What Happens to Your Mood When You Don’t Eat?

The relationship between diet and mood is complex and not fully understood. However, there is evidence to suggest that a person’s diet can have an effect on their mood. Studies note that people who eat a lot of unhealthy foods, such as those high in sugar and fat, experience increased mood swings. In addition, eating patterns that are consistently unhealthy can lead to weight gain, which can also cause mood swings.

Does Skipping Meals Impact How You Feel?

Skipping meals may have a negative impact on your mood, energy, and concentration. Several studies show that people who consume a healthy breakfast have fewer cravings for junk food later in the day. But skipping breakfast causes you to have difficulty focusing on your daily tasks.

The habit has other health impacts, too: It can make you gain weight, which can lead to additional health problems like diabetes and heart disease.

All this is not surprising. In fact, skipping meals messes up your body’s internal clock, making it harder for your body to regulate hormones such as insulin and leptin that control hunger and satiety signals.

Personality Shifts When You Don’t Eat

When you don’t eat, your body goes into survival mode. It is a sign of hunger to the body, so it will look for other sources of energy, such as fat stores. The body needs fat to survive, and if there is not enough food around, it will use this stored energy to keep you going. This means that you will feel tired and hungry as your body breaks down its fat stores to provide energy.

The brain can only function with glucose as its main source of fuel. When glucose levels drop too low, the brain starts to lose functioning capabilities, and you start feeling tired and weak. This is known as hypoglycemia or low blood sugar levels.

If you don’t eat on a regular basis, you become irritable and impatient because your brain is running out of fuel. Your muscles will also start to cramp as they need a refill of glycogen, which they would normally get from eating carbohydrates in food.

Not eating can also cause your vision to become blurry, and you may begin to feel lightheaded or dizzy. This is due to the blood flow between the heart and brain. It must always be maintained for good health.

Conclusion

As you can see, not eating can affect both your mood and health in a variety of ways. It’s essential to maintain consistency when eating. Consider bringing a snack with you if you have a long day, and don’t forget to keep hydrated!

https://www.bmj.com/content/364/bmj.l42
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180925115218.htm
https://psychologyofeating.com/is-hunger-affecting-your-personality-video-emily/