Your doctor is right, cortisol is a contributing factor to how you are feeling.
That is not to say, Clare isn't onto something. I wish I lived in Ann Arbor.
Here is some information that I extracted from Dr. Diana Schwarzbein's books.
Metabolism is the combined effects of all the chemical reactions that continuously occur within your body. Metabolic reactions are regulated by hormones, which, in turn are regulated by nutrition and lifestyle habits. Metabolic reactions fall into two categories: using and building.
Using occurs at all times when you are awake and active. To do all of the amazing things your body does – think, react, move, breathe, digest, fight off disease - your body uses up:
Functional chemicals, such as enzymes, hormones, antibodies and neurotransmitters.
Structural chemicals like those that make up cells, muscles, and bone tissues of the body.
Energy chemicals such as sugar and fats that are used to drive all of the biochemical process that facilitate building and using.
To stay in metabolic balance your body has to efficiently replace all of those chemicals that you constantly used.
The key to good health and longevity is to build and use at optimal levels and at the same rate.
What regulates building and using to keep everything in synch? Hormones.
When women say ‘hormones’, our minds immediately jump to the sex hormone system, but the big players are insulin, cortisol, adrenaline and the thyroid hormones.
Insulin is the major hormone that regulates the
building reactions. Estradiol (sex hormones) is a minor building hormone, but it helps insulin to rebuild. When estradiol drops women no longer build as well.
Adrenaline and cortisol are two major hormones that regulate the
using reactions. One of their critical functions is to keep the body from becoming hypoglycemic so that brain cells don’t die. The brain cannot live without sugar. Progesterone is a minor hormone that facilitates cortisol production. Without progesterone women do not produce cortisol efficiently.
What regulates hormones? Nutrition and lifestyle habits.
For example: If you are not eating properly, have a low caloric intake, and/or you are over-exercising,
your body will under produce insulin, therefore you will
under build.
If you skips meals, are under stress (too much fight/flight), and don’t sleep well your body will
over produce adrenaline and cortisol, therefore you will over use.
The result is you are using more than you are building and breaking down. You become metabolically imbalanced, which over time accelerates aging and leads to degenerative diseases.
Early signs of metabolic imbalances –
-arthritic symptoms, and other inflammation
-bloating, constipation, heart burn, IBS
-decreased energy/stamina
-difficulty handling stressful situations
-headaches
-increased cholesterol levels
-increased cravings for sugar, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco
-increased feelings of anxiety and mood swings
-midsection fat weight gain
-new onset or exacerbation of allergies
-problems with memory – brain fog
-sleep disruption – (waking around 2 am and not being able to return to sleep)
...
What can you do? Perhaps start with having your cortisol levels and DHEA checked. Cortisol levels can be tested with a sensitive adrenal saliva test. DHEA can be tested with either a saliva test or a blood level test of DHEA sulfate. Your doctor may prescribe hormones to treat adrenal gland burnout. With your recent visit to the doctor he obviously doesn't think you need to be treated at this stage.
What else can you do?
First step, healthy nutrition, with the appropriate amount of whole-complex carbohydrates and lean protein per meal.. A 2:1 ratio of carb to protein will provide you the proper amount of energy and materials for building and restoring.
Eliminate inflammation causing foods (inflammation uses up cortisol) – gluten and cow dairy are the biggest offenders, but there may be others – like corn, peanuts, and fructans.
Eat a moderate amount of healthy fats – add an Omega 3 fish supplement.
Eat plenty of non starchy vegetables at each meal.
Drink plenty of water
Get a good night’s sleep....ear plugs and a calcium magnesium supplement can help achieve this goal. (not getting enough sleep interferes with cortisol production.)
Reduce your consumption of sugar and caffeine. Or eliminate both altgoether.
Get appropriate exercise – do exercises that help you build more than break down, and taper back on depleting exercise. Do restorative exercise like yoga, normal pace walking, Tai Chi, Qi Gong. Do resistance exercise like weight lifting, and do interval training.
Long, sustained cardiovascular exercise like running can have a depleting effect on the body, they can stimulate the release of using hormones, and thus break you down more than build you up.
And finally, have fun! Doing something fun is stress relieving. Like Clare, maybe take up something new or something you haven't done in a long time but that you love.
HTH
