Are you HANGRY?

     Are you daydreaming about your latest or upcoming meal? Are you insanely jealous of other people you see eating food? Do the cries of frustrated babies parallel your current emotions perfectly? Look out: you might be hangry.

     The term “hangry” is a new slang term that describes a person’s emotional state when feeling super hungry. They are very touchy and irritable, claiming to need food immediately to keep their sanity.  The truth is, “hanger” is a very real thing. When a person has not eaten in a while, the amount of sugar in their blood begins to lower. The body has mechanisms to keep it from becoming too low for a while, but some people are more sensitive to this drop than others. Those sensitive to the blood sugar decrease can exhibit emotional symptoms such as irritability and anger. Mood swings are common and feeling out of control and desperate for food are not out of the ordinary.

     Do you get hangry? Understanding the root of your emotions is the first step in helping to control them.  You do not want to lose friends just because you missed lunch! The good news: “hanger” is preventable! The trick is to maintain blood sugar levels. To help do this, try eating more whole foods over processed foods and never eat carbohydrate foods alone. This allows your body to slowly absorb and utilize the sugar you take in, rather than having a sugar spike high and then drop low. Make sure you plan out your day, preparing snacks or meals to have on hand when the hanger strikes.