Unsurprisingly, with the overabundance of food, our main modern society goal is weight loss and a decrease in the number of calories we consume. Inexpensive, low-quality food is widely available. We need more time to exercise away from all the excess calories in our food supply.

And yet we have another side of the coin. Those interested in longevity, intermittent fasting, and the benefits of keto and paleo diets find themselves chronically undereating. Yes, you heard me right. I said undereating, not overeating. I've seen clients for 6 years now, and most struggle because they are not eating enough. They feel like no matter how much they eat, it's never enough?

I have observed some clients who were unable to lose weight, but after increasing their food intake, they could shed some pounds. This goes against the traditional notion of "calories-in-calories-out."

Have you been experiencing strange and worrying symptoms that seem to have no cause?

This blog post will provide insight into the signs and symptoms of undereating and tips on finding the right balance. Learn how undereating affects fertility, glucose levels, digestion, sleep, and acts to improve your diet.

What is Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, and How Does it Relate to Undereating?

Hypothalamic Amenorrhea is a condition in which the body stops producing reproductive hormones, resulting in the absence of menstrual cycles. This is often caused by undereating, chronic stress, and/or overexercising and can seriously affect overall health.

Although it may seem unlikely, I have observed numerous cases in my private practice where undereating has resulted in Hypothalamic Amenorrhea. Clients experiencing unexplained symptoms could resolve them when we examined and adjusted their daily food consumption.

The good news is that Hypothalamic Amenorrhea can be managed through dietary and lifestyle changes. However, medical intervention may sometimes be necessary. It's essential to regularly monitor your body for signs of the condition – such as fatigue, depression, or irregular periods – and seek help if these problems persist despite dietary changes.

Common Signs of Hormonal Imbalance Caused By Undereating

When it comes to health, noticing the signs of hormonal imbalance caused by undereating is critical. This disorder, known as Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, can wreak havoc on your body and cause a whole host of symptoms, including:

Fatigue,
Low libido,
Changes in appetite,
Unexplained weight gain and mood swings
Hormone imbalances can also affect digestion and sleep quality.
Infertility & absence of period

If you're experiencing these symptoms and your period has stopped, it is time to act. Dietary adjustments such as increasing meal frequency or reducing exercise intensity may help restore hormones back into balance, but seeking help from a professional is strongly recommended.

The long-term effects of undereating can be severe, so don't delay getting help if you think something isn't right with your body. Paying attention to early warning signs is vital as this may prevent more serious issues related to fertility or glucose levels down the line.

Effects of Undereating on Fertility

The effects of undereating on fertility can be far-reaching and long-lasting. When energy availability is low, the body's production of reproductive hormones can be disrupted, resulting in Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA) and other hormonal imbalances. Low energy availability can also interfere with the menstrual cycle and cause ovulatory dysfunction, reducing fertility due to decreased ovarian follicular development.

Additionally, hormones released from the pituitary gland are essential for fertility. Luteinizing hormone (LH), for example, helps to regulate the menstrual cycle and initiate ovulation. Undereating can affect this hormone's production as well as other hormones involved in reproduction, such as FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

Women must pay attention to their energy intake while maintaining their reproductive health. Eating too little or too much can lead to various hormone imbalances that interfere with fertility.

Throughout my experience, I have worked with several clients who restored their menstrual cycle by consuming an average amount of calories. In fact, a few of my patients, who were previously told by their doctors that they would never conceive, successfully became pregnant after switching to a higher-calorie nourishing diet. Thus, if you have a history of dieting and engaging in weight loss exercise, and you are experiencing difficulty getting pregnant, it is feasible that your low-calorie diet is hindering your ability to conceive.

Sugary Roller Coaster: Unstable Blood Glucose Levels

One might assume excessive carbohydrate consumption is the primary culprit behind blood sugar fluctuations. Still, it's important to recognize that consuming too few calories can also cause issues with blood sugar regulation.

When food intake is too low, the body cannot produce enough insulin to process the carbohydrates it needs for energy, leading to an imbalance in glucose levels. This can disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in mood swings, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.

