PT Health Life – Eating a lot of sweets negatively affects overall health and skin in particular. To control daily sugar consumption, you need to change your habits slowly to give your body time to adapt…
1. How does eating a lot of sweets affect the skin?
eating too many sweets not only poses potential health risks but also affects the beauty of the skin. Studies show that long-term high blood sugar levels increase blood vessel damage and create large numbers of free radicals.
When free radicals appear, they will quickly affect the lipids of cell membranes. Without enough antioxidants to protect lipids, cell membranes will be damaged by oxidation. This will accelerate the skin aging process , causing dry skin, wrinkles , redness, and acne .
Additionally, glycation occurs when sugars bind to proteins in the skin, such as collagen and elastin, denaturing these proteins. As a result, the skin loses elasticity and the skin’s protective barrier function is damaged.
Therefore, to slow down aging, in addition to proper skin care, you need to control the amount of sugar consumed. The World Health Organization recommends that adults’ daily sugar intake should be controlled at about 5% of total energy, about 25 grams.
Candy, chocolate, desserts, ice cream, cookies, drinks… are the most common sugary foods . If possible, try to limit your intake, especially at night.
2. How to fight the craving for sweets?
There are many reasons why you crave sweets . Scientists believe that cravings for sugary foods are caused by a desire to improve mood because consuming sweets increases the level of serotonin – the “happiness hormone” in the brain. In addition, you will often feel hungry when lacking sleep , mental stress, poor nutrition…
To limit cravings and reduce sugar intake, you should:
Eat more fruit: When you cut back on added sugar, your cravings will initially increase. You should eat fruits such as berries, bananas, melons or citrus fruits to fight sugar cravings and help supplement fiber and vitamins.
– Increase healthy foods: Eat a breakfast rich in protein and fiber to feel full longer and limit cravings for sweets. For example, eggs, unsweetened yogurt, whole grains…
– Adjust your sweet eating habits slowly to give your body time to adapt: Slowly reduce your consumption of sugary drinks like soda, sports drinks, and sweetened coffee drinks. Make sure you drink enough water.
– Maintain a healthy, active lifestyle: Relax after each working day to avoid prolonged stress, get enough sleep, increase exercise…
3. Foods in a low-sugar diet
You do not need to abstain or completely cut down on foods containing sugar. Because it is inherently impractical to eliminate all foods containing sugar. Instead, you should choose whole foods, avoiding processed and prepackaged items.
Eating whole foods will make it easier for you to stick to a low-sugar diet, as they provide adequate nutrients and help keep you full longer. Some sugar, especially sugar from natural sources such as fruit or milk, can be a healthy addition to your diet.
Accordingly, some healthy foods that you should eat include green leafy vegetables, fruits (priority is given to citrus fruits and berries), grains, beans, sweet potatoes, and fish. fat, lean protein, eggs…
At the same time, avoid eating sweet fruits with a high glycemic index, white bread or flour, refined sugar, drinks with added sugar, packaged snack foods such as chips and crackers. In particular, you should limit alcohol consumption as much as possible.
