Refined sugars are bad for your body for a multitude of reasons, one of the main reasons being the havoc it can wreak on your skin. Foods high in sugar cause blood glucose to increase at a rapid pace, which in turn triggers a jump in insulin and causes inflammation on a “cellular level.” This increased amount of insulin through the blood stream triggers an imbalance of hormones and endocrine response that can cause pores to clog and overactive oil gland commotion. Read further on reducing sugar intake:
1. If something is labeled whole wheat, fat-free, reduced-fat, etc. more than likely there are higher levels of sugar to make up for lack of taste and flavor. Read all labels before purchasing and check sugar content.
2. Just because something says 100% juice doesn’t mean that it is good sugar meaning it can be from concentrate and not all natural. Some companies add concentrate to make it taste sweeter.
3. There are many different names for sugar under ingredients labels. Sugar is also fructose, molasses, high-fructose corn syrup, glucose, sucrose, just to name a few.
4. Avoid processed foods and drinks with high levels of refined sugar including cookies, candy, various sweets, soda, and certain juices.
5. Also avoid foods that say, low sugar. Many of these foods add fat, calories, and sodium to add more flavor.
As you can see, you must be proactive in your diet and read labels, do your homework, and feed your body the food it deserves. Add a large variety of fruit and vegetables to your diet, drink lots of water daily, minimize soda intake and processed foods in general, and eat lots of natural whole wheat foods and nuts. You will feel so much better in no time and your skin will look awesome too!