If you've been online for more than 7 minutes in the last few years, you've probably seen this headline in some form:

"Cortisol is making you fat, tired, and broken—and here’s a $179 adrenal supplement to save you from your body"

First, What Is Cortisol?

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by your adrenal glands. It's part of your body’s stress response system (aka the HPA axis). It:

Increases alertness and makes energy quickly available so you can react quickly to threats—real or imagined.

Cortisol calls up the liver and says “We might need to run, lift, or outrun a bear to survive. Release the energy, sharpen the focus, right fucking now please!!”

This is helpful… unless the “bear” is just your inbox.

Helps your body respond to inflammation by kicking in when you’re injured, sick, or stressed to help balance your immune response.

It calls the immune system and says “Let’s chill on the chaos. We’ve got healing to do—turn the immune dial down just enough.”

Inflammation is vital to recover muscles, fight off illness, and heal damage. It just needs a solid ‘off’ switch when it’s done.

Works with your circadian rhythm by rising in the morning and dropping at night to help you wake up and wind down at the right times.

It signals to the body “GOOD MORNING, it’s time to rise—here’s your energy boost. As well as GOOD NIGHT: I’m clocking out tonight so melatonin can take over.”

This of cortisol like your internal clock. Very supportive unless it starts rising at the wrong times… like at 11:47 p.m., when your brain is suddenly wired enough to reorganize your entire room, alphabetize your vitamins, and relive every awkward interaction since 2009.

Cortisol & Stress: Processing, Not Panicking

Scientific Role:

Cortisol responds to physical, emotional, or psychological stress. It's your body's internal alarm system. Chronic stress, however—especially when there’s no recovery—can lead to HPA-axis dysregulation, where your system starts misfiring.

Popular Myths:

“Adrenal fatigue” is causing all your problems

This idea came from alternative wellness spaces trying to explain chronic exhaustion, but it's not recognized by endocrinologists—your adrenals don’t “burn out,” though your brain-body communication (HPA axis) can get dysregulated under chronic stress.

“You have to eliminate all stress to heal”

This myth stems from a misunderstanding of stress biology—some stress is healthy and necessary (think workouts, new challenges); it’s unmanaged or relentless stress without recovery that creates problems.

“Stress directly causes weight gain”

Stress alone doesn't cause weight gain—behavioral changes driven by chronic stress (like poor sleep, low energy, low movement, emotional eating, or skipping meals) are the real culprits.

“You need a hormone detox”

This claim exploded in wellness marketing, but your liver and kidneys already detox your body daily—what you actually need is enough food, sleep, and fiber to support those systems, not powders with vague “adaptogens.”

Evidence-Based Stress Balancers:

Breathwork, meditation, therapy, laughter, and human connection aren’t fluff—they’re regulators.

When you breathe deeply, talk things out, laugh, or feel safe with someone, your brain gets the signal: “We’re not in danger anymore.” This slows your heart rate, lowers cortisol, and brings your body back to baseline.

Daily rhythm anchors: wake/sleep times, consistent and predictable routines

When you wake up, eat, move, and wind down around the same time each day, your body builds a reliable internal clock. That clock tells your all of your hormones when to show up and when to chill out. Less “hustle,” more intentional timing.

Cortisol & Exercise: Adaptation, Not Destruction

Scientific Role:

Cortisol naturally rises during exercise to help your body perform. It mobilizes energy, increases blood flow, and sharpens focus so you can lift, sprint, or sustain effort. This is called an adaptive stress response—meaning it’s supposed to happen and actually helps your body get stronger, faster, and more resilient over time.

The issue? Not the spike. It’s chronic elevation due to poor recovery, under-fueling, or training like every workout needs to “wreck” you.

Popular Myths:

“HIIT wrecks your hormones”
This is mostly fear-based content based on cherry-picked anecdotes. For most healthy women, HIIT 1–3x per week (with proper fuel and recovery) is totally safe—and beneficial for insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular health, and mood.

