How to Handle Blood Sugar Crashes

Published on Tuesday, June 14, 2011, by Helena Echlin / Edit Post

Dear Helena,
My boyfriend is the type of person who turns into a complete lunatic if his blood sugar drops too low. If we're at the restaurant, he's been known to pick a fight with the host if there's a wait, or take it out on me, and he gets positively apoplectic if we can't decide where to eat and he's hungry. I feel like dining out is always a race against the clock. Is there any way to make this process less stressful for both of us?
—Eats Every Three Hours

Dear Eats Every Three Hours,
Nobody likes it when the next meal is too long in coming. But in some people, low blood sugar seems to trigger an almost werewolflike transformation. Dana Wootton, a food blogger and teacher, describes what happens to her usually delightful husband: "He starts to go really pale and gets dark circles under his eyes, and he gets zoned out and seems like he's mad about something."

Rest assured, these low-blood-sugar types probably aren't faking it. Heredity plays a part in creating this condition, and poor diet, like eating fast-burning carbs, will exacerbate it, says Joel H. Levitt, founder of the Anxiety & Hypoglycemia Relief Institute.

Obviously, heading off blood sugar crashes is easy to do when you're at home. Eating out is another matter. Always keep a granola bar or other snack in your bag, or in the glove box of your car, for when situations arise. If you're in a restaurant and you've already committed to dining there, a breadbasket may not be forthcoming. Distraction is the best strategy, whether you're distracting the other person or just yourself. "[It's best] if I can keep talking," says Wootton. "Tell a long story. If we're with the kids, I'll take them and go to the bathroom just to get away from him."

And, of course, the best solution is to prevent the problem from developing in the first place by means of strategic planning. Call a restaurant and order takeout, then pick it up. Waiting for delivery can take up to an hour or more. (The food you pick up will be fresher, too.)

If you opt for a sit-down meal, you should select your destination in advance. Even if you didn't plan ahead, you can still do this: Reservation sites like OpenTable will easily show you which places have openings available, even last minute. At all costs, avoid the death spiral of endless wandering from place to place, accompanied by conversations that go something like: "Where do you want to go?" "Where do you want to go?" "What about this place?" "I dunno ..." Even if you aren't hypoglycemic, you will want to kill somebody by the end of the evening.

You can browse all of Helena's Table Manners columns by topic here. Follow CHOW on Twitter, and become a fan on Facebook.

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  • This is my husband exactly. He gets this way if he goes to work all day wo eating or if he eats sugary junk. It is worse if he drinks a sugary Starbucks et.. & nothing else all day. The first time it happened I really thought I had married a lunatic. I hav started to recognize a pattern...& he sees it too. I am vegetarian...which he now is also. However he b 4 we met was used to eating total junk...+READ

    This is my husband exactly. He gets this way if he goes to work all day wo eating or if he eats sugary junk. It is worse if he drinks a sugary Starbucks et.. & nothing else all day. The first time it happened I really thought I had married a lunatic. I hav started to recognize a pattern...& he sees it too. I am vegetarian...which he now is also. However he b 4 we met was used to eating total junk food, skipping breakfast & eating way too much sugar ..which he craves. I hav told him outright he is able to be responsible enough to eat more nutritiously & not skip breakfast. He has a busy job..however there is no excuse! I am trying to help him learn to eat protein..or just a bowl of cereal & toast..fruit et. I try to make sure he has lunch..et. But sometimes..if busy at work. He doesnt eat.. Then comes home totally..aggressive ..angry & abusive. Obviously I won't put up with this type of behavior. We just had this situation yest..I told him...he can learn to eat right ..& be responsible. He gets up & makes his dogs scrambled eggs..he can at least feed himself. It only happens ev.. 3 or 4 months. Luckily we hav discovered the correlation.. & are working on it. When he is not having the low bs..he is a very pleasant person. He also is embarrassed about it. I believe..aggressive behavior can sometimes be better treated with diet than drugs..et. I alon cannot blame everything on this or make excuse for his behavior however we have both noticed a definite correlation-COLLAPSE

  • I agree with Cactus Wren. Is the boyfriend two? If he knows he's going to act this way,eat something before you go out! It's not that difficult!

  • Oh, for heaven's sake, is it that hard to carry a couple of hard candies around with you?

  • Pretty simple. If you need to eat every three hours, then eat every three hours. If you want to enjoy a relaxed evening out with your girlfriend, who you respect and adore, then eat some bagels or something just before you meet up, and carry fruit leather in your wallet.

