Eating Clean is Ruining your Hormones
If you’re experiencing weight gain, fatigue, low energy levels, raging PMS, or hair loss—despite eating a healthy or “clean” diet—that means that you’re not actually eating right for your own body…. or your hormones. It’s time to adjust.
December 8, 2024
As a functional dietitian working with moms on their hormonal health, I hear this story a lot.
A new patient comes to me and says something similar to this:
"I don’t need nutrition help because I'm [paleo/strictly organic/vegan]. But, even though my diet is great, I still [can't lose weight/have raging PMS/feel tired all the time/have hair loss/deal with lots of digestive issues.]”
And then they expect me to concur that their diet is, in fact, amazeballs and there must just be something off with their hormones that has nothing to do with the way they eat. So here’s a prescription for some herbs and adaptogens.
But here’s the thing. Yes, there’s probably something off with your hormones. But it also might have everything to do with your diet. Let’s unpack this.
Eating clean is ruining your hormones (and your metabolism)
Clean eating: it’s the wellness buzzword that promises glowing skin, endless energy, and effortless weight loss. But for moms dealing with exhaustion, depletion, mystery weight gain, or the relentless drain of mom burnout, controlling your diet too severely could actually be making things worse.
Here’s the hard truth: intensely clean eating doesn’t just wreck your hormones—it can tank your metabolism over time, leaving you feeling like you’re fighting a losing battle with your body.
What Is “Clean” Eating, and Why Does It suck?
Clean eating is a set of vague but holy rules about avoiding “bad” foods—processed snacks, sugar, dairy, gluten, carbs—and worshipping at the altar of kale and quinoa. On the surface, it seems healthy, but underneath, it’s a hot mess. You’re left with a sad little list of “clean” options that scream virtue but leave you starving and exhausted.
For moms, it’s especially toxic. Postpartum? Your body is still healing and needs actual fuel, not restrictions. Perimenopause? Hormones are already on a bumpy ride, and clean eating just makes the turbulence worse, and your metabolism revolt.
How clean eating sabotages your hormones
Your hormones are like the control center for your body, and they need a ton of fuel to do their jobs. Here’s how clean eating throws them out of whack:
1. It Starves Your Body of What It Needs to Make Hormones
Hormone production requires a ton of both micro and macronutrients to effectively work. But hormones are also your body’s last priority if you’re not getting the nutrients you need. Undereating fat, protein, carbs, purposely or not, will sacrifice optimal hormonal production.
For example:
Low carbs? Your progesterone will not be pleased and neither will your anxiety or sleep.
Eating low protein? Your body struggles to make estrogen and testosterone, which is a one-way ticket to mood swings, weight gain, and hormonal burnout.
2. It Spikes Your Stress Hormone, Cortisol
“Clean” eating often leads to just not eating enough in general, and is the poster child of diet culture. This often leads to blood sugar lows and an underfed body, which is stressful—mentally and physically. Chronically high cortisol isn’t just bad for your mood; it also messes with sleep, energy, and your ability to lose weight. And it doesn’t stop there. High cortisol can also tank progesterone (the “calming hormone”), leaving you feeling anxious, wired, and on the edge of a meltdown.
IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: Under-eating ≠ underweight. Almost all of my weight loss clients are not eating enough; adding in more food is always part of our plan.
I find this whole idea of eating clean to be just another tool in diet culture. The toxic way we look at nutrition as a means to lose weight—and at the expense of our health, happiness, and power.
The idea to avoid this, avoid that. Eat just enough to not be starving. Be small enough. Be quiet enough…
3. It Throws Off Your Hunger Hormones
This under-eating sends your hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin, into a tailspin. This means constant cravings, binge cycles, and a metabolism that’s out of whack. Your body isn’t being “bad”—it’s just trying to survive.
4. It Worsens Hormonal Chaos During Postpartum and Perimenopause
Postpartum hormones are already a rollercoaster, and perimenopause hormones are basically playing bumper cars. Clean eating adds fuel to the fire by leaving your body undernourished and unable to balance those fluctuating estrogen and progesterone levels. The result? More mood swings, more fatigue, and more weight that refuses to budge.
