Sugar tastes great and most people will admit they have a weak spot for sweets in some capacity. Most people also recognize that eating too much is not a good thing for your body. Even without a sweet tooth people have a treat every now and then. So what are 10 signs that you are eating too much sugar?
1. Fatigue
Sugar is full of empty calories and you don’t get a whole lot (if anything) from consuming a lot of it. While it will give you an energy boost after consuming it, you will end up crashing and be less active overall if you over consume. The crashing feeling can lead to a lack of energy and can hinder your ability to be active long-term. Some people may have to consume more sugar to bounce back from the crash and it results in bad habits of seeking a quick energy boost repeatedly.
2. Weight Gain
If you start to notice an extra bit of fat on your stomach, hips, or thighs, it may be due to an increase in sugar consumption. Sugar is full of non-nutrients and they immediately get stored in the bodies fat pockets. It can mess with your metabolism in addition to making you less active. Your body has a more difficult time handling the sugar intake and it is forced to store it in your body. Your pancreas has to work harder to keep blood sugar levels healthy but if you overload it constantly weight gain is a very realistic possibility. There is no protein or fiber filled sugary foods, so you are consuming things that will not add any muscle and will not speed up your metabolism. Increased levels of insulin from your pancreas acts as a huge reason for gaining weight and could develop future health problems later.
3. Cavities
Pretty simply put, sugar is terrible for your teeth. It can lead to gum disease, discoloration, and an increase of cavities even if you think you take care of your teeth. There are bacteria that naturally grow on and in between our teeth, but eating too much sugar ruins the cycle of our saliva naturally cleaning the mouth leading to cavities.
4. Mood Swings
High sugar foods provide rapid changes in how our bodies can handle food. A rapid sugar high that leads to a fast crash will definitely change how you act at any given time following the consumption. After your crash, your body will be challenged to maintain its high energy level which is very challenging to do. If you notice being crabby or frustrated after your sugar high fades off you are probably consuming too much to begin with.
5. Memory Loss
Sugar consumption leads to rapid increases and decreases in blood sugar level. Poor blood sugar results in cognitive impairment. You do want a high level of blood flowing to the brain but when you consume sugar, but the rapid crash that comes after can diminish your brain’s ability to react quickly and recall things.
6. Food Doesn’t Taste as Good
Over consumption of sugar can change your taste buds and if things no longer taste like how you remember them, sweets may be a reason for that. Your taste buds might be damaged from eating too much sugar when you eat other foods the lack of the sweetness causes them to taste bad. Your tongue will develop a tolerance and you will need more to satisfy your cravings, resulting in other foods tasting bad.
7. You Crave Sugar
Sugar can be addicting, and if you feel the need for a late snack all the time it is definitely possible that you have a small addiction. Your taste buds adapt after consuming sugar over and over but it also changes your hormonal system. Your body will want more of the “high” feeling you get, even though it results in a crash. When you eat sweet food your body sends off a feeling of happiness or satisfaction, and the better the feeling the more your body will want it.
8. You’re Stressed or Depressed
Depression has been linked to high sugar diets. The high intake will result in swelling of the brain which is commonly found in people who suffer from depression. While it can be a great sense of immediate comfort and satisfaction, the lows can develop a stressful and frantic desire to find sugary foods to regain the high level of energy you lost. The energy boost can help you do things faster, but following the crash you will have less energy and desire to work quickly, psychologically increasing your stress levels.
9. You’re Sick
Something that people may not normally think about as a negative to sugar is the immune system. All the negative impacts can lead to physical sickness. Your body is less healthy overall and you lose some ability to fight off minor health issues without eating nutritious food and exercising. Sugar can immediately have an impact on the strength and health of your skin which can make you more susceptible to sicknesses.
10. You Need More Food to Feel Full
Sugar adds nothing of nutritional value and acts as an empty calorie. So while your caloric intake is increasing, you are not getting any food that will fill you up. You will end up eating more food because your brain tells you that you have a craving for something. If you eat more foods that are high in sugar it works as an endless cycle of temporarily satisfying your cravings with foods that do not fill you up and add unnecessary calories.
Sugar can be a temporary fix as an energy boost, but over consumption can lead to serious health issues that are often not immediately seen. Lowering a daily intake may be challenging but it can be a lot easier if you know how much you’re actually consuming on a daily basis.
