Feeling stressed lately? If so, there’s a good chance your cortisol is high. Incorporating foods that lower cortisol can make a huge difference in how you feel during these times of stress.
We all go through times of challenges in life, and sometimes these are the hardest times to eat well. We can find ourselves in a vicious cycle of leaning on processed foods to “get us through” these times, when in reality, this is when we need to flood our bodies with nutrients.
This is especially important for moms! We wear many hats as moms, and we also tend to carry the stress of those around us. We can’t be perfect, but it is so important for our long-term health and happiness that we prioritize how we treat our bodies during these times.
What is cortisol?
Cortisol is a hormone that is released by your adrenal gland. It is a glucocorticoid that helps with our body’s response to stress. Stress is a normal part of life, and our goal should not be to avoid all stress. Our goal is to have a healthy response to stress. Eating foods that lower cortisol can and should become one of our reactions to stressors.
A powerful hormone, cortisol affects almost every single part of our body! It affects our metabolism, inflammation, sleep, blood sugar and blood pressure.
Cortisol is released during acute or chronic stress, and in acute stress it can actually help our immune system. However, the immune system can be lowered during chronic stress.
Signs of high cortisol
There are some typical signs of high cortisol, but having one or more of these does not mean you have high cortisol. Consult your physician if you have these concerns, as there are certain tests that show high cortisol.
- Weight gain. If you are experiencing weight gain (especially in the face or abdomen) and yet haven’t changed your eating pattern, you might have high cortisol levels.
- High blood sugar. Another sign of high cortisol is high blood sugar or high blood pressure. Cortisol can cause your body to release stored glucose, which raises your blood sugar. This can even play into risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
- High blood pressure. The reason cortisol affects blood pressure is not known, but we do know this can be a sign of high cortisol.
- Poor sleep quality. If you’re not sleeping well, then it might be due to high cortisol. Cortisol can affect your body’s circadian rhythm, and can put you in a vicous cycle of poor sleep and unhealthy food choices, especially sugary foods.
How does food affect cortisol?
During stressful periods, our goal is to feel better physically and mentally. This will help us better handle the stress even if the stressor is still there. This is called perceived stress, because it is how we are viewing the situation even when it doesn’t change.
Food can have a powerful affect on our mental health, along with physical health. Studies have shown that increasing fruit and vegetable intake can have a positive impact on our psychological well-being.
We also know that if we are in a period of stress with higher cortisol, eating processed foods that are high in sugar would only push the blood sugar levels higher. Need help getting off sugar? Take the free Sugar Detox Challenge below!
Foods that lower cortisol
There are not specific foods that lower cortisol, but rather, a pattern of healthy eating that may contribute to mitigaing high cortisol levels and the health effects that go along with that.
If anxiety can increase cortisol, we need to focus on foods that can help to lower anxiety. Studies have shown that gut health is so important for controlling anxiety and other mental health issues.
1. Fruits and vegetables
Get your sugar fix with fruit and you can also flood your body with inflammation fighting-nutrients such as vitamin C. Vegetables also provide vitamin C and other phytonutrients that keep inflammation at bay, so get a wide variety and try to “eat the rainbow!”
2. Lots of greens!
Greens provide so many important nutrients that help fight inflammation. An especially important nutrient for mental health is folate, as it helps neurotransmitters to function properly. Greens such as spinach, collard greens and swiss chard are an excellent source of folate!
3. Beans, peas & lentils
Incorporating more beans, peas and lentils into your diet will provide loads of fiber, while also increasing protein. This can help stabilize blood sugar while also improving gut health. If you do not typically eat a lot of foods in this group, start with the amazing lentil. Lentils are easier to digest, and they are also high in folate. A meal with greens and lentils would provide a lot of stress-fighting folate!
4. Seeds high in omega-3’s
Flaxseed, chia and hemp seeds are all good sources of omega-3 fatty acids that can improve mental health and reduce inflammation. A good way to get those seeds in your diet is to add them to smoothies. Need a good smoothie recipe? Sign up below for a FREE smoothie guide for balancing hormones!
Our bodies were designed to handle stress, but our modern lifestyles and heavily processed diets are wreaking havoc on our hormones. The good news is, we can feel better with every bite if we choose to eat some foods that lower cortisol!
Leave a Reply