You’ve probably heard cortisol described as the "stress hormone." But cortisol isn’t your enemy — it’s your body’s built-in survival mechanism. The problem? In today’s world, your cortisol system is often stuck in overdrive.

What Is Cortisol, Really?

Cortisol is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands. It helps regulate:

Blood sugar levels
Blood pressure
Energy production
Immune function
Sleep-wake cycles

When your brain senses danger — real or perceived — it sends a signal to pump out cortisol so you can react. It’s the classic "fight or flight" response. This system was designed for short-term threats like running from a tiger, not long-term stress like inbox overwhelm, poor sleep, or inflammation.

Signs Your Cortisol Might Be Out of Balance

When cortisol is too high for too long — or crashes from being burned out — you might notice:

Waking up exhausted, even after sleep
Crashing mid-afternoon or needing caffeine to get through the day
Wired at night but can’t fall asleep
Sugar or salt cravings
Anxiety, irritability, or low mood
Belly fat that won’t budge

Why Functional Nutrition Looks at Cortisol Differently

In the conventional model, these symptoms might be brushed off as anxiety, poor sleep hygiene, or just “getting older.” But in functional nutrition, we know better.

Chronic stress from:

Gut imbalances
Blood sugar spikes and crashes
Hidden inflammation
Overtraining or under-fueling
Environmental toxins

…can all dysregulate cortisol. And when cortisol is off, everything downstream — your thyroid, sex hormones, digestion, and even immune system — can spiral.

Testing Your Cortisol the Right Way

A single blood test at 8am doesn’t tell the whole story.

I use the DUTCH Complete test to map your cortisol rhythm across the day, along with other key hormone markers. This helps us understand:

Are you overproducing cortisol in the morning?
Flatlined by afternoon?
Wired at night?
Metabolizing hormones efficiently?

Knowing this changes everything about how we support your healing.

My Cortisol Crash Story

My first day of my new job, one week after moving from across the world.

When I was first diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, I was juggling a full-time job, a cross-continent move, and caregiving for my dad during his lung cancer diagnosis. I felt wired and anxious one minute, then bone-deep exhausted the next.

Conventional doctors told me to reduce stress (helpful, right?). Functional testing showed my cortisol was sky-high in the morning and flat by 2pm. No wonder I felt like I was running on fumes.

Healing started when I:

Rebuilt meals around protein + fiber
Prioritized sleep like it was medicine
Used adaptogens and gentle exercise
Said no more often

How You Can Support Your Cortisol Today

Eat breakfast with protein within an hour of waking
Ditch the caffeine on an empty stomach
Focus on blood sugar balance (protein + fat + fiber)
Add gentle movement: walking, yoga, Pilates
Prioritize 7–9 hours of sleep in a dark, cool room
Explore functional testing (like DUTCH) to get clarity

You’re not just “tired.” You’re biologically depleted. And you don’t have to push through it — there’s a better way.

If this feels familiar, you're not alone. I help women every day learn how to balance their cortisol, rebuild resilience, and feel like themselves again.

Want help decoding your stress and hormone story? Let’s talk.

Cortisol: Your Survival Hormone