When someone, somewhere, tells me that if I want to achieve my goals I should be eating more protein, more fats, and fewer potato chips, I get a bit overwhelmed. Not only am I sad about the potato chips and all the other decisions I’ve been making on my own for however long, but I start to think about all the things I am not good at. What is protein? Why is it good for me? What are things I can eat that contain a lot of protein, let's say…for breakfast? What about a snack? Moving on from protein, are there better fats than not? How much is a good amount? Why are some good for me, and who says that all of this is true? For so long I've dreaded the word fat, and now I’m supposed to embrace it? How?

What if it’s not nutrition-related at all. Have you ever been told that your current skincare regime is not going to work long term…now that you’re getting older? Once you’ve learned (apparently) what you’re supposed to do, it's overwhelming! Why? How? Where do you find all these things? Why are you even searching for them if you weren't looking for them in the first place? Why do all brands have different suggestions for your problem and different price points for the product that whoever told you you needed, suggested?

Fitness. The same happens here. Everyone in the world has a different suggestion of what you should be doing at any given time. How confusing? And once you realize what your standing crunches are, which muscle are you actually working out? What muscle are you to be focusing on while you’re doing the exercise? Surely you should be thinking about your glute muscles while doing a glute bridge - but is it okay that your abs and your core are being worked and you’re focusing on that a little too?

The point is - information is confusing, especially when you’re not sure why you’re taking in the information in the first place, or what you’re supposed to do with it afterward.

So, what is cortisol? Do we want to lower it? Increase it? How do I even know how much cortisol I have? Can I feel it, see it, taste it? Where does it come from? Why is it important? Should we be friends with it, ask it over for drinks this weekend? Or, are we practicing boundaries and trying to see the least amount of it as humanly possible?

Cortisol is your body’s main stress hormone that is produced in your adrenal glands (located above each of your kidneys - if you currently have two). Hand in hand, with your brain, it works to regulate your mood, your motivation, and your fear. Your hypothalamus and your pituitary gland (think back to high school biology here) are located in your brain, and they are, among their many jobs, always checking to see if your blood contains the correct amount of cortisol. If you’re low, your body will get the message, and BAM, more will be produced. Fancy stuff, isn’t it?

Cortisol lives inside your body and is produced by your adrenal glands. Finding out your levels will have to be done by a blood test because cortisol is found in your blood.

Which is cool, right? But what does it actually do?

Cortisol regulates your blood pressure, increases your blood sugar and it has its hands in your sleep cycle. Cortisol plays a major part in your fight or flight response, and it also (yes, also…this little hormone is busy) manages how your body uses carbohydrates, protein, and fats.

Phew - I'm tired of simply just thinking about how much cortisol is responsible for.

So why is it important, and how much do we need? Is there an amount that is too much?

Your body is made up of cells (also, something you learned in high school biology) and most of these cells contain cortisol receptors. Depending on what you’re going through in a day, or in your life, cortisol receptors will pick up on it and adjust accordingly. If you’re constantly in a state of stress (this is not good) and on high alert, your body naturally (thanks to cortisol) will start to shut down functions of your body that are least necessary (ie: your reproductive system, immune systems, and digestive system).

This is known as your Fight-or-Flight response. I’m guessing you’ve heard of it before? You’re preparing for battle (not literally, we hope) and, that’s why your body starts to work less on things that aren’t as important.

If you’re always in fight-or-flight mode (stressed), you may - because you have high levels of cortisol swimming around in your blood, and it's on high alert at most times - start to gain weight in certain areas of your body, experience muscle weakness, become irregular both in your daily poo’s and your monthly cycle (if you have one) and many other things. Your body is incredibly smart and it will focus its energy in areas that are needed when they're needed most, which may mean that your immune system goes to shi*t, you become irritable and anxious, and your skin starts screaming at you (it won't literally scream, don’t worry, but it will start to send you messages well before you’re aware of it). These things are not as essential to your survival, so they get put on the back burner when you’re in a constant state of stress/preparing for battle (again, battle can mean many things in real life).

Cortisol, as I said, is a busy and very important little hormone.

But, some is good? Right? That's what you’re thinking?

Yes! You need cortisol, and finding a healthy balance is sometimes easier for some than for others. Not having enough cortisol could be accompanied by many unwanted (and dangerous) symptoms. Unless there is something more important going on, and something you need to seek a professional for, you likely won’t dip into low levels of cortisol that need attention. Your body should do you wonders and produce this all on its own, and it’s not something you can just decide to make, even if you wanted to.

