Causes of Nutritional Stress
Nutritional stress is the most common cause of hypothalamic amenorrhea and low energy availability. This stress can come from various factors: including inadequate food intake, poor diet quality, or specific nutrient deficiencies. Understanding nutritional stress, its causes, effects, and management strategies is crucial for maintaining optimal health and well-being.
1. Inadequate Food Intake
One of the most common causes of nutritional stress is insufficient food intake. Understanding why this is happening is key. It is typically rooted in a desire to lose weight and become small, avoid illnesses, obtain ultimate health, or reach a new level in sport. Diet culture tells us that eating less and exercising more is the way to a beautiful, lean body. However, most bodies we idolize have muscle tone. In order to build muscle tone, we must fuel our bodies with adequate food so that they can build muscle. Most women do not eat enough protein for this to happen and the result is a “skinny fat” which continues to lead women on a quest to be smaller and smaller (eating less and less while exercising more and more) in order to find the muscle that lies underneath. This stress of limiting food with physical stress raises cortisol and stunts many of our bodily systems.
2. Poor Diet Quality
Even when food quantity is sufficient, poor diet quality can lead to nutritional stress. Diets lacking in essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients can cause deficiencies that impair our bodily functions like fertility because the body still doesn’t have enough of what it actually needs to make hormones, muscles, bones, tissues, etc. Moreover, nutritional stress can likewise be caused by a blood sugar spikes and drops. As the body attempts to bring blood sugar to a safe rise and fall, our system is stressed to make this happen, which also in turn raises our cortisol levels and stunts bodily systems.
3. Specific Nutrient Deficiencies
Certain nutrients are critical for various physiological processes. Deficiencies in vitamins like A, C, D, or minerals such as iron and calcium can lead to specific health issues, contributing to nutritional stress. Many of the nutritional habits of our ancestors have been abandoned like eating every part of the animals we hunt (like organ meats) which in turn brings about a deficiency that wasn’t a problem before. Soil in which our food is grown is not as rich as it once was in order to meet product quotas. On top of this, diet culture has praised individuals who cut out certain food groups from their diet like meat or dairy which then can cause these nutrient deficiencies. When we do not take in the nutrients needed, our bodies use what we have from other areas to meet those needs which again, causes a stress to the natural system.
In conclusion, it's amazing how the right nutrients can significantly impact our overall health and well-being. Remember, a balanced diet rich in protein, fats AND carbs in a multitude of colors to bring needed vitamins and minerals is key to preventing deficiencies and maintaining your health. Stay nourished, stay healthy, and keep taking those small steps towards a more vibrant you. Until next time, happy eating!
