Health

Are you eating too much sugar ?

By ethnichealth

Posted on September 26, 2016

We can tell you how to know. Sugar is delicious. Anyone who denies that is lying.

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But because life is unfair, sugar, especially in copious amounts, is really bad for your health. In fact, once you learn about all the ways sugar impacts your body, it’s difficult to look at it the same way (despite knowing how heavenly it tastes).

So how do you know if you’re eating too much sugar?

Here are 12 red flags your body is sending you that it’s time to cut back on the sweet stuff.

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1. Tiredness & Lack of energy

Although high-sugar foods can give you a big carbohydrate boost and temporarily lend a feeling of increased energy, the crash that comes afterward is a daunting one. Feeling tired all the time may be a sign that it’s time to reexamine your diet.

2. Sugar/Carb Cravings

If you find yourself craving the sweet flavor of sugary snacks on a daily basis, chances are you’ve become a sugar addict.

3. Frequent colds & flu

If you find yourself falling ill more often than you used to, it could be due to having excessive sugar in your diet as too much sugar can weaken your immune system, making your body’s natural ability to fight off colds, flu viruses, and even chronic diseases weaker than it would be if you avoided foods with added sugars.

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4. Brain Foggy

Your brain tends to get foggy, especially after a meal. When you eat a lot of sugar, your blood sugar levels rapidly rise and fall instead of gradually doing so. “Poor blood sugar control is a major risk for cognitive issues and impairment,” says Alpert.

5. Nothing tastes as sweet as it used to

“Eating too much sugar basically bombards your taste buds,” Alpert says. “This sugar overkill causes your taste bud sugar tolerance to go up, so you need more and more sugar to satisfy that sweet craving.”

6. Skin and feet problems (including dark circles under your eyes)

If you find yourself suffering from acne rosacea, eczema, or even just excessive oiliness or dryness, sugar could be to blame.

According to Dr. Sherri Greene, a podiatrist in New York City, sugar could also have an inflammatory effect on your feet. It is already know now that too much sugar consumption can also cause adrenal fatigue and there are people who believe that one of the signs of adrenal fatigue is dark circles under the eyes.

7. Adding Weight

You’ve been putting on some weight.

8. You’re breaking out more than usual

A study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests a relationship between a high-sugar diet and the severity of acne.

9. Your dentist has some bad news

Cavities have always been a not-so-subtle sign of a sweet tooth.

10. You’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure

Your blood pressure is considered normal if it is 120/80 or lower. A high-sugar diet can push your blood pressure over this threshold, according to a study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

11. You’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol

A more hidden sign of too much sugar in your diet is increase in levels of various fats circulating in your blood. A superabundance of sugar can decrease the body’s good cholesterol (HDL) and increase the body’s bad cholesterol (LDL), according to a research in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

12. You feel blue

Multiple studies suggest a link between sugar intake and risk of depression. A high-sugar diet spikes levels of inflammation throughout the body, which is also linked to higher levels of depression. A diet high in simple sugars from carbs is also associated with depression. “Using data from the Women's Health Initiative—which is tracking more than 70,000 women—the researchers found that the higher a woman's blood sugar rose after eating sugar and refined grains, the higher her risk of depression,” the site reported. The reverse was also true: A diet rich in whole grains was associated with a lower risk of depression.

So note these indications your body is giving you to let you know it is high time to give up some of the sweet so that your body does not go sore.

Image courtesy: adiskaputri.com , stuff.co.nz , pathseekerslifecoaching.com , agoramedia.com