Someone with low enough levels of cortisol to cause concern could be at risk for the development of Addison's Disease, whose symptoms develop over time. Addison's Disease is characterized by changes in your skin, extreme fatigue all of the time, muscle weakness, the need to urinate frequently, loss of appetite and rapid weight loss, and increased thirst. Addison's Disease, which occurs when your adrenal glands are not producing enough cortisol is something to seek medical advice for as soon as possible. If you think you’re at risk for this, we suggest speaking to someone right away.

For our purposes, lets just make it known that unless there is something major going on, it's safe to assume that cortisol is being produced in your body. Dipping too low can be a reason for concern (please talk to your doctor) and just as true, spiking too high can be of concern as well.

It’s not like we’re supposed to have none, but not like we have to have a lot either. We just need to have - the right amount. Kind of like a nutritionist saying that fat is good, but not too much fat. Just the right amount of it is all. You know, kind of like carbs. They’re REALLY important, but make sure you’re getting the right kind, and if you really want to be a superstar, eat them at certain times of the day to make sure that they do what they’re intended to do.

Hormones are hard.

Nutrition is hard.

Exercise is hard.

Knowing all of this and also not knowing anything, is HARD.

I’ve done my best to come up with some tangible things that you CAN do (yes, you) to best assist your body in producing the desired amounts of cortisol. Some of these? You know what? You’re likely already doing! And, some of them won’t be that hard to implement if you so feel inclined.

**Please know, I am not a medical professional. I am not a professional at anything, and likely if you’ve been reading the blog for any duration of time now, you know this. I don’t want to be the person you go to for hormonal advice if you have actual concerns, please. There are professionals out there who are equipped to do just that. If you need someone to talk to, or someone to help you find those professionals, hit me up and we can chat till the cows come home, but as with everything else - my advice is always to speak to the professionals. I wrote a blog post once about mental health which you can READ HERE and sure, I dished out some advice, but in the end - as always - my advice was that if you are looking for actual advice and professionalism, reach out to a professional. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s actually, in my opinion, one of the strongest things you can do for yourself, both mentally and physically.

And now that I’ve got that off my chest - here are some ways that I’ve found can be helpful in lowering your cortisol levels (because let's be honest - most of us will fall into the category of HIGH cortisol if anything).

Sound good?

Great. Let’s go.

Stress is the most common cause of high cortisol.

Doesn’t that sentence alone seem overly stressful? It's 2022, and we’ve been in the middle of a global pandemic for what feels like ten years, and likely there are a lot of things going on in your life. It's undeniable and extremely stressful - and now we’re talking about how this very thing can actually be leading us into high cortisol?

Bear with me.

Stress triggers signals from both your hormones and your nerves, and these signals cause your adrenal glands to release hormones - including cortisol. Your heart rate increases and your body goes into a state of fight-or-flight which is its natural way to prepare itself for a potentially dangerous and harmful situation.

If I’m being honest, all I can think is ‘THANK YOU BODY FOR HELPING ME PREPARE FOR THIS CRAP’ because honestly without it happening naturally (my body kicking into fight-or-flight) I actually don’t know what I would do - I think I would be the one to flee the situation. Yup, that’s me - running away. Says the girl who never runs.

Anyways, back to the point - cortisol limits functions (as I mentioned before) that are not essential during this fight-or-flight response. And, ideally, once the threat passes, our hormones are supposed to go back to their usual levels. However, when you’re under constant stress (here’s the issue) the response doesn’t always turn off, and that's where we can run into some problems.

So while I’m not suggesting that you just flip a switch and claim to all of a sudden be free from stress, I am suggesting that we take a look at stress in and of itself.

What can we do to lower stress?

Luckily for you, if you’re here, you’re probably already doing a few key things to lower stress. Exact things that lower your stress are allowed to be different from the things that lower stress for other people, so make sure that you’re attending to your needs.

Here are a few things that are known to reduce stress:

Meditation
Exercise
Going for a walk
Spending time outside
Get a massage, or give yourself one
Take a long, hot bath
Go swimming
Go for a run
Cuddle your pets
Cuddle your children
Shut off all the lights and lay on the floor in silence
Orgasm
Cook your favourite meal
Eat a whack load of veggies
Journal
Dance
Clean the kitchen
Call your Grandma
Therapy
Go to bed earlier
Drink less coffee

At Dunnebells, it should be no surprise that we suggest you have a well-balanced diet. This does not mean that you’re to be so structured that you’re not enjoying what you’re eating, but it also doesn’t mean that you are eating whatever you want and forgetting to eat the things that are said to be good for you, either.

