(Hangry: bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger.)

“You are not you when you are hungry”

The science behind hanger is about low blood sugar levels and cortisol and epinephrine which are released in an attempt to raise it back to normal. But those hormones also happen to lead to irritability. Also, low blood sugar may interfere with higher brain functions, such as those that help us control impulses. That might be the reason behind the irritability.

But it is no excuse for mistreating others.

When you are feeling cranky, take a step back from the present situation and recognize how you’re feeling. What is really triggering that irritability – the external factor (crying kids, the guy who cut you off, your spouse’s whatever) or is it the fact that your sugar levels are low?

Actually, you can still “be you” even when hungry.

(On the flip, understand where someone else’s irritability may be coming from – they just may have low blood sugar.)