"Put simply, it's one of the stress hormones," explains registered nutritionist Angela Dowden, who places it "in the same category" as adrenaline.
"We produce a lot when we wake up in the morning, so it gears us up to the day. Production should then slow over the period of the day, with fluctuations here and there."
Cortisol is produced in response to stress, so if you find yourself spinning out, you might see a spike in your levels - and food can have a potential impact on this.
"It's really good to be aware and think about what stress might be doing to you, and how you could eat to make sure that your cortisol and stress levels are a little bit more in balance," Angela, 58, says.
New AngelaHer new cookbook, The Cortisol Fix Recipe Book, includes dishes aimed towards healthy eating, with a particular focus on cortisol balancing ingredients.
So, how can you can keep your cortisol levels in check?
CHAMPION PLANTS
Angela says the food you should be eating to avoid stress is the same as healthy eating.
"So we're talking about things like going a bit more plant-based. You want to be focusing away from heavy meat consumption, and trying to sneak in more portions of plants into your diet."
LEAN INTO HEALTHY FATS
"Low fat is not the way to go with balancing your cortisol levels, because we need healthy fats to form hormones," notes Angela.
"You would be looking at things like oily fish, nuts and seeds as your main oil and fat sources in the diet... Good fats are important," she advises.
Omega-3 is brilliant, Angela suggests, "because they're anti-inflammatory and help to keep your cortisol levels in check". They can be found in oily fish, and if y...
"We produce a lot when we wake up in the morning, so it gears us up to the day. Production should then slow over the period of the day, with fluctuations here and there."
Cortisol is produced in response to stress, so if you find yourself spinning out, you might see a spike in your levels - and food can have a potential impact on this.
"It's really good to be aware and think about what stress might be doing to you, and how you could eat to make sure that your cortisol and stress levels are a little bit more in balance," Angela, 58, says.
New AngelaHer new cookbook, The Cortisol Fix Recipe Book, includes dishes aimed towards healthy eating, with a particular focus on cortisol balancing ingredients.
So, how can you can keep your cortisol levels in check?
CHAMPION PLANTS
Angela says the food you should be eating to avoid stress is the same as healthy eating.
"So we're talking about things like going a bit more plant-based. You want to be focusing away from heavy meat consumption, and trying to sneak in more portions of plants into your diet."
LEAN INTO HEALTHY FATS
"Low fat is not the way to go with balancing your cortisol levels, because we need healthy fats to form hormones," notes Angela.
"You would be looking at things like oily fish, nuts and seeds as your main oil and fat sources in the diet... Good fats are important," she advises.
Omega-3 is brilliant, Angela suggests, "because they're anti-inflammatory and help to keep your cortisol levels in check". They can be found in oily fish, and if y...
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Daily Post (Digital) - 1 Issue, January 02, 2025