Cortisol is produced by our bodies in response to a stressful situation. It enables us to deal with a potentially dangerous or life threatening moment with a fast reaction to counter that problem.
This immediate reaction is sometimes referred to as “fright or flight”. Reactions like running fast, lifting something very heavy, aggressively defending oneself or screaming at the top of your voice.
When cortisol is elevated for too long or too often we can then experience what is commonly referred to as Adrenal Fatigue.
Adrenal Fatigue can then make us feel very tired, lethargic, irritable, impatient, anxious and generally lacking in motivation.
The other downside of elevated cortisol is that it is inversely related to testosterone, that is, as cortisol rises testosterone falls.
There are many ways to lower cortisol which I have touched on before in a previous Blog post.
Recently, I have been focusing on another way to lower cortisol, by raising Serotonin.
Serotonin is critical for deep sleep and deep sleep is a great way to lower cortisol levels which in turn will allow testosterone to rise.
Serotonin is produced when we eat carbohydrates. Which explains why you feel tired after eating a serving of rice, potato, bread or pasta.
Now I have always been a believer in no carbs at night when trying to lose body fat, so for me the thought of eating carbs close to bedtime was a bit of a stretch!
To my surprise, by switching my day around through eating protein, fats and fibrous carbs early in the day and protein with starchy carbs late in the day hasn’t adversely affected my ability to lose body fat but has resulted in better sleep. And with that a greater sense of well-being the next day.
My preferred choice of carbohydrates is sweet potato or rice (either brown or white).
So, if you are experiencing the symptoms of high cortisol or adrenal fatigue, then try eating carbs later in the day, you’ll be surprised how effective it is!
👍💪👊😉😀
Bodychisel by Craig. 