    As far as I'm concerned, the issue is not a physical one. It's the guy's inability or unwillingness to plan for it, and a...+READ

    Pretty simple. If you need to eat every three hours, then eat every three hours. If you want to enjoy a relaxed evening out with your girlfriend, who you respect and adore, then eat some bagels or something just before you meet up, and carry fruit leather in your wallet.

    As far as I'm concerned, the issue is not a physical one. It's the guy's inability or unwillingness to plan for it, and a lack of consideration for his date in thinking that she ought to rush because of his lack of preparation.

    My mother, son, and I all deal with this. I'm teaching him to recognize when being hungry is leading to the nasties, and to calm it down. Can't do that with my mother, but I do make sure to have eats on hand whenever she's around.-COLLAPSE

  • I'm hypoglycemic (though definitely not diabetic). I've been this way my whole life, and so I've just learned that I need to keep myself fed, and that I need to think ahead to make sure I don't get in a situation where I won't be able to eat for too long. Being aware of it also helps me recognize when my blood sugar is low and that I need to keep myself out of stressful situations until I eat,...+READ

    I'm hypoglycemic (though definitely not diabetic). I've been this way my whole life, and so I've just learned that I need to keep myself fed, and that I need to think ahead to make sure I don't get in a situation where I won't be able to eat for too long. Being aware of it also helps me recognize when my blood sugar is low and that I need to keep myself out of stressful situations until I eat, and try to avoid being a total @##$@hole. I do find that trying to eat less simple carbs and more complex carbs and protein helps a little in terms of being able to go longer between meals.

    There are some things you can do to help, like making sure he eats, keeping snacks around, etc., but really, it sounds like maybe he needs to be more aware of it himself.-COLLAPSE

  • Hypoglycemia is the flip-side of Diabetes, if not one of its symptoms. Every restaurant/bar has orange juice and sugar packets. Tell them you're hypoglycemic and to bring some right away.

    If you haven't already done so, check with your doc.

  • I was married to someone who had this issue. Was.

  • I'm very hypoglycemic and have been for years. I didn't know what it was at first and it was very frightening when I would experience (all) of the above symptoms. Maybe some people have a harder time processing carbs as they get older, I don't know, but I do know that I've had to severely restrict carbs of all kinds, even whole grains and fruit. A serving of brown rice will cause a reaction in me...+READ

    I'm very hypoglycemic and have been for years. I didn't know what it was at first and it was very frightening when I would experience (all) of the above symptoms. Maybe some people have a harder time processing carbs as they get older, I don't know, but I do know that I've had to severely restrict carbs of all kinds, even whole grains and fruit. A serving of brown rice will cause a reaction in me as quickly as white rice. Breakfast is the meal that will make or break my day. If I have only meat or dairy protein for breakfast my blood sugar stays level even if I miss meals. Eat a slice of toast and I am starving and hypoglycemic within an hour. Fast food is out for me and I carry baked chicken breasts or slices of ham, cheese and veggie slices for lunch. My emergency stash for long car or plane trips is Snickers. If I know I'm going to be eating soon, a bite or two will hold me until food arrives. Logically, that shouldn't work, but it holds me for several hours with no crash. Very strange, I know. And I am not saying snickers are health food, I use them strictly for an emergency. I used to carry peanut butter but people look at you funny if you pull a jar out of your purse and start eating peanut butter with your fingers. This diet would obviously not work for a vegan but it works for me.-COLLAPSE

  • Fast food options for emergencies: McDonald's Yogurt Parfait; Taco Bell's Cheesy Roll-up (it's just a small tortilla with some cheese melted inside); Dunkin Donuts wake-up wrap, a small tortilla with eggwhite and cheese. None of these will kill the appetite for a real dinner but they immediately kill that awful must-eat-now-crashing feeling.

