Ok, what about those hormone partners? Well, Cortisol has a partner too. It’s DHEA. DHEA follows cortisol like a puppy. If your cortisol is high, then your DHEA is too. If your cortisol bottoms out, then so does your DHEA.
DHEA is also produced by your adrenal glands. It follows cortisol’s natural circadian rhythm – high early in the day with an afternoon slump, a short recovery around dinnertime, and then low at night. DHEA is important because it helps you metabolize your protein and fat. Without DHEA you could not make a new you, repair tissue, or grow. That is one of the reasons DHEA follows cortisol. DHEA is anabolic – growth-promoting. Cortisol is catabolic – breaking down tissues.
So when you are in a fight or flight situation, after cortisol releases sugar stores to fuel the fight or flight, DHEA is produced in equal amounts to help your body repair the damage from fighting the danger or fleeing from it. The first time you felt the effects of DHEA you were prepubescent. DHEA is what stimulates pubic and armpit hair growth. DHEA also stimulates those first pimples and breast buds. That’s because DHEA can be converted into testosterone and then into estrogen.
DHEA naturally lowers as we age. I can always tell when my patients’ DHEA levels are super low by sparse pubic hair (and I’m not talking about waxing). The best way to support healthy DHEA levels is to De-stress, to keep your cortisol levels down and save your adrenals from wearing out. And you can support healthy DHEA levels and keep your Cortisol balanced through a healthy diet.
Hormone Healing Tip: Eat Healthy Fat For Healthy Adrenals
Fat is the precursor to all steroid hormones, including adrenal hormones. In fact, that is what steroid refers to; the sterol, or cholesterol molecule, in the middle of the hormone. When your adrenals are tired, you tend to crave fats, such as from nuts, seeds, butter, and chips. Anything especially high in fat as well as salty foods, because your adrenals need salt too.
So be sure you are getting adequate fat in your diet. About 25-30% of your calories should come from fat. Healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, fatty fish, organic meats, poultry, and coconut oil. Yes, coconut oil is healthy. Just do not make it your only fat!
And be sure to balance your saturated fats with unsaturated fats. Coconut oil and animal products are saturated. Vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds are unsaturated. About 1/3 saturated to 2/3 unsaturated fats is a good healthy ratio to support your adrenals.
Be sure to support healthy adrenal function with Genesis Gold.
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