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A lot of people describe anxiety as something that comes out of nowhere. A tight chest. Shaky hands. Racing thoughts. A sudden drop in focus that feels emotional as much as physical.

What often gets overlooked is how closely these moments line up with when and what we last ate.

This isn’t about blaming food for anxiety. It’s about understanding how blood sugar stability can either support emotional balance.

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What Blood Sugar Actually Does

Blood sugar is the amount of glucose circulating in your blood. Glucose is your body’s primary energy source, especially for the brain.

When blood sugar stays relatively steady, the nervous system tends to feel supported. When it drops too low or spikes and crashes quickly, the body activates stress responses to compensate.

Those responses can include:

• Rapid heartbeat
• Shakiness or sweating
• Irritability
• Brain fog
• Feeling on edge or overwhelmed

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Why Low Blood Sugar Can Feel Like Anxiety

When blood sugar dips, the body releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to bring levels back up. These hormones are meant to keep you alert and functioning.

The problem is that adrenaline and cortisol also activate the fight-or-flight response.

If this happens repeatedly, from long gaps between meals, intense activity without fuel, or relying on caffeine alone, the nervous system can stay in a semi-alert state. Over time, that can amplify anxious feelings, irritability, and emotional reactivity.

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Common Situations Where This Shows Up

Blood sugar instability is common, especially in fast-paced lifestyles.

Some examples:

• Skipping meals during busy workdays
• Long workouts without adequate fuel
• Festival days with irregular eating
• Running on coffee for extended periods
• Eating mostly refined carbs without protein or fat

These patterns worth noticing.

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What If I'm Fasting?

For some people, skipping meals is intentional.

Intermittent fasting, time-restricted eating, or fasting for cultural or personal reasons can be structured and purposeful. And for certain individuals, fasting can feel stabilizing, energy feels steady, focus improves, and hunger cues become predictable.

For others, especially those prone to anxiety, high stress, or heavy physical activity, fasting can increase nervous system strain.

Both experiences are valid.

What matters most isn’t the fasting window, it’s how your body responds during it.

Signs fasting may be working for you:

• Stable energy
• Clear focus
• Minimal irritability
• Calm rather than jittery feelings

Signs it may be increasing stress:

• Heightened anxiety
• Feeling wired but tired
• Shakiness or dizziness
• Strong dependence on caffeine
• Emotional volatility

Drinking coffee while fasting can further elevate cortisol for some people, especially if hydration or electrolytes are low. This doesn’t mean fasting is “bad”, it means the nervous system response matters.

Fasting isn’t a moral choice or a discipline badge. It’s a tool. And like any tool, context determines whether it helps or harms.

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Stability Over Restriction

From a mental health perspective, consistency often matters more than control.

Meals that support blood sugar stability usually include:

• Protein to slow digestion
• Healthy fats to sustain energy
• Carbohydrates to provide accessible fuel

Examples:

• Eggs with toast and fruit
• Rice, beans, and vegetables
• Yogurt with nuts and berries
• Chicken or tofu with potatoes and greens

This isn’t a prescription. It’s a pattern that supports steadier energy for many people.

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Activity Levels Change the Equation

Blood sugar needs vary widely.

People who:

• Train regularly
• Work on their feet
• Attend long events
• Live highly social or active lifestyles

…often need more frequent or intentional fueling than those who are sedentary.

Listening to hunger cues, mood shifts, and energy drops is more informative than following rigid rules.

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Why This Matters for Mental Health

When the body feels under-fueled, the brain interprets it as stress. That makes emotional regulation harder. Small challenges feel heavier. Focus becomes harder to access.

Supporting blood sugar stability won’t eliminate anxiety, but for many people, it reduces unnecessary intensity and creates a calmer baseline.

From that baseline, other tools work better.

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Try This

• If you fast, notice how coffee alone affects your mood and anxiety.
• Pay attention to how you feel before and after meals, energy, calm, or crash.
• Try pairing carbs with protein or fat and observe how long your energy lasts.
• On long or active days, plan simple fuel instead of pushing through hunger.

You’re not fixing yourself. You’re learning your system.

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Sources & Further Reading

• Harvard Health Publishing — Blood sugar and mental health
  https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-your-blood-sugar-is-telling-you-2018090614656
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) — Glucose regulation and stress response
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5452224/
• Cleveland Clinic — Symptoms of low blood sugar
  https://health.clevelandclinic.org/hypoglycemia-low-blood-sugar/
• American Psychological Association — Stress and the body
  https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body

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