Understand how to identify the signs and symptoms your body exhibits when it signals that you may not be consuming sufficient food.
Factors such as stress, hectic lifestyles, illnesses, sorrow, and the fast pace of daily life can affect us significantly. Specifically, they can influence our appetites and how our bodies handle hunger. This often results in inadequate food intake. Moreover, in the quest for weight loss, many individuals unknowingly end up eating too little or imposing restrictions to reach their goals.
Regardless of the reason, insufficient food intake and depriving your body of essential nutrients can manifest in ways that disrupt your metabolism and hormones. These effects may not be immediately noticeable if you have been consistently undernourishing yourself.
Let’s explore the subtle indicators that your body may be lacking vital proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, along with recommendations on how to boost your food intake with a well-rounded diet.
If you’ve felt overwhelmingly tired for weeks, regardless of how much sleep you’re getting, it may be time to reassess your dietary habits. When we consistently eat too little, our bodies struggle to find the energy they need, causing feelings of fatigue and sluggishness.
This phenomenon is particularly evident in low carbohydrate diets. Since starchy carbohydrates are the body’s main source of quick energy, it’s clear why limiting them can result in low energy levels.
Examine the quantity and diversity of your usual food consumption. Are you enjoying balanced meals that contain all the elements of the Foundational Five? Do you include starchy carbs and respond to your hunger cues? Take a moment to reflect and consider if adjustments are needed.
Dizziness can often be an initial physical indication of insufficient food consumption. Not consuming enough can lead to drops in blood sugar, causing dizziness or faintness. If you frequently feel lightheaded and cannot pinpoint the reason, take a closer look at your dietary intake.
For a quick energy boost, snack on something containing carbohydrates and protein, such as a banana with almond butter, a mix of berries and nuts, or vegetable sticks with hummus. This combination can help stabilize and elevate your blood sugar levels.
If dizziness continues despite making dietary and lifestyle changes, consult your doctor to eliminate any underlying issues.
Ever find yourself misplacing your keys and wondering, “Where did I leave them?” While this can happen to anyone, persistent brain fog may be your body’s way of encouraging you to assess your nourishment (i.e., eat more)! Brain fog is a symptom of various health concerns, but it can also indicate inadequate food intake throughout the day.
Delaying meals or interrupting your usual eating schedule for meetings or phone calls hinders the energy supply your body requires. So, if you experience a severe energy dip at 3 p.m. and realize you haven’t had lunch, that’s your signal to head to the kitchen or grab a quick snack.
Opt for whole foods whenever possible. Enjoy a filling salad packed with fresh vegetables, perhaps some sweet potatoes, avocado, grilled chicken, or your preferred protein, and a delicious dressing. Foods rich in B vitamins, omega-3s, folate, and antioxidants can enhance brain function and guard against cognitive decline (1). Say goodbye to brain fog.
This might come as a surprise, but when your nutrient intake is inadequate, your body prioritizes essential organs like the brain, heart, and lungs over your hair, skin, and nails. The health of your hair, skin, and nails is intricately linked to your diet and the vitamins and minerals that your body absorbs.
It’s normal to lose around 50-100 hairs daily. However, if you’re shedding more than usual and your nails seem to break easily, it may be time to enhance your dietary focus on nourishing your hair and nails from within.
Start incorporating foods that promote keratin production, the protein vital for strengthening your hair and nails. Spinach, beans, oatmeal, salmon, eggs, and berries are excellent sources of hair- and nail-nourishing nutrients. Specifically, protein, biotin, iron, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids are essential for maintaining the volume, shine, and growth of your hair.
Hanger is a legitimate feeling! If your busy day leads you to skip breakfast, both your blood sugar and mood can take a significant hit. Research indicates that low glucose levels can even incite aggression and hostile behavior (2). Thus, when you haven’t eaten, irritability is often one of the earliest signs of insufficient food consumption.
The best strategy to combat hanger is to eat regular meals and healthy snacks. Sticking to consistent meal times will help keep your blood sugar in check, allowing you to maintain a positive mood and stable energy levels. When hunger strikes, respond promptly! Pay attention to your body’s signals and choose a meal or snack that corresponds to your hunger level, enabling you to stay in your best frame of mind instead of becoming moody or irritable.
Feeling perpetually chilly? You need to consume an adequate amount of food for your body to maintain warmth while performing essential functions.
If food intake is insufficient, your ability to conduct thermogenesis, the process through which the body generates heat, may be compromised. Some studies suggest that individuals on restrictive diets typically have lower body temperatures compared to those who are not (3).
Women who are underweight or have low body fat may also develop downy hair (known as lanugo) as a means of coping with heat loss. When the body lacks sufficient fat to maintain warmth, it may grow lanugo to help trap heat—this is often seen in individuals with anorexia nervosa or those who are significantly underweight.
Ensuring you consume enough food is a key way to manage your hydration levels. Many of the electrolytes found in food, including sodium, potassium, and magnesium, influence thirst. If you’ve downed a glass of water yet still feel thirsty, it’s a warning sign that your calorie consumption might be inadequate.
Additionally, your body can sometimes confuse thirst with hunger, leading you to overlook your water needs. Aim to include hydrating drinks such as caffeine-free teas, unsweetened sparkling water, and, of course, plain water.
Amenorrhea refers to the absence of menstrual periods. Women can miss their periods for various reasons, including pregnancy, dietary changes, and stress. Certain medications, such as contraceptives, may also influence your menstrual cycle. Health conditions like hypothyroidism and polycystic ovarian syndrome can alter hormone levels, affecting your period, too.
Amenorrhea may occur if you consume too little food and are underweight (approximately 10 percent beneath “normal” weight), which varies for everyone. Being underweight can inhibit ovulation and induce hormonal imbalances, explaining why some women with disordered eating patterns or high-performing athletes frequently miss their cycles. In many cases, their bodies lack adequate nutrients to support normal functions.
The female athlete triad is a cycle that involves low energy availability, amenorrhea, and reduced bone density. This phenomenon is prevalent among athletes striving to achieve specific levels of leanness for sports such as ballet, figure skating, gymnastics, or others.
The most important takeaway from this article is to stay aware and attuned to your body’s signals that indicate potential nutritional shortcomings. Use these eight signs and symptoms to evaluate your own situation and decide whether you might need to increase your caloric intake.
Then discover your balanced eating style!
Take this complimentary 45-second quiz to identify your balanced eating archetype and understand what your unique type requires to achieve nourishment balance. This way, you can liberate yourself from food and diet fixation, maintain a balanced weight, and foster a healthy relationship with food and your body.
