The Hangry Games: Catching Calories

Your "hangry": what to do...

• ***Being "hangry" (hungry + angry) is a real survival mechanism. When your blood sugar (glucose) drops, your brain interprets this sudden energy crisis as a physical threat. To keep you alive, your body frantically releases stress hormones and brain chemicals that sabotage your patience and turn mild annoyance iqnto irritability. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The biological breakdown happens in three distinct steps:

1. The Energy Crisis

Your brain relies on a steady stream of glucose to function. When you go too long without eating, available glucose in your bloodstream plummets, making it difficult for your brain to carry out high-level thinking. [1, 2]

2. The Stress Hormone Alarm

To remedy the energy crisis, your body triggers an emergency response. It releases "fight-or-flight" chemicals and stress hormones, specifically adrenaline and cortisol. [1, 2, 3]

• Adrenaline tells your liver to dump stored sugars into your blood, which leaves you feeling shaky, anxious, and jittery.
• Cortisol readies your body for a perceived threat, which naturally dials up aggression and lowers your emotional tolerance. [1, 2, 3, 4]

3. Loss of Self-Control

At the same time stress hormones flood your system, your brain's "feel-good" chemical (serotonin) drops. This is a recipe for poor impulse control. The part of the brain that normally hits the brakes on strong emotions (the prefrontal cortex) lacks the energy it needs to do its job, making it nearly impossible to stay patient or rational. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Here is how you can put these recommendations into action every day:

1. Build Better Main Meals

Think of food combinations as "anchoring" your quick-digesting carbs (like rice, bread, or fruits) so your body absorbs them much slower. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

• The Formula: Fill 1/3 to 1/2 of your plate with high-fiber vegetables (like broccoli, leafy greens, or green beans). Add a portion of quality protein -such as chicken, fish, or tofu. and healthy fat (like olive oil, avocado, or nuts). [1, 2]
• (**A standard portion of chicken, fish, or tofu is about 3 to 4 ounces (roughly 85 to 115 grams). Visually, this is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand (excluding your fingers). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] 
• Actionable example: Skip plain pasta. Instead, try a meal like grilled salmon (protein/fat) served over quinoa with a large side of roasted vegetables (fiber). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

2. Smart Snacking

If you go more than 4 to 5 hours between meals, your body will run out of fuel. Snacking on just a carb (like a dry cracker or an apple by itself) causes a quick burst of energy followed by a crash. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

• The Formula: Always mix carbs with protein or fat. [1]
• What to Eat Immediately:
• Apple with peanut or almond butter: Sugar boosts, fat sustains.
• Handful of mixed nuts: Provides fast healthy fats.
• Greek yogurt with berries: Delivers protein and carbs.
• Cheese and whole-grain crackers: Calms the brain panic.
• Hummus and carrot sticks: Offers steady, slow-burning fuel.
• Whole-grain crackers + sliced turkey or smoked salmon [1, 2]

• What to Avoid:

• Candy bars: Causes another fast crash.
• Black coffee: Increases your stress hormones.
• Sugary sodas: Spike anger-inducing blood sugar.
• Energy drinks: Worsen jitters and anxiety.
• Potato chips: Lacks protein to satisfy hunger.

3. Eat in the Right Order

Believe it or not, how you eat your food matters just as much as what you eat.

• The Rule: If you are eating a full meal, try to eat your fiber first (like a salad or veggies), followed by your proteins and fats, and save your carbohydrates for last.
• Why it works: This method creates a "shield" in your digestive system, significantly reducing blood sugar spikes. [1, 2, 3]

For more evidence-based strategies on how your diet affects your emotions, you can check out guides from CARE Counseling or Pritikin. For a deep dive into how nutritional psychiatry can support your mental health, explore the American Heart Association Food and Mood Guide or the Harvard School of Public Health Mindful Eating Guide.

My Point of View:

With ESRD, diabetes and being on hemodialysis I have to focus on different foods, but the general concept remains the same. My primary focus is protein first and foremost, then fruits and vegetables. Like the guidance above, carbs are last. 

Similar to above, snacks are a vital part of my diet and the choices...for the most part. My relationship with food is severely limited by my need to restrict my potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and  my calcium. I guess I can't forget about the sugar. It's an intricate dance, managing all the components together to create a uniquely specialized synbiotic diet. 

I'm constantly asking Dr. Google - "what is the (nutrient level) in (specific food)?" I often ask Dr. Google "if such and such "is good for a dialysis patient." But I don't like always going that route. I'm always leary about using AI predominantly when I have such a specific and limited diet. I'd prefer asking my clinic's RD (her name's Danielle and she's awesome!). You should really get to know them because he/she will change your appetency (look that bad boy up!). 🫣

So, I've been watching what I eat, both how much and what type of food, to help with my weight loss. I write down what I eat each day in a notebook. I also have to really watch my fluid intake, so writing it all down helps me plan my meals for the day. It's actually super helpful.

I avoid chocolate (any kind! And forget about brownies and chocolate chip anything!!), potatoes( the whole lot of them😠), citrus fruits, and tropical fruits like papaya and mango😢, bananas, pineapple, jackfruit, coconut, orange, dragon fruit, passion fruit, lychee, starfruit, guava, rambutan, mangosteen, and durian🤢.

If try to focus on what I can have, there are actually a lot of options. For example, I can have a serving of "gummy frogs" (5 is a serving) or Starburst (6 is a serving). I often choose 5 unsalted Utz sourdough pretzels, a mini qbag of unsalted or unbuttered popcorn, a single serve bag of Skinnypop popcorn or 16 mini rice cakes(my favorite is caramel). I can also have a Rice Krispie Treat, 3 Vienna Finger cookies, or 5 Archway gingersnaps.

There are so many more options, but it really doesn't matter what they are. Because the 2 main takeaways that you should get here are serving size and moderation. You, as average Joe consumer can basically eat whatever you'd like. Just keep up with the portion control. 

Tina 

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• My quote for the day:

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.” — Anaïs Nin

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National Kidney Registry (main)

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