You’ve heard of the cortisol mocktail, but what exactly is the cortisol diet? Over the past few years, diets like the keto diet and intermittent fasting have become incredibly popular. Healthy eating and dieting is nothing new, but we’ve definitely seen more of it on social media platforms over the years. Cortisol is a hormone that your adrenal glands produce and release. This hormone affects our bodies’ sleep cycle, hence why the cortisol mocktail is such a popular method for helping you fall asleep.

Cortisol also regulates your body’s stress and helps regulate blood pressure and blood sugar. So what exactly can a cortisol diet do for you? Here’s how to follow the cortisol diet.

How To Follow The Cortisol Diet

When following the cortisol diet, you have to stick to the basics and eat specific types of food. Whole-grain foods are a great way to go and are an essential part of incorporating this diet into your daily lifestyle. Because whole grains contain fiber, eating food high in fiber like oats, certain fruits, lentils, nuts and seeds are perfect for this diet. These foods tend to increase cortisol levels, which makes you more calm and relaxed.

For most diets, it’s important to drink plenty of water, and this one’s no different. For sweet treats, try to stick to foods like dark chocolate, which are high in fiber and release serotonin, taking away all of your stress within the first bite.

Meals and Snacks For This Diet

Trying to figure out what to cook for certain meals can be difficult sometimes, but luckily the cortisol diet makes it easy. For breakfast, foods like smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, berries, nuts and overnight oats are great options.

For lunch and dinner, foods like salmon, fish, beans, peas, vegetables and chickpeas are great for incorporating this diet into your meals. Trying to use ingredients like chia seeds and flax seeds in your meals are a great source of fiber and protein.

It’s easy to snack on food all day or try to make yourself a small meal before lunch or dinner. If you’re the type of person who likes to eat during the day, snack on foods like nuts, apples, carrots or bananas. For smaller meals or sides, you have options like avocado toast, chickpea pasta, popcorn, sweet potatoes and brown rice.

With any diet, it’s important to listen to your body and do what works best for you. Staying hydrated and exercising regularly is the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Of course, having sweet treats and cheat meals is okay in moderation, but if you’re following the cortisol detox diet, try to regularly incorporate these foods into your daily intake.