The Tamesis
If all your conversations suddenly revolve around thinning hair, mood swings, and stubborn weight gain, congratulations: You may be in perimenopause, the transitional stage before full-blown menopause. Other signs? You wake up at three in the morning for no reason, your brain feels cloudy, and everything feels more stressful than before.
You can thank your hormones, including cortisol. Cortisol, also known as the body’s primary stress hormone, is supposed to follow a predictable rhythm: high in the morning and low at night. “But during perimenopause and menopause, changes in estrogen and progesterone can make the body’s stress response more active,” explains functional diagnostic nutritionist and holistic nutritionist Selina Rose. “Estrogen helps buffer cortisol, so when cortisol fluctuates, many women experience increased anxiety, disrupted sleep, and a ‘tense but tired’ feeling. At the same time, more blood sugar fluctuations may occur during this phase, which further triggers cortisol release. These hormonal and metabolic changes work together to amplify overall stress. The result can be a feeling that your nervous system is in a permanent state of exhaustion, even on days when nothing is technically wrong.”
To combat this problem, you might make the honest mistake of being more rigorous with your exercise program. But this can actually increase your cortisol, leading to a vicious cycle that’s hard to escape—especially if you’re also dealing with ongoing weight gain. “Menopause often causes a redistribution of fat into the abdomen, and this fat is visceral fat, which can actually produce its own cortisol. This creates a cycle where elevated cortisol causes more fat to accumulate, and then the fat produces more cortisol locally,” explains Dr. Jodi-Ann McLean, a physician and health writer who specializes in female hormonal and metabolic health. “It’s difficult to break the cycle without addressing the underlying hormonal issues. This is one reason why weight gain associated with menopause, especially in midlife, is so resistant to diet and exercise alone.”
If this sounds bleak, take a deep breath. Here are 11 simple and relatively easy ways to help lower cortisol during perimenopause and menopause.
1. Stabilize blood sugar
“One of the most effective strategies is to stabilize blood sugar,” says Ross. “During perimenopause, spikes and crashes may trigger additional cortisol release. Meals containing protein, healthy fats, and fiber can help slow glucose absorption and support a more stable stress response.”
However, this doesn’t mean you need to calculate macros. “Even if you’re gaining weight, don’t restrict your diet,” stresses Pam Reese, a stress management expert who specializes in midlife women. “Instead, focus on a balanced diet that you enjoy, emphasizing nutritious foods like whole grains, fatty fish, fruits, and vegetables, while still leaving room for dessert. Dieting only leads to higher cortisol levels and other quality-of-life consequences, such as preoccupation with food, poor concentration, overeating, and social isolation. Additionally, restrictive diets almost always lead to eventual weight regain.”
2. Eat a high-protein breakfast
To this end, focusing on eating a high-protein, cortisol-stabilizing breakfast within 60 to 90 minutes of waking up may be a viable way to change your diet without restrictions. “A high-protein breakfast paired with fiber and healthy fats helps stabilize blood sugar and reduce cortisol-induced crashes later in the day,” explains Ana Bueno, an anti-inflammatory nutritionist who specializes in women’s metabolic and hormonal health. “Think: eggs, sautéed veggies and avocado, or Greek yogurt, chia seeds and berries, or tofu sauteed in olive oil.”
