How Do You Feel On Waking: Understanding The CAR
When you wake up in the morning, how long does it take you to go from conscious to alert? Ideally, you answered 30 to 45 minutes. This is a biological process known as the cortisol awakening response (CAR). It's a natural rise in cortisol that occurs after waking to help you become alert, energized, and ready for the day. Researchers think this response developed as a survival mechanism. Thousands of years ago, when our ancestors woke up, they had no idea what the day would bring. Would there be food? Would there be danger? Would they have to run, hunt, or defend themselves? A healthy cortisol awakening response prepared the body for whatever came next. Today, we often use CAR as a marker of how your brain and body are anticipating the day ahead. If you found yourself thinking,"It takes me two hours and two cups of coffee before I feel awake." or "I wake up at a level 10 with anxiety" then I immediately start thinking about your cortisol awakening response. One of my favorite clues as a clinician is when someone starts a sentence with:
Is Stress Screwing Up Your Blood Sugar?
Have you noticed in times of stress, especially chronic stress, that you feel puffier, thicker around the middle, or become immediately hangry? One of your main stress hormones is called Cortisol. If cortisol had a resume, the first thing it would say is, “I increase your blood sugar!” Unfortunately, this is not talked about enough as stress could be part of the reason your blood sugar is higher than optimal and playing a role in your symptoms. Cortisol is a nervous system hormone made by your adrenal glands that sit on top of your kidneys. Yes, you have two adrenal glands! Cortisol is known as a gluco-cortico-steroid hormone. “Gluco” because it raises glucose (blood sugar) in times of stress so you have it readily available for your brain and muscles to fight or run…
Favorite High Cortisol Herbs
Stress sucks (mostly). It affects all aspects of our health, including pieces you didn’t even realize. Chronic stress can impact your hormones, your hair growth, the quality of your skin, your energy, your immune system and more. It can ramp up your anxiety, cause problems with your sleep, and ruin your symptoms of PMS. When I use the word “stress,” I mean anything that is physical, mental, emotional, environmental or otherwise that is messing you up. Of course there are good stressors - such as healthy exercise, planning a wedding you’re psyched for, and the travel day of a vacation. I’m not talking about that…