[TanyaRD]

Steph, I am sorry it has taken me a couple of days to respond. I wanted to make sure I had the most up-to-date info for you as this is not an area of expertise for me. I know that adequate sleep plays a large role in cortisol levels and I think it is logical to link the idea of a well balance, anti-inflammatory diet to reduction of cortisol levels. However, I have received input from two fellow RDs who have provided the following references.

Reynolds RM. Corticosteroid-mediated programming and the pathogenesis
of obesity and diabetes. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2010 Jan 28.
[Epublished before print].

Müssig K, Remer T, Maser-Gluth C. Brief review: Glucocorticoid
excretion in obesity. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2010 Jan 25.
[Epublished before print]

Staab CA, Maser E. 11-beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 is an
important regulator at the interface of obesity and inflammation. J
Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2010 Jan 5. [Epublished before print].

Leproult R, Van Cauter E. Role of Sleep and Sleep Loss in Hormonal
Release and Metabolism. Endocr Dev. 2010;17:11-21.

Appelhans BM, Pagoto SL, Peters EN, Spring BJ. HPA axis response to
stress predicts short-term snack intake in obese women. Appetite.
2010;54(1):217-20.

Gangwisch JE. Epidemiological evidence for the links between sleep,
circadian rhythms and metabolism. Obes Rev. 2009;10 Suppl 2:37-45.

Bengtsson I, Lissner L, Ljung T, Rosengren A, Thelle D, Währborg P.
The cortisol awakening response and the metabolic syndrome in a
population-based sample of middle-aged men and women. Metabolism. 2009
Dec 30. [Epublished before print].

Another RD recommended the following book. I have not read it but did look at the website and from what I can see appears to have reasonable information in regards to nutrition.

The Schwartzbein Principle by Diana Schwartzbein