INSULIN & CORTISOL

As we age, our bodies go through many changes. The hormone shift is felt  by every woman age forty and older. Hormones play a major role in our health and  affect the quality of our lives. Today, we focus on two main hormones: INSULIN  and CORTISOL. 

The hormone insulin helps control the amount of sugar (glucose) in the  blood. Insulin resistance, also known as impaired insulin sensitivity, happens when  cells in our muscles, fat and liver don’t respond as they should to insulin. Now it's  the time to really pay attention to our nutrition. Let’s do our best to avoid sugar,  processed foods, and foods that spike our blood sugar level. Fruits are ok, although  some are high in sugar and we need to pay attention to the portion size. The good  news is that physical activity, especially strength training improves muscle insulin  sensitivity and helps you maintain muscles, bones and a healthy weight. 

Cortisol has a very important role in helping the body respond to stress.  Cortisol has many other functions in our bodies such as: keeping the inflammation  down; regulating blood pressure; increasing and regulating blood sugar; helping  control your sleep-wake cycle; regulating metabolism.  

Resistance training is great for us but we need to be careful how much we  push our body. We want to benefit from these workouts, not cause more stress to 

our bodies. But what is the impact of intense physical training on cortisol? As we  age, if we push our bodies over limit, it does not work in our favor but against us.  HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is a stress to our body and will increase the  cortisol level. Excessive training leads to increased cortisol levels. You will notice  that: your cravings increase, you feel exhausted, gain belly fat instead of losing it,  are moody, can’t rest well, your immune system weakens. 

In conclusion, what we do with our bodies (the way we exercise and the way  we eat) truly matters. Continue your resistance training but be mindful of how  much and how intense you exercise. Listen to your body and make the necessary  changes. Wishing great health to all! 

Coach Miha 

#women #hormones #cortisol #insulin #health #menopause #perimenopause  #wellness #exercise #stress