A Love Letter to the Scientifically stressed
Understanding the hot hormone of the week—and why you should start supporting your cortisol instead of hating her.
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"
But here’s the thing: cortisol isn’t out to get you. It’s not trying to wreck your body, ruin your sleep, or sabotage your workouts. It’s a misunderstood hormone doing exactly what it’s supposed to do—help you survive.
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.
In short, we want cortisol to be that reliable co-worker—the one with the right vibe at the right moments, who drops off a 2pm snack to get you through the slump, and clocks in and out like a pro. Not the chaotic one who paces around the office, ghosts after lunch for “an appointment,” and sends panic emails at midnight.
We don’t want cortisol gone, we just want her to be on the right schedule.
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.
You don’t need to eliminate stress. You need to become someone who can come down from it.
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.
You don’t need to stop training hard—you just need to recover smart. Let your workouts challenge you. Let your recovery regulate you. That’s how cortisol does its job—and how you get stronger without burning out.
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.
Food isn’t just fuel—it’s hormonal communication.
You don’t need to restrict harder. You need to regulate better. Eat enough, eat consistently, and let food calm your system—not stress it out.
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.