  • I've been a type 1 diabetic for 25+ years and am now on the pump, so I don't have too many severe low bloodsugars. One time, though, when my husband and I had just married we were at a local Chili's and I could feel my sugar going low (and my husband could see that I had sweat on my upper lip) and I, for some reason, let out a yell!! My husband immediately got me a glass of OJ and I was back to...+READ

    I've been a type 1 diabetic for 25+ years and am now on the pump, so I don't have too many severe low bloodsugars. One time, though, when my husband and I had just married we were at a local Chili's and I could feel my sugar going low (and my husband could see that I had sweat on my upper lip) and I, for some reason, let out a yell!! My husband immediately got me a glass of OJ and I was back to "normal" in 10 mins. I'll never forget that day (and I assume neither will the other restaurant patrons, unfortunately)-COLLAPSE

  • I feel for you, Isolda. My sister and 14yr old daughter have fairly severe "reactive Hyperinsulinima" aka Low Blood Sugar, and it is NOT FUN to be in their neighborhood when the shakes, palor, malevolent mood swings, anger, hostility and outright full-on HISSY FIT happens. Which means, they need to carry food always! You cannot regulate when this potentially happens; it's a chronic condition and...+READ

    I feel for you, Isolda. My sister and 14yr old daughter have fairly severe "reactive Hyperinsulinima" aka Low Blood Sugar, and it is NOT FUN to be in their neighborhood when the shakes, palor, malevolent mood swings, anger, hostility and outright full-on HISSY FIT happens. Which means, they need to carry food always! You cannot regulate when this potentially happens; it's a chronic condition and the person with it has to manage it, not ignore it. If he won't carry a protein bar, banana, or small pack of nuts or peanut butter (glucose tabs, really? refined sugar seems to make things worse around here), then you should for your own sake. Fork it over (I personally would include an eye-roll, but you are probably nicer than I am) and let him eat - in ten minutes things are fine. Protein-carb-fats combined meals are best every 3-4 hours, too. Keeps things from melting down too often. Good luck, it's a serious, actually life-threatening condition (basically the opposite of diabetes) that requires active management.-COLLAPSE

  • I carry a small pack of jelly beans in my purse, and when my blood sugar crashes, I eat a small handful. This tides me over until I can get to a sandwich or something. Protein is great, but when you're really crashing, what you need is immediate sugar just to get you to the point where you can think straight enough to figure out where you can get a healthy meal. The key to choosing a source of...+READ

    I carry a small pack of jelly beans in my purse, and when my blood sugar crashes, I eat a small handful. This tides me over until I can get to a sandwich or something. Protein is great, but when you're really crashing, what you need is immediate sugar just to get you to the point where you can think straight enough to figure out where you can get a healthy meal. The key to choosing a source of quick sugar is to pick one that you don't like very much so you won't satiate yourself on it.-COLLAPSE

  • Glucose tablets. You can get rolls of them (about as big around as a quarter,) at the pharmacy counter. I keep one in each car, and my wife carries a roll when we're out/traveling. They come in a plastic tube, and you can buy the tablets by the bottle for refilling.

    I agree--the meds need to be fine-tuned. But it is easier said than done. Each person is different, and a normal variance in a...+READ

    Glucose tablets. You can get rolls of them (about as big around as a quarter,) at the pharmacy counter. I keep one in each car, and my wife carries a roll when we're out/traveling. They come in a plastic tube, and you can buy the tablets by the bottle for refilling.

    I agree--the meds need to be fine-tuned. But it is easier said than done. Each person is different, and a normal variance in a day's activities can be a problem.-COLLAPSE

  • I have a serious problem with low blood sugar and I never act like an idiot. He's probability a mean drunk also. That just his personality. You need to decide if that the person you want to spend time with.

  • Sorry, but a guy who picks fights with restaurant employees or "takes it out" on you can't blame his low blood sugar. No sane person "turns into a complete lunatic" if they don't get their food on time. That's jerk behavior.

  • I am a silly person, and I come from a long, noble line of silly people. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly capable of behaving professionally when I need to, but it's difficult to make me serious and almost impossible to make me angry. It's a useful talent, because I work in a high-stress environment (emergency room!) where the ability to laugh off frustrations and even deliberate provocations is...+READ

    I am a silly person, and I come from a long, noble line of silly people. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly capable of behaving professionally when I need to, but it's difficult to make me serious and almost impossible to make me angry. It's a useful talent, because I work in a high-stress environment (emergency room!) where the ability to laugh off frustrations and even deliberate provocations is absolutely vital.

    There is one exception. I carry granola bars, candy, string cheese, and packets of instant oatmeal EVERYWHERE, and I eat constantly, because once every six months or so my high metabolism will get the better of me and I'll crash. When that happens, I feel cold all over, break into a sweat, and turn into the biggest b***h on the floor, drugged-up patients notwithstanding. It feels like I've just lost tons of blood, I'm staggering and shaking and I need food NOW, and all these clowns are just standing around doing their stupid jobs instead of getting me food. Then somebody will shove me into the break room with a candy bar, and twenty minutes later I'll have to creep back to work, horribly ashamed of myself and avoiding eye contact with anyone.

