CATERGORY: BOOST TESTOSTERONE

How to Lower Stress Hormone - The Ultimate Manhood Killer

As your body perceives stress, your adrenal glands make and release the hormone cortisol into your bloodstream. Cortisol (the stress hormone) causes an increase in your heart rate and blood pressure - a natural “flight or fight” response that has kept humans alive for thousands of years.

Normal levels of cortisol are released when you wake up in the morning or exercise. These levels can help regulate your blood pressure and blood sugar levels and even strengthen your heart muscle. In small doses, the hormone can heighten memory, strengthen your immune system, and lower sensitivity to pain.

However when your body experiences chronic stress, your cortisol levels remain at high levels to cause fatigue, irritability, headaches, digestive problems, anxiety, depression, weight gain, increased blood pressure, suppressed immunity, slow recovery from exercise and injury, poor sleep, low libido, and erectile dysfunction.

These male performance problems occur because high cortisol levels inhibit testosterone production in men. Fortunately there are proven ways of lowering cortisol levels.

1 - Get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Ensure you are physically active during daytime, avoid caffeine in the evenings, and turn off electronic devices at your regularly set bedtime.

2 - Exercise in moderation to lower nighttime cortisol levels.

3 - Recognise and avert stressful thinking. A study of 43 women in a mindfulness-based program showed the ability to describe and articulate stress was linked to a lower cortisol response. Mindfulness-based stress reduction is a strategy that involves becoming more self-aware of stress-provoking thoughts and replacing worrying or anxiety with a focus on acknowledging and understanding stressful thoughts and emotions. By focusing on awareness of your mental and physical state, you can become an objective observer of your stressful thoughts, instead of a victim of them.

4 - Learn to relax. A study of 28 middle-aged women found a nearly 50% reduction in cortisol with habitual deep breathing training. Massage therapy can reduce cortisol levels by 30%. Yoga, tai chi , and listening to relaxing music is also effective for cortisol reduction.

5 - Have fun by doing the things you enjoy. Laughter and outdoor activities like gardening are particularly effective for reducing cortisol.

6 - Maintain healthy relationships. The amounts of cortisol along the length of a hair corresponds to cortisol levels at the time that part of the hair was growing. Studies of cortisol in hair show that children with a stable and warm family life have lower levels than children from homes with high levels of conflict. The same holds true for adults.

7 - Get a pet. A study of 48 adults showed that contact with a dog was better than support from a friend during socially stressful situations. Another study demonstrated that non pet owners experienced a greater drop in cortisol when they were given canine companions than pet owners. This is because pet owners had already benefited from the friendship of their animals at the beginning of the study.

8 - Forgive yourself and others. Feelings of shame, guilt or inadequacy can lead to negative thinking and elevated cortisol. A program to help identify and cope with these kinds of feelings led to a 23% reduction in cortisol in 30 adults compared to 15 adults who did not participate. Developing a habit of forgiving others is also critical in relationships. One study of 145 couples compared the effects of different kinds of marriage counselling. Couples who learnt forgiving and conflict resolution techniques experienced reduced cortisol levels

9 - Be spiritual. Studies show that adults who expressed spiritual faith experienced lower cortisol levels in the face of life stressors such as illness. Prayer is also associated with reduced anxiety and depression. Besides faith, meditating, developing social support groups, and helping others are also effective for reducing cortisol levels.