“Women shouldn’t lift heavy—it spikes cortisol”
Yes, lifting causes a short-term cortisol rise—but so does waking up in the morning. That rise is part of how your body adapts, recovers, and grows stronger. Avoiding strength training for hormone reasons is like avoiding sunlight so you don’t squint.

“Only yoga and walking are hormone-friendly”
Low-intensity movement is amazing—but it’s not the only thing that supports hormone health. Too little challenge can also be a stressor when your body is craving strength, variety, and progression.

“If you’re tired, you should never push through a workout”
Context matters. Sometimes movement gives energy. Other times, rest is better. The key is resilience, not avoidance.

Evidence-Based Movement Strategies:

Train with variety: strength, cardio, and low-intensity work
Your body thrives on rhythm, not rigidity. Strength + some HIIT + walking + rest = a system that supports hormones and performance.

Respect recovery like you respect your lifts
Progress happens when you recover. Prioritize sleep, rest days, de-loads, and movement that doesn’t always leave you exhausted.

Fuel your fucking body—especially around workouts
Training fasted or under-eating after workouts keeps cortisol elevated longer. Carbs + protein around workouts support performance and recovery.

Track your total stress load, not just training volume
If life stress is high, dial the intensity down—not because cortisol is evil, but because your cup is already full. Exercise should regulate, not overflow.

Cortisol & Nutrition: Fueling, Not Fearing

Scientific Role:

Cortisol plays a big role in how your body manages energy. When blood sugar drops (like during long fasts, skipped meals, or restrictive dieting), cortisol rises to signal your liver to release glucose into the bloodstream. This keeps you going—but when it happens too often, it keeps you in a constant state of energy debt.

Cortisol also interacts with hunger and fullness hormones—so under-fueling, especially when paired with stress or intense training, makes your body more reactive, more inflamed, and more likely to hold onto energy stores.

Popular Myths:

“Carbs spike cortisol and make you store fat”
Actually, lack of carbs keeps cortisol high. Carbs help blunt the stress response, especially around training or during recovery phases.

“Fasting in the morning balances hormones”
For some people, intentional fasting is fine. But for many women, fasting—especially in high-stress seasons—prolongs the cortisol spike and can disrupt energy, mood, and cycle health.

“Caffeine is bad for your adrenals”
Caffeine isn’t inherently harmful—but having it on an empty stomach can make cortisol spike higher than necessary. Pair it with food and you’re golden.

“You need special powders, hormone teas, or detox plans”
You don’t need a detox—you need to eat enough, regularly, with fiber and protein. Your liver and kidneys already detox your hormones daily. No adaptogen blend required.

Evidence-Based Nutrition Strategies:

Eat enough. Seriously.
Chronically under-eating is one of the most common reasons for high cortisol and low energy. Hormones don’t thrive in a scarcity mindset (and neither do you).

Eat regularly—every 3–5 hours
This keeps your blood sugar stable and your stress response calmer. Cortisol doesn’t have to come to the rescue if you’re feeding yourself consistently.

Eat breakfast within 1–2 hours of waking
This is especially helpful for regulating your cortisol awakening response, which peaks in the morning. A protein-forward meal helps bring you into balance.

Have caffeine with food, not before it
Caffeine isn’t bad—but without food, it can amplify cortisol’s morning peak and cause a bigger energy crash later.

Cortisol Isn’t the Enemy.

Chronic Stress Without Recovery Is.

You don’t need to fear your hormones. You need to understand them. Cortisol isn’t bad—it’s necessary. But when your system is constantly in fight-or-flight without rest, it gets stuck in the “on” position.

The solution isn’t extreme restriction, fear-based protocols, or $200 hormone panels on Instagram.

The solution is:

• Eat enough

• Move consistently

• Recover intentionally

• Do things to make you feel safe

• Follow a routine when you can

Your hormones don’t need micromanaging. Or demonizing. They you to understand them. They need intentional support and a lot more love than hate.

Skip the bread? Strong.
Power through hunger? Motivated.
Run on caffeine and vibes until dinner? Inspirational.

But none of that is wellness.
It’s survival disguised as virtue.
And it’s making someone else a lot of money.

