Many of us operate in high gear much of the day, putting out small (and large) fires, juggling schedules, dealing with traffic, and generally trying to keep our lives and that of our families in order. Even when our days and nights aren’t streaming at a high speed, levels of the stress hormone cortisol can remain elevated because we often fail to effectively manage stress and return to a state of tranquility.
Several health dangers exist in the presence of high cortisol. One is that it triggers food cravings, which can send us dashing for ice cream or a box of cookies. That same cortisol can also prompt an enzyme in fat cells to transform cortisone into more cortisol. The fat cells in the abdomen have more cortisol receptors than do regular fat cells, which means high cortisol can translate into more belly fat, which in turn raises the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
