Hunger and emotions – who would have thought how explosive this combination could be. It's time for us to delve into the term "hangry" to describe this specific state of irritability that occurs when your appetite increases. We consider our journey through the emotions associated with food to have begun!
Hangry – what is this condition and how does it manifest itself?
Does the increasing feeling of hunger make you feel more nervous at the same time? Or maybe it's harder for you to concentrate? This is not surprising, even in the youngest children we can observe this powerful connection between emotions and food. When a baby becomes hungry, it immediately expresses its unmet need by crying. And here we come to the crux of our matter.
First, a bit of theory to whet your appetite. "Hangry" is an English word that perfectly describes this characteristic state of nervousness accompanying the feeling of hunger. It is a combination of two words, i.e. "hungry", meaning hungry, and "angry", meaning angry . Why did this phenomenon deserve so much attention that a new concept was introduced? The answer lies… in the way our body functions.
Diet and emotional balance
You already know what "hangry" means in a linguistic context, so it's time for us to focus a little more on biological issues. One of the primary physiological needs that must be provided to maintain emotional well-being and health is food. You probably realize that food allows us to carry out many important processes in the body and also provides us with valuable life energy. Therefore, in the event of any difficulties in obtaining food, our body begins to feel threatened. Therefore, we strongly advise against taking too long breaks between meals or following restrictive diets that may cause irritation or even anger. We have already covered the most important issues, so now we will focus more on the topic of emotions.
Hangry and children – anger accompanying the feeling of hunger
Diet and emotional balance in children - these are two permanently interconnected topics. A healthy diet involves much more than just providing the right amount of calories, as you will learn in a moment.
In the case of persistent hunger and related changes in hormone levels (especially an increase in cortisol - known as the stress hormone), negative well-being becomes a very natural reaction. Unlike children, as adults feeling hungry we certainly behave in a more subdued way, although you probably know from experience that sometimes our emotions can escalate. With age, "hangry" begins to take the form of irritation or slight nervousness, but the degree of intensity of these feelings is very individual.
Are you wondering what the danger is with the often neglected feeling of hunger? When our body is constantly exposed to stress related to insufficient food, it may result in a change in attitude towards the environment and loved ones. Negative emotions such as irritability then take over, and we automatically become worse companions.
No worries! We come to the rescue especially for you. So let's learn more about simple steps that will make it easier to introduce healthy eating habits into your daily routine and at the same time calm down difficult emotions.
The role of a healthy diet in mood regulation
The first step is always the most important, and from there it will go downhill. So where can you start? At the very beginning of our path to healthy eating, there is a special stop: analyzing our current dietary habits and detecting any irregularities in them .
If you are not sure what rules are worth following, the list below we have prepared will certainly dispel your doubts.
- Make sure that the amount of food you eat during the day meets your caloric needs depending on your age and level of physical activity.
- Try to eat foods with high nutritional value and avoid frequent consumption of highly processed products.
- Remember about regularity. Adapt your eating routine to your individual lifestyle and try to eat meals at the same time every day.
- Pay attention to the portion size of the dishes you prepare. Perhaps it will be a better solution for you to increase the frequency of eating meals rather than focusing on rare and large portions?
- Make sure to diversify your dishes and snacks not only in terms of taste - also pay attention to the properties of specific foods.
- Try not to eat meals surrounded by distractions. Combining food with TV or a smartphone is not necessarily a good idea. Then we may unconsciously consume larger amounts of food than planned.
Are you afraid that introducing all healthy eating habits will prove to be quite a challenge for you? Then we highly recommend the small steps method. None of us can perform miracles right away, and the path to the goal itself can be a great adventure. In the initial stages of our cooperation, when we were thinking about how to maximize the nutritional value of the planned product, it seemed that there was a lot to do... and indeed there was. However, today we are very pleased with the effect we have achieved together. That's why we transfer all our motivation to you and wish you as much perseverance as possible. I'm sure you'll be able to do it, but remember that this is why we're here to help you enter the world of conscious nutrition.
Do you feel an increase in enthusiasm? So back to the main topic. Another problem worth attention is forgetting about meals . We are convinced that sometimes you also get caught up in the rush of work and find it difficult to find time to calmly provide yourself with food. Unfortunately, this has an impact on your performance and health - the mind, burdened with intense activity, can work much slower when we are not full .
Additionally, when we engage in strenuous activities without restraint, our need for sweet foods increases. If you want to avoid consuming excessive amounts of highly processed stimulants, it's a good idea to always have some healthy snacks on hand. Find out what our suggestions for such delicacies are.
- Apples are great low-calorie snacks, providing the right amount of sugar and suppressing appetite, while improving digestion processes.
- Even if consumed in small amounts , nuts can provide your body with a large amount of calories along with vitamins, minerals and healthy fatty acids.
- Carrots , being a source of dietary fiber, are great for your eyesight and will also help you feel full for longer.
You see? One simple change involving the introduction of healthy replacements for daily snacks, and the positive impact on the body is truly surprising. There's one last step ahead of us that will help you take better care of your health and emotions - let's move on.
Stress resulting from feeling hungry
A moment ago, we mentioned to you that feeling hungry can lead to changes in hormone levels, which is a long way to stress. Frequent skipping of meals has a very destructive impact on the functioning of many different areas of the body . When we do not provide ourselves with enough food, our body's anxiety is expressed through severe muscle tension and headaches, and even deterioration of the skin condition. None of us probably expects such a scenario, but fortunately, a healthy diet in itself can also be a strong antidote to stress.
Attention, attention, the moment has come when we will introduce you to an extraordinary substance that reduces anxiety, and it is... GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid . Its extensive relaxing and de-stressing properties, as well as improving the quality of sleep , make it an irreplaceable solution to problems manifested by excessive tension. Therefore, if you have problems with severe stress and want to protect your body from it, you can introduce several specific foods containing GABA to your diet, e.g.:
- kefir,
- sauerkraut,
- pickled beets,
- natural yogurt
- or pickled cucumbers.
Are you wondering why there is such a large presence of pickled products? GABA acid is found in products containing lactic acid bacteria, which cause its production. Moreover, pickles are also a great, natural solution that will support the bacterial flora of your intestines.
The path to a better quality of life often begins at the diet stage. Congratulations, today we managed to have another lesson together and you already know exactly what to do to regulate your emotions with healthy eating habits. We can also add that we are very pleased to see your growing interest in the field of a nutritious diet. Until next time!
Bibliography:
- https://www.ekologia.pl/zdrowie/medycyna-rodzinna/hangry-niczy-dlaczej-sie-zloscisz-gdy-jestes-glodny,29637.html
- https://zdrowie.radiozet.pl/w-zdrowych-ciele/zdrowe-zyzenie/zasady-zywienia/dlaczej-czuujemy-zlosc-gdy-łapa-nas-glod-sa-nowe-badania
- https://www.poradnikzdrowie.pl/aktualnosci/dlaczej-gdy-jestes-glodny-automatyczne-zostasz-sie-zly-dowiedz-sie-co-robic-by-tego-uniknac-aa-jGUW-CxXp-9nyF. html