Let's talk about hanger (hungry + anger). It's a real thing, people. And I've been plagued by it since I was a small child. My mom tells stories of me getting home from school and immediately throwing a temper tantrum, out of the blue. When she asked what I ate for lunch or if I was hungry - the answer became clear. It was because I either hadn't eaten or because I was hungry for my mid-afternoon snack. Needless to say, once I got some food in my system, I resumed being the little angel that I usually was (right, Mom?).
Sadly, this has stuck with me through the years - not to that same extent, but similar. Once I start getting really really hungry, I become extremely irritable, especially around my family. That's a telltale sign that I need food in my system as soon as possible. And I think they've learned by now.
For the longest time, I had no idea why this happened, and I was almost embarrassed and ashamed of it, because it seemed like no one else got like that when they were hungry. But it turns out that there's an actual - medical - reason for hanger known as hypoglycemia. Which essentially translates to low blood sugar.
Our bodies digest food, breaking it down into glucose so that our cells can harness that energy. Hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose, occurs when your body is pretty much finished breaking down your previous meal, and all available blood sugar has been used up and your liver's glycogen stores have also been depleted.
Effects of hypoglycemia include fatigue, lightheadedness, nausea, and - you guessed it, irritability. So basically, hanger isn't my fault, nor is it something I can control. And while I've learned to dial back the irritability or just keep my mouth shut until I get to my next meal, there are certain times when the hanger just explodes and I can't keep it to myself anymore. Remember: it's not you, it's the hanger.
