The holiday season often brings joy, togetherness—and a fair amount of stress. Between travel, social events, and sugary indulgences, many women find themselves exhausted, craving sugar, and struggling to keep their energy stable.
For others, this season leaves an unwelcome reminder in the mirror: post-holiday weight gain, particularly the stubborn belly pooch that seems to appear overnight.
While these changes may seem like “just part of the season,” there’s a deeper connection at play: your blood sugar and cortisol levels are speaking to each other.
Understanding this connection—and learning how to keep both systems balanced—can help you navigate the holidays with steady energy, a calm mind, and fewer post-meal crashes.
How Cortisol and Blood Sugar Affect Each Other
Cortisol, often called the “stress hormone,” is released by the adrenal glands as part of the body’s natural stress response. It helps increase glucose in the bloodstream, giving your body quick access to energy during moments of perceived danger or demand.
However, when cortisol levels remain elevated—whether from emotional stress, lack of sleep, or skipped meals—your body continues releasing glucose, even when you don’t need it. Over time, this can lead to insulin resistance, energy crashes, and difficulty releasing weight.
Conversely, when blood sugar drops too low, the body sees it as a stressor and releases more cortisol to bring it back up. This creates a cycle where stress raises blood sugar, and low blood sugar raises stress.
Menopause compounds this effect. As estrogen declines, insulin sensitivity can decrease, while cortisol responses often intensify—making it easier to gain weight around the abdomen and harder to maintain stable energy. Chronically elevated cortisol signals the body to store more visceral fat—particularly in the belly region—where it can easily access energy in times of perceived stress. This is why so many women notice a midsection shift or “menopause belly” even without major lifestyle changes.
Holiday Triggers That Disrupt Balance
Several common holiday habits feed directly into this cortisol–glucose loop:
- Sugary foods and refined carbohydrates cause rapid blood sugar spikes and crashes, driving cravings and mood swings.
- Caffeine and alcohol elevate cortisol and stress the liver, impairing blood sugar regulation.
- Sleep deprivation and rushing interfere with hormone regulation and increase late-night hunger or snacking.
- Emotional stress—from family dynamics to overcommitment—keeps cortisol high, even when physical activity is low.
Recognizing these patterns is the first step toward reclaiming balance.
Practical Strategies to Break the Cycle
1. Start Your Day With a Balanced Breakfast
Skipping breakfast or relying on coffee alone can raise cortisol and make blood sugar unstable for the rest of the day. A meal with protein, healthy fats, and fiber—such as tofu (or eggs) with avocado and sautéed greens—helps blunt blood sugar spikes and keeps cortisol in check.
2. Pair Carbohydrates With Protein or Fat
When you enjoy holiday treats, combine them with protein or healthy fat. For example, eat a handful of nuts with dessert or add nut butter to fruit. This slows glucose absorption and reduces post-meal crashes.
3. Move Your Body After Meals
A short 10–15 minute walk after eating can help muscles use glucose efficiently, lowering blood sugar and stress levels simultaneously. Gentle movement also supports digestion and reduces the feeling of post-meal sluggishness.
4. Manage Stress Before It Manages You
Simple, consistent stress management helps calm cortisol and support digestion:
- Practice slow, diaphragmatic breathing for 3–5 minutes before meals.
- Engage your senses—smell, see, and anticipate your food—to stimulate the vagus nerve and prepare your digestive system.
- Create evening rituals like light stretching, journaling, or gratitude reflection to help your body shift into a restorative state.
When the nervous system feels safe, cortisol levels normalize, insulin becomes more responsive, and digestion improves.
5. Hydrate Smartly and Consistently
Hydration supports blood volume, kidney function, and the transport of glucose and hormones. Aim for consistent water intake throughout the day rather than “catch-up” hydration after exertion.
Adding a pinch of mineral-rich salt (like Celtic or Himalayan) and a squeeze of lemon can replenish trace minerals and support adrenal health—without the excess sodium or sugars found in most electrolyte drinks.
Mindset and Meal Rhythm
Your body thrives on consistency. Eating at regular intervals (every 3–4 hours during busy days) prevents the cortisol surges triggered by low blood sugar.
Also, shift the mindset from restriction to nourishment. Holidays are about connection, not deprivation. When you slow down, eat mindfully, and appreciate your meal, you stimulate your parasympathetic “rest and digest” response—enhancing nutrient absorption and easing tension.
Simple practices like gratitude or prayer before meals can help center your focus, signaling to your body that it’s time to receive nourishment.
When to Seek Extra Support
If you’re doing “everything right” but still experience fatigue, cravings, anxiety, or stubborn weight retention, there may be deeper factors at play—such as thyroid imbalances, cortisol rhythm disruption, or perimenopausal hormone changes.
Advanced testing and individualized guidance can uncover these hidden patterns and guide a plan for restoring balance. Contact the UPLEVEL Holistic Health Team for mentorship through this year’s holidays and the holidays and celebrations yet to come.
The Takeaway
The relationship between blood sugar and cortisol is powerful—but it’s also modifiable. With mindful nutrition, consistent hydration, nervous system care, and strategic nutrient support, you can reset this cycle.
This season, let your energy—not your stress—set the tone for your holidays.
In thriving health and joy,
Dr. Lexie Ching, ND
UPLEVEL Holistic Health
Resources
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2. Lee DY, Kim E, Choi MH. Technical and clinical aspects of cortisol as a biochemical marker of chronic stress. BMB Rep. 2015;48(4):209-216. doi:10.5483/bmbrep.2015.48.4.275
3. Joseph JJ, Golden SH. Cortisol dysregulation: the bidirectional link between stress, depression, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2017;1391(1):20-34. doi:10.1111/nyas.13217
4. Kyrou I, Tsigos C. Stress hormones: physiological stress and regulation of metabolism. Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2009;9(6):787-793. doi:10.1016/j.coph.2009.08.007
5. Lee DY, Kim E, Choi MH. Technical and clinical aspects of cortisol as a biochemical marker of chronic stress. BMB Rep. 2015;48(4):209-216. doi:10.5483/bmbrep.2015.48.4.275
6. Joseph JJ, Golden SH. Cortisol dysregulation: the bidirectional link between stress, depression, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2017;1391(1):20-34. doi:10.1111/nyas.13217
7. Kamba A et. al. Association between higher serum cortisol levels and decreased insulin secreation in a general population. PLoS One. 2016;11(11):e0166077. Kyrou I, Tsigos C. Stress hormones: physiological stress and regulation of metabolism. Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2009;9(6):787-793. doi:10.1016/j.coph.2009.08.007
8. Lee DY, Kim E, Choi MH. Technical and clinical aspects of cortisol as a biochemical marker of chronic stress. BMB Rep. 2015;48(4):209-216. doi:10.5483/bmbrep.2015.48.4.2759. Joseph JJ, Golden SH. Cortisol dysregulation: the bidirectional link between stress, depression, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2017;1391(1):20-34. doi:10.1111/nyas.13217
9. Joseph JJ, Golden SH. Cortisol dysregulation: the bidirectional link between stress, depression, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2017;1391(1):20-34. doi:10.1111/nyas.13217