Cortisol is often known as one of our “stress hormones.” It’s a hormone that causes several reactions when our bodies are exposed to a fight or flight type of stress. It causes a release of gluocse into the bloodstream, and reproductive or digestive systems shift into a sleep mode so your body can deal with the threat. This is a fabulous feature for those moments when a grizzly bear crosses our path, but for most Americans, this is a rare occurrence. Nevertheless, biology wins out and cortisol is released when we feel stressed, even if the stressor is not life threatening.
