Why Your Sugar Addition is Destroying Your Skin
Hello dear readers! If you’re frequent followers of the blog, you may have noticed I haven’t posted in a bit. I have been busy with some tremendous changes in the last few months including a new upgraded clinic space and some new, exciting changes coming to the skincare line (all will be revealed in good time!). But I’m back and still here to explore all that is ultimate skin wellness. Today, I’m here to talk about our dreaded addiction to sugar and how it affects our skin.
Added sugar is in almost everything. It is the most popular ingredient added to processed foods in the US. It’s in our breads, yogurts, ketchup, barbecue sauce, cereals, salad dressings, even our deli meats. Added sugar is basically everything sweet besides whole fruits. Here is a list of the common added sugars that could be in your food:
• agave nectar
• cane sugar
• corn sweetener
• crytalline fructose
• dextrose
• evaporated cane juice
• fruit juice concentrate
• glucose
• high fructose corn syrup
• honey
• maltose
• molasses
• raw sugar
• sucrose
If you’re not looking, your daily added sugar intake can add up and that is like pouring gasoline on the small fire that is chronic inflammation. The more regular inflammation, the more red, broken out, and irritated our skin. The less added sugar, the more even-toned, healthy, and clear – it’s biological!
The average person consumes 117g of added sugar in one day, the equivalent of 22 teaspoons. To provide some reference, it is recommended to consume no more than 50g per day max. Can you imagine if you ate 22 teaspoons of straight white sugar? You would immediately feel the difference. Unfortunately with it hidden in a huge amount of processed food and beverages, we may not consciously feel the same as we blindly consume sugar day in and out.
The good news here is that whole fruit is not bad - in fact it is great for you! Added sugar is processed. Fruit is natural, created by the earth, designed for you and hundreds of thousands of animals to eat. Yes, it has natural sugars, but it’s also packed with fiber. And the fiber is what makes fruit digest COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY in your body than a bag of oreo cookies. So if it’s whole fruit – please, eat up! Read my previous article, Why Fruit Is Fantastic For Your Skin, if you’re seeking more information.
Here are a couple of questions to evaluate your relationship with added sugar:
• Are you eating some candy everyday or most days?
• Do you consume added sugar beverages everyday or most days?
• Do you have dessert everyday or most days?
• Do you find you can’t stop after you start when eating sweets?
• Do you keep sweets around the house?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, perhaps it would be a good idea to reconsider your relationship with sugar. Know that the less you eat, the less you will crave. The less added sugar in your daily and weekly diet, the better your skin and body will function, look, and feel.
Elise May, CN + LE, is the owner and practitioner behind SKINutritious. She has helped over 1,000 clients clear acne with detoxing treatments, clear skin coaching, and holistic skincare.
Work with Elise. Book online here.
