Stop light: how to realize you need to eat less sugar

The body constantly needs glucose, so consuming sugar is essential. It is found in many foods, not just chocolate and candy. But you can not overdo it, otherwise it can cause overweight and health problems. Together with nutriciologist Anna Berseneva we understand how the body signals that it has too much sugar.

Mood swings

“Excessive sugar consumption rocks the emotional system,” says the expert. Abrupt and frequent mood swings can be the result of excess sugar in the body. It all has to do with hormones. If you eat a bar of chocolate, after a short time there will be a spike in insulin, and your mood will improve. But then a slump and apathy will inevitably follow.

Anna: Recently, European studies have established a link between excessive amounts of sugar in the body and the emergence of obsessive compulsive neuroses.

Skin problems

Sweets give you acne – and it’s not a myth. “The quality of the skin deteriorates and collagen production decreases. From excessive consumption of sugar, the body becomes acidified, and in an acidic environment and rashes appear,” says the nutriciologist.

Sugar-containing products make the skin more oily because the sebaceous glands work harder. If you do not want the appearance of acne, you need to watch the amount of sweets in the diet.

Sleepiness

Do not be surprised if after a piece of cake you want to sleep. Foods that contain a lot of sugar have a high glycemic index. There have been several studies in the US that proved that excessive consumption of sweets leads to sleep problems and provokes fatigue. Again, hormones are to blame. After a spike, insulin levels drop quickly, which causes drowsiness.

Frequent snacking

For a short time, a doughnut or a bar of chocolate gives a feeling of satiety. But after a couple of hours you will feel hunger and the desire to snack.

Anna: Consumption of fast sugars, i.e. classic white sugar, shakes the mechanism of glucose and insulin production. The pancreas synthesizes insulin intensely to process sugar. Then it drops dramatically, and in these moments the body, whose main purpose is to sustain life, instinctively demands a snack.

Sugar addiction

Yes, it exists. The more you eat sweets, the more you crave. In a way, sugar affects the body in the same way that alcohol or drugs do. Eating sweets triggers the release of dopamine, the hormone of satisfaction and happiness.

When you refuse sweets, dopamine withdrawal begins, so the body requires sugar-containing foods. If you find yourself thinking about chocolate, doughnuts and cakes more and more often, you probably have too much sugar in your body.