Nutrition Isn’t Actually That Complicated

Despite what Instagram would have you believe—nutrition is not that complicated.
Psychologically nuanced? Yes.
But confusing from a physiological perspective? Absolutely not.

Yes, there are hundreds of approaches pushed by thousands of people (half of whom have never taken a single course in nutrition).
But the science? It’s solid. It’s simple. It’s not new.

Your body needs food.
It needs enough of it.

And when it doesn’t get enough, it adapts:

• It becomes more efficient at conserving energy.

• It pulls back on things that aren't essential: muscle maintenance, mood regulation, energy output.

All in the name of survival.

The Metabolism Breakdown

Let’s look at where your daily calorie burn actually comes from:

• 70% just staying alive (Basal Metabolic Rate / BMR)

• 10–15% daily movement (Non-Exercise Activity / NEAT)

• 10% digesting food (Thermic Effect of Food / TEF)

• 5–10% exercise (Exercise Activity / EAT)

So yes—your body burns most of its calories just keeping you alive:
Breathing. Thinking. Repairing. Digesting. Regulating.

When you chronically undereat, your body responds through adaptive thermogenesis. It doesn't "shut off," but it downshifts to protect you:

• BMR drops to conserve energy

• Muscle loss occurs without fuel (less muscle = lower BMR)

• NEAT naturally decreases (less movement, even without noticing)

• Hormones shift (appetite and energy tank, especially in peri/postmenopausal women)

And remember: your BMR is influenced by muscle mass. More muscle = more calories burned at rest.

Protein also has the highest Thermic Effect of Food, meaning your body burns more calories just to digest it.

The good news? Your metabolism is wildly adaptable.
It doesn’t need a cleanse. It doesn’t need a reset.
It needs fuel. It needs movement. It needs food worth digesting.

Stop starving it—and start giving it reasons to fire on all cylinders.

The Restriction Trap (and Why We Applaud It)

When you chronically undereat:

• Your body breaks down muscle for fuel

• Hormones tank (hello, sleep issues and energy crashes)

• Nutrient deficiencies creep in—even if you’re eating "clean"

Sure, you might get leaner—for a little while, and at a high cost.
But you’re also getting less resilient. Less regulated. Less you.

And just when you crash, the industry rolls out its "fix": A $47 supplement. A 14-day reset. A whisper that you are the problem.

They call it discipline. Skip meals? Strong.
Lose weight fast? Dedicated.
Eat “clean” but feel awful? Keep going—you’re glowing.

We don’t ask if you feel energized—we ask what you’ve cut out.
We don’t ask if you feel nourished—we ask how much you’ve lost.

And when you burn out? You’re met with blame. Not that you were underfed. Not that you were unsupported. Not that you were surviving in a system that rewards control over care.

Just that you didn’t try hard enough. Didn’t pick the right plan. Didn’t have the willpower.

The Mental Load of It All

And of course you’re conflicted. You do love your body—or at least, you’re trying to. You know everything it’s carried you through.

But you’ve also been taught to hate it. To shrink it.
To see any softness, any curve, any ounce of extra you as something to fix.

How could you not want to change it? The pressure is everywhere. It's loud. It's relentless.

So when your energy tanks or progress stalls, the message isn’t “maybe you’re underfed.”
It’s: you failed.

What You Can Do Right Now

Stop measuring your worth in willpower.
Start measuring your energy, your recovery, your quality of life.

Think of food as something you give your body to grow—
not something you withhold to make it shrink.

• Add a fibrous carb to breakfast—for energy. Not to trick your body into skipping lunch.

• Add protein to lunch—for strength. Not because an influencer said it curbs cravings.

• Add fat to dinner—for recovery. Not because you're scared of carbs and need a placeholder.

Work With People Who Get It

Talk to someone who is compassionate, science-literate, and fully aware that the human relationship with food has never been more complex.

Not all nutrition professionals are created equal. And this industry?
It’s wildly unregulated, with massive gaps in oversight, education, and ethics.

You deserve a provider who gives you clarity—not confusion.
Because the science? Still the science.

