Do You Get Hangry? Save Your Adrenals & Eat Every 2 Hours

“I’m sorry for what I said, I was HANGRY!”

Scenario 1:

You’ve had a busy morning at work, but still managed to have a decent breakfast before starting your morning. However, the clock hits 10:30am (break time) and you get interrupted by your boss or a customer asking for our immediate attention. You spend the next 15-30 minutes tending to the matter. When it finally comes time to break, you feel famished and practically eat your snack, plus your lunch. At the same time you are eating, you make a phone call to your relative and then proceed to jump down their throat for no apparent reason. You apologize and state it is due to your busy day at work.

Scenario 2:

You are out to eat at a very busy restaurant and the service is definitely on the slow side. You haven’t eaten in a few hours and you start to feel your hunger pains growing and your hands are a bit shaky. Your server comes to ask you if you would like more water and you let out a sarcastic comment like, “No thank you, but I’d like my food.” The waitress looks a little uncomfortable, apologizes and assures that she will go check on your order. Your company on the other hand is slightly embarrassed for your comments.

Scenario 3:

You just finished a rigorous hour of weight lifting at your gym. You have other errands to run, but all you can think about is eating something as quickly as possible because you are feeling weak, dizzy and shaky. It would be easy to just run through the drive thru on the way home or grab a whey protein drink–full of conventional animal protein–but you instead decide it’s better to wait until you get home to make a healthy dinner. You finally make it home and while you are cooking, you manage to eat an entire bag of chips, plus your dinner to ward off your hunger pains.

Scenario 1, 2 and 3 are cases of Hangry!

What is Hangry?

If you find yourself in either of the three scenarios, you are not eating enough and therefore you don’t have enough glucose (sugar) in the blood for energy…this is Hangry (Hungry + Angry because your body is screaming at you for food). Unchecked low blood sugar can eventually wear down your adrenals, so it’s important to make sure we are eating enough to properly fuel our bodies. Remember: balancing blood sugar is imperative to overall adrenal health and stress management. Three meals a day, with two snacks will help keep blood sugar levels balanced, as well as eating breakfast and not skipping meals. If you have adrenal fatigue, eating smaller meals every two hours, or every ninety minutes, will prevent undue stress on the body and symptoms of HANGRY. If you are into rigorous workouts, it will be beneficial to have a pre and post workout snack, even if you are trying to lose weight.

Symptoms of HANGRY (hungry + angry)

• Feeling Irritable
• Loss of Temper
• Shaky Hands
• Feeling Stressed
• Feeling Weak & Tired
• Confusion or Anxiety
• Nausea or Lightheadedness
• Headache
• Trouble with Balance
• Fast Heartbeat
• Blurred Vision
• Inability to Make a Decision
• HUNGER!

Remedy—> Potassium + Sodium + Sugar = Energy

Hangry Snacks

To avoid Hangry symptoms it is important to carry healthy snacks with you in your bag, purse, briefcase, car or luggage, so that you don’t have to reach for something unhealthy, run through the drive thru or inhale two meals instead of one to rescue your low blood sugar. You can even plan your snacks out for the week, so it makes it much easier to grab something on-the-go.

Ideally, snacks should include: Potassium + Sodium + Sugar (from fruit), which are important nutrients that balance the blood sugar.

• Sweet Potato + Kale + Lemon Juice
• Coconut Water + Celery + Dried Apricots
• Tangerines + Romaine Lettuce + Dates
• Brazil Nuts + Orange + Handful of Spinach
• Avocado + Orange + Handful of Spinach
• Apple + Celery + Dates
• Coconut Water + Berries + Celery
• Raspberries + Tangerines + Green Lettuce
• Mango + Celery + Figs
• Sweet Potato + Berries + Spinach
• Watermelon + Lime Juice + Celery
• Oranges + Cilantro + Butter Lettuce
• Cucumber + Berries + Raw Honey
• Banana + Spinach + Coconut Water

If purchasing granola bars or protein bars, be sure to read your labels. If you can’t pronounce a word or if the ingredient is vague–like natural flavors–you are better saving your money and making it yourself or putting together the above snacks. I do favor the Lara Bar brand, as this company uses real food ingredients, but many other brands are coming out with substantial options. Just stay away from lots of unnecessary sugar, conventional animal protein, conventional oats and wheat (often sprayed with Round Up, a known carcinogen).

Wishing you divine health,

Eat Your Greens Out

Resources:

William, A. (2016). “Medical Medium: Life Changing Foods.” Hay House, Inc., Carlsbad, CA