Sugar is a vital source of energy and essential for our survival; however, not all sugars are the same. Natural sugars like fructose come from fruits and lactose from dairy food and added sugar found in processed food that we can live without. Excessive consumption of added sugar impacts our mood, energy, and weight.
The following are signs that might mean you are overeating sugar.
Increased hunger and weight gain
Consuming extra calories from the added sugar will increase your weight. Moreover, sugar satisfies your taste buds but does not fill your stomach, causing you to feel hungry.
Fatigue and low energy
A high sugar meal or snack without protein or fats can quickly spike your blood sugar; thus, as your body rushes to process it all, your energy levels will crash, making you feel sluggish. As a result, large swings in blood sugar and insulin can lead to depleted energy levels.
Irritability
If you feel sluggish and moody, high sugar intake is one thing you can blame. The spike in blood sugar and your body’s response to process this spike causes your irritability. On the other hand, the spike of insulin causes low glucose in your bloodstream and low blood glucose in the brain.
Foods do not taste sweet enough
If you have noticed that foods do not taste sweet enough or you need to add extra sugar to make food taste sweeter, it could be that you are overeating sugar. Your brain is now trained to expect a high sugar dose, thus causing higher cravings for sweets.
Craving sweets
Craving for sweets is a sign that you are addicted to the feel-good effect of sugar on the brain. Sugar targets the pleasure center in the brain that plays a significant effect on our food cravings. Correspondingly, sugar increases your happy hormone “dopamine,” and this rise can increase craving in sugar leading to a vicious cycle.
In conclusion, it is recommended you read the nutrition labels, focus on whole and unprocessed food to stay healthy and away from feeling sluggish and uncomfortable. Eating sugar in moderation will not do any harm as long as it is within your caloric needs.
