The Diet Pendulum and your Reproductive Health
Have you ever found yourself in a binge-restrict cycle? If you think about it like a pendulum, restriction of food or food groups brings you to one end of the pendulum. Because this is not a sustainable way to live, when we do loosen up the reigns, just like a pendulum, it will swing to the other side, aka a binge. Contrary to diet culture’s lies-it is not about a lack of self control. This is a normal response to restriction, it is your bodies way of trying to avoid starvation and keep you alive. The more we restrict, the greater the swing to the other side. Binging can often lead to guilt and anxiety, and before you know it we’re back at restriction. This is what is known as the binge-restrict cycle.
How does this affect our health?
This cycle puts a lot of stress on your body and can have poor effects on your physical and mental health. Negative consequences can include:
Loss of you period due to inadequate energy intake/availability, aka hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA)
Poor sleep
Fatigue
Elevated blood sugar and blood lipids
Digestive issues
Nutrient deficiencies
Increased cortisol (a stress hormone)
Worsened PCOS symptoms
I have a video that explains this pendulum and how it is related to PCOS and fertility issues- you can find that here!
Making peace with food
The good news is you do not have to stay in this vicious cycle. You CAN break the cycle and make peace with food! The less you restrict the less likely you are to binge. The more we pay attention to our hunger and fullness cues, the more gentle the pendulum swing will be.
Making peace with food through Intuitive Eating can have so many great benefits for your health. It will help ensure you are getting adequate energy to restore your menstrual cycles if you are experiencing HA. It can improve sleep, energy levels, help to control blood sugar, blood lipids and blood pressure. It can help with regular digestion, and improved diet quality by meeting your nutrient needs. It can also lead to overall improvement of your PCOS symptoms.
Just like a pendulum, it may take some time for your body to adjust after stopping restriction/dieting. It can take time to unlearn this cycle and for your body to settle into peace with food, so give yourself grace in the process.
You do not have to do this alone! If you are looking to improve your hormonal health and move away from dieting, I would love to work with you! To find out more about 1:1 coaching, you can click here! If you are looking for a more group-oriented approach check out Fully Nourished Pregnancy.