The lowdown on cortisol…
Hi WISEfit family!
It’s great to be back into the swing of things after the holiday season, though I’ll admit, I’m still working on busting some of the habits I established during those long weeks of celebration. For me, the biggest issues are sugar and alcohol. The hubs and I had gotten pretty good about not drinking during the week at all, and that’s what I’m striving to get back to. One “drinking night” a week should be enough, really. (And my Oura ring gives me all kinds of guilt when I don’t adhere to that… my heartrate stays elevated, my HRV stays low. You’d think that just seeing how terrible alcohol is for my heart would be enough to change the habit, but that just isn’t how vices work, is it??)
I’ve talked to lots of you about your own efforts toward healthier habits too, so if nothing else, I hope this shows that you’re not alone. We all struggle! The really important thing is to look at today and yesterday as a point in time, not as some kind of decisive qualifier or judgment about you as a person. My health goals are on a continuum — sure, I might not be in the healthiest place this week, but when I look back over the last few years, I’m in a much better place than I was 5 years ago! And today is a whole new day to build on healthy habits instead of sustaining the ones I know don’t serve me.
What we are doing together — building strength for longevity — it’s not something that happens overnight. And it’s not about looking good in a swimsuit (though I promise, if you stick with it, that comes too). It’s about creating a sustainable life, one that allows you to enjoy the things you love long into the future. Maybe your arms aren’t as smooth and firm as you’d like. Maybe your butt isn’t as perky as it once was. But when it’s all said and done, I can’t imagine a single one of us looking back at those things as the markers of whether we led the life we wanted. For me, it’s about travel and doing, and being with my family. And though I’d love to look amazing during all that togetherness, I don’t think my kids will remember if I looked good. They’ll remember that I WAS THERE. DOING. WITH THEM.
This week’s note is about mindset. Stop beating yourself up and living with rules about what you can and can’t eat, or good foods and bad. Stop trying to shrink and buying into the belief that skinny women are somehow better women. Take up space. Live your life. Fuel your body and stop apologizing.
I’ve been talking with a lot of you about stress this week… not necessarily the kind of stress you think of. But the constant load most women carry — our mental lists and schedules, our responsibility for everything (including things we can’t control: Will he get there in time? Will she make friends? Did I forget something?). This kind of low-level stress is something women carry throughout our lives. It’s how we’re made.
What changes in midlife is how our bodies respond to that stress. As estrogen declines, cortisol — our primary stress hormone — tends to run higher and stay elevated longer. Cortisol is meant to be helpful in short bursts, but when it’s chronically elevated, it sends a clear message to the body: store energy, conserve fuel, stay alert. The result? Increased fat storage (especially around the abdomen), more water retention, disrupted sleep, and a frustrating resistance to weight loss — even when nutrition and exercise are “on point.”
This is why so many women feel like the rules suddenly changed. It’s not a lack of discipline or effort. It’s biology. In midlife, stress becomes louder, recovery takes longer, and the body is less willing to part with stored energy when it perceives ongoing threat — even the quiet, everyday kind. That’s also why piling on more workouts, more restriction, or more pressure often backfires. Reducing stress isn’t indulgent; it’s metabolic strategy. When cortisol comes down, the body finally gets the signal that it’s safe to adapt, build muscle, and let go of stored weight.
Dr. Mary Claire Haver is one of my favorite voices in this space. She’s got a great post here talking about how cortisol, menopause, and depression are linked.
She is one of many authorities discussing the effects estrogen (and the loss of it) has on cortisol and how that deeply impacts every part of our lives as midlife women.
The good news is that there are lots of stress relief techniques available, many of which you may have written off as silly or not worth your time… It might be time to rethink that, especially if you’ve been telling yourself that “go, go, go” is just your personality.
5 simple ways to lower cortisol (especially in midlife)
Eat earlier and don’t under-fuel. Long gaps without food keep cortisol elevated. Aim to eat within 60–90 minutes of waking and include protein and carbs.
Walk daily — but keep it easy. 20–30 minutes at a conversational pace lowers stress hormones. Hard cardio does the opposite.
Lift heavy, but don’t stack stress. Strength training helps if you recover. Avoid back-to-back hard days and leave workouts feeling worked, not wrecked.
Protect sleep like it’s training. Poor sleep raises cortisol and makes fat loss harder. Keep a consistent bedtime and avoid late-night intensity.
Use a quick breathing reset.
Inhale 4 seconds through the nose, exhale 6–8 seconds through the mouth. Repeat for 2–4 minutes to calm the nervous system.
Bottom line: Lowering cortisol isn’t about doing less — it’s about doing what your body can actually adapt to.
Want more?
Study: Cortisol levels during the menopausal transition and metabolic risk
This study examined how cortisol changes across menopause and its potential links to metabolic syndrome and health outcomes. It found that cortisol levels may rise during the menopausal transition, which could be associated with risk factors like lipid changes and metabolic disruption in midlife women.
Roundup: Article from Benenden Hospital: During menopause, hormonal fluctuations can further exacerbate stress responses, resulting in higher cortisol levels and a range of symptoms that overlap with menopausal changes. Understanding the impact of cortisol during menopause is vital for managing health and wellbeing during this transitional phase.
I’ve been getting lots of questions about supplements… Quick caveat first: I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist. This isn’t medical advice — it’s simply what I’ve chosen for myself, based on my training, research, labs, and conversations with medical professionals.
For me, supplements are there to support the basics, not replace them. They don’t fix chronic stress, poor sleep, or under-fueling — but they can help when those foundations are mostly in place.
Here’s what I personally use, and why:
Protein powder – A practical way to consistently hit protein needs, especially on busy days. Protein is critical for muscle, metabolism, and recovery in midlife.
EAAs (essential amino acids) – Support muscle protein synthesis, particularly around training or when appetite is low.
Creatine – Helps preserve strength and lean mass, supports performance, and has growing evidence for cognitive benefits with aging.
Vitamin D + K2 – Important for bone health, muscle function, and immune support, especially in midlife.
Fish oil (omega-3s) – Supports joint health, inflammation management, and cardiovascular health.
Magnesium (with theanine, at night) – Helps with sleep quality, relaxation, and nervous system support.
Glycine – A simple amino acid that supports sleep quality, nervous system calm, and connective tissue health.
Choline – Supports brain health, liver function, and muscle control; many women don’t get enough from food alone.
Electrolytes – Support hydration and performance, especially with training, altitude, or dry climates.
A quick note on collagen: I don’t personally supplement collagen. While it can be helpful for some people, it’s not a complete protein and doesn’t stimulate muscle protein synthesis the way essential amino acids do. Since my priority is muscle, strength, and metabolic health in midlife, I focus on complete protein sources and targeted amino acids instead.
In addition, I use estrogen and progesterone under medical supervision. Hormone therapy isn’t about “anti-aging” — it’s about replacing what naturally declines with age. For many women, it can support bone density, muscle retention, sleep, mood, and overall quality of life. It’s not right for everyone, and it’s always a decision to make with a qualified healthcare provider.
The takeaway: supplements are tools, not solutions. More isn’t better, and what works for one woman may not work for another. Start with food, sleep, movement, and stress — then use supplements intentionally to support those foundations.
(This was from my newsletter sent January 25, 2026. Subscribe from my home page!)