    That said... if somebody's blood sugar bounces on a scale of DAYS rather than MONTHS, they need to stop making excuses and take better control of their diet. It's quite possible, by eating healthy foods (whole grains, lots of protein, less sugar), to get your metabolism in balance and avoid crashes. Every time your blood sugar spikes (eat a whole cheesecake) or crashes (eat nothing until you get shaky and weak), your pancreas takes serious damage, and quite aside from the socially inappropriate (and even abusive) behavior, uncontrolled blood sugar basically guarantees diabetes and an early death.-COLLAPSE

  • I've heard stories of diabetics crashing suddenly and trying to buy a candy bar or something but being incoherent and seemingly drunk or drugged. Some have even died because they couldn't think straight enough to get out their money and no one realized what was going on. Didn't a famous body builder have the cops called on him when he tried to buy some snacks at the concession stand at the...+READ

    I've heard stories of diabetics crashing suddenly and trying to buy a candy bar or something but being incoherent and seemingly drunk or drugged. Some have even died because they couldn't think straight enough to get out their money and no one realized what was going on. Didn't a famous body builder have the cops called on him when he tried to buy some snacks at the concession stand at the movies? They refused to serve him I believe and he collapsed.
    A little compassion and understanding is not a bad thing. People mess up sometimes. My one friend has the same problem and the last time we talked about it he said from now on he is going to eat a sandwich right before we go out to dinner because it just works. And no, it won't kill his appetite. :)-COLLAPSE

  • They should always be able to bring you a small glass of OJ even if they are real busy. OJ will raise the blood sugar within fifteen minutes. That's what diabetics are taught.

  • A sugary drink (soda, lemonade, sweet tea, etc.) will quickly boost blood sugar. It's not a long-term solution, of course, but if you're just trying to get through a half-hour until dinner arrives, it can be a lifesaver. Common trick of diabetics, I'm told.

    I get this way when I don't eat enough, and I can vouch that it's entirely involuntary and has nothing to do with my normal personality...+READ

    A sugary drink (soda, lemonade, sweet tea, etc.) will quickly boost blood sugar. It's not a long-term solution, of course, but if you're just trying to get through a half-hour until dinner arrives, it can be a lifesaver. Common trick of diabetics, I'm told.

    I get this way when I don't eat enough, and I can vouch that it's entirely involuntary and has nothing to do with my normal personality (I'm very mellow, definitely no anger management problems in normal life). We even have a word for it: "hangry" (as in hungry + angry).-COLLAPSE

  • Sorry Moimoi, but when I read that the boyfriend picks a fight with the host and takes it out on her....there is no excuse for this. He has an anger management problem.

  • While I appreciate that there is an element of personal responsibility that some commenters are keying in on, it's also a fact that blood sugar crashes of this nature cause such complete mental befuddlement that the person is often truly unable to take care of the problem at that point. Being with someone who understands the signals and can help handle the problem is important. Two significant...+READ

    While I appreciate that there is an element of personal responsibility that some commenters are keying in on, it's also a fact that blood sugar crashes of this nature cause such complete mental befuddlement that the person is often truly unable to take care of the problem at that point. Being with someone who understands the signals and can help handle the problem is important. Two significant people in my life are type 1 diabetic and another is hypoglycemic, so I've seen the truly irrational behavior low blood sugar can trigger (trying to start a car over and over with a house key...), the next step for those with diabetes being a diabetic coma. It requires a lifestyle adjustment to minimize these episodes, but even the most careful people can get hit unexpectedly. They literally run out of batteries and their brains start powering down. Calling them a sociopath or bratty child isn't helpful; refueling them is.-COLLAPSE

  • As one who used to be prone to this until I decided it was unfair to inflict myself on the world anymore, I learned to take care of it. One thing I recently discovered is shelled salted pistachios. A small handful, i.e. 15 - 20 nuts, will uplift blood sugar as well as the spirits of those around me, without filling me up so much that I no longer want dinner. Quite a treat.

