Cortisol is your body’s main stress hormone. It gives you energy in the morning, helps you respond to challenges, and maintains important bodily functions like blood pressure and blood sugar levels in balance. But when your cortisol levels are too high or too low, you may feel tired, anxious, moody, or even gain weight around your stomach.
At Epicentre, we offer a simple blood test that checks your cortisol levels, allowing you to understand how your lifestyle may be affecting your stress and energy levels. Let’s break down how what you eat, how you sleep, and how you move your body all play a role.
Diet: What You Eat Can Raise or Lower Your Stress
Your body treats skipping meals or eating junk food like a mini emergency, and this can raise your cortisol levels.
• Not eating enough or following a strict diet can increase cortisol (Fukuda & Morimoto, 2001).
• On the other hand, balanced meals with enough fibre, protein, and healthy fats help your body feel safe and calm (Begdache et al., 2022).
• People who eat a poor diet tend to feel more stressed, especially women (Begdache et al., 2022).
Tip: Eat regular, nutritious meals to support steady energy and calmer stress levels.
Sleep: Cortisol Needs a Good Night’s Rest Too
Your cortisol levels naturally rise in the morning to help you wake up and then slowly drop at night to aid in sleep. However, if you don’t sleep well, this rhythm gets disrupted.
• Bad sleep or staying up too late raises cortisol the next day (Fukuda & Morimoto, 2001).
• People who work night shifts or have changing sleep schedules may have out-of-sync cortisol levels, making them feel more tired and moody.
• Long-term sleep problems can mess with your brain’s stress control system (Chu et al., 2024).
Tip: Try to sleep 7–9 hours at the same time each night to help maintain a balanced cortisol level.
Exercise: Find the Right Balance
Exercise is excellent for your mood and health, but excessive or intense exercise can be a problem.
Moderate workouts like walking, strength training, or yoga help lower cortisol (Duclos et al., 2022). But if you overdo it—especially without rest—your cortisol can go up and leave you feeling drained (Duclos et al., 2010; Fukuda & Morimoto, 2001). Athletes who train too hard or too often often have high cortisol levels, even when resting.
Tip: Move your body regularly, but don’t forget to rest and recover too.
Why Should You Get Your Cortisol Tested?
You might want to check your cortisol levels if you:
• Wake up tired or feel tired all day
• Feel anxious or moody often
• Can’t fall asleep or stay asleep
• Have belly fat that won’t budge
• Notice changes in your energy, periods, or sex drive
At Epicentre, we offer cortisol testing as part of our Functional Health Analysis. Your results come in a clear, colour-coded report with simple tips to help you get back on track.
Book Your Cortisol Test Today
If you’re feeling out of balance, a quick lab visit could help you find the cause. Our expert team at Epicentre will guide you every step of the way.
📍 Visit one of our Walk-In Labs in Cape Town, Durban, or Johannesburg—or contact us to book your test!
References
Begdache, L., et al. (2022). Dietary factors, time of the week, physical fitness and saliva cortisol: Their modulatory effect on mental distress and mood. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(7001). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127001
Chu, B., et al. (2024). Physiology, Stress Reaction. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541120/
Duclos, M., et al. (2022). The effects of physical activity on cortisol and sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 143, 105843. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105843
Duclos, M., et al. (2010). Acute and chronic effects of exercise on tissue sensitivity to glucocorticoids. Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 61(5), 19–26.
Fukuda, S., & Morimoto, K. (2001). Lifestyle, stress and cortisol response: Review II — Lifestyle. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 6(2), 15–21.
