I would never have believed that changing my diet would have made such a huge change on my everyday life. I realize now that I must have been extremely susceptible to changes in blood sugar levels.
Although I ate what I assumed was a fairly healthy diet of lots of fresh and homemade food, a lot of fruit, a wide variety of vegetables, low to no fat, only olive-oil, little takeaway, chips or ‘junk food’, lots of dairy, including ice-cream, but not a great deal of other overly sweet food, rarely any confectionary or chocolate and no soft drinks and exercised regularly – but I still felt constantly hungry. Despite eating– three, balanced ‘square meals’ a day, I would quickly get hungry again soon after meals. I seemed to have a voracious appetite compared to others and the feelings of hunger would pitch up and down throughout the day. If I didn’t respond quickly and find something to eat to satisfy the hunger I would get very edgy, and anxious; uptight and impatient; unable to function properly. Very often, and especially during the working day I quickly got to the point where I felt agitated and exhausted. I felt physically and emotionally spent and depleted – and really, so desperate to find something to eat that I felt like ripping something off someone else’s passing plate, like tearing off my own limb and consuming it.
I would reach this point quite often. I recognize that there was about a fifteen minute window between when I started to feel hungry and when I had to eat something. Otherwise, once I was at that point I couldn’t think properly, I didn’t want anyone to talk to me, I couldn’t deal with the slightest interaction and had no emotional reserves. I would go from reasonable and pleasant to be around to irrational and impatient and generally bad company in a very short time. When I arrived home in the afternoon everyone in the house would know the signs and know not to speak to me unless I had eaten something.
I knew that not everyone was the same, but thought it was ‘just me’, how I functioned, due to an active metabolism and my genetic make-up. My sisters have always been similar to me in this way, and even their daughters. Such that it has become a source of amusement in the family especially with the partners who took a little while to learn but now well know the signs ‘when she’s hungry you’d better find her some food quickly – or lookout!’
I didn’t realize how I had become terrified of feeling like this – reduced to feeling completely at the end of myself from lack of food. So, I would plan ahead, against the risk of finding myself in that state and not leave the house without some sort of snack – albeit ‘healthy’, in my bag that would ward off these hunger pangs.
I am still amazed that within 24 hours of adopting the new lifestyle plan recommended by Nicole, which was largely going ‘sugar free’ as well cutting out gluten and dairy, that my daily life has completely changed. I am no longer subject to pitching and falling blood sugar cycles and the anxiety and stress that they create. I am not constantly hungry – nor anxious, instead I have relief and calm .. Amazing!