When continually faced with stress, the adrenal glands produce a hormone known as cortisol. This hormone helps regulate the immune system and blood pressure, but when you are under constant stress, this hormone spells trouble for your over all health. By relaxing, we can reduce the body’s flight or fight response and battle against this damaging condition. High levels of cortisone cause a depressed immune system, abnormal blood sugars, weight gain and sleep problems. Here are some recommendations from Prevention Magazine to help lower your cortisol level and lead a less stressful life.
Medication is one way to lower cortisol and according to a study at Maharishi University, it can actually lower it by 20 percent. In a control study, which did not meditate, their cortisol levels actually went up a little. Over time, meditation helps reduce blood pressure and has other stress-relieving benefits. Another way to lower cortisol is to make a relaxing IPod mix, as it has a calming effect on the brain. Use it for background music when in-laws visit or to get a restful nights sleep, which can help lower cortisol by 66 percent.
Getting eight hours of sleep a night helps the body to recover from the previous days stresses and can reduce levels by 50 percent, but if this is unrealistic, then shoot for a nap the next day or try sipping on some black tea, which is associated with calm and comfort. This lowers levels by 47 percent, because tea has chemicals such as flavonoids and polyphenols that are responsible for the tea’s comforting effects. When all else fails, try hanging out with a funny friend or scheduling a massage, as this fall into the 30 percent range for reducing cortisol in the body. Chewing gum represents a 12 to 16 reduction because gum increases neural activity in select brain regions and increase blood flow.
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