Does fasting increase your cortisol levels?

### I have been doing fasting 16/8 for 4 weeks now, I have lose 4 kilos and I'm very happy with my new life style. But, there is always a but isn't it? My wife is very concerned about me doing fasting which she thinks it's not healthy, she keep sending me articles and studies to a point I don't even answer anymore. But today she sent me this article about the rising of cortisol levels which make me question my lifestyle choices, specifically on stress levels. ### Cortisol levels will rise Produced in the adrenal glands, the function of cortisol is to help your body use fat and sugar for energy and for the management of stress. If you skip a meal your body sees this as a small emergency. As a result your cortisol levels will rise. And if the meal you skip is **breakfast** – literally “break fast” the cortisol levels - which are highest at 7am - will not have been reduced When cortisol levels are elevated it causes fat to be deposited deep in the abdomen. This visceral fat in turn will produce more cortisol so that losing it becomes quite challenging. Those who regularly skip breakfast are more susceptible to weight gain and – more worrying – it increases your risk of high blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as heart disease and diabetes. [According to a Harvard Study](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/skipping-breakfast-may-increase-coronary-heart-disease-risk/#:~:text=July%2023%2C%202013%20%E2%80%94%20A%20new,did%20eat%20a%20morning%20meal.) which looked at 27,000 men aged between 45 and 82, men who skipped breakfast every day were 27% more likely to have a heart attack or die due to coronary heart disease  [https://www.markvanderpump.co.uk/blog/posts/why-your-hormones-wont-help-you-lose-weight-by-skipping-breakfast#:\~:text=Cortisol%20levels%20will%20rise,your%20cortisol%20levels%20will%20rise](https://www.markvanderpump.co.uk/blog/posts/why-your-hormones-wont-help-you-lose-weight-by-skipping-breakfast#:~:text=Cortisol%20levels%20will%20rise,your%20cortisol%20levels%20will%20rise).

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I’m sorry but if my spouse just kept sending me negative articles and didn’t try see the positive in this or in any way try support me, I would be pissed. Her intentions might be good, but atleast try support me first.

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Dont worry about the cortisol levels, if you make time for exercise the endorphins will supress the cortisol. Its natural. Do prioritize your sleep schedule as much as you can. Breakfast is whenever you break your fast, the morning breakfast thing is a myth and just another thing to keep a person eating all day long.

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There are studies saying everything under the sun. There are so many variables that it’s easy to find any answer you wish to find. There are just as many studies saying that fasting regularly extends life span and provides a multitude of health benefits. This article specifically states that the men in the study tended to eat more late at night, which contributes to high blood pressure and obesity. That’s not fasting. That’s skipping breakfast and binging later.

How do you feel? Does it make you feel good? Healthy and strong? Are your numbers looking good (weight, BP, blood sugar)? If you feel like it’s serving you well and it makes you feel right, then it’s probably working well for you.

Personally, I would tell my spouse “I understand that you have concerns about my health. Thank you for caring about me. This is my body and my choice, and I feel it’s the correct one. Stop sending me articles.” And any time she brings it up I’d say “No, I don’t wish to discuss this. Thank you for your concern.”

A more passive aggressive approach would be to counter each negative article she sends you with a positive one. 😆

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If you look hard enough, you can find studies to back up absolutely everything you believe. I stopped sending articles, ideas & tips to a family member who would only ever send me articles back about how dangerous something is, or bad side effects, etc. Learned my lesson that while I may find studies to support my experience, someone else can find studies to support the complete opposite. Perhaps point her in the direction of the doctors who promote IF. Dr J a m n a d a s on YouTube is a great doctor & has videos that are very easy to understand. I’m sorry your spouse is supportive in your choice to fast. Cortisol levels certainly don’t spike in my fasting journey but I imagine fasting long enough puts any body into “stress” mode at some point which may increase cortisol momentarily.