In today’s fast paced world where hustle is the culture – stress has become an unavoidable side effect especially for women who are juggling multiple roles. Our body has a strong mechanism against coping stress and preventing damage to our body. One such major defense line is the HPA axis i.e. the hypothalamus- pituitary adrenal axis. The hypothalamus is a structure in the brain which is also known as the Master gland, it is responsible for stimulating the secretion of hormones by different glands. When the body encounters stress the hypothalamus is triggered which in turn stimulates the pituitary to send a message to the adrenal glands, present above the kidneys to release stress harmones called Cortisol.
The role of cortisol in our body is to help the body against stress. It regulates the breakdown of protein, fats and carbohydrates to produce glucose to provide energy during the flight or fight mode of the body.
It also suppresses the immune system preventing autoimmune conditions, regulates your heart, sleep cycles, hormonal levels, and manages your mood as well. However elongated exposure to stress can affect the wellbeing of our body. Increased levels of cortisol can cause hormonal imbalance, affect heart health, cause sleep disturbances, mood disturbances, PCOD,PCOS, irregular menstruation in women.
And our body has a mechanism against it as well. Once cortisol has done its job, it must be broken down and cleared from the body—and that’s where the liver steps in. The liver regulates this increased cortisol levels in the body.
Our liver breaks down cortisol into more water soluble forms, which is then removed as urine or converted into bile. The liver also helps to manage the levels of glucose cortisol creates in our body.
Without this liver function, cortisol would remain active in the bloodstream for longer than needed, continuing to exert harmful effects. The liver also regulates the level of blood sugar in the body, along with producing antioxidants, reducing inflammation and hormonal regulation. A healthy body needs a
healthy liver. Maintaining liver health is pivotal in maintaining levels of cortisol and health in general. A sluggish liver can’t efficiently break down cortisol and estrogen, leading to estrogen dominance, mood swings, and fatigue. If the liver is overburdened with toxins, alcohol, medications, or poor diet, hormone detox is impaired, allowing cortisol to accumulate and worsen its damaging effects. Hence maintaining liver health is crucial.
However, there are other effective ways to regulate the negative effects of cortisol and its healthy flow. Some of the ways this can be done include.
· Eating a balanced and nutritious diet: Ensure your diet consists of vegetables, leafy vegetables, and nuts
· Hydrate yourself: ensure you take in good amounts of water
· Maintain a good sleep cycle: Cortisol follows sleep patterns. A dysregulated sleep pattern could spike cortisol
· Maintain blood sugar levels: Sugar spikes can increase cortisol
· Practice movement: yoga, tai chi or aerobics can help reduce levels of cortisol and can also help correct the effects of cortisol as well
· Stress management: prevention is also better than cure, healthy stress management can prevent the onset of spike in cortisol. It can include, mindful breathing, guided imagery, breathing exercises, journalling, self-care days and much more.
Stress and its after effects on our body is inevitable in the world we live in, but spending a few minutes on yourself everyday goes a long way in coping with stress. Our body does great things for us, so it’s important we listen, acknowledge and give love and care to your body. Your body deserves it