Every five years, the U.S. updates the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, recommendations that help shape school meals, healthcare nutrition advice, and federal nutrition programs. The newly released 2025-2030 guidelines include several evidenced-based recommendations, but some public health organizations are raising concerns about how parts of the guidance are contradictory and may impact public understanding of nutrition.

As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in the Women’s Health realm, I hear this all the time: “My hormones are a mess.”

Irregular periods, intense PMS, anxiety, poor sleep, stubborn fatigue - many women assume these symptoms mean something is fundamentally wrong with their bodies. Hormones get blamed quickly, and understandably so. But in practice, I often see something else driving these issues: chronic under-fueling.

When people think about managing IBS, the focus is often on what foods to avoid: FODMAPs, gluten, dairy, sugar, or “trigger foods.” What’s talked about far less is how much you’re eating.

As a dietitian, one of the most common patterns I see in clients with IBS is chronic under-eating, whether intentional or unintentional. And here’s the important part: not eating enough can directly disrupt GI function and worsen IBS symptoms, even when food choices are “perfect.”