9 Signs You Could Be Eating Too Much Sugar (And What to Do About It)

Sugar makes the whole lot style higher. However indicators you’re consuming an excessive amount of sugar embody feeling sluggish, bloated, or craving extra sweets. 

It’s straightforward to overdo it. As a dietitian, I’ve labored with many purchasers who didn’t notice how a lot sugar was sneaking into their food plan—till their vitality ranges, temper, and digestion began struggling. 

Should you’ve ever hit a day stoop that solely a pastry appears to repair or felt continually hungry regardless of consuming loads of meals, sugar is likely to be the offender. Among the best methods to know for positive is to trace your sugar consumption. 

Let’s break down the indicators you is likely to be consuming an excessive amount of sugar and what to do about it.

How Dangerous Is Sugar, Actually?

Sugar isn’t inherently dangerous—our our bodies want some to perform. It’s the added sugars, particularly from sweets and processed meals, that may trigger issues. 

“Your physique absorbs these easy sugars rapidly, which might elevate the chance of weight achieve, diabetes, and different well being points,” says Daisy Mercer, a MyFitnessPal dietitian (1).

Even when you really feel advantageous now, indicators you’re consuming an excessive amount of sugar can quietly present up in your vitality, digestion, and even your pores and skin over time. 

I’m not saying you’ll want to lower sugar out fully. However staying conscious of how a lot—and the place—the sugar in your food plan comes from might help you meet your well being objectives. 

Added Sugar vs. Sugar in Complete Meals

Not all sugars are the identical. The sugar naturally present in fruits, greens, and dairy comes packaged with fiber that helps sluggish digestion and supply vitality. 

However, added sugars—like these in flavored yogurts, baked items, and packaged snacks—lack these vitamin advantages and may spike blood sugar ranges rapidly.

Crucial sugar to be conscious of is the added sugars present in ultra-processed meals (2). Extremely processed meals are designed to be extraordinarily tasty and simple to eat (2). 

For instance, most individuals aren’t more likely to overeat apples, despite the fact that they include loads of pure sugar. However cookies? It’s all too straightforward to achieve for one or two and find yourself consuming a whole sleeve. That’s as a result of apples include filling fiber and most cookies don’t.

9 Indicators You May Be Consuming Too A lot Sugar

Look ahead to these indicators you’re consuming an excessive amount of sugar. Should you spot any, it is likely to be time to take a better take a look at your sugar consumption. 

1. Diabetes or pre-diabetes

In case your physician’s flagged your blood sugar—or if diabetes runs in your loved ones—it’s good to take a better take a look at your sugar consumption.

What’s taking place:

Consuming an excessive amount of added sugar over time can result in insulin resistance. That’s the place your cells cease responding correctly to insulin, the hormone that helps management blood sugar (1). 

When that occurs, your blood sugar stays increased than it ought to, growing the chance for Kind 2 diabetes. In keeping with the CDC, over 98 million American adults have prediabetes—and most don’t even understand it (3).

What to observe for:

• Fixed thirst
• Frequent urination
• Unexplained fatigue

What to do:

To begin with, observe your healthcare supplier’s recommendation. It most likely consists of reducing again on added sugars and filling your plate with high-fiber carbs and lean proteins that may assist stabilize blood sugar. 

Bonus: utilizing a software just like the MyFitnessPal Meal Planner might help you begin consuming a much less processed food plan.  

2. Coronary heart Illness

Whereas sugar won’t be the very first thing that involves thoughts whenever you consider coronary heart well being, consuming elevated added sugar can improve threat of diabetes, which  will increase threat of coronary heart illness. (1). 

What’s taking place:
An excessive amount of sugar can harm blood vessels and lift your threat of coronary heart illness by contributing to excessive blood sugar and irritation. 

A examine within the journal Circulation discovered that individuals who consumed extra of their each day energy from added sugar have been extra more likely to die from coronary heart illness than those that stored their consumption underneath 10% (4). 

What to observe for:

• Weight loss plan excessive in sweetened drinks, pastries, or processed snacks
• Historical past of excessive ldl cholesterol or hypertension

What to do:
Swap sugary snacks for nutrient-dense meals like greens, complete grains, and lean proteins.

3. Starvation Quickly After Consuming

Should you simply ate however already really feel such as you want a snack, your meal may’ve been too heavy on sugar and lightweight on the stuff that really retains you full—like fiber, protein, and wholesome fats (5). 

A sugary breakfast like cereal or a pastry will digest quick, leaving you hungry once more an hour later.

What’s taking place:

Analysis has discovered that meals excessive in refined carbs and sugars elevated starvation and led to overeating all through the day (6). 

Sugar digests rapidly and doesn’t set off long-lasting satiety indicators like protein or fiber do. This units off a cycle of consuming and re-eating.

What to observe for:

• Starvation shortly after meals
• Meals low in protein or fiber
• Fixed grazing all through the day

What to do:

Construct balanced meals and snacks with protein, fiber, and fat. Suppose: Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts or eggs with complete grain toast.

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Concerning the Specialists

Caroline Thomason, RD, is a dietitian and diabetes educator combining her love of vitamin with the ability of creating higher well being straightforward to grasp. With 12 years within the trade, her work has appeared in additional than 40 publications. She’s additionally a speaker, broadcast spokesperson, and recipe developer.

Daisy Mercer, RD, is a Meals Information Curator at MyFitnessPal. She graduated together with her bachelors of Meals Science and Dietetics from Colorado State College and accomplished her dietetic internship with the VA San Diego Healthcare system.

Melissa Jaeger RD, LD is the Head of Vitamin for MyFitnessPal. