| Do you know what cortisol is and what it does to | | | | 2) It weakens your immune system so you'll be more |
| your body when you feel stressed? | | | | prone to infections than others. That's why people |
| Do you know that something is going on in your | | | | who are suffering from prolonged depression tend to |
| body when you get upset and lash out at someone | | | | also have other health issues such as acne flare-ups, |
| in the office, when you fret about not meeting the | | | | and persistent coughs and colds. |
| monthly sales target, when you are about to start | | | | 3) It slows down your thinking and response. |
| on a new job in a new company, when you have a | | | | Interestingly, according to some research, our stress |
| heated argument with your spouse about the | | | | hormone level increases with age. Also, a young |
| children, when you grieve over the loss of a loved | | | | person's cortisol levels rapidly go up under stress but |
| one, or when you are losing sleep over an unpleasant | | | | decline to normal within a few hours, whereas, in |
| incident that happened earlier in the day? | | | | older people, the levels rapidly rise during stress and |
| When you feel stressed, fearful, anxious, angry, | | | | do not return to normal for days. When circulating at |
| discouraged, depressed, distressed, frustrated, you | | | | a high level, these stress hormones can damage brain |
| are stirring up cortisol, a stress hormone in your body | | | | cells. Thus, it's also known as the "death hormone" |
| associated with the "fight" or "flight" response to | | | | and associated with brain shrinkage in old age senility. |
| negative emotions. This stress hormone is essential in | | | | Personally I find it both very interesting and |
| maintaining a sense of equilibrium when encountering | | | | enlightening to read and learn about cortisol and what |
| extreme stress, such as fright, trauma or severe | | | | it does to our body. Let's avoid these deadly |
| physical exertion. However, when it's maintained at | | | | hormones. Learn to deal with the demands and |
| excess quantities, it has various negative impacts on | | | | stresses in life and cultivate an anti-aging lifestyle |
| the body including the following: | | | | through regular workouts or physical activities, |
| 1) It becomes a hormonal signal to the fat cells in the | | | | time-outs for relaxation and personal reflection, |
| abdomen to store as much fat as possible, leading to | | | | healthy balanced diets, and maintaining a positive |
| weight gain over the long run. This explains why | | | | attitude to life on a daily basis. |
| cortisol has become a diet buzzword today. You | | | | Finally, let me offer you a very simple stress reliever |
| might notice that some people tend to gorge on | | | | with honey: Take five and mix yourself a sweet |
| food compulsively when they are under stress as | | | | natural tonic - a tablespoon of honey with four |
| their appetite increases. Also, some people find it so | | | | tablespoons warm water. Sip and drink slowly... Take |
| hard to see a breakthrough in their dieting results no | | | | a deep breath. Feel the calmness setting in...? |
| matter how hard they try. | | | | |