FIR Episode 19: Cortisol is a friend to all but an enemy to some.

Cortisol, the infamous stress hormone is a friend to all, but an enemy to some.

In this Free and Inspired episode, Philip looks at how it affects the body. 

We’ll also look at the best natural way to harness cortisol so it doesn’t harness you.

Cortisol allows your body to deal with stress but may also slow your digestive system, metabolism and suppress your immune system at the same time.

Philip breaks down how cortisol works and why it’s vital to see it positively. 

Most of the time, it allows your body and brain to align for a common goal; to defend you from everything the big wide world can throw your way.

Cortisol affects multiple sites within the body. For example, the nervous, immune, digestive, respiratory and, reproductive systems are all affected, often for reasons embedded within your survival.

Cortisol sustains our response to stress by having a heavy influence on our metabolism

Once again this is all in the aid of responding to stress in the environment. For example, one of the cortisol’s roles is to liberate glucose into the blood so it’s readily available for the brain.

This is great during short bursts of stress and action.

However, exposing the body to the effects of cortisol over a longer-term leaves you at risk of developing stress-induced metabolic disorders such as metabolic syndrome.

Philip also looks at the research behind cortisol and obesity and the way high cortisol levels might be making it harder for you to lose weight.

In the second part, Philip breaks down how cortisol’s effects on the body become detrimental over the long-term including immune suppression and the suppression of your digestion.

Elevated cortisol can divert energy from your digestive system.

Or literally turn it off.

A big deal if you are looking solve your IBS symptoms.

Finally, Philip will introduce the role of meditation in managing it and how it might help to keep things at bay.

All this and more in this episode of Free and Inspired radio.