3 Tips to Avoid Getting Hangry
I remember getting hangry before hangry was even a word. I'd get shaky and flush and snap at anyone near me like a deranged animal. I thought it was normal for everyone to feel like that when they got hungry. Well, it isn't normal. That hunger + angry feeling results from a crash in blood sugar and is essentially a cascade of biochemical and hormone reactions that occur when blood sugar starts to swing drastically. Depending on what you've eaten, the glucose in your blood spikes then dips when it should be nice and steady. Uncontrolled blood sugar disrupts many bodily systems such as your endocrine (hormonal), urinary, immune, and cardiovascular systems. Did you know that imbalanced blood sugar can even interrupt your sleep?!
Managing your blood sugar is just as important as our gut health is and it should not be overlooked - regardless if you are a diabetic or not. And, a diet high in refined carbohydrates is definitely a risk factor here. Getting hangry is a red flag that things are out of control, guys. Hangry might be a cute name and all, but it's far from cute in terms to what it does to your body.
Here are 3 strategies that will help you to never go hangry again:
1. Quit Sugar
I'm specifically talking about refined sugar and refined grains here. This means removing things like chips, soda, candy, white bread, white sugar, white rice, and the like from your diet. But, if you try to quit cold turkey you're making it much harder for yourself. The first time I tried giving up sugar, I excluded fruit - rookie mistake. It felt like 3 months of torture. All I could think about was eating an apple! Because I deprived myself, I couldn't sustain it and so back to the sugar I ran. So, go ahead and eat fruit and allow yourself occasional low-glycemic treats made with alternative sweeteners like stevia, coconut sugar, yacon syrup, raw honey, or fruit (not fruit juice.)
2. Eat a Combo of Fat, Fiber, & Protein
At every meal, make sure to have fat, fiber, and protein on your plate. These three macronutrients digest much slower than carbohydrates do, so they help to slow the absorption of glucose into your bloodstream. This trifecta helps to keep you feeling fuller much longer, and your blood sugar will be more stable until your next meal. Of course, be sure to choose healthy fats like avocado, nuts, olive oil, and animal fats from grass-fed animals.
3. Don't Let Yourself Get Hangry
Eat 30 minutes to 1 hour after waking to set the stage for balanced blood sugar for the day, and don't go longer than 3-5 hours (everyone is different) without eating. And that mid-afternoon snack is super important! Be sure to eat a snack, preferably something healthy with fat, fiber, and protein (nuts is a good choice here). Timing is everything here, too. If you have a latté craving at 3pm every day, then have your snack at 2:30. Head that sucker off at the pass!
Now, in order for these strategies to work you've gotta follow all three of them. You can't just go straight to number 2 or 3 and skip number 1 (I know you want to). You might feel some resistance to quitting sugar or think that there's just no way you can do it, but that's just the addiction talking. You can totally do it! Come see me if you need some help with that. By taking control of your blood sugar, you're preventing further damage to your cells, your organ function, and your entire health. And, you won't get hangry anymore!
