Excessive dieting or starvation can cause the menses to stop, causing a condition called amenorrhea.

So how is your food intake related to your menstrual cycle?

In order to have a normal menstrual cycle, your body must have atleast 25% body fat. When you stop eating, your body stops the menstrual cycle to preserve the protein reserves.

Also, body fat helps in the conversion of male hormones into female hormones, thus causing you to ovulate and menstruate. However, when your body feels the pinch in the basic fat reserves, it stops converting the male hormones into female hormones. So, your periods stop.

Less Sex Drive

If your periods stop, chances are, your sexual drive will also decrease. This is because the low fat content reduces the secretion of sex hormones.

Return to Normalcy

Your menses will return to normalcy a few months after weight recovery.

"The normal functioning of the menstrual cycle is linked to your lifestyle and food pattern. Overeating, starvation or unhealthy eating all creates an imbalance in the hormonal activity," informs Dr. Reshma Rafi, Gynaecologist & Laparoscopic Surgeon, Saifee Hospital, Mumbai.

Anorexia and stress can also affect your monthly cycle.

There are no pills or hormonal therapy that can help you return to your normal flow. Infact, undergoing hormonal therapy can be bad for your body and will result in further complications like irregular or delayed menses.

Go Natural

The best and the only way to regain normalcy is to resume your normal eating habits. Go natural. Eat raw foods instead of overcooked and processed foods. Avoid junk food as much as you can. The unsaturated fat content in junk foods will cause your body to gain weight rapidly and eventually affect your monthly cycle.

However, do not go on a crash diet either. Meet your daily calorie requirements. If you feel the need to cut down on your flab, do so after consulting your physician and under a nutritionist's expertise.

Do not go on a self styled diet program. It will only do more harm in the long run.