Cortisol Reduction from Floating
Floating significantly reduces Cortisol, but what is Cortisol and why is a reduction in Cortisol beneficial?
Cortisol is an adrenal hormone that's released when the body is under stress, either from work or modern life related stress, poor diet especially drinking coffee, over working out at the gym, any thing that disturbs the body's balance is going to cause your adrenal gland to release cortisol. Cortisol puts the body on high alert, cortisol is supposed to be released only for a short time.
Symptoms of excessive cortisol.
Adrenal Glands
- Headache, Neckache and Backache
- Not Sleeping well
- Feeling Tired
- Gaining Weight
- Catching Cold and Flu easily
- Craving unhealthy foods
- Not interested in Sex
- Gut / Stomach Aches
- Feeling Anxious
- Depression
When cortisol increases, your immune system cant work efficiently, Testosterone levels decrease, Sex drive stops and building muscle becomes difficult, blood sugars increase making you insulin resistant and you start storing Fat. Serotonin and Dopamine are reduced leaving you hungry for carbohydrates and your Gut becomes sensitive to foods. When you first start releasing cortisol your adrenaline will increase leaving you feeling ready to go but tired at the same time, If you keep releasing cortisol you will just feel tired and sluggish.
Floating reduces cortisol dramatically, you can also supplement 5g of vitamin C and B, DHEA Supplements will also help, try and get a good nights sleep of seven to nine hours, but when your stressed getting good sleep can be difficult, Short burst of exercise will help and also try to quit drinking Coffee not just because it will keep you awake but because it increases cortisol production! Don't watch the news on the TV or Read newspapers, spend time with nature outdoors.
So to summarise, Float for 45 min or more, supplement vitamin C and B, Supplement DHEA and quit drinking Coffee and other caffeine based drinks. Quit watching the news and get outside into nature.
High levels or cortisol are often found in people with Fibromyalgia (FM) which is one of the most common chronic pain conditions that affects over ten million people in the U.S. of which 90% are women. We know that cortisol is a bad thing for people with fibromyalgia and high levels of cortisol will cause a flare up, this is clearly why so many people with FM get significant pain relief from spending time floating regularly because floating reduces Cortisol.
Herbs for reducing stress and lowering Cortisol
- Ginkgo Biloba
- St. John's Wort
- Rhodiola Rosea
- Eleuthero Tea
Scientific Research Paper on how Floating reduces Cortisol