  • I also used to (sort of) be this person and yes, hypoglycemia is the culprit. Although a granola bar is okay in an emergency, it's best to always keep on hand PROTEIN SNACKS people, NOT SUGAR! Sugary intake will exacerbate the problem AGAIN, causing what is commonly known as "bonking" – a process in hypoglycemics where blood sugar is low, spikes up after sugar is taken in, and then drops...+READ

    I also used to (sort of) be this person and yes, hypoglycemia is the culprit. Although a granola bar is okay in an emergency, it's best to always keep on hand PROTEIN SNACKS people, NOT SUGAR! Sugary intake will exacerbate the problem AGAIN, causing what is commonly known as "bonking" – a process in hypoglycemics where blood sugar is low, spikes up after sugar is taken in, and then drops radically again, possibly causing the said diner to fall asleep in their soup. Maintaining a stable blood sugar level through… I know it’s boring and I also hate it…. six small meals a day and having protein snacks ALWAYS available in every nook and cranny in your life – is best (not the lowest in fat but high in protein are small packages of nuts or trail mix) – or in dire emergencies for me when outside of the house, a McDonald’s hamburger (re: protein). My struggle most of my adult life has been trying to find handy, low fat, non-perishable, non-refrigerable protein snacks. Still working on that for my million-dollar idea.

    p.s. eatswjoy… Not trying to be rude, but your comments are uninformed. While this type of behaviour may be unpleasant, it’s legitimate – and not always conveniently manageable. Here’s something to expand your knowledge on the legitimacy of how low blood sugar can alter an otherwise charming personality… http://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/1273.html-COLLAPSE

  • I can't pretend that I don't understand, because...I AM THIS PERSON. I'm known throughout my family and circle of friends to be a nasty, grumpity, grouch when I am painfully hungry. Low iron and low sugar baby! There have been times while waiting for dinner that someone has physically stuffed a piece of bread into my mouth, just to shut me up. It got to the point that people have yelled out "she...+READ

    I can't pretend that I don't understand, because...I AM THIS PERSON. I'm known throughout my family and circle of friends to be a nasty, grumpity, grouch when I am painfully hungry. Low iron and low sugar baby! There have been times while waiting for dinner that someone has physically stuffed a piece of bread into my mouth, just to shut me up. It got to the point that people have yelled out "she is hungry, we have to stop and eat or else..." Thankfully, as I've gotten older (and smarter) I curb those extreme suger drops and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde scenerios ahead of time with a quick bite to eat. Yup, BEFORE dinner I'll eat a banana, apple, granola bar...whatever works. It will usually be an hour until you're actually eating anyway.-COLLAPSE

  • Sounds like the guy is not only hypoglycemic but a sociopath to boot. As just about everyone says he needs to take an adult approach to fending off these attacks. And being an adult means not leaving it up to the GF to supply emergency rations.

    If the girl friend wants to help him she needs to get him to improve his eating habits and scheduling skills.

    Rusty S may not intentionally compare...+READ

    Sounds like the guy is not only hypoglycemic but a sociopath to boot. As just about everyone says he needs to take an adult approach to fending off these attacks. And being an adult means not leaving it up to the GF to supply emergency rations.

    If the girl friend wants to help him she needs to get him to improve his eating habits and scheduling skills.

    Rusty S may not intentionally compare the guy to a toddler, but it's quite apt.-COLLAPSE

  • This guy needs to have some common courtesy and wait his turn with everyone else. If it is really food that is the problem, he needs to carry snacks. I don't believe that his low blood sugar is any excuse to be rude and demanding ever. I wouldn't put up with any one behaving this way at any time, he is abusive and aggressive.

  • Sorry, but I don't feel sorry for either one of these brainiacs. How hard is it for the girlfriend to tell the boyfriend to keep candy on him at all times? And how hard is it for the boyfriend to take reponsibility for himself and make sure he keeps candy on him at all times? I mean, it's not as if this type of incident happened to them one time - it's a recurring episode, so figure it out.

  • Sounds like he's a diabetic whose sugar runs on the low side. In that case, he (or the girl friend) should always carry healthy snacks on them (granola bars, fruit, nuts) at ALL times or some hard candy prior to dining out mealtimes. You just never know what could happen and that way they will be prepared.

  • I know what it feels like too, sometimes I don't even realize its happening. Of course I tend to become sullen and quiet so I'm not lashing out at people. Perhaps an option is to choose places with a bar so you can sit and have a glass of wine and relax with a small appetizer or a handful of nuts. Or also perhaps he could eat a little something before leaving the house.

