Feeling fat, sick or tired? Address stress.

Our main stress hormone is Cortisol. Cortisol is good for us in the short term and bad for us in the long-term.

SHORT TERM EFFECTS OF CORTISOL:

a. Anti-inflammatory

b. Regulates metabolism

c. Regulates blood pressure

d. Regulates blood glucose levels

This is why in times of short term stress, as a deadline or a speech approaches for instance, we can often feel pumped and energised.

LONG TERM EFFECTS OF CORTISOL:

a. Inflammatory, producing oxidative stress

b. Increases blood glucose levels through inhibiting glucose uptake and stimulating new glucose to be pushed into the bloodstream