(202) 510-1141 Karenna Armington LICSW Karenna@ArmingtonTherapy.com

According to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, missing a meal, dieting or just being hungry may be the reason why husbands, wives and partners are unhappy with their spouses. Our other halfs are disgruntled at night when blood-sugar levels are at their lowest.

According to Brad Bushman of Ohio State University who is the study’s lead author, “If couples have a sensitive topic to discuss, it would be really smart to do it over dinner or, better yet, after dinner. They should definitely not do it on an empty stomach.” Low blood sugar can trigger hormones that cause people to become more aggressive, anxious and irritable.

Bottom line: Wait until after dinner for a serious discussion with your partner.

We all are aware that relationships can be just plain hard. Difficult conversations are part of being in a relationship. Let’s get though those crucial and triggering dialogues as productively and functionally as we can, with an awareness of all of our available resources. Balanced blood sugar is one of them.