Regular meals with appropriate carbohydrates, fats, and protein proportions help steady blood sugar levels.

Think sourdough toast with sliced avocado, poached eggs, smoked salmon, and microgreens sprinkled with sea salt. Yummm.

Regular exercise and adequate rest are also essential for maintaining a balance in glucose levels. Additionally, reducing stress through relaxation techniques or mindfulness practice can be beneficial for keeping your hormones balanced.

Knowing the signs of unstable blood glucose levels is essential for taking action when needed. Symptoms may include feelings of dizziness or faintness after eating sugary or carb-heavy foods, intense cravings for sweets, rapid mood changes after eating carbs/sugar, headaches after meals that contain high amounts of carbohydrates or sugar, fatigue after eating carbs/sugar, and blurred vision after consuming sugary foods or drinks.

Section 2: Symptoms of Low Glucose

When the body is deprived of energy, it releases hormones like cortisol and glucagon to raise blood sugar levels. While this is a necessary response, long-term exposure to such hormones can lead to other problems. Short-term symptoms of low glucose include fatigue, dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, difficulty concentrating, shakiness, irritability, and cravings for carbohydrates. In some cases, people may also experience nervousness or anxiety.

Elevated glucagon levels can cause weight gain over time and an increased risk for diabetes and heart disease if left untreated for too long. Additionally, an imbalance in glucose levels can lead to adrenal fatigue. Your stress response system becomes so exhausted that it no longer functions properly in this condition. As a result, you may feel continually tired even after getting adequate sleep or have difficulty recovering from physical activity.

This is another reason a sustainable weight-loss diet should provide adequate calories to maintain balanced hormone levels and stable blood sugar levels. Taking care of yourself now will ensure long-term health benefits down the line!

Constipation: How Undereating Impacts Digestion

When it comes to digestion, eating too little can have far-reaching consequences. Undereating may cause hormonal imbalances, hindering muscle contractions in the digestive system and reducing beneficial gut bacteria levels. Food has difficulty passing through the intestines as the body focuses on more vital functions like breathing and blood circulation. These issues can lead to constipation symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, and trouble-passing stool or hard stools. These issues could become chronic if left unchecked, leading to long-term health problems like anal fissures or hemorrhoids.

To ensure optimal digestive health, finding a balance between what you eat and how much energy you put out daily is essential. Eat meals with balanced proportions of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins; this helps regulate sugar levels while nourishing gut bacteria. Additionally, ensure your lifestyle supports good health; get enough rest, lower stress levels where possible; partake in appropriate exercise (not too much), and consult with a qualified healthcare professional if any concerns arise concerning diet or activities. Taking steps now will help you maintain good health well into the future!

Mood Swings: The Signs of Undereating

We've all experienced that "hangry" feeling before, right? When we're so hungry that we start to feel irritable and easily angered. While it might seem like a made-up term, there's scientific evidence to support this phenomenon caused by not eating enough food.

When the body is not receiving enough energy to function adequately, it can cause a person to experience sudden and drastic changes in their mood. These mood swings can range from feeling overly emotional or sensitive one moment to feeling hopeless or depressed the next.

Undereating can also manifest as a lack of motivation or energy, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, irritability, and apathy. It's important to note that these symptoms could be indicative of other issues, such as depression or anxiety.

Taking action now and finding the right balance between what we eat and how much energy we put out daily will help us maintain good health.

Can't Catch Your Zzzs?

Having difficulties sleeping can indicate that your body is not receiving the essential nutrition it requires. Insomnia, fatigue throughout the day, and restlessness at night are all common symptoms of inadequate nourishment. Stressful circumstances can also contribute to sleep disturbances by increasing cortisol levels in the body.

Strangely enough, one of the initial benefits clients experience when they switch to a more appropriate calorie intake, is a marked improvement in the quality and duration of their sleep. Even if they weren't waking up feeling hungry, many clients find that an increase in calories (especially from carbs) helps them fall asleep faster and avoid waking up at night. This could be linked to better control of blood sugar levels that comes with consuming an appropriate amount of calories and carbohydrates. Eating enough food and having a snack rich in carbs and fats before bedtime can help regulate your blood sugar levels during the night, leading to more restful and uninterrupted sleep.

