A Hungry Man Is an Angry Man: How to Regulate Blood Sugar Effectively

A couple, apparently arguing

I first heard this from my dad in response to an incident I witnessed... 

It was a particularly hot and humid summer day. My parents, with eight-year-old me in tow, were having a conversation over the fence and beneath the cooling shade of trees, with our neighbor’s wife, Glenda, and their gardener, Tim, about one of their trees that was too feeble from housing termites and had fallen, damaging their other neighbor’s fence.  

Glenda’s husband, Andrew, had charged the gardener, Tim, earlier that day with trenching a little wider around the newly planted coconut trees, without getting too close to the other mature trees and disturbing them.  

Tim was an older man who sometimes paid attention and took action only by a nod of his head, and nothing else. But on this particular day, quite surprisingly, his brain was firing on all cylinders. Perhaps he had had an extra cup of Joe, or he had a hearty breakfast—oh yeah, he loved his ham and eggs. Maybe he substituted salmon! He loved smoked salmon too!   

And, true to instructions, he had not even gotten close to the “house of termites”.  

We heard Andrew’s Harley from a block away, batted our eyelids to protect our peepers as he drew near and raised a dust storm, and waved to him as he pulled up in their drive. (He came home for lunch every afternoon.) He waved to us, but as he drew near, he caught a glimpse of the broken fence and started blurting out near profanities directed at Tim, assuming that he had caused the mishap. Glenda tried to stop him, assuring him that Tim wasn’t at fault. But he ranted on. Tim, though innocent, blushed red as a ripe tomato, and then went pale as a stale turnip. Glenda could not control her sobs. 

Dad whispered to Glenda, as Mom lay a comforting hand on her shoulders, “A hungry man is an angry man.” And then, with quick reflexes, Dad and Mom, in precise synchronicity, motioned me to go and play with Dodger, our pet, who was way off in the distance, so that I would be out of earshot of any more outbursts that could scar my developing psyche. 

Later, I asked, “Dad, did you tell Andrew not to yell and accuse Tim of not doing his job. Andrew did not really know what had happened!” 

Dad calmly replied, “I winked at Tim, reassuring him and letting him know that I would explain it to Andrew later. And I did. You cannot force someone to reason with you when their body is forcing them to be irrational. It was a very hot day. Andrew might have been extremely thirsty and hungry (you know, he leaves early for work). So, I let him cool down and have his lunch. And, before he went back to work again, I made it a point to tell him the facts. He apologized to everyone and was truly ashamed of the way he acted.”  

Hunger and other human needs can make people vicious, negligent of the feelings of others, almost narcissistic, and self-righteous. Of course, extreme hunger, for too long (as is unfortunately the case in some places around the world, and we must be grateful for what we have), can create deficiencies. This is often the case in prolonged fasts as well, unless they are done properly.  

Why does hunger, especially extreme hunger, lead to anger?  

Blood sugar levels can fall. The brain primarily runs on glucose (obtained from carbohydrates or by our bodies converting protein into glucose). Low blood sugar levels can lead to confusion, anxiety, abnormal behavior, irritability, and mood swings.  

Should we eat when we are hungry but also angry?  

Digestion takes place only when our bodies are relaxed. When in an angry state, the stress hormone, cortisol, is high, and blood is circulated more to the limbs, enabling us to run or, rather, punch, stomp, or work off that anger somehow. Our stomachs are in no state to receive food. In fact, eating when angry can result in a spike in blood sugar levels. So, the short answer is, “No!” 

How do you effectively regulate blood sugar levels? 

You can keep your blood sugar levels in check by including the right types of foods at your meals (glycemic index is only one of the many considerations), proper food combining, eating only when you are hungry, and exercising regularly. 

Lifestyle factors play a huge role in insulin resistance and blood sugar regulation—more than we give them credit for.  

For even more practices you can implement yourself that don’t cost you anything other than a little time each day, but can have a tremendous impact on regulating your blood sugar levels, subscribe to my newsletter (you also get a free gift), or Fernz Holistic Choices on Substack, or book a session with me.

DISCLAIMER: The content I share is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. If you purchase products linked from these blog posts, I may receive a percentage of the proceeds. These affiliations help to support my work. 

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