3 Insider Tricks to Manage Stress
Not only is stress a drag for us emotionally but it changes the chemical environment of our body leading to more inflammation (which causes more pain and other chronic issues throughout our bodies). It also changes our hormone production cycles- describing what is known as the pregnenolone steal.
Your hormone factory can only make so much product in a day due to how many workers, demand, and raw materials you have. The raw material in this case is a hormone called pregnenolone and it can be used to make either cortisol (the stress hormone), testosterone (in the case of men), or progesterone (in the case of women).
If the demand for cortisol is high for regulating things like steady blood sugar levels, too much exercise, or emotional stress from work or relationships then there won’t be enough raw materials for testosterone/progesterone production.
What does this look like for men vs. women?
Symptoms for Men:
decreased testosterone
increased estrogen
increased susceptibility to injury
decreased muscle recovery
decreased motivation
low libido
high risk for heart disease
overgrowth of prostrate (BPH)
leaky gut (gut issues/symptoms
Symptoms for Women:
increased estrogen and testosterone