Cortisol Mocktails: Hype or Healing for Stress & Adrenal Fatigue?

Back in 2017, I didn’t know I was running on fumes—because I was drinking so much coffee.

By afternoon, I’d switch to fizzy homemade water kefir or ginger beer I brewed in my kitchen and handed out to friends like some kind of Middle Ages alewife.

I didn’t know the words “adrenal fatigue” yet. I hadn’t started gut healing (that came later). Mold exposure hadn’t hit our family, and I hadn’t yet gained weight or been given a label. But I was under stress—living with mercury toxicity, intense fatigue, and painful monthly fibroid flares.

Looking back, I was already crafting my first adrenal cocktails. I just didn’t know that’s what I was doing.

Now? These drinks have gone viral—#CortisolMocktail racks up over 1.4 million views a week on TikTok. But like many wellness trends, the question is:

👉 Do they actually help? Or are they just hype?

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What’s a Cortisol Mocktail?

(That’s an Adrenal Cocktail, for the GenX – Millennials like me)

A simple blend of:

• Citrus (for vitamin C)
• Sea salt (for sodium)
• Coconut water or cream of tartar (for potassium)

It’s designed to nourish your adrenal glands and help balance the hormones behind energy, mood, sleep, and inflammation—especially when life has you feeling:
✔️ Wired but exhausted
✔️ Craving sugar or salt
✔️ Snappy or inflamed
✔️ Dehydrated or flatlined

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The Science Behind the Trend

Vitamin C → critical cofactor for adrenal hormone production; shown to lower cortisol in stressed individuals.
Sodium + Potassium → regulate blood pressure, hydration, and sodium balance, which cortisol can dysregulate.

Clinical Studies:

• Vitamin C supplementation dropped cortisol by up to 40% in 8 weeks.
• Vitamin C also blunted cortisol spikes after physical stress.

So yes—there’s more here than hype. It’s smart nutrition.

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🍹 My Go-To Cortisol Mocktail Recipes

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🍋 Mineral Lemon Adrenal Cocktail (my personal fave)

• 8 oz filtered water
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• ¼–½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp cream of tartar (potassium support)
• Optional: cucumber slice
• Optional: bubbles from a SodaStream

Instructions:

1. Combine water, lemon juice, sea salt, and cream of tartar in a glass.
2. Stir until dissolved.
3. Add cucumber slice if desired.
4. Top with bubbles for a fizzy kick.

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🥥 Green Goddess (for the coconut water crowd)

• 6 oz coconut water
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• Optional: cucumber slice

Instructions:

1. Mix coconut water, lemon juice, salt, and cream of tartar in a glass.
2. Stir well.
3. Add cucumber slice for freshness.
4. Serve chilled over ice.

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🍍 Tropical Stress-Relief Mocktail

• ¼ cup fresh pineapple chunks
• 4 oz coconut water
• 2 oz fresh orange juice
• Pinch of sea salt
• A few mint leaves
• Sparkling water to top

Instructions:

1. Muddle pineapple chunks and mint leaves in a glass.
2. Add coconut water, orange juice, and sea salt.
3. Stir, then top with sparkling water.
4. Serve over ice with a mint sprig.

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🍊 The Classic Cortisol Mocktail

• 4 oz fresh orange juice
• 4 oz coconut water
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• Optional: squeeze of lime
• Ice cubes

Instructions:

1. Combine orange juice, coconut water, and salt in a glass.
2. Stir until mixed.
3. Add lime juice if desired.
4. Serve over ice.

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🍓 Strawberry Lime Mint Cooler

• 4–5 fresh strawberries, sliced
• 2 lime wedges (squeezed + dropped in)
• 4–5 fresh mint leaves, gently muddled
• 6 oz coconut water
• 4 oz sparkling water
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• Optional: ¼ tsp cream of tartar (extra potassium)

Instructions:

1. Muddle strawberries, lime wedges, and mint in the bottom of a glass.
2. Add sea salt (and cream of tartar if using).
3. Pour in coconut water, then top with sparkling water.
4. Stir gently, add ice, and garnish with a sprig of mint.

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Electrolyte Shortcuts

Don’t have time to mix a mocktail every day? These are the clean, practitioner-grade electrolytes I trust most (always 20% off through my Fullscript link):

👉 Explore my favorite electrolytes

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Bonus Add-Ins

🌿 Some clients find that adding a few drops of high-quality CBD oil — like Joy Organics USDA-certified tinctures(20% off code: MAYWELLNESS) — helps calm the nervous system, improve sleep, and balance hormones.

Not for everyone, but when it works… it really works.

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Beyond the Mocktail

Cortisol mocktails aren’t magic. But they:

• Replenish what stress depletes
• Support your adrenal rhythm
• Give your nervous system a signal of safety

If you need more than a drink, that’s where coaching comes in.

✨ I’m currently accepting new 1:1 clients for coaching with labs + terrain mapping.
👉 Apply now

No more guesswork. Just a plan built for your terrain.

With grace (and minerals),
Brenna

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Brenna May, NTP

Holistic Nutritional Therapy Practitioner • Functional Wellness

This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice.