A delicious habit I picked up in 2020 was frequently partaking in “fun” drinks (caffeine-based) in the forms of coffee, teas, and lattes. There was something incredibly grounding in the soothing warmth and rich flavors. In the summers I alternated with the iced versions.

During this time, I was transitioning between jobs (with mornings free), delving into photography, and felt a small semblance of control during an otherwise chaotic and stressful time.

I embarked on a journey through the city discovering local coffee shops and making connections, at a safe distance.

In the years that followed I began noticing that my metabolism wasn’t keeping up like it used to. After three and a half decades, my body felt like it was in a WWE Monday Night Raw free-for-all. Last year my husband and I also rescued a kitten who has completely shifted my sleeping pattern. This year I started noticing some weight gain, a puffy face, eye twitching, and an overall daily tired feeling, leading me to believe I was experiencing excess cortisol levels. I had already started intermittent fasting in the Fall of 2022, but caffeine had become an almost daily consumption, so I knew I needed to make some additional changes.

I started taking Magnesium Glycinate supplements, got back into working out, drinking more water, and decided to detox from caffeine – cold turkey – for a week. (I apologized to my husband in advance for any potential irritability.)

I was pretty tired in the afternoons, but I drank a lot of water during cravings and avoided supplementing with snacks. This resulted in a reduction of my daily sugar intake which, if you know me, I’m all about getting my Sweets on (e.g., ‘breakfast dessert,’ ‘lunch dessert,’ ‘snack sweet,’ etc.) I also tried to integrate a light breakfast daily as I was often drinking caffeine after a glass of water, but on an empty stomach.

At the time of this post, my eye twitches have ceased, and my face is less puffy. Going forward I plan to reduce my weekly intake of caffeine and try to make sure when I do partake, it is always with food on my stomach.

How have you dealt with high cortisol levels and its symptoms?