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How clean eating f*ks up your metabolism
Your metabolism is like a furnace—it needs fuel to keep burning. When you’re stuck in the clean-eating mindset of restriction and deprivation, you’re effectively starving that furnace. Here’s how this plays out over time:
1. It Slows Your Calorie Burn
When you’re not eating enough (and trust me, clean eating rarely gives you enough), your body panics. It’s like, “Oh no, we’re in a famine! Better hold onto every single calorie for dear life.” This slows down your metabolism and makes weight loss feel like trying to climb Everest barefoot.
2. It Triggers Muscle Loss
Not eating enough carbs and protein? Bad news- your body is now munching on your muscle tissue for fuel. Muscle is what keeps your metabolism humming along, and losing it slows your calorie burn even further.
3. It Messes with Your thyroid
If you’re watching every calorie and macro that comes in and eating “just enough” to get by, your thyroid starts to learn that there may always be a problem with not enough food coming in. So to help you out, your thyroid slows down to help you survive on less calories. Great if there’s an actual famine happening, not great in the context of real life.
4. It Creates a “Yo-Yo Diet” Effect
Clean eating often leads to cycles of extreme restriction followed by “I can’t take it anymore” binges. Each time you swing back and forth, your metabolism gets a little more confused and sluggish. This is why so many moms feel stuck, even when they’re “doing everything right.”
Read More on the Blog:
The real reason moms can’t lose weight
It’s not because you ate bread, had a latte, or didn’t meal-prep perfectly. Weight struggles for moms usually come down to:
Hormonal Imbalances: Postpartum and perimenopause wreak havoc on your hormones. Add in stress and poor sleep, and your body prioritizes survival over fat loss.
Nutrient Deficiency: Baby making is nutritionally expensive, and can leave your body depleted for years. If we jump straight into dieting or “clean” eating instead of replenishing and rebuilding, then sometimes we can never fill that nutrient hole. A lack of key nutrients from years of depletion (think magnesium, zinc, and omega-3s) will put a wrench in hormone production and metabolism.
Cortisol Overload: Chronic stress and blood sugar swings from motherhood + restrictive eating = weight that won’t budge.
How to heal your metabolism and your hormones (without losing your mind)
Good news: you don’t need to swear off entire food groups or choke down another bland chicken breast to fix your metabolism and make your hormones happy. Here’s what to do instead:
1. Eat More (Yes, More)
Your body needs fuel, and needs more than the bare minimum. Your plate needs carbs, fats, and protein at every meal. Skipping one of these? That’s like trying to drive a car with one wheel missing.
2. Prioritize Protein
Protein helps build muscle, which is your metabolism’s best friend. Aim for 20-30 grams at each meal to keep your engine running strong.
3. Embrace Carbs and add in some fat
Carbs are not the devil. Your body needs them to fuel your brain, muscles, and mood. Skip the carb guilt and pass the sweet potatoes. Carbs fuel your brain and serotonin (happy mom = happy home), while healthy fats are essential for hormone production. Stop dodging the bread basket and eat the damn avocado toast.
4. Manage Stress
Chronically high cortisol slows your metabolism. Whether it’s yoga, therapy, or locking yourself in the bathroom for five minutes of peace, find ways to lower stress. I know this is hard and is my weak spot as well. Even small amounts of de-stressing activities can make an impact though, so don’t think you need to magically un-stress your life.
5. Lift Some (heavy) Weights
Building muscle is the most effective way to boost your metabolism, and lifting weights also promote healthy levels of testosterone and DHEA. You don’t need to become a gym rat—just a few strength-training sessions a week can make a huge difference.
The bottom line
Clean eating might make you feel like you’re winning at life, but the truth is it’s wrecking your hormones, metabolism, and sanity. The better path? Nourish your body, ditch the food guilt, and eat in a way that supports your hormones and energy—not some impossible Instagram aesthetic.
Because you deserve to feel good without turning mealtime into a battleground. You’ve got too much going on to deal with a difficult to follow diet that’s actually screwing you over.
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Interested in learning more about working with Alison, a functional dietitian specializing in hormonal help for mothers?
Check out my Mother Reboot program to cntrl + alt + delete your mom bod.
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