Not sure where to start?
I’ll talk to you—for free.
I’ll give you a starting point—for free.

No gatekeeping. No sales funnel. No shame. Just real help, rooted in science, for real people living real lives.

You’re already enough, now eat accordingly.

I’ve worked with plenty of hardworking, intelligent, and incredible people to see that most people aren’t falling short because they’re lazy or unmotivated—they’re falling short because the system wasn’t built with their reality in mind. Nutrition isn’t just about food. It’s about privilege, patterns, bandwidth, and surviving capitalism with your dignity intact.

And I’m done pretending otherwise.

So let’s talk about it. Like, actually talk about it.

Nutritional privilege is blaming individuals for what capitalism created— and calling it motivation.

Nutritional privilege is calling it "simple" when you’ve never had to unlearn decades of shame, scarcity, and silence around food.

Nutritional privilege is labeling your habits as "clean eating" while judging people who rely on convenience—without ever questioning if you actually understand nutrition. Convenience doesn’t equal failure. Sometimes it equals survival.

Nutritional privilege is calling meal prepping "discipline" calling meal prepping “discipline”—when you’ve got the time, money, and fridge space to do it. It’s about 30% grit, but 70% access.

Nutritional privilege is judging food choices when you’ve never had to choose between gas and groceries. If you haven’t stood in that moment, maybe don’t speak on it.

Nutritional privilege is thinking people don’t know what to eat, when the system has made the right choice the hardest one. This isn’t a knowledge gap—it’s a resource gap.

Nutritional privilege is assuming wellness is universal, when it collapses the second someone loses childcare, housing, or income. True wellness has to be adaptable—or it’s not wellness at all.

Nutritional privilege is having a quiet, clean kitchen to cook in, while others are juggling three meals in chaos, noise, and constant interruption.

Nutritional privilege is being able to work out because someone else is watching your kids. Or because you don’t have to pick up a second shift tonight.

Nutritional privilege is having the mental bandwidth to plan meals, when others are still in survival mode from the night before.

Nutritional privilege is being able to hire a nutrition coach, when it’s simply not in the budget for most people.

And before anyone starts furiously typing a rebuttal in the comments: this isn’t about discrediting your effort. I’m not here to dismiss your progress, your pain, or your personal healing. We’ve all had our own battles.

But when it comes to food, health, and access—we’re not all starting from the same damn line. Some people begin the race with a head start. Some begin with weights tied to their ankles. Some are still trying to find the damn track while others are halfway through the finish line—smoothie in hand (because that’s good post-race nutrition.)

This isn’t about guilt. It’s about awareness—of the access that others don’t have in a system that profits on people staying underfed and overworked.

Because here’s the truth: when you’re struggling with your health—especially your weight—the world will throw a thousand tired lines at you:
“Just try harder.”
“Eat less, move more.”
“You must not want it bad enough.”
As if discipline can override medical debt, exhaustion, or time poverty.
As if broccoli can fix broken systems.

If you see yourself in these barriers, no—you’re not doomed. But it does mean you have to get brutally honest about what your life actually looks like. Quit shaming yourself out of systems that work for you just because someone on the internet said your protein shake is toxic or that frozen meals are a moral failure.

Find nourishing foods you actually like. Make a plan you can follow on your worst day. And do that—on repeat. Slowly, consistently, imperfectly. Adjust when life demands it.

If you’re still here, hi. Grab a seat out of the heat.

This blog, Spot in the Shade, is where I:

• Break down research on fitness and nutrition in a way that makes sense. Digestible. Science-forward. Accessible. Research by all voices and studies on all bodies.

• Write how-to guides for figuring out how much you actually need to eat for your goals (without spiraling or hiring anyone, myself included)

• Share free, accessible workouts for people with limited time, space, or energy.

• Say what I really think about fitness and nutrition trends (spoiler: it’s not always nice, but it’s always backed by meta-analyses and double-blind research studies).

• Open my DMs to anyone who feels lost, burned out, or just wants to know where the hell to start

Subscribe now