So many people think that only being underweight or lacking body fat will synonymously turn into HA, but the reality is that people who are at a normal and healthy weight can ALSO develop HA.
Why?
Because HA is a hypothalamus issue.
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Hundreds of women develop HA due to a slew of reasons, from over exercising, not eating enough, experiencing a trauma or a stress in their life, gut issues, and in some cases, medication. The way to going about healing from HA can be different for everyone, and I know it is not the norm to say this but I don’t think stopping exercise is the best way to heal, nor do I think eating anything and everything is the answer either.
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From what I have seen through other women, as well as myself, is that exercising is a stress relief (so as it is not over done), and when taken away can add more stress to the individual. Conversely, I approach food as medicine, and even though it is totally okay to eat a boxed cake or fried Chinese take out, I don’t think it’s a bright idea to normalize it, because these foods are very pro inflammatory which can add stress to an already freaked out body. It frustrates me when practitioners tell individuals who need to lose weight, suffering with cardiovascular disease or even diabetes, that they should only eat “whole foods”, yet when women come in with no period, they give them carte-blanche to eat whatever they want.
Refined foods are refined foods- no matter how you look at it, and I don’t think we should be encouraging them, especially when someone is sick. Conversely, I will say, if HA is a result of an eating disorder, then maybe these types of foods are necessary to work on one’s mental health, but please don’t tell me they are important for nutrient status and nurturing the body back to being healthy.
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All this to say, HA is much more deep than one’s weight on a scale. It is a chronic condition that is rooted MUCH DEEPER than just calories in calories out and it is up to us to figure out what that STRESS is.