Do you get grumpy when you are hungry? Or have you been snapped at by someone else and you knew they were just hungry? The name of this emotional state is “HANGRY”… a combination of being hungry and angry. As hilarious as it sounds, it’s a real thing!
I remember years ago I had an ex-boyfriend who was the definition of “hangry”… He became very irritated and sensitive if he went too long without eating. And he knew it too! We would joke he was just “hungry” (the term “hangry” didn’t exist back then) but of course I suffered the brunt of his “hanger“…. ugh!
What he was experiencing is super common, but I really don’t want you to feel this way! I’m sure it’s just as unpleasant for the person feeling hangry as the one on the receiving end.
Why does this happen?
Glucose is your brain’s primary fuel source and when there are no sugars around to be utilized as energy this elicits a stress response in the body. So, when blood glucose levels drop too low due to not eating you can feel jittery, grumpy, angry – it’s a physiological response to lack of glucose. Counter-regulatory hormones can also kick in when sugars are low. Your adrenals glands will produce stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol to help bring blood glucose levels back up — and yet again, this can make you feel hangry.
Hangry-ness can also occur from eating foods that are too high in refined sugars sending your insulin skyrocketing. Insulin drops the sugars TOO low and you’re back at square one — the same issue as waiting too long without eating.
Find out 5 ways to avoid getting hangry in my video:
- Don’t wait too long between meals.
- Eat Fat and Protein at every meal.
- Avoid Bad Mood Foods.
- Choose Good Mood Foods.
- Be organized.
I hope you found my video useful!
What do you do to avoid getting “HANGRY”?
Have a joyous day!
Joy
Joy McCarthy is the vibrant Holistic Nutritionist behind Joyous Health. Author of JOYOUS HEALTH: Eat & Live Well without Dieting, professional speaker, nutrition expert on Global’s Morning Show, Faculty Member at Institute of Holistic Nutrition and co-creator of Eat Well Feel Well. Read more...
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