If your energy feels unpredictable — steady one day, wired or restless the next — stress chemistry could be the reason. In this episode of Your Genes by Design, we look at how cortisol responds to everyday pressure, why that response changes after 45, and how your COMT type shapes the way your body clears stress signals and resets.
You’ll discover how:
• Cortisol frees up glucose any time your brain senses pressure
• Slow or prolonged stress chemistry can keep glucose elevated
• Estrogen fluctuations after 45 make stress responses feel less predictable
• COMT influences how quickly you recover after stress
• Daily patterns — like 3 a.m. wakeups, evening alertness, or carb cravings — reflect your stress-glucose rhythm
You’ll also learn practical, gene-informed ways to support your natural rhythm based on your COMT variant — whether your system needs more transitions, more structure, or more intentional reset moments throughout the day.
If you don’t yet know which gene variants you have or how to find out, I’ll be publishing a three- to four-part series in my Your Genes by Design newsletter on Substack that explains how these genes work, what they influence, and how to start exploring your own results. I’ll link to it in the show notes.
If you’ve been wondering why stress, sleep, or energy feel different after 45, this episode connects the dots between cortisol, COMT, hormones, and glucose balance — helping you work with your biology, not against it.
Follow Your Genes by Design for short, science-based insights made practical for real life after 45.
And if it resonates, please share it with another woman who might benefit.
If you’ve ever looked at lab results and felt like they didn’t fully explain what was happening in your body, you may find this helpful.
Download the free guide When “Normal” Lab Results Don’t Feel Normal, which explains how genomics adds context to bloodwork, hormone panels, and other health tests by showing how genes influence the body’s underlying processes.
Download the guide
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or provide medical advice. The information shared reflects general biological and genetic principles. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding your own health decisions.