  • What Ruth Lafler said.
    Guy has a condition, he needs to own it, unless he has a group of codependents that allow him to behave that way. It's bullshit. There are so many adaptive aids available for hypo/hyperglycemia and so much research that's been done that if you regularly go ballistic "due to blood sugar", then you either need to see a doctor or a therapist or both. Prepare yourself for most...+READ

    What Ruth Lafler said.
    Guy has a condition, he needs to own it, unless he has a group of codependents that allow him to behave that way. It's bullshit. There are so many adaptive aids available for hypo/hyperglycemia and so much research that's been done that if you regularly go ballistic "due to blood sugar", then you either need to see a doctor or a therapist or both. Prepare yourself for most eventualities by carrying food/meds that help. This guy doesn't sound like he's trekking the Sahara against his will, in other words, and therefore needs to buck up and take care of himself.
    If he was schizophrenic and kept 'forgetting' to take his meds and blowing up in public regularly, would you put up with that? They're both medical conditions, and hypoglycemia is a hell of a lot easier to control than schizophrenia.-COLLAPSE

  • There are any number of ways to deal with blood sugar crashes. But if it's *his* problem, why are *you* somehow responsible for dealing with it. If this is an ongoing problem, why hasn't he figured out how to cope with it? Tell him to take responsibility for his own blood sugar like a grown-up. Just don't wait until he's already turned into a low-blood sugar maniac. ;-)

  • Well, at the restaurant order some bread or chips/salsa or something immediately. As others have said, keep something available for him in your bag to take that edge off. I have this issue too but am not diabetic. I start getting irritable and a bit shaky and look for something to eat asap. Hopefully he is developing an awareness of his issue so he can help head it off too - you should not be the...+READ

    Well, at the restaurant order some bread or chips/salsa or something immediately. As others have said, keep something available for him in your bag to take that edge off. I have this issue too but am not diabetic. I start getting irritable and a bit shaky and look for something to eat asap. Hopefully he is developing an awareness of his issue so he can help head it off too - you should not be the one responsible; he needs to own it.-COLLAPSE

  • He should do what diabetics do, and carry glucose tablets

    or gel. Also, if he's having such severe crashes so

    often, he probably needs to be tested for diabetes. (Seriously!)

  • I have mad blood sugar crashes. They usually happen when I am on vacation and in large groups. This is because of the endless comppromise involved in group travel. I was trapped in a van for 4 hours in LA a few years ago as the driver of our rental van kept going from shop to shop always promicing that we would stop for lunch. I finaly ditched them, went to a fast food joint and had something to...+READ

    I have mad blood sugar crashes. They usually happen when I am on vacation and in large groups. This is because of the endless comppromise involved in group travel. I was trapped in a van for 4 hours in LA a few years ago as the driver of our rental van kept going from shop to shop always promicing that we would stop for lunch. I finaly ditched them, went to a fast food joint and had something to eat. When asked about it I said flat out "you would not deny a diabetic insulin because you wanted to hit up walgreens for cheep suntan lotion"

    My point is, you are in charge of yourself. Keep emergency food handy and NEVER let a friend trap you in a car as they do errands with the promice that you are about to stop for lunch at thier favorate little cafe. If need be walk away, feed yourself and deal with the fall out when your brain is functioning again.-COLLAPSE

  • I carry food in my purse for when I start feeling that nasty shakiness that is one of the signs for me that it is time to eat something before I get grouchy. It works pretty well for me, even if it is just a strip of fruit leather while waiting for our food to be cooked. Admittedly though, the guy mentioned sounds like he gets much worse than I do (I get a little grumpy, weak, and gross feeling)...+READ

    I carry food in my purse for when I start feeling that nasty shakiness that is one of the signs for me that it is time to eat something before I get grouchy. It works pretty well for me, even if it is just a strip of fruit leather while waiting for our food to be cooked. Admittedly though, the guy mentioned sounds like he gets much worse than I do (I get a little grumpy, weak, and gross feeling) so it might not be as effective.-COLLAPSE

  • My toddler does the same thing, but I hope he'll outgrow it by the time he's old enough to have a girlfriend. As I see it, your options are (1) find someone who doesn't stress you out so much, or (2) carry food with you in your purse (whatever he'll eat; cheerios seem to work with toddlers) and a list of good but quick dining options in an emergency

  • Lifesavers can be lifesavers.