Your body produces a hormone in response to stress called cortisol. It is made in the adrenal glands. Cortisol is a hormone that pulls stored sugar out of the liver. The sugar is then used to fuel your cells to create energy in response to high stress levels. This creates the “fight or flight” response.

High stress levels equal high cortisol levels. As high amounts of cortisol are being overproduced, another process is going on simultaneously. It is referred to as the “pregnenalone steal”. The body will make cholesterol in the liver to form pregnenalone, the hormone that eventually becomes every other hormone such as DHEA, TESTOSTERONE, PROGESTERONE, and ESTROGEN. As stress levels are high, the body has to steal the pregnenalone and make more cortisol instead of these other hormones, i.e. testosterone. This leads to low testosterone. High stress can create low testosterone.

We need to remember that we can define our environment. We must reduce the stress within our lives, whether it be work, school, relationships, or family. There may be some things we have to learn to let go of, to give our bodies the chance to start raising the testosterone. Create an environment for growth! Emotional and spiritual health is just as important as supplementation.

Practice:

1. Meditation
2. Prayer
3. Time alone
4. Hobbies

Do those things for you! Schedule them in and create boundaries. You have to give your body rest, so it stops the fight or flight cycle. This is the most simple step to start with, and it may be the most vital!