Dreadful word isn’t it – but basically its shorthand for hungry and irritable! In the new terminology that makes you hangry.
Being hangry also makes you one of the many people who suffer from blood sugar imbalances which see your moods go from nice Dr Jekyll to snarling Mr Hyde, as your blood sugar dips below the critical.
Eating something fast usually rights things quickly – the only problem is, in your ‘hangry’ state you make all the wrong choices – cakes, biscuits, sticky buns, chocolate bars. Anything to get blood sugar levels up quickly, causing a surge of sugar into the blood stream, followed a little later on by another crash. Oh dear! Talk about mood swings.
Blood sugar imbalances can not only make you snappy and irritable, but also tired, with energy crashes, brain fog, poor memory, anxious and even dizzy and faint. And all because your blood sugar falls below critical levels – usually due to eating the wrong kinds of foods.
So what can you do if you recognise this picture? Number one on the list is to have breakfast EVERY DAY – but not a cereal-based breakfast, rather something sustaining to get the day off to a good start – eggs maybe, or porridge. The rule then is to eat little and often, before your blood sugar levels start to dip, so you never get to the critical point. Good quality food is key – carbohydrates must be low glycaemic, fibre and nutrient-rich fruit and vegetables are excellent, and small portions of protein and fats taken regularly – add in things like nuts and seeds, avocados, smoked salmon, berry fruits, cottage cheese and eggs.
Refined and processed foods needs to be avoided, as do stimulants such as coffee, alcohol and fizzy drinks.
Cut out all processed and refined foods and ensure you eat only low glycaemic, or complex, carbohydrate foods. Eat 5 – 6 small meals a day, rather than just 3, spacing them out so your blood sugar never has a chance to fall too far. Ensure there is a little protein and some good fats in each meal and keep snacks to hand just in case you feel your blood sugar dipping!
A huge help to dealing with ‘hangry’ moments can be understanding why they happen – once you do if you feel a ‘hangry’ moment coming on, take avoidance measures and keep that nasty Mr Hyde at bay!