Stress is one of the most underestimated threats to long-term health. We talk about diet and exercise endlessly, but chronic stress — the kind that quietly accumulates over months and years — can unravel all of it. It disrupts hormones, depletes nutrients, suppresses immunity, and accelerates ageing at a cellular level. Understanding what it does to the body, and what genuinely helps, has been one of the most important parts of my own wellness journey.
I've built a daily and weekly routine around managing stress — not eliminating it, because that's not realistic, but giving my body the tools to recover from it. Daily yoga and breathwork, a mainly plant-based diet rich in raw living foods, wheatgrass and chlorella every day, magnesium glycinate every night, and liposomal B complex and vitamin C. And two practices that have made a profound difference: sauna and cold therapy.
What Stress Does to the Adrenal Glands
The adrenal glands sit above the kidneys and are your body's primary stress response system. They produce a cascade of hormones that regulate everything from energy and blood pressure to immunity and inflammation. When stress is chronic — whether physical, emotional, or environmental — the adrenals become overworked and eventually fatigued.
The hormones they produce include:
- Cortisol — your primary stress hormone, which controls how the body uses fats, carbohydrates and proteins
- Corticosteroids — which suppress inflammatory reactions and affect immunity
- Aldosterone — which regulates sodium and potassium and maintains blood pressure
- Adrenaline and noradrenaline — which mobilise the body's fight-or-flight response
- Androgenic steroids — precursors to oestrogen and testosterone
In short, the adrenals touch almost every system in the body. When they're struggling, you feel it everywhere.
What Chronic Stress Does to the Body
Beyond fatigue and anxiety, sustained high stress has measurable physiological effects:
- Lowers antioxidant levels
- Reduces natural killer cell activity — weakening immune defence
- Shrinks telomeres — accelerating cellular ageing
- Impairs insulin sensitivity
- Reduces nitric oxide levels, affecting circulation
- Degrades bone density over time
According to the American Institute of Stress, 75–90% of visits to the doctor are for stress-related issues. It is the root cause of many of the most serious chronic diseases — heart disease, cancer, autoimmune conditions — yet it remains chronically undertreated.
Common Stressors to Be Aware Of
- Bereavement, relationship breakdown, or major life change
- Chronic sleep deprivation
- Nutritional deficiencies — particularly B vitamins, magnesium and vitamin C
- Environmental toxins — heavy metals, pollution, and radiation
- Overtraining or under-recovery
- Perimenopause and menopause — hormonal fluctuation is itself a physiological stressor
Nutritional Support for the Adrenals
The adrenal glands have some of the highest concentrations of vitamin C in the body — and they burn through it rapidly under stress. Nutritional support is therefore one of the most direct ways to help them recover. Key nutrients include:
- Vitamin C — ideally liposomal for maximum absorption
- B vitamins — particularly B5 and B complex; again, liposomal forms are significantly better absorbed
- Magnesium glycinate — one of the most calming and bioavailable forms; I take it every night
- Adaptogenic herbs — a class of plants that help the body adapt to stress and regulate cortisol. Ashwagandha is the most researched, with clinical studies showing it can reduce cortisol by up to 30% by calming the HPA axis — the stress signalling system that drives the adrenals. But it works best as part of a broader adaptogen formula. My Daily Menopause Support contains a carefully selected blend of adaptogenic herbs specifically chosen to support the stress response, hormonal balance, and adrenal health — it's one of the most comprehensive formulas I've found for women navigating this stage of life.
- Chlorella — a powerful adaptogen and detoxifier that supports adrenal health and helps clear the heavy metals and toxins that compound stress on the body
- Wheatgrass — alkalising, mineral-rich, and deeply nourishing for an overworked system
The Practices That Make the Biggest Difference
Yoga and Breathwork
Daily yoga and breathing exercises have been transformative for me. They activate the parasympathetic nervous system — the rest-and-digest state — directly counteracting the fight-or-flight dominance that chronic stress creates. Even 20 minutes a day makes a measurable difference to cortisol levels and emotional resilience.
Sauna
I use a traditional Finnish-style sauna for 30 minutes at a time — and I always wear a sauna hat to protect my head from overheating, which allows me to stay in longer and get the full benefit. This matters: the research on sauna is specifically on traditional dry heat saunas, not infrared. The Finnish and Swedish health data on regular sauna use is compelling — it's associated with significantly reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, improved cortisol regulation, better sleep, and enhanced immune function.
Heat stress from sauna triggers the release of heat shock proteins, which repair damaged cells, and stimulates growth hormone — both deeply restorative for an adrenal-fatigued system.
Cold Therapy
After the sauna, I go straight to a cold shower in the garden, followed by an ice bath — aiming for up to 3 minutes. The contrast between heat and cold is where the real magic happens. Cold exposure triggers a surge of noradrenaline — up to 300% — which has a powerful mood-lifting and focus-sharpening effect. It also trains the vagus nerve, improving heart rate variability and stress resilience over time.
The feeling afterwards is extraordinary — genuinely invigorated, clear-headed, and calm all at once. It's also one of the best things you can do for your immune system, stimulating the production of white blood cells and natural killer cells. I find it one of the most effective tools I have.
Other Supportive Practices
- Stay well hydrated — even mild dehydration elevates cortisol
- Prioritise sleep — the adrenals repair overnight; poor sleep is both a cause and consequence of adrenal fatigue
- Eat well — plenty of vegetables, green foods, and whole foods; avoid sugar and ultra-processed foods which are acid-forming and inflammatory
- Acupuncture — particularly effective for nervous system regulation
- Reduce screen time and news consumption — environmental stress is real
If you're struggling with stress or suspect adrenal fatigue, please do reach out. It's one of the areas I feel most passionately about, and there is so much that can be done. You don't have to just push through.