Indications you’re eating too much sugar

Sugar is a required part of everyone’s daily diet. But have you ever measured the amount of sugar you consume on a daily basis. Dessert might be your favourite part of the meal but it increases your sugar intake tremendously. All the delicacies like cakes, cookies, chocolates, brownies, doughnuts and many more are all loaded with sugar.

Sugar and refined carbohydrates are considered ’empty calories’, mainly because they don’t contain any useful nutrients. However, reducing your sugar intake may not be as simple as leaving the chocolate on the shelf. Some foods high in sugar are heavily processed, and the sweet stuff is added to make them more palatable and desirable. It’s these foods that are not always easy to spot the sugar in, and often those that are marketed as ‘healthy’, or low in fat which can be the worst offenders. In some cases, ready meals could contain up to 12 teaspoons of sugar per portion.

You might have heard the bad effects of consuming too much sugar. It puts you at an increased risk of diabetes, heart diseases and other chronic illnesses. There are some clear signs that your body gives when you are consuming too much sugar. These warning signs can be a red signal for you to reduce your sugar intake.

Poor skin health

Sugar can be the actual reason behind the skin conditions you are experiencing. Acne is the most common skin condition you might experience if you are consuming too much sugar. Also Excessive sugar consumption can cause long-term damage to skin proteins, collagen and elastin, leading to premature wrinkles and ageing.

Too much sugar could also contribute to an imbalance of the female menstrual hormones which could result in acne along the jaw line. Sugar is also the favourite food of less desirable gut bacteria and yeast, and consuming too much could lead to an imbalanced gut flora and inflammation in the body, typically seen in skin conditions such as eczema.

It also contributes to excess oil production and inflammation. So, do not blame your skin care routine and keep a check on your sugar consumption for healthy skin.

Constant Cravings

Sugary foods are addictive, giving you a quick ‘fix’ that tempts you back time and time again. Foods high in sugar have been shown to activate the reward pathway in the brain by releasing dopamine, similar to that of addictive drugs. The nutrient chromium could help to restore normal insulin function and supplementation has been shown to contribute to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels and to reduce sugar and carbohydrate cravings.

Low Energy

If you feel that you do not have enough energy to complete your day-to-day tasks then you can blame your sugar intake. An increased level of sugar in your diet can drop your energy levels. Glucose is essential for energy production throughout the body, however, it is important to keep blood sugar levels balanced as opposed to experiencing the peaks and troughs that occur when we binge on sugary snacks. Following the consumption of sugar, the pancreas releases insulin to help transfer glucose to the cells, meaning we may experience a rush of energy. Once used up, we can experience a dip in energy as the body demands more sugar to start the cycle all over again. It is not hard to imagine that the higher the sugar peak, the more extreme the sugar dip that will follow.

Constant High Blood Pressure

Not just salt, sugar also spikes your blood pressure as well. Various studies have highlighted the effect of sugar on blood pressure. You must control your sugar intake to avoid hypertension. Hypertension is also a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases.

Unexplained Bloating

Less desirable bacteria and yeast produce gases when they ferment our undigested food in the colon. Bad bacteria particularly love eating sugars, whereas beneficial bacteria, who love veggies, are not believed to produce any gas. An overproduction of gas can lead to pain after eating, uncomfortable bloating and flatulence.

Weight Gain

This is the most common side effect of consuming too much sugar. Your high sugar intake can make it difficult for you to fit into your jeans. A lot of people completely avoid sugar to lose weight. So check the amount of sugar you are consuming to avoid those extra pounds around your belly. Glucose is a major source of energy for the body, but if it is not used immediately as energy, the body stores excess in the liver, muscles, or as fat around the middle. Glucose storage worked well when we were hunter-gatherers, but nowadays food shortage is rarely a problem so we end up storing more glucose as fat around the middle.

Weakened Immune System

Did you know that 70 per cent of our immune system is located in the gut, and supported by beneficial gut bacteria? It’s therefore important to keep a balance of good bacteria. A diet high in sugar, however, will feed the less desirable bacteria and yeast and consequently affect how well the immune system functions.

Your are always feeling Hungry

Due to the lack of nutrients in sugary items, you may feel hungry all the time. Lack of fiber and other nutrients will make you eat more to satisfy your stomach. This also contributes to weight gain. You will also feel the need to consume more sugar at times.