E297: Understanding Cortisol: How Real-Time Hormone Tracking Can Transform Midlife Health

Why Cortisol Matters for Women in Midlife

Cortisol shapes so much of how we feel as women in midlife, our energy, resilience, sleep, focus, metabolism, and even our mood. Yet most of us are guessing where our cortisol levels stand, trying to piece together symptoms with very little real data.

In this episode, we sat down with Marina Pavlovic Rivas, co-founder and CEO of Eli Health, to explore how real-time hormone testing is finally giving women the information we’ve needed for decades. Marina’s work sits at the intersection of women’s health, data science, and accessible technology, and her new at-home saliva test makes it possible to check cortisol in minutes—not weeks.

Whether you're navigating perimenopause, dealing with chronic stress, or just trying to understand your body more deeply, this conversation offers real clarity and practical tools.

Cortisol, often called the “stress hormone,” is actually the master hormone impacting nearly every system in the body. The goal isn’t just to lower cortisol—it’s to create a healthy daily rhythm:

• High in the morning to boost energy

• Low at night to support rest and recovery

But stress, overtraining, under-fueling, anxious thoughts, busy schedules, inflammatory foods, endocrine disruptors, and hormone transitions can easily throw that curve off.

Traditional testing gives you one data point on one day. Eli gives you patterns, which is where the real insight lies.

How Real-Time Cortisol Testing Works

With Eli, the process is simple:

• Collect saliva (about 60 seconds)

• Insert the sample

• Receive cortisol results within minutes

• Log sleep, stressors, exercise, menstrual-cycle phase, and notes in the app

• Watch your patterns develop.

  Most women test twice a day, twice a month. Women experiencing burnout, perimenopause symptoms, or navigating big life stressors sometimes choose more frequent testing. Over time, you begin to understand what your body is truly experiencing—not what you think it’s experiencing.

What Your Cortisol Curve Can Reveal About Your Health

Data often tells the truth we can’t see:

• High evening cortisol → wired-but-tired, restless sleep, nighttime wakeups

• Low morning cortisol → heavy fatigue, brain fog, hard-to-start mornings

• Reversed curves → common in burnout and chronic stress

The Eli app pairs these results with evidence-based insights such as:

• Carbs can help lower cortisol for some women

• Light morning exercise supports the cortisol awakening response

• Low-carb diets and overtraining can increase cortisol

• Sleep hygiene strongly influences evening cortisol

• Nature time is clinically proven to lower stress hormones
  
  

  Daily Habits That Support a Healthy Cortisol Rhythm

One of the most powerful research findings Marina shared:
Just 20 minutes in nature—even sitting—significantly reduces cortisol. A 2019 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that 20 minutes outside significantly reduced cortisol levels.”
Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722/full
(Published 2019)

Other simple tools matter too:

• Morning bright light resets your cortisol rhythm

• Evening warm, dim light supports melatonin and calms the nervous system

• Balanced movement prevents stress overload

• Proper fueling lowers unnecessary cortisol spikes
  These are foundational changes that support your body at every stage of life.

Wearables vs. Cortisol Testing: What Each Tells You

While wearables like Oura and WHOOP offer valuable data, heart rate and HRV don’t always show what’s happening hormonally.

Marina explains:
Cortisol is the gold standard in stress research.

Wearables tell you what’s happening.
Cortisol tells you why. Cortisol is considered the primary biomarker used in stress research. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4034423/
(Published 2014)

Eli will soon integrate wearable data more fully, giving users a complete picture of their sleep, recovery, and hormone patterns.

Hormone Balance in Midlife: Why Cortisol Comes First

Hormone balance doesn't mean flat, steady levels. It means the right hormones rising and falling at the right times. For women in perimenopause and midlife, cortisol often becomes dysregulated years before estrogen and progesterone start shifting dramatically.

Regulating cortisol early can make the entire transition smoother.

Eli’s upcoming progesterone and testosterone tests will give women even more clarity and control over their hormone health.

A Message for Women Navigating Stress and Hormone Changes

Marina shared an unforgettable moment: a female physician once asked her, “Is what I’m experiencing normal?”

It’s a question we hear constantly. And Marina’s answer reflects our own philosophy:

What you're experiencing is common, but it shouldn’t be normalized.
And you’re not alone.

With the right support, the right tools, and real-time hormone insights, you can feel grounded, energized, and empowered again.

Where to Find Eli Health

Explore Eli Health and order your test at:
👉 https://eli.health

Conclusion: Why Understanding Your Cortisol Levels Matters

Understanding your cortisol is one of the most powerful steps you can take to feel your best in midlife. Many women are walking around exhausted, wired-but-tired, overwhelmed, or confused about why their bodies feel different — and they’re doing it without clear data.

Tools like Eli offer a way forward. Real-time insights give you clarity, reduce guesswork, and help you take action that actually fits your biology. Pair that with a supportive community, and you have a foundation for meaningful, sustainable change.

We hope this conversation inspires you to explore what’s possible when knowledge meets action. And as always, we're here to support your journey toward living well.

FAQ: Cortisol, Testing, and Midlife Hormone Health

What is cortisol and why does it matter?

Cortisol is a key stress hormone that influences energy, metabolism, sleep, focus, and resilience. A healthy rhythm includes high levels in the morning and low levels at night.

How is Eli Health different from traditional cortisol testing?

Traditional tests provide one isolated data point and often take weeks. Eli delivers real-time results, offers multiple readings each month, and pairs lifestyle factors with your hormone data for deeper insights.

How often should I test?

Most women benefit from twice daily testing, twice per month. You can test more often if you want richer, more continuous data.

Who benefits most from cortisol testing?

Women in midlife, those navigating perimenopause, people dealing with chronic stress, women struggling with energy or sleep, and anyone curious about how their lifestyle affects their hormones.

Does stress always mean high cortisol?

No. Chronic stress can cause high cortisol, low cortisol, or an inverted rhythm. Symptoms alone can’t tell you which pattern you have — testing can.

What lifestyle changes help regulate cortisol?

Time in nature, balanced movement, proper fueling, sleep hygiene, lighter evening stimulation, and reducing overtraining all support cortisol balance. Eli provides personalized, evidence-based suggestions inside the app.

Do Eli tests work with wearables?

Wearable syncing is available now, with deeper integrated interpretations coming soon.

How long does the test take?

Saliva collection takes about a minute, and results appear within roughly 20 minutes.

Where can I get the test?

Visit https://eli.health

If you're craving more energy, better sleep, and a reset for your mind and body, this is your moment. Our Midlife Reset Program is now open, and the first 10 spots come with $100 off using RESET100: https://l.bttr.to/906PF