Some time back, I was on a low calorie diet to shed off the remaining post-baby fat I’d gained after 3 kids. While I felt very much lighter and fitter and had to send all my skirts and pants to the tailor to have the waist part tightened, something else also happened. My hormones were disrupted. My period was delayed.  I felt hungry all the time and despite eating more than usual after my weight dropped rapidly, I was still hungry.  My body was screaming for more nutrients to repair and regenerate cells. I knew that I had to stop the calorie-restricted eating and increase my calories (with nutritious foods) to stabilize my wacky hormones.

Your hormones are regulated by three major glands:

• Hypothalamus: located in the brain
• Pituitary: located in the brain
• Adrenals: located at the top of the kidneys

All three glands interact in complex ways to keep your hormones in balance. This is known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

The HPA axis is responsible for regulating your stress levels, mood, emotions, digestion, immune system, sex drive, metabolism, energy levels and more.

The glands are sensitive to things like calorie intake, stress and exercise levels.

Long-term stress can cause you to overproduce the hormones cortisol and norepinephrine, creating an imbalance that increases pressure on the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands.

This ongoing pressure may eventually lead to HPA axis dysfunction, sometimes controversially referred to as “adrenal fatigue”.  Symptoms include fatigue, a weakened immune system and greater risk of long-term health problems such as hypothyroidism, inflammation, diabetes and mood disorders.

Many sources suggest that a diet too low in calories or carbs can also act as a stressor, causing HPA dysfunction.

In addition, some evidence suggests that low-carb diets can cause increased production of cortisol (“the stress hormone”), making the problem worse .

One study found that, regardless of weight loss, a low-carb diet increased cortisol levels compared to a moderate-fat, moderate-carb diet.

As I’ve never bothered to know how many calories I should be eating a day for my age, weight and height, I started to track my calories at https://www.myfitnesspal.com/

MyFitnessPal is a smartphone app and website that tracks diet and exercise to determine optimal caloric intake and nutrients for the users’ goals and uses gamification elements to motivate users.

Consuming too many or too few calories can lead to hormonal imbalances. Consuming nutritious foods, exercising on a regular basis and engaging in other healthy behaviors can go a long way toward improving your hormonal health. Eating within your own personal calorie range can help you maintain hormonal balance and a healthy weight.