Balance. Although it's hard to achieve, it is possible.

When it comes to your cortisol levels, a healthy diet is of utmost importance.

Be sure to get enough fibre.

Be sure to get enough water (dehydration is your worst enemy, really).

Choose dark chocolate over milk or white chocolate.

Bananas and pears are your friends when it comes to cortisol, and so is tea (but if you hate tea, don’t start drinking it just because we’ve said that tea is helpful - seriously -there is nothing worse than forcing yourself to do something you clearly hate, trust me).

Stay as far away as you can from processed foods, please. The longer you can stay away from things that are overly processed, the worse those things will actually taste once you start having them again (if you do decide one day that a Big Mac, Froot Loops, Costco’s muffins, or any ready-made meal is something you want and will make your life easier). You’ll miss them in the beginning, but over time, you will start to wonder what it was exactly that you loved about them in the first place.

Oh, and? EAT MORE PLANTS! There are so many health benefits to plants, and if you’re a meat-eater - try substituting meat every so often for something plant-based. Instead of a beef burger, for example - try these VEGGIE BURGERS. Or, if you’re quick to grab a can of tuna or deli meats for your sandwiches, experiment with this CHICKPEA SALAD SANDWICH instead.

If you’re getting crap quality sleep, or not enough of it, your body is going to react. Plain and simple. So, instead of doing a million things for yourself, hoping that the solution is hidden in something you need to add to your plate, try doing less - and get some more sleep because the amount of sleep that you get can affect your cortisol levels.

A bad night’s sleep or more prolonged sleep deprivation can lead to increased levels of cortisol in the bloodstream. Therefore, it is essential for people to pay attention to the amount of and quality of sleep they have and try to limit the chance of disruptions.

Yes, you can sleep too much too. However, let’s assume you’re not - because again, it’s 2022 and we’re all quite busy and all a little stressed. I’m a huge fan of ‘no tech before bed’ and although I’m not perfect at it, I did practice this for a very long time. For years, I was what you may call a terrible sleeper. I had trouble falling asleep, and often I’d lay in bed until around 2:00 am thinking about how much better my time would be spent if I just got up and did something instead. Years and years of my life were spent just wishing I would fall asleep and begging for the next night to be easier when I woke up each morning exhausted. It wasn’t easy, but I spent a good eight months practicing sleeping. I got a new mattress because I felt like a firm mattress would be better for me (it was). A weighted blanket soon made its way into my home, onto the couch after work, and on top of me every night before bed. I dabbled in CBD and THC until I found a mixture of both that would allow my brain to actually shut off for long enough for my eyes to close and for my body to fall asleep without interruption. I went to bed the moment I felt tired, instead of waiting for an appropriate time (this one was the hardest for me because sometimes it was only 8:30 pm when I found myself yawning). I got new pillows. I ate something right before bed (I always am hungry when I wake up so I learned that if I ate half a banana or some oats before bed, I would actually sleep through the night).

I’m not saying that any of these will work for you, however, if you’re having troubles sleeping (or your quality of sleep is lacking) I highly suggest getting on it. Figure it out. Trial-and-error a bunch of different things. The immense amount of relief I have now that I can usually fall asleep at a normal time of day is remarkable. Getting my sleep on track is one of the BEST things I’ve ever done for myself, however, if you would have asked me if it was possible (before it was) I would have said no, absolutely not.

Playing into this, we have to remember that consuming caffeine in the afternoon and into the night can directly impact your sleep. Want better sleep? Keep an eye on when you’re consuming coffee, and what effects it's having on you. We talked about caffeine in one of our last blog posts also focused on hormones, which you can READ HERE if you’re interested.

The truth is, exercise produces stress on your body and if I don’t just bring that up right now, you might wonder why exercise is good for lowering cortisol.

It seems a bit backwards, doesn’t it? Something that adds stress is good for reducing the stress hormone. Hmmph.

Well, it may seem that way, but the more fit you get (through consistent exercise), the better your body becomes at adapting to stress. So although you are adding stress to your body by working out, it’s actually helping.

