It is now common knowledge that consuming too much sugar or processed foods is bad for your health. However, many people still don’t realize how much your body can be affected by these two things.
If you have difficulty with your sugar intake or need a continuous blood glucose monitoring systemyou may want to know the side effects of a diet high in processed foods and sugar.
Weight gain
One of the most common side effects of increased sugar and processed food consumption is weight gain. Almost all processed sugars and foods contain ingredients your body doesn’t need, and they’re often loaded with calories.
Unlike “natural” foods and ingredients, processed foods and sugars contain huge amounts of fat and carbs, which means you’re often eating a lot more calories than you think. An average Big Mac meal, for example, contains over 1,000 calories, half the daily amount women need and almost half for men.
Little to no health benefits
One of the main purposes of food is to provide our body with the nutrients it needs to function at its best. One of the biggest problems with most processed foods is that they have no health benefits. most of it is purely made up of different types of saturated fat, sugar, and carbohydrates.
If your body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs, it won’t be able to function the way you want it to. You will not have energy, will get sick more easily; your skin will be dirty and oily; the list continues.
Additional ingredients
Processed foods are full of ingredients that not only provide no health benefits, but can also be harmful in sufficient amounts. It has been shown that preservatives, large amounts of salt, stabilizers, etc. can even cause cancer in some people.
Although consuming small amounts of processed foods on an irregular basis does not have this type of impact, long-term use can lead to diabetes, liver, kidney and heart problems and, as mentioned, cancer.
fast calories
The biggest problem with processed foods is that they provide quick calories and help you feel full. Most processed foods are made to be easy to eat and chew, but that also means they’re low in fiber.
This causes you to feel hungry again shortly after eating; McDonald’s is one of the best examples; how many times have you had a Big Mac but only been hungry again an hour or two later? It’s also why it’s so easy to eat large amounts of fast food and not feel full as quickly as usual.
skin problems
keep your healthy skin requires a balance in your diet. You need a good amount of vegetables, fruits and water to ensure that your skin stays pimples/acne free and also to slow down the process of wrinkles appearing.
Many people have probably experienced flare-ups after a weekend or a week of poor diet, and this is because your body is filled with sugars, fats, and other toxins that will show up on your skin very quickly.
Increased risk of diabetes
Diabetes is becoming more and more common these days, and part of that is because many people don’t realize the effect poor dietary choices have on the risk of getting the disease.
Although there is no direct link between excess sugar and diabetes, an unhealthy diet high in sugars and fats leads to weight gain, fat gain and other side effects that make a person susceptible to diabetes.
Lack of energy and motivation
Again, since processed foods don’t have all the nutrients your body needs to function properly, they don’t give you the same amount of energy. Your body doesn’t get the fuel it needs, and after a while simple things like walking or moving around the house will become tiring.
Eating or drinking something high in sugar can give you a spike in energy, but that spike is often very short. Your body will then “crash” and you will feel more exhausted than you did before consuming sugary foods or drinks.
Bad health of teeth
It’s common knowledge at this point that eating too much sugar will essentially rot your teeth. What is not as well known is the fact that a poor diet will also lead to poor health of teeth, gums and mouth.
your teeth are part of your body and therefore require the same care as something even more important, like your heart. Bad breath, sensitive gums and poor oral hygiene can all be caused by a diet low in fibre, calcium and essential nutrients.
Increased risk of depression
Although a healthy diet cannot “cure” depression, a poor diet has been shown to make it worse. The concept of “you are what you eat” applies to both how your body looks and how positive or negative your mood is.
Increased sugar can lead to chronic systemic inflammation and insulin resistance and can alter your dopamine reward system. All of this combines to lower your overall mood and can make you feel unmotivated and almost sad.
