Feeling tired and stuck? Your Stress Hormones Might Be to Blame ✨🧠
Do you wake up tired, crave sugar late at night, and feel stuck despite eating well and exercising? It might not be your willpower, it could be your hormones, specifically cortisol.
💭 What is Cortisol?
Cortisol is your body's main stress hormone, made by your adrenal glands. It kicks in when you're under pressure, helping with energy and alertness during short-term stress.
But modern stressors - emails, poor sleep, social media, constant phone notifications can trick your brain into thinking you're always under threat, which means that cortisol stays high way too often.
📈 What Does Cortisol Do?
In short bursts, cortisol helps. But constant high levels cause issues like:
⬆️ Increased blood sugar
💪 Fat storage (especially around your stomach)
💤 Sleep disruption
⬇️ Slower digestion and recovery
🏋️️ Muscle breakdown during stress
If you think your cortisol may be high, these are symptoms to look out for:
Being tired when you wake up
Belly fat that won’t budge
Cravings for sugar, caffeine, or salt
Feeling anxious or overwhelmed
Struggling to recover from workouts
Trouble sleeping
These are signs your body is stuck in "survival mode." But you can take steps to change this. To lower your cortisol levels, you don’t necessarily need lots of dramatic lifestyle changes. Instead, try these simple strategies below:
1. Breathe before meals 😌 5 deep breaths before eating calms the nervous system and aids digestion.
2. Get morning sunlight ☀️ Natural light resets your cortisol rhythm, improving energy and sleep.
3. Walk after meals 🚶♂️Great for lowering blood sugar, digestion, and clearing your mind.
4. Strength train 💪 Too much cardio can cause more stress. Lifting weights builds muscle and reduces baseline cortisol.
5. Cut evening screen time 📱📺 Screens block melatonin. Put all screens down and lower your lightings at least 30 mins before bed for better sleep.
You can also improve your cortisol levels by eating specific foods. Focus on these foods…
🌿 Magnesium rich foods: spinach, avocado, pumpkin seeds
🐟 Omega-3s: salmon, mackerel, chia seeds, walnuts
💪🏼 Protein: chicken, eggs, tofu, hemp seeds, fish (cod, sea bass, salmon), lean meat to balance blood sugar and support muscle
🥜 Vitamin B: from whole grains and legumes
and most importantly, stop skipping meals! Low blood sugar triggers cortisol spikes. Eat regularly with protein and fibre.
🎉 Get Your FREE Cortisol Action Kit!
Want to learn how to rebalance your stress and energy in just one week?
Contact me here and I’ll send you my FREE Cortisol Action Kit: 7-Day Reset To Lower Stress, Cut Cravings, and Boost Energy.
Your hormones matter. Let’s help them work for you.
Janie x