How Do You Decrease Cortisol Levels?
Cortisol is a necessary hormone in the body, even though it has a lot of negative press. Cortisol is activated during stress, and aids the body by deciding what type of energy it should have to meet its physiological needs during that stress (carbs, protein or fat.) While cortisol regulates and mobilizes energy, if we have too much of it, it produces a number of negative side effects, from raising blood sugar to weight gain to lowering immunity. Since cortisol is produced during times of stress, there are nutritional and lifestyle changes we can make to reduce stress and in turn decrease our levels of cortisol. Check your protein intake and make sure you are getting enough high quality protein. According to nutritionist and author Donna Gates, studies show that low protein consumption can lead to chronically elevated cortisol levels. Choose your protein wisely, however, to keep fat intake down. Lean cuts of meat such as chicken and fish, along with beans and nuts, are excellent protein
