Are You ‘Hangry’?

Have you ever heard someone say "I'm so hangry right now?" and wondered what in the world they are talking about? Well, last week I heard Loren Petisce use the word and did some investigating. Hangry is a term used for someone who is so hungry that it makes them angry about the situation. The crazy part is that behind the mask of emotion lies a scientific reasoning. Everything we eat, whether it's carbs, protiens or fats, turns into Sugars and then stored as energy throughout our body. Over time, if you haven’t eaten in a while, the amount of nutrients in your bloodstream drops and the lower it gets, your brain starts to perceive it as a life-threatening situation.

Sounds strange for our brains to think that way, but here's why. Unlike most organs that can feed off of a variety of nutrients, your brain solely needs Glucose to function, which is why our moods alter when we are hungry.

Therefore, this explains why people who are hungry may become snappy or cranky. The good news is that we can change and even alter our mood by simply eating, but not all foods will help suppress the bad mood. You want to eat healthy snacks or a small meal portion. Foods with carbs are a great source of energy. However, you don’t want to eat junk foods or sugar-packed meals….. it’s a quick fix but the crash will only bring you down again.

The Snicker's bar commercial has the right concept in their slogan "Hungry? Grab a Snickers", except they clearly don't realize that the sugar packed treat will only cloak your inner Hangerness.