YOUR ULTIMATE ANTI-STRESS DIET: FOODS THAT REDUCE CORTISOL

WHAT IS CORTISOL?

Cortisol is the body's principal stress hormone, and its release can be triggered by any form of stressor, such as a late wake-up call, a deadline, event an actual threat. When you go into fight-or-flight mode, your body secretes cortisol.

It's inherently beneficial because it changes blood flow and stimulates the liver to create glucose, causing the body to swiftly mobilize glucose (called blood sugar) into the blood. This glucose is intended to energize the muscles and provide the body with a natural energy boost so that you can respond swiftly to the stressor.

However, when your cortisol levels are consistently increased as a result of living a stressful life, it becomes a bad thing.

HIGH CORTISOL SYMPTOMS

Chronic high cortisol levels as a result of chronic stress can lead to numerous issues. Symptoms of high cortisol levels include:

• weight gain and changes in fat distribution
• fatigue
• poor sleep
• digestive issues
• headaches
• difficulty concentrating
• increased blood pressure
• mood changes
• menstrual cycle changes
• lowered immune function

Fortunately, there are numerous natural ways to reduce cortisol levels. Aside from the obvious, such as prioritizing sleep, engaging in regular (but not excessive) exercise, and engaging in relaxation techniques (i.e. yoga, meditation) on a daily basis, you can also make dietary modifications to assist maintain appropriate cortisol levels.

HOW TO REDUCE CORTISOL THROUGH DIET

Your first line of defense should be a diet reduced in added sugars and other refined carbohydrates. One thing that added sugar-rich foods and other refined carbs lack is fiber. Fiber is what prevents blood sugar changes, which cause moodiness, exhaustion, and hanger, all of which can make you feel anxious.

Sure, refined carbohydrate-rich foods might provide momentary, short-term stress relief (they're called "comfort foods" for a reason), but excessive consumption can contribute to chronic inflammation and stress, as well as damage your capacity to handle stress. In fact, a high-sugar diet has been related to cognitive deficits as well as emotional illnesses including anxiety and despair.

FOODS THAT REDUCE CORTISOL LEVELS

FOODS HIGH IN CARBON
It's possible that being a "carbophobe" is hurting your stress and sleep. Low blood sugar is perceived as a stressor by your body, leading cortisol levels to rise. As a result, eating carbs can help lower cortisol levels, while not eating enough carbs can raise them.

Furthermore, carbohydrates facilitate the entry of the amino acid tryptophan into the brain, which aids in the production of melatonin. That's the hormone that promotes restful sleep. So, by not consuming enough carbohydrates, you may be affecting your sleep as well.

It doesn't stop there, because the body views sleep deprivation as a stressor, putting you right back on the cortisol train. That's a train we'd prefer to avoid, thank you very much.  

FOODS WITH HIGH MAGNESIUM CONTENTS
Did you realize that over half of all Americans do not get enough magnesium? One factor is... drum roll please... stress! When stressed when cortisol levels are high, the body loses more magnesium than usual through urine and sweat. This creates a vicious cycle in which stress induces magnesium deficiency, which subsequently amplifies stress.

But don't panic, cortisol and magnesium levels appear to have an inverse relationship—the more the magnesium, the lower the cortisol.

You can improve your magnesium intake by include the following magnesium-rich items in your diet:

• Almonds and almond butter
• Avocados
• Black beans
• Cashews and cashew butter
• Dark chocolate
• Dark leafy greens, like spinach
• Peanuts and peanut butter
• Pumpkin seeds
• Whole grains, like brown rice and quinoa

FOODS HIGH IN PROBIOTICS
It's more than simply a "gut feeling" - the gut-brain link is real, and the two are constantly communicating. Although the precise processes are unknown, we do know that stress and high cortisol levels can have a deleterious impact on the makeup and activity of the gut microbiome, and that an imbalanced gut microbiota can manifest as worry and stress.

The study also discovered that participants who took the prebiotics had lower cortisol levels in their saliva when they woke up in the morning compared to people who took a placebo. 

Aside from relaxing, what is one of the best strategies to nurture a diverse and robust gut microbiome? Consume more prebiotic-rich foods! Prebiotics are essentially "fuel" for your beneficial gut bacteria, allowing them to survive and thrive. Individuals who took a prebiotic supplement had lower levels of cortisol in their saliva when they woke up in the morning compared to those who received a placebo supplement, according to one study.Although prebiotics can be obtained through pills and powders, I recommend that you start with food because the grocery store is abundant in prebiotics.

Foods high in prebiotics include:

Vegetables include artichokes, asparagus, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, chicory root, dandelion greens, fennel bulb, garlic, green peas, leek, mushrooms, onion, savoy cabbage, seaweed, shallots, and snow peas.
Apples, bananas, dates, figs, grapefruit, nectarines, persimmon, and watermelon are examples of fruits.
Beans, chickpeas, lentils, soybeans, and soy products are examples of legumes.
Cashews, flax seed, pistachios, and walnuts are examples of nuts and seeds.
Grains include barley, oats, rye, and wheat bran.

PROBIOTIC-RICH FOODS

Another approach to help your gut microbiome stay healthy, happy, diverse, and stress-resistant? Foods high in probiotics! Probiotics are live microorganisms (such as bacteria) that, when consumed, provide health benefits to the host (you). They are frequently the same as or similar to those that naturally reside in your body, which is why you'll often hear people refer to the healthy bacteria endemic to the stomach as "probiotics," as well.

In one study, medical students who drank fermented, probiotic-rich milk for 8 weeks before a significant exam had lower day-of-exam cortisol levels than those who drank non-fermented milk.

Fermented and cultured foods are excellent natural sources of probiotics.

• Culture cottage cheese
• Kefir
• Kimchi
• Miso
• Sauerkraut
• Yogurt

BOTTOM LINE—FOODS THAT REDUCE CORTISOL

Cortisol is a vital hormone that aids us in dealing with stressful conditions. You should, however, avoid continuously elevated levels because they might be damaging to your health. 

If you're stressed out, include items that lower cortisol in your diet, such as unprocessed, carbohydrate-rich foods, gut-supporting foods, and magnesium- and omega-3-rich foods, will aid... and it certainly won't harm!