8 Signs Your Body Says You’re Not Eating Enough

Discover the indications and signs through which your body conveys the message that you are not consuming enough food. 

Challenges such as stress, packed schedules, illnesses, grieving, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life can have an impact on us. Specifically, our appetites and how our bodies manage hunger. This often results in insufficient food intake for many individuals. Moreover, numerous individuals unintentionally end up consuming too little or restricting their diet in their quest for weight loss.

Regardless of the cause, inadequate food intake and the deprivation of essential nutrients can lead to various ways in which it disrupts your metabolism and hormones. These effects may take a while to become noticeable if you have consistently been consuming insufficient food.

8 Indications of Inadequate Food Intake

Lets explore the overt signs that may indicate your body is not receiving enough essential proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, and what adjustments you can make to increase food intake with a well-rounded diet.

1. Low Stamina

If you have been consistently feeling extremely fatigued for several weeks, regardless of the amount of sleep or its quality, it might be time to reconsider your dietary habits. Insufficient food intake can lead to the body not being able to adequately energize itself, resulting in feelings of lethargy and sluggishness. 

This phenomenon is frequently observed with low carbohydrate diets in particular. Given that starchy carbohydrates are the primary source of rapid energy for the body, it is logical that restricting them could lead to suboptimal energy levels.

Assess your regular consumption in terms of both quantity and variety. Are you consuming well-balanced meals that encompass all the components of a balanced diet? Are you including starchy carbohydrates? Are you heeding your body’s hunger signals and eating accordingly? Take a moment to reflect on this and consider making some modifications. 

2. Lightheadedness

Feeling dizzy can be one of the initial physical manifestations of insufficient food intake. When you do not consume enough food, your blood sugar levels can drop, resulting in feelings of dizziness or faintness. If you frequently experience lightheadedness without a clear cause, review your food consumption. 

For a quick energy boost, consume a snack containing carbohydrates and protein, such as a banana with almond butter, a handful of berries and nuts, or vegetable sticks with hummus. This combination can help elevate and stabilize your blood sugar levels to enhance your energy.

If the dizziness persists even after making changes to your diet and lifestyle, seek advice from your physician to rule out potential issues.

3. Impaired Mental Function and Productivity (i.e. Mental Fogginess)

Have you experienced periods of forgetfulness, such as misplacing your keys? While this happens to everyone, frequent mental fogginess could indicate that you need to evaluate your nourishment habits (i.e. eat more food)! Mental fogginess can be a sign of various health challenges and is also a key symptom of insufficient daily food consumption.

Postponing meals or interrupting your regular meal times for meetings or calls delays the energy your body requires to function optimally. Therefore, if you suddenly realize it’s 3 p.m. and you haven’t had lunch, it’s a signal to head to the kitchen or grab a snack.

It’s preferable to consume whole foods as much as possible. Opt for a substantial salad with abundant fresh vegetables, sweet potatoes, avocado, grilled chicken, or your preferred protein, and a flavorful dressing. Foods rich in B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and antioxidants can enhance brain function and prevent cognitive decline (1). Say goodbye to brain fog.

4. Hair Thinning and Fragile Nails

It may surprise you, but the organs with the highest priority will receive nutrients first when you do not consume sufficient food or obtain adequate nutrients. This includes your brain, heart, and lungs, rather than your hair, skin, and nails. The health of your hair, skin, and nails is closely linked to your diet and the absorption of various vitamins and minerals by your body.

It is normal to lose between 50-100 strands of hair per day. If you are losing more hair than usual and your nails appear more brittle, you should focus on nurturing your hair and nails from within.

Start by consuming foods that encourage the production of keratin, the protein that fortifies your hair and nails. Spinach, beans, oatmeal, salmon, eggs, and berries are all superb sources of nutrients that promote hair and nail health. Proteins, biotin, iron, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids, in particular, are vital for maintaining the thickness, gloss, and growth of your hair and nails.

5. Irritability

Hangry is a real emotion! If you rush through a busy day without having breakfast, your blood sugar, and consequently your mood can experience a significant dip. Studies indicate that low glucose levels can lead to aggression and irritable behavior (2). Therefore, irritability may be one of the primary noticeable effects of insufficient food intake. 

The most effective way to prevent feeling irritable is to consume regular meals and nourishing snacks. Adhering to consistent meal times will contribute to maintaining stable blood sugar levels, enabling you to sustain a positive mood and good energy. When you notice the first sign of hunger, do not ignore it! Listen to your body and consume a meal or a snack, based on the level of hunger you are experiencing, to ensure you continue feeling like your best self and not the irritable version. 

6. Sensation of Cold

Feeling chilly all the time? Adequate food consumption is necessary to maintain your body’s warmth while carrying out its other physiological functions.

If you are not consuming enough food, you may not be able to efficiently execute thermogenesis, a process that helps your body produce heat. Research suggests that individuals following a restrictive diet have lower body temperatures compared to those who do not follow such diets (3).

Additionally, women who are underweight or have low body fat may develop “downy” hair (known as lanugo) as a mechanism to compensate for heat loss. When your body lacks sufficient body fat to generate warmth, it may develop lanugo to help retain heat. This is commonplace in individuals with anorexia nervosa or those who are extremely thin.

7. Persistent Thirst

Eating adequate amounts of food can contribute to managing your hydration levels. Many of the electrolytes obtained from food influence thirst, including sodium, potassium, and magnesium. If you find yourself still feeling thirsty even after drinking a glass of water, it is a warning sign that you may not be consuming sufficient calories.

At times, your body may also mistake thirst for hunger, leading you away from the water bottle. Remember to strive for hydrating beverages such as caffeine-free teas, unsweetened carbonated water, and regular water. 

8. Amenorrhea

Amenorrhea refers to the absence of menstrual periods. Women may skip their periods for various reasons, including pregnancy, alterations in diet, and stress. Certain medications, including contraceptives, can also impact your menstrual cycle. Specific health conditions such as hypothyroidism and polycystic ovarian syndrome can also influence hormone levels and consequently, the menstrual cycle.

Amenorrhea can also occur due to insufficient food intake, low body fat, or being underweight (approximately 10 percent below the “normal” weight), a threshold that varies for each individual. Being underweight can suppress ovulation and lead to abnormal hormonal changes, which is why women with disordered eating habits or those who are high-performing athletes often experience missed periods. In certain cases, their bodies may not be receiving enough nutrients to sustain normal physiological functions.

The female athlete triad essentially encompasses low energy intake, amenorrhea, and diminished bone density, and is frequently observed in athletes aiming to maintain a certain level of “leanness” for specific sports like figure skating, ballet, gymnastics, or others. 

The Bottom Line

The key takeaway from this piece is to be mindful of yourself and your body’s capacity to communicate signs indicating that something may be amiss. Utilize these 8 indications and signs to introspect and decide if you need to increase your energy consumption. 

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