For years, the stress hormone cortisol has been synonymous with belly fat. And now, low-cortisol plans and cortisol-detox diets are flooding social media. But how might these diet approaches help in the long term? We spoke to experts and learned the best nutrition and lifestyle strategies to outsmart the stress-fueled belly fat that can pile up in our hectic world. Keep reading to meet two women who learned to manage stress, rebalance their cortisol and shed unwanted weight.
What is cortisol?
The hormone cortisol, released by the adrenal glands, does more than just pack on belly fat. It’s actually important for a number of healthy functions.
“I don’t like to demonize cortisol because it’s an essential hormone that rises in the morning to help us start our day and drives the fight-or-flight response, which can help us escape danger like a house fire or a coyote attack,” says Yale-trained endocrinologist Florence Comite, MD.
Problems occur when cortisol stays chronically high, triggered by emotional stress or physical stressors like menopause, insomnia or even restrictive dieting.
How cortisol plays a role in weight gain
Chronically elevated cortisol levels “alter your system’s ability to metabolize glucose, or sugar,” says Dr. Comite. “Over time, high cortisol leads to weight gain, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and diabetes.” Data published in the Journal of Obesity suggest that as cortisol levels climb, belly fat doubles.
How? We’ve hinted at how cortisol raises blood sugar to provide energy to handle perceived danger. But functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner Marina Wright, author of the upcoming book The Cortisol Reset Plan, explains, “If that glucose isn’t used for energy, insulin helps store the excess sugar as fat.” Where? The belly!
Wright adds, “Fat cells in the abdominal region have more cortisol receptors than in other areas of the body.” And that’s dangerous since it is the type of fat that surrounds our organs and invades our liver. What’s more, she adds, “High cortisol levels can also interfere with hunger hormones, leading to cravings.”
Completely eliminating cortisol isn’t the goal
As Wright explains, “The goal is to keep it balanced: not too high, not too low.” Dr. Comite explains that achieving a healthy cortisol balance can “absolutely” help with weight loss. It’s what blocks fat, gives us energy to exercise and supports our mood to curb cravings.
“Cortisol diets cut excess inflammation and diabetes risk: two major drivers of weight gain.” —Jacob Teitelbaum, MD
How to follow a cortisol detox diet
To reduce your cortisol levels and bring them back to a healthy range, give these expert-backed diet tips a try:
Check your hormone levels
To start, ask your doctor for a fasting blood test or saliva tests to check your cortisol output. Dr. Comite suggests wearing an over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor for a few weeks to learn what foods or circumstances (like stressful situations or exercise) affect your body. “Those foods and activities that spike your glucose likely raise your cortisol as well,” she notes.
Reach for whole foods to support adrenals
Next, consume whole, clean foods that reduce inflammation and improve the body’s stress tolerance, like those in the Mediterranean diet. Build meals around protein (poultry, fish, lentils), fiber-rich plants (leafy greens) and healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, fatty fish, nuts and seeds).
Also key: Reduce or eliminate inflammatory or gut-stressing ingredients like highly processed foods, refined carbs (especially gluten), red meat, industrial seed oils, sugar, artificial sweeteners and alcohol.
At breakfast, for example, swap out toast and jam for cottage cheese with berries, nuts and seeds. Or try avocado slices on multigrain toast paired with eggs and chicken sausage. Wright says, “Regulating blood sugar and avoiding spikes and crashes should be a first-line approach to cut inflammation and support ideal cortisol production.”
Supplements can help with cortisol levels too
Try adding magnesium glycinate (known to calm the nervous system and linked to flatter bellies) and vitamin C (to aid the adrenals and immunity) to your daily regimen. B vitamins and omega-3 fats may also offer support, but always check with your doctor before starting a new supplement.
Consider a few lifestyle tweaks
- Get six to eight hours of sleep, a strategy proven to cut stress hormones in half and triple fat burn
- Practice mindfulness through meditation, prayer or yoga to reduce stress
- Hug someone you love to boost levels of the bonding hormone oxytocin, which high cortisol suppresses
- Drink plenty of water, since dehydration spikes cortisol
- Make a stress management plan, like enjoying a calming walk in nature when you’re tense
The benefits of a healthy cortisol detox diet
For women who adopt these changes, “the benefits can come quickly,” shares Wright, who has had great success helping people through her Adrenal Reset Program and her Cortisol-Balancing Kitchen recipes. They see improvements with blood sugar, fatigue, cravings and anxiety “almost immediately.” And weight loss comes next.
Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of From Fatigued to Fantastic!, says cortisol diets “cut excess inflammation and diabetes risk: two major drivers of weight gain.” He says, “It would not be uncommon to drop 10 or 20 pounds!”
Two inspiring cortisol detox diet success stories
These readers are proof of the power of a healthy cortisol detox diet.
Samantha lost 120 pounds: “No more aches and pains!”
Feeling stressed was a way of life for Samantha Tripp. “I was tired of being on the roller coaster with my weight.” So while trying to improve her gut health, she began using Plexus Reset, a nutritionally supported fast. It helped her cut out cortisol-spiking sugar and increase her water intake. The intermittent fasting helped switch her body from the work of constant digestion into “rest and repair.” She also walked and slept more. Soon, her energy soared. “I noticed a correlation between my gut health and my stress level.”
Samantha lost about two pounds every week, ultimately dropping more than 100 pounds and 13 belly inches. Today she says, “I’m refreshed when I get up in the morning. I find joy in simply having fewer aches and pains.” She adds, “I wish I knew years ago what I know now, but I’m certain the changes I’ve made will contribute to living a longer, more fulfilled life!”
Christine lost 27 pounds: “I finally feel like myself again!”
For a decade, Christine Marie lived with high stress as the foster mom to 77 different children. She suffered from anxiety, panic attacks, migraines, hair loss and extreme exhaustion. Then Christine took action to escape her constant fight-or-flight mode. She prioritized protein at meals to steady her blood sugar. She cut out alcohol, stayed hydrated, took magnesium and vitamin D supplements and went to bed at 9 pm. She aimed for gentle walking and Pilates workouts. She also prayed, wrote in a journal and practiced daily gratitude.
In all, Christine dropped four sizes and shed 30 inches from her body. She says, “My mind is clearer than ever and I finally feel like myself again.” Now she helps others as @cortisol_coach on Instagram. “This transformation didn’t just impact my health, it completely shifted my purpose. I experienced a full-body reset: physically, mentally and hormonally!”