Overnight, when blood sugar levels drop, the liver releases stored glucose in the form of glycogen to maintain consistent levels. However, suppose an individual needs to eat more calories and over-exercise. In that case, the liver may not have enough glycogen stores to maintain stable blood sugar levels. This forces the body to generate new glucose via gluconeogenesis, which triggers the production of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that can lead to middle-of-the-night awakenings.

Are you always cold?

Do you often feel cold even when the temperature of your environment is comfortable? This could indicate undereating, leading to hormonal imbalances and Hypothalamic Amenorrhea.

Cold intolerance occurs when your body burns fewer calories than expected due to inadequate nutrition, leading to a decreased metabolic rate and a drop in core body temperature. A decrease in metabolic rate could indicate insufficient caloric intake, as your body is unable to generate enough heat on its own. In addition, undereating can lead to low levels of iron, zinc, selenium, and other essential minerals for maintaining healthy thyroid function.

Some warning signs include:

Fatigue,
Low libido
Changes in appetite,
Unexplained weight gain and mood swings,
Digestive problems such as constipation or bloating;
Insomnia or restlessness,
Feeling cold even when the environment around you is warm;
Nervousness or anxiety;
Dizziness or faintness after eating sugary or carb-heavy foods;
Intense cravings for sweets;
Rapid mood changes; headaches; fatigue, and blurred vision.

Suppose you're experiencing any of these symptoms regularly. In that case, it's important to seek help from an experienced practitioner who can provide personalized advice about diet and lifestyle changes that are appropriate for you. With the right balance between what we eat and how much energy we expend daily, we can prevent long-term consequences such as Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and unstable glucose levels while improving our overall health.

Finding the Right Balance: Finding the Right Amount of Food for Your Body

Knowing what your body needs is crucial when finding the right balance between nutrition and energy expenditure. Eating the right amount of food for your body type can help prevent long-term health consequences like Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and other hormonal imbalances.

Finding this balance starts with listening to your body's cues and being mindful of how it responds to different foods. Pay attention to hunger signals and ensure you are eating enough throughout the day. Incorporate nutrient-dense foods into your diet, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Ensure that you are consuming a variety of vitamins and minerals to meet all of your nutritional needs.

Eating regular meals throughout the day can also help restore balance in the body. The key is to balance macronutrients - carbohydrates, fats, and proteins - and micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Ensure that each meal consists of all three macronutrients to ensure sustained energy levels throughout the day. For example, breakfast could consist of overnight chia pudding with berries and grain-free granola; lunch could include lentil soup topped with sprouted pumpkin seeds; dinner could be grilled Salmond with roasted sweet potato cubes and roasted Brussel sprouts; and snacks could consist of hummus with carrots or an apple with nut butter.

Additionally, make sure that you are getting adequate rest (at least 7-8 hours per night) by going to bed at a consistent time each night; engaging in stress-reduction techniques like yoga or meditation; exercising regularly at appropriate intensity levels; staying hydrated; and managing any underlying conditions that may affect day-to-day functioning (such as hypothyroidism). Taking these steps will help ensure optimal health outcomes both now and in the future.

Figuring out the appropriate daily calorie intake for optimal health and weight control can be complicated due to several factors, including your physical activity level, stress level, quality of sleep, and medical history.

When working with clients, my primary objective is to design a less restrictive and more suitable calorie intake plan. It's fascinating to see the positive health effects that result from increasing caloric intake in those who have been persistently under-eating.

If you need assistance determining the best calorie intake for your body, **I'm here to help you** create a diet that works best without imposing unnecessary restrictions or fad diets.

Remember, consuming too few calories can be as unhealthy as consuming too many.

It's essential to find the optimal amount of food intake that works for your body and to experiment with increasing your calorie intake if your health isn't where you want it to be.

I'm curious to know, have you ever experienced any positive health changes after increasing your calorie intake?