One way exercise would be bad for your cortisol levels would be to work out for two hours straight (or even one hour, honestly). That sort of thing is not good for anyone, and it is going to potentially do more harm than good. We could consider that too much stress. It’s also less than beneficial for your cortisol levels for you to work out intensely for thirty minutes, without any rest whatsoever.

So, back to the whole balance thing. Exercise is good, but learning how to do it in a way that works for you, instead of against you, is key. Take breaks, give yourself grace, pace yourself, drink a lot of water, sweat it out and build the sort of stamina that will benefit and support you for a long period of time.

**If you have questions about building healthy routines and introducing exercise into your daily life so that you can live a happy, healthy, and fulfilled life? Reach out to Lucy Dunne, founder of Dunnebells on Instagram (@dunnebells_) and she would be happy to help. Her 8-Week-Progam has been designed to help women build healthy lifestyles for years to come, no matter where they’re from, or what their story is. Start your FREE 7-Day Trial, now (or whenever you want, really - no pressure).

Certain medications can cause an increase in cortisol levels. For example, some oral contraceptives can be linked to increased cortisol, and some corticosteroid medications used to treat asthma, arthritis, certain cancers, and other conditions can also cause high cortisol levels when taken in high doses or for a long period of time.

Obviously, this isn’t something you can do to lower your cortisol, I know. I did want to mention it though, in case you have high cortisol levels - it may be something to look into.

Firstly, be nice to yourself, if this is something you suffer from.

I know from experience that developing a condition as a result of taking medications is a horrible thing. As a child and a pre-teen, I went through handfuls (yes, plural) of surgeries and procedures to help me with my ongoing ear troubles. By the age of nine months, I was ‘under the knife’ for the first time and that didn’t stop until about the age of sixteen - where my issue was not even solved, but I had exhausted myself of trying. In those sixteen years, I was on more medication than your average child, and into my late twenties, I started to develop some serious side effects of that. Paired with a few other things that had happened in my life (numerous concussions from high impact sports, and repetitive and extreme food poisoning over a short period of time) I ended up with something called SIBO. It was awful.

Something they didn’t tell me though when I was going through the diagnosis and treatment of SIBO, was that when I told my mother about what was going on and it coming full circle from the meds I was on as a kid - she would feel immense guilt about choosing that for me. I never wanted my Mom to feel this way, and I have had many chats with her about it since. It wasn’t her fault - she did everything she knew to do, at the time, to give me the best life possible. Who was to know that all that would add up and cause something else down the road? I hated that she felt this way, and I think about how sad it made her all the time.

If you ever fall into this category I want you to know that you too, are not to blame. These things happen. Sure, our medications come with brochures to say ‘did you know that this could happen’ but most of the time, we choose to take them anyway.

If you’re on medication that could cause high cortisol, and you’re feeling up for the conversation, please reach out to your doctor and see what options you have. Please don’t make any sudden changes on your own, without first speaking to a medical professional.

In conclusion, everyone has cortisol, and there are times in our day when some of us may experience higher levels than usual. Our body releases cortisol as a natural response to threat, harm, or danger and for that we should be very thankful.

However, because having high levels of cortisol for a long period of time (or low levels, for that matter) can lead to larger issues, we need to keep an eye on it and make sure that we’re living out a healthy lifestyle so that we don’t catch ourselves in situations we might not want to be in.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of high cortisol, first…breathe. It’s okay.

Next, your best bet is to start with a blood test to see just how high your cortisol levels are - with a doctor, obviously. You and your doctor can then work together to get your levels back to a safe and manageable place. The same goes for you if you’re experiencing symptoms of low cortisol, seek professional help, and know that you’re doing the right thing catching it as early as you can.

Want to stay in the loop and have great chats on topics such as cortisol, hormones, periods, weight lifting, cheeky bikinis, high protein meals, and all things mental health? Head on over to our FREE Facebook group BE THE FIRE FITNESS FAM to join hundreds of women who are committed to putting themselves first, on a daily basis.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out via Instagram @dunnebells_ or head to our website www.dunnebells.com and we will be happy to have the conversation.

As always, all photos used in this blog do not belong to me, however, they are legal for me to use thanks to an amazing platform called UNSPLASH. Head to Unsplash if you’re hoping to find images you can safely use in any of your projects.

cortisol - what is it, and how can we keep our levels in the safe zone?

Manage your stress levels

Eat a well balanced diet

Quality sleep, often

exercise regularily

Medications Side Effects

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