Nutrition Series: Sugar, Not Fat, Makes You Fat
Written by Juliette Scarfe
TW:@baresknbeauty FB: BareSkinBeauty
You may know the fat content of your food, as we have been trained to reduce or even avoid fats, but do you stop and consider the sugar content?
Sugar is often added to the most unlikely of foods, for example gravy, bread and pasta – our desire for sweetness is ever increasing and food manufacturers happily co-conspire in this cycle as sugar makes you eat ever- increasing amounts, as you never feel satisfied or full.
Sugar makes you fat because it’s the most refined form of carbohydrate and it has a toxic effect on the body. It rapidly raises blood sugar levels, which affects insulin production and increases the rate at which the body lays down extra fat.
Not forgetting that sugar is an aging accelerant - causing a loss of tissue elasticity and function. The more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you lose. High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs) (Sugar bound non-enzymatically to protein) Sugar attaches to collagen molecules in the skin and damages them, which manifests as loss of plumpness, elasticity and wrinkles. Sugar also induces salt and water retention. For optimal health avoid all sugar substitutes, including Agave Syrup. Opt for natural sugars in the form of raw honey and other low glycemic alternatives.
