How to Reduce Stress Hormones: 10 Ways to Lower Cortisol Naturally

Cortisol is often referred to as the "stress hormone" because it is released in response to stress. High levels of cortisol can lead to various health issues, so it's important to find ways to lower it naturally.

How does stress affect the body?

Stress affects the body by triggering the release of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, leading to physiological changes such as increased heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and a suppressed immune system, which can manifest as headaches, digestive issues, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and an increased susceptibility to illness if experienced chronically; essentially, stress can impact almost every system in the body, potentially contributing to various health problems if not managed effectively.

How do you know you have elevated cortisol?

Here are a few symptoms:

High or low TSH

Low T3

A tendency to be a night person

Feeling wired but tired

Fatigue

Intestinal issues such as constipation, bloating, diarrhea, etc.

Hair loss

Having difficulty falling asleep

Feeling keyed up and having trouble calming down

High blood pressure

Clenching or grinding your teeth

Chronic low- or middle-back pain

Difficulty maintaining chiropractic adjustments

Craving salty foods

Perspiring easily

Chronic fatigue or getting drowsy often

Afternoon headache

Muscle pain or tension in the head, neck, jaw, or back

Anxiety

High blood sugar

Panic attacks

Seasonal or chronic allergies

Pain on the medial (inner) side of the knee or knees

Dizziness when you stand up

Difficulty losing weight

Gaining weight around the waistline

Difficulty recovering from exercise

Getting upset or angry easily

Can you test your cortisol levels?

The best way to test your cortisol levels is with saliva panel. This type of test looks at your cortisol patterns throughout the day versus a blood test that only tests at one time during the day. Seeing the pattern of cortisol during the day will give you and your practitioner a good idea of whether adrenal imbalance is a factor for you.

Here are a few ways to lower cortisol levels naturally:

As soon as you wake up, drink a glass of water with a 1/4 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt. You can even add a pinch of salt to each glass of water throughout the day. Note that if you have a filter on your faucet or in your fridge like reverse osmosis water, will also remove the minerals. Celtic salt helps add in 80+ trace minerals.
Eat breakfast within an hour of waking. Cortisol levels are highest in the morning and eating helps to signal to the body it is not under stress and it can stop producing cortisol. If you wait any longer than an hour, it can cause your blood sugar levels to decrease too much and your adrenals can start producing excess cortisol.
Eat regular meals throughout the day at least every 3-4 hours. This helps to keep blood sugar levels stable. Low blood sugar is signal to the body to ramp up cortisol production to help then reduce blood sugar. This roller-coaster of hormones is what can lead to insulin resistance.
Focus on low-impact exercise like walking, stretching, yoga, and Pilates. High impact exercise puts strain on the adrenals and increases cortisol.
Reduce your intake of processed food as much as possible. This is an additional stressor on the body.
Avoid low-carb dieting until stress is managed. Eating low-carb for too long can put stress on the adrenals and cause hormonal imbalance, especially in women. Focus on healthy complex carbs like potatoes, root vegetables, apples, pears, beets, and properly prepared grains.
Eat magnesium, vitamin C, and B-vitamin rich foods. These include avocados, citrus, bell peppers, cacao, red meat, beef liver, eggs, dairy, wild-caught tuna and salmon.
Get Enough Sleep and go to bed by 9pm.
Quality sleep is crucial for regulating cortisol. Aim for 7-10 hours of restful sleep each night.
Eliminate caffeine. Unfortunately, caffeine is like liquid stress for the adrenals, try swapping it out for swiss water decaf, hot cocoa or a functional mushroom blend. I love the Purity decaf coffee (discount code BEWELL20)
Practice Deep Breathing and go outside.
Deep breathing exercises can activate the relaxation response, helping to reduce stress and cortisol. Spending time outdoors and in nature can have a calming effect and lower stress hormones.