Making these six lifestyle and diet tweaks will help lower your stress hormones

What exactly causes stress? 

“Stress is usually caused when we don’t have any control over the outcome of situations and activities,” said Jasleen Kaur, a dietitian.

Here are six ways to lower your stress hormones:

Feed your good gut bags

Probiotic and prebiotic foods have been shown to help reduce cortisol levels. So, consume fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir, yoghurt and kimchi, as well as prebiotic foods like onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, apples and green bananas. These will help increase your good gut bugs and lower your stress response.

Fill your plate with protein, fibre, and fat

Fill your plate with enough fibre, protein and fat, and avoid high sugar foods. (Source: Freepik)

Big changes in blood sugar trigger the release of stress hormones. This makes it important to eat balanced meals at the right time. Fill your plate with enough fibre, protein and fat, and avoid high sugar foods. “These days, most people are stressed, so the best way to combat this is to eat healthy, not binge eat and practice meditation. Having a balanced meal is a great way to reduce stress. On the other hand, people tend to binge-eat when stressed, which causes weight gain and further increases stress,” Kaur told indianexpress.com.

Prioritise sleep

When sleep deprived, your body enters “fight or flight” mode and releases cortisol. To make things worse, on tired days you might opt for more caffeine which further spikes cortisol levels. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night, or if that’s impossible then try to squeeze a nap in during the day. “If you’re not a good napper, I highly recommend doing a 10-minute yoga Nidra –it’s been a game changer for me!” added Ivanir.

Kaur advised people to eat any one fruit before bedtime to keep sugar levels in balance or a cup of milk with turmeric to keep the body relaxed.

Manage emotional stress

Chronic emotional stress is a number one cause of increased cortisol levels. “When experiencing this, your body cannot distinguish the difference between being chased by a tiger or a stressful deadline at work. To your body, stress is stress,” mentioned Ivanir, further suggesting including some de-stressing activity in your day like breathwork, gentle movement, journalling, or anything that makes your soul happy.

Avoid over-exercising

Exercising is very healthy, but over-exercising can lead to cortisol spikes, especially in the female body. Over-exercising might look like engaging in high-intensity workouts four or more days per week. Instead of helping you burn fat, it’s likely surging your cortisol and stressing your body out. Try to incorporate more gentle movement and avoid high intensity entirely during your premenstrual and menstrual weeks.

Kaur recommended going for a mild walk or run to release stress hormones and energise your body.

Limit your caffeine

“I love caffeine as much as you, but drinking too much of it will promote cortisol spikes–especially on an empty stomach,” wrote Ivanir, highlighting that its best to have coffee after breakfast. Additionally, try swapping matcha for coffee; it’s lower in caffeine and does not affect cortisol levels as much. However, if you are a coffee lover, try stirring in collagen and nut milk to buffer the cortisol release.

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