The Quick Hack You Can Use to Lower Your Cortisol

Let’s talk about cortisol, baby!

First of all, what is cortisol?

Cortisol is a handy hormone that triggers our ‘fight or flight’ instincts. So, in an unexpected and stressful situation, cortisol takes the wheel and gives us a friendly adrenaline boost to help us through it. It also helps our bods deal with some aspects of nutrition, like carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and keeps our blood sugar, blood pressure and sleep cycle in check. Cortisol is a very helpful little hormone indeed.

Sounds great!

It is! Cortisol is a very helpful little hormone indeed. But here’s the catch: when we go through prolonged periods of stress – such as work stress, buying a house or dealing with grief – our bodies can go into a permanent fight or flight mode. That basically means, we get into a cortisol-producing groove and make way too much of it, way too often. It’s like being on red alert twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Sounds exhausting? It absolutely is, and no one needs that.

What are the effects of too much cortisol?

Too much cortisol can lead to anxiety and depression, headaches, insomnia, concentration issues, digestive issues and even heart disease. Thumbs down. So basically, we need cortisol – but not too much of it.

So what’s the quick hack to lower cortisol?

Glad you asked! Our quick hack to help lower cortisol is a magical root called ashwagandha.

If you’re familiar with ayurveda, one of the world’s oldest holistic medical practices, then you might have come across ashwagandha before. Also known as ‘Indian ginseng’ and ‘winter cherry’, ashwagandha can help to naturally lower cortisol levels when it’s taken every day.

What’s the best way for me to reap the benefits of this wonder-root?

We recommend brewing a delicious cup of ashwagandha tea and incorporating it into your evening routine. Alternatively, boil a cup of milk, nut milk or oat milk, add a teaspoon of ashwagandha root and a squeeze of honey.

Taking ashwagandha regularly can help to reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep and digestion, and you’ll still have enough cortisol to get all the benefits from that to boot. Win-win!