The warmth of a gooey pancake topped with loads of whipped cream to start the day or ending a heavy day munching on a candy bar are the definition of how blindsighted we can be when it comes to our daily sugar intake. An average human being’s daily sugar intake should not exceed 12 teaspoons or 200 calories. But a study proves that an average human being in today’s world is consuming at least 17 teaspoons of sugar in a day.
Lets see how excessive sugar intake can take a toll on your mind and body:
● Impacts on mood and energy levels:
When you eat a candy bar or a glazed donut your brain releases a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is a feel good hormone so there’s no question why you instantly start feeling better after having a sweet treat. And nothing like that happens when you eat a carrot or an apple because whole foods don’t make your brain release dopamine.
A surge of energy is also felt by people when they eat something sweet. It is because your blood pressure goes up when you consume sweets. But as soon as this sugar starts getting absorbed in your body you go back to feeling low and anxious. This slump in energy provokes your mind into eating more sweets to feel and function better. As a result people fall into this lethal trap of only being able to function after eating something sweet.
● Impacts on heart health:
Heart failure is a leading cause of death worldwide. According to Dr. Khalid Jalisi heart health can be easily kept intact if one follows a healthy lifestyle and avoids taking excessive sugary foods. Eating excessive sugar adds extra insulin to your bloodstream causing inflammation in the walls of your arteries throughout the body. As a result the walls of arteries become thick and stiff which puts your heart in stress and leads to heart attacks, heart failure and strokes.
● Impacts on skin:
Dull, dry, saggy and wrinkled skin is what each one of us dreads right? The question is are we ready to give up the sugar from our diet to prevent all of that from happening. Yes, wrinkles, dullness and dryness are a result of taking too much sugar. Excessive sugar gets attached to proteins in your bloodstream and creates molecules called “AGEs”. These harmful molecules damage the elastin and collagen in your skin making it look dull and aged.
● Impacts on body weight:
The sugar in your diet has a direct impact on your body weight. It is because sugary drinks and foods are high in calories. Even if you exercise regularly your weight will go up if you don’t cut down on excessive sugar. It is because excess sugar causes inflammation in fat cells of your body. As a result these cells produce chemicals that lead to weight gain.
Bottom Line
Cutting down on excessive sugar is not so easy. You may feel withdrawal symptoms like fatigue, lethargy, depression and anxiousness. To cope up, connect with a General Physician in Lahore and take their help in navigating this tough path. Don’t give in to your body’s sudden urges to eat something sweet. The road to eating a diet that contains the least amount of sugars is difficult but the benefits your body will reap out of this clean eating are definitely worth it.
