To be hangry
is to be irritable
and overreact to minor annoyances as
a result of hunger. Hangry
is a clever combination of the words hungry and angry. Hangry is officially recognized as a word by the Oxford English Dictionary. Health experts also
recognize it as a real
physiological phenomenon with mood-altering consequences.
That hangry feeling results from your
body experiencing a sudden drop in blood sugar. Glucose is the body's primary
source of energy. When you don't have enough, it negatively affects your brain
and other bodily functions, which includes your mood and the production of
glucagon, which helps regulate blood sugar. Check out the symptoms below to see
if you've crossed over into the hanger danger zone.
Eat a Fiber and Protein-Packed Breakfast-What
is one of the best ways to prevent a seemingly inevitable hunger-fueled bout of
rage? Start your day with a breakfast rich in fiber and protein. Eating fibrous
foods first thing in the morning can slow your digestion, and keep your stomach
fuller longer. Fiber releases the molecule acetate in the stomach when it’s
digested, which then makes its way to the brain, colon, or bloodstream and
sends you a signal to stop eating.
To further satisfy your appetite long-term, fuel up on
protein. The macronutrient uses more energy than refined carbohydrates to
digest, and it increases feelings of fullness. Try a slice of rye toast topped
with an avocado and a fried egg. This dish has 12 grams of fiber and nearly 9
grams of protein. Couple it with apple slices dipped in raw almond butter or a
bowl of Greek yogurt sprinkled with whole-grain granola and raspberries. It contains
8 grams of fiber per cup with an even greater chance of curbing mid-afternoon
hanger.
Have a Meal Every Few Hours- After eating a standard-sized meal; it takes about three to
five hours for your stomach’s contents to empty into your small intestine. If
the break between your meals is longer, you may find yourself being unable to
focus, having low energy, and binging the next time you eat. Avoid these
undesirable symptoms, by planning out your mealtimes for the day and sticking
to that.
Keep a Healthy Snack on Hand- If you’re always on the go, carving out the time and finding
a place to eat a full-fledged meal might not be possible. To stay fueled and in
good spirits until your next meal, have a nutritious snacks available that you
can reach for when the first pangs of hunger hit. Single-serve hummus packs
will provide you with 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. Since your snack
is pre-portioned, you won’t end up mindlessly snacking. Try a cup of sliced
carrots, which contains 12 percent of
the daily recommended dose of fiber, and a handful of protein-dense almonds
will work too.
Keep Your Blood Sugar in Check- Since the drop in glucose levels plays an important role in
becoming hangry; choose to fill up on foods that stabilize your blood sugar.
Unlike most carbohydrates, fiber can’t be broken down into sugar molecules, so
consuming fibrous foods can help regulate your
body’s use of sugars.
Foods that have a high glycemic load, which takes into account
the quality of a food’s carbohydrates and the number of carbohydrates it has in
one serving, can cause blood sugar spikes, so steer clear of foods laden with
refined carbohydrates like sugary breakfast cereals, white bread, and candy
bars. Instead, pack your plate with lentils, black beans, sweet potatoes,
cauliflower, quinoa, spinach and munch on fruits like blackberries and plums,
all of which have a low glycemic load.
Understand Your Hunger Cues- Recognizing when your body is telling you to eat and
honoring that request is essential to keeping a food (mood) swing at bay. Be on
the lookout for the typical hunger cues, like stomach growling, headaches, lack
of energy, lightheadedness, shakiness, and nausea. Don’t ignore the signals
once you notice them. Before you reach for a snack, think about how much water you
drank that day, and ask yourself if you could be dehydrated rather than hungry.
Mild dehydration occurs when your body’s normal fluid levels
decrease just two percent, and some of its symptoms overlap with those of
hunger, including headaches, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. People
correctly drank water when they were thirsty and not hungry only two percent of
the time. If you’ve had only one glass of water all day, consider filling your
body with fluids first.
“Prangry [is] the combination of being
pregnant + angry + hungry. [The] definition
[is] the condition a very pregnant woman
endures when she is ‘done’ being pregnant combined with slightly irrational
anger that she is ‘still pregnant’ and the constant hunger she is experiencing.
[It is] also known as yes I’m still
pregnant, super pregnant, stick a fork in me, and get this baby out of me.” (DoveTailBlog.com)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5 Tips to Avoid Becoming Hangry” By Megan Falk
·
“6 Signs You're Getting Hangry” BY Emily Petsko
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