We are obsessing about losing weight and looking great, while paying far too little attention to our emotions. Have you ever heard of cortisol?
When we encounter threat, which in the old days could have been a lion chasing us on the way to our cave, today it’s just another day at work… our hypothalamus (tiny region at our brain’s base) sets off an alarm system in our body. This system, through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, prompts the adrenal gland (on top of the kidneys) to release hormones: adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline will increase our heart rate, boost our energy supplies, and elevate blood pressure, while cortisol (stress hormone) will increase glucose in the bloodstream, necessary for the brain to cope with the situation. Cortisol is also responsible for altering immune system responses and suppressing the digestive system, the reproductive system and the growth process. So, in other words a normal day at work or at school potentially causes all our natural alarm systems (fight-or-flight) to be in full swing and action. The long-term activation of this stress response system and overexposure to cortisol can disrupt almost all body’s processes.
If not controlled, it will cause a list of health problems which include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Weight gain
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Problems with memory and concentration
- Digestive track problems
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Insulin resistance