Donuts, Chocolate Cake, Butterfingers, Snickers, Licorice…is your mouth watering yet? Sugar is good.  It’s so good, it’s addicting.  Yet, when we eat a lot of it, our bodies don’t react very well to it.  You’ve probably heard friends and family go on “Low Carb Diets” or eating more “Fat Free Foods”  Why not go on a low sugar diet? Sugar can cause negative effects to our body if we are eating too much of it.  You may notice that a few of these apply to you.

1. Your skin changes and breaks out more often –  When eating too much sugar, your skin can be affected by a sudden rise in insulin. This rise in insulin can cause a hormonal change and produce acne.  Eating less sugar, could be one factor to help clear up that stubborn acne.
2. You crave sugary foods constantly – Do you ever find yourself wanting a sweet snack after you eat a meal? This could be because your body is used to getting that sugar fix after a meal.  Instead of giving in, try to eat some fruit that has natural sugars instead of processed.  Remember one day at a time will help this slowly go away.
3. Cavities – Your teeth can tell you pretty quickly if you are eating too much sugar.  Bacteria can build up and cause more cavities or even toothaches.
4. Low Energy Levels –  When you eat a lot of sugar, you may have some initial energy, but after awhile your energy levels will come back down.  Eating too much sugar causes an imbalance in your blood sugar, which can cause fatigue. When you’re eating too much sugar, you most likely aren’t eating enough of the proteins and fibers that help your body get that good energy.
5. Weight is harder to lose – When you eat sugar, your blood sugar gets higher. Your pancreas will release the hormone insulin. This hormone is a big factor in weight gain.  If you have too much of it, your body can’t respond to the normal amounts of insulin. So basically it’s not using the sugar the right way. This can hinder your progress in losing weight.

What can we do about it? Eating less sugar, or no sugar at all makes use feel good. It helps our minds become quick and clear and can help our bodies become healthier.  Taking sugar out of our lives completely is not realistic. Instead, try substituting a more healthier option instead of sugary treats.  One easy adjustment is to make homemade snacks/treats instead of store bought ones.  Or, make a goal of eating dessert only 1 day a week instead of EVERY day! Or, eat dessert 1 day less than what you normally do.  Baby steps will help with archiving your goal.  Slowly, your body will not be so dependent on that sugar fix and you’ll be able to start seeing positive results like losing weight and getting that much needed energy.