Modern stress isn’t just mental - it’s physical, hormonal, emotional. We’re working a lot for little, battling aging, seeing our parents get older, keeping up with inflation, keeping fit etc..
In my life, stress has shown up as anxiety, irritability, weight gain, burn out. Can you relate?
Over the last few months, I started exploring magnesium glycinate, glycine, and ashwagandha when I realised stress was showing up in more ways and may have made a lasting impact on my body.
From shallow sleep to brain fog… and yes, even belly fat, no matter how much dieting, training or mindfulness I was engaging in, things weren’t shifting.
What Stress Actually Does to Your Body
When your body’s under stress - even low-level, daily tension - it releases cortisol, the main stress hormone.
Cortisol’s not bad in itself, in fact it’s hugely important. It helps us wake up and helps us react to danger / take action.
But there is a thing such as chronically high cortisol, which can
- Disrupt sleep
- Increase fat storage, especially around the belly - known as cortisol belly
- Throws off estrogen and testosterone balance - really a big problem if you’re a man suffering with “moobs” or maybe you’re trying to get pregnant?
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Raises inflammation, which can affect skin, joints, digestion, and more
So I did some really deep research and tests on myself. Inspired by none other than Bryan Johnson.
1. Magnesium Glycinate – Calm the Body, Sleep Deeply
Magnesium is essential for regulating your nervous system - particularly GABA levels (this is the neurotransmitter that helps calm the brain). Glycinate is one of the best forms because:
- It doesn’t cause stomach upset
- It has mild calming effects without sedating you
- It lowers cortisol in the evening, helping with sleep and recovery
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It also helps with PMS, muscle tension, and stress-related fatigue
🛒 Lacona Pick: Revive Magnesium Glycinate
2. Glycine - The Anti-Stress Amino Acid
Glycine is a simple amino acid, but it does a lot behind the scenes:
- Supports parasympathetic activation (rest-and-digest mode)
- Lowers body temperature for deeper sleep
- Improves memory and calmness during the day
- May support blood sugar regulation, which affects stress response and cravings
- Helps your liver detox excess hormones like estrogen
This is key when you’re dealing with cortisol spikes or trying to manage weight and hormone imbalances.
3. Ashwagandha - Adaptogen for Stress, Hormones & Energy
Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb, which means it helps your body adapt to stress.
It’s been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine, and now backed by modern studies showing it can:
- Lower cortisol levels
- Improve testosterone levels in men
- Support thyroid balance
- Reduce anxiety and irritability
- Help manage stress-related weight gain
Ashwagandha is particularly helpful for people with:
- Mood swings
- Low motivation or burnout
- Fatigue that doesn’t go away with sleep
I’ve read studies and reports suggesting Ashwagandha can reduce cortisol spikes by 20% immediately! So I had to try this. I started with Wild Nutrition KSM-66 which seemed to do well for me. I’ve now switched over to Osavi KSM66 Ashwagandha available at Lacona. It’s doing pretty good. I feel balanced.
Word of caution - for me at least - it’s best taken during the day as it does have a stimulating effect meaning, if you take it too late, you may be up at night..!
🛒 Lacona Pick: Osavi Ashwagandha KSM66
Stress, Sleep & Weight: The Cycle
Stress, Sleep and Weight are so interlinked. If you're always stressed, your body holds onto fat - especially around your belly. Your hormones start to shift. Sleep gets worse. And your ability to recover drops.
This stack helps break the cycle. Not by forcing anything, but by bringing your body back into balance.
How I Use the Stack
Morning or afternoon:
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Ashwagandha (600mg KSM-66)
Evening (30–60 minutes before bed):
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400mg magnesium glycinate
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3g glycine
I also support with DIM and CDG as part of my stack but those are for other reasons. But the 3 above are for stress.
What You Might Notice
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Less reactive during the day
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Deeper, calmer sleep
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Reduced sugar cravings and emotional snacking
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Less tension in your body (shoulders, jaw, neck)
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Gradual changes in body composition if cortisol has been high for a while
Final Thought
You can’t remove stress from life - but you can change how your body responds to it. And that’s exactly what I did.
This trio helped me take the edge off, sleep better, and slowly shift my system into a calmer state - both mentally and physically.