One of the most common reasons why I see women “lose” their periods…

…undereating.

Not just in calories, but in carbohydrates.

Let me give you the ‘low-down’ on why this happens

In your brain, you have a little guy called the hypothalamus. When I say little, I mean litte, the size of a pea.

The hypothalamus’ BFF, the pituitary gland, is a big communicator to your ovaries.

The hypothalamus and its BFF, the pituitary gland, work together to send out two hormones, Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH). These two magical hormones are part of the reason why we ovulate (remember, ovulation is the main show, your period is the follow up act).

They tell the follicles in the ovary to prepare themselves to release an egg,

every.

single.

month.

…well at least we hope every month (even if you do not want a baby right now).

When we under-eat in calories AND/OR carbohydrates, our bodies go into protection mode.

Under-eating, along with stress and illness, tells our body that we are NOT SAFE. If we are not safe, our bodies do not want us bringing a baby into this world. This means our hypothalamus and pituitary gland are basically saying “brb, we needa get some food!”

So really, as annoying as it is, it’s actually a beautiful protective mechanism. Our bodies are smarter than what we give them credit for.

Irrespective of body composition, you may be under-eating in calories and/or carbohydrates.

If your periods are absent, and you do not know why, this is one aspect that you need to clear before looking for other reasons.

We want to aim for at least 40% of our diet, to come from carbohydrates. This is a good place to start.

For most women, we need at least 1900 calories (*cough* really more like 2000+ calories *cough*). So pa-leaaaaase steer clear of those cringe-worthy 1200 calorie diets!

From a real world point of view aim for this:

At least one cup of starchy carbohydrates at every breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Think; potatoes (all kinds, sweet and white), whole-wheat pasta’s and breads, oats, barley, millet, amaranth, buckwheat.

A palm sized serving of protein.

Think; tofu, tempeh, lentils, chickpeas, edamame, turkey, fish, chicken.

2 tablespoons worth of healthy fats.

Think; avocado, olive oils, all the nuts, all the seeds, oily fish.

Happy eating!

Jac. xx

Ps. Have you booked in your consultation?