Balancing Blood Sugar to Calm Cortisol and Cool Your Hormones
If you’ve ever felt your body flip from fine to fiery in seconds, this one’s for you.
Hot flashes, anxiety, and that wired-but-tired feeling aren’t random. They’re signals.
And often, they’re pointing straight toward blood sugar and cortisol.
The Blood Sugar and Cortisol Connection
Here’s what happens behind the scenes.
When you skip meals, start your day with coffee on an empty stomach, or eat mostly carbs without protein or fat, your blood sugar spikes and then crashes.
That crash tells your body we’re in danger.
In response, your adrenals release cortisol, your built-in stress hormone, to bring blood sugar back up.
The problem is that chronic spikes and drops keep cortisol running the show.
And when cortisol stays high for too long, your body begins to downregulate hormone production, especially estrogen and progesterone.
That’s when the hot flashes, sleep issues, and anxiety start rolling in.
Cortisol and your hormones are like siblings sharing one swing. When one goes too high, the other can’t find balance.
How to Steady Your Blood Sugar and Your Mood
Balancing your blood sugar is about messaging.
Every bite tells your body whether you’re safe or stressed.
Here’s how to start sending the right signals.
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Eat in Order
Begin meals with fat, protein, and veggies, then move to carbs or something sweet.
This slows glucose absorption, keeps you in “slow burn” metabolism, and prevents the cortisol roller coaster. -
Eat Foods That Keep You Steady
These five are your hormone helpers.-
🥑 Avocado – fiber and fat for long-lasting energy
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🥥 Good fats – MCT oil and ghee help stabilize glucose (yes, SuperCube counts here)
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🥄 Nut butter – balanced protein and fat for steady focus
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🌸 Probiotic-rich foods – kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir keep your gut and hormones happy
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🍳 Protein – eggs, salmon, lentils, or collagen support your metabolism and blood sugar
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Be Honest with Your Body
Observe how you feel after you eat.
Are you wired or calm? Hungry again too soon or steady for hours?
This is how you become a teammate with your body, working with it instead of against it.
No apps, no macros, no quick fixes. Just observation, compassion, and consistency.
The Roller Coaster Ride You Don’t Want a Ticket For
When you’re stressed, cortisol spikes.
When cortisol spikes, appetite drops or cravings take over.
And when that happens, blood sugar swings like a pendulum.
Your poor hormones?
They’re riding bareback, gripping the bull, trying to stay on while you sprint through your day.
This is why nervous system regulation, steady meals, and slow mornings matter.
Your hormones thrive in rhythm, not in chaos.
The Takeaway: Feed Your Calm
The more stable your blood sugar, the steadier your mood, energy, and hormones.
Start your day with nourishment, not adrenaline.
Lead with presence, not panic.
Because hot flashes are optional, especially when you stop spiking and start listening.
💛 Learn more inside Tame the Beast, Tend the Flame, available to learn online for the new year! Or if you live in Portland, you can experience this in person including acupuncture through PDX Acupuncture.
It’s time to work with your body, not against it.