“So we’re talking about things like going a bit more plant-based.You want to be focusing away from heavy meat consumption, and trying to sneak in a few more portions of plants into your diet every day.”
There are plenty of plant-rich dishes in her cookbook, ranging from a chickpea and aubergine tagine, artichoke and asparagus pizzas and baked sweet potato stuffed with sauteed spinach and feta.
Lean into healthy fats
“Low fat is not the way to go with balancing your cortisol levels, because we need healthy fats to form hormones,” notes Dowden.
So what should you think about adding into your diet? “You would be looking at things like oily fish, nuts and seeds as your main oil and fat sources in the diet… Good fats are important,” she advises.
Omega-3 is brilliant, Dowden suggests,“Because they’re anti-inflammatory and help to keep your cortisol levels in check”.They can be found in oily fish, and if you’re vegan,“We’d be looking at things like flaxseeds and potentially supplements of omega-3s that are plant-based – you can get algae and things like that as sources.”
Look to cortisol-balancing ingredients
Dowden particularly picks out “phytochemicals like flavanols” as ingredients “which seem to optimise cortisol function”.
She says:“You could potentially swap to green tea, you could eat berries, you could have a cup of cocoa – these are some really good, rich flavanol sources, and they can be helpful.
“Magnesium is the other one, which is quite hard to find across foods, so you do need to be quite savvy about what you choose. Brazil nuts and almonds are really good sources – and pulses and green veggies. Make sure you have a different variety of those in your diet to get your magnesium, which will help with your stress levels.”
On top of this, she adds:“Lean proteins, not too much sugary food and not too much snacking, because you want to try and keep your blood sugar stable, that’s really helpful for cortisol levels.”
Enjoy food
While keeping stress levels in check is very much about healthy eating, it shouldn’t be a chore, Dowden says.
“Food is for enjoyment as well as nutrition and fueling. So the ritual of making meals, enjoying meals is important, because that in itself can be destressing.”
That’s why her cookbook has a dessert section, so you can still indulge in some sweet treats.They have been slightly optimised, with Dowden saying:“We tried to go for ones that had some level of fruit in them, so you’ll find lots of things like rhubard tarts and cherries and cinnamon, that kind of things – maybe nuts as well, wholegrains and oats.
“They’re never going to be absolutely virtuous, but you can make things just a little bit healthier and still be really enjoyable.”
The Cortisol Fix Recipe Book by Angela Dowden is published by Hamlyn, priced £18.99. Photography by William Shaw. Available now. Beans and peppers with harissa recipe This healthy, easy dish requires only 10 minutes of prep, taking the stress out of dinnertime.
But not only that, nutritionist Angela Dowden says the ingredients could also have a positive impact on your mental wellbeing.
“Providing slow-release energy, magnesium and fibre, this is the perfect dish for when you’re stressed,” she notes.
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