I was out on a date with my wife. We picked up a few things from Trader Joe's and were off to watch the sunset. I brought a cribbage board, but talking was the primary purpose of our time together. There was no planned conversational topic, just connecting. On the way to the beach, I was getting increasingly irritated as I thought about all my deadlines. My mind was going wild all of a sudden. I was praying and trying to relax, but the deadlines and responsibilities pounded in my head like a sledgehammer. I processed it with my wife, but I got no relief. I was spinning, and this date was going to be awful. We would probably miss the sunset. I felt sorry for her having to be married to such a stressed-out guy. I was going to fail my deadlines. On top of that, I was supposed to be on vacation. Someone just flushed the toilet, and I was circling the bottom. Can you relate?
Then wisdom came from my wife's mouth. You probably need to eat something. I resisted agreeing because …, I didn't want to agree. I processed the information quietly and knew she was right, but that didn't stop my brain from firing seemingly at will. What was happening? I knew the truth. She was right. I wanted to believe I could will my brain to get right with God and have a come-to-Jesus meeting. It had been nine hours since I had eaten my last meal. I was working very hard on things all day. I was going to work out and didn't want to eat. I worked out and then didn't eat because we were going out. Everything just took too long.
As soon as I sat down, I ate half of the chicken wrap we got, had something to drink, and began to feel better. I was watching the sunset with my wife and enjoying life. The deadlines disappeared as I wanted them to. They were still there, just tucked away for the next day. This date was going to be good. We didn't miss the sunset. I thought Lora was lucky to be married to me. I would complete my work and go on vacation. For now, I was with the most beautiful woman in the world, watching a gorgeously God-painted sunset, relaxed.
What happened? What was happening? Biochemical imbalance. Things happen when blood sugar is low, or brain chemicals are not balanced. Thinking can become pretty difficult. I know many people who skip meals and are prone to stressing out or melting down. Why? Our bodies are finely tuned machines that need regular and nutritious meals. They operate best when highly maintained. We have an American vernacular for this, "hangry." It is an accurate depiction in many instances. We are hungry, which means we are nutrient deprived. That is why we eat. We need nutrients to keep everything within our bodies working well. We tend to lose our ability to restrain emotions when this happens to us. I am not giving an excuse to vent your emotions, especially anger, but it seems harder to control them, at least on the inside. Food and nutrition aren't the only things that go into maintaining a balanced nutrient and chemical makeup. Many things go into that type of maintenance, including healthy and regular meals. Don't skip meals. Grab a quick nutritious bite, and you will have a better work day, vacation day, church day, or date night.