt Lincoln one on one to get this important hormone under control so you can get back on track for a healthy metabolism.