At a family gathering, Auntie Li shared with me her recent troubles. Although she wakes up every morning feeling full of energy, in the afternoon, it is always difficult to shake off the feeling of exhaustion that cannot be described in words. At first, she thought it was just a natural phenomenon of aging, but then found that even adequate rest didn't help. To add insult to injury, she found herself feeling thirsty frequently and needing to get up multiple times during the night to go to the toilet. These changes left Aunt Li confused and uneasy.
These stories are not isolated and are common to many people in today's society due to the accelerated pace of life and changes in eating habits. These physical signals are actually warning us of health problems that may be caused by excessive sugar intake.
Persistent feeling of fatigue: the body's SOS signal
When our diet contains too much sugar, blood sugar levels experience drastic fluctuations. This rapid ascent and descent not only causes a brief surge of energy, which is then quickly depleted, causing the body to feel tired and exhausted. This is because the body needs to keep blood sugar levels within a relatively stable range to ensure that cells can efficiently use glucose for energy. When blood sugar levels fluctuate frequently, this process is disrupted, resulting in a decrease in energy production and utilization.
The key to coping with this persistent fatigue is to adjust your diet, especially to reduce your intake of simple sugars. Simple sugars are easily absorbed by the body quickly, causing blood sugar levels to rise quickly. Conversely, increasing your intake of dietary fiber, such as whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, can help stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce feelings of fatigue. Dietary fiber slows down the absorption of sugar and avoids sharp fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
Frequent thirst and polyuria: The body tries to "flush" excess sugar
The body tries to remove excess sugar from the blood by increasing the amount of urine, which is a protective mechanism designed to prevent high blood sugar levels from causing harm to the body. However, this also means that the body is rapidly depleting water, leading to frequent thirst and frequent toilet trips due to increased urine output.
To combat this, the first thing you need to do is to reduce your intake of foods and beverages that can quickly raise blood sugar levels, such as sugary drinks, desserts and white bread. At the same time, increasing your daily water intake can help stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of dehydration due to increased urine output.
Sudden weight gain: Sugar is at fault?
When you notice that you are gaining weight for no reason in a short period of time, especially the accumulation of belly fat, it is likely to be a sign of excessive sugar intake in the body. Not all weight gain is directly related to food intake; sometimes, they are the body's way of trying to process excess sugar. Not only does excess sugar encourage the body to store extra calories as fat, but it also affects metabolic rate and reduces the body's ability to burn fat.
Practical Suggestions:
Adjust your diet: Prioritize low- or no-sugar foods and increase your intake of high-fiber foods, such as whole grains, vegetables and legumes, which can help control blood sugar levels and provide a feeling of fullness for longer.
Regular physical activity: Workouts that combine cardio and strength training can help increase metabolic rate and increase muscle mass, with muscle tissue burning more calories at rest than adipose tissue.
Unquenchable appetite: Sugar is the invisible driver
If you find yourself craving sweets all the time, or hunger pangs come and go quickly, it could be because of the drastic fluctuations in your blood sugar levels. Excessive sugar intake can cause blood sugar to rise sharply and then drop rapidly, causing the body to produce more hunger, especially cravings for sweets.
Practical Suggestions:
Eat a balanced diet: Make sure you have a good source of protein at every meal, such as lean meats, fish or soy products, which can help stabilize blood sugar and reduce hunger.
Healthy snacks: Choosing healthy snacks, such as nuts, yogurt or fresh fruit, as an alternative to high-sugar snacks can satisfy sweet cravings while limiting sugar intake.
Skin problems reveal sugar warnings
The skin is a mirror of the body's condition, and excessive sugar intake can lead to problems such as acne, dryness, or hyperpigmentation on the skin. This is because high blood sugar can disrupt the skin's natural barrier and affect blood circulation, which can affect skin health.
Practical Suggestions:
Improve your diet: Reduce sugar and refined carbohydrates and increase antioxidant foods such as dark vegetables, berries and nuts that can help protect skin health.
Hydrate and moisturize: Make sure you're drinking enough water each day and use moisturizers that are appropriate for your skin type to help maintain your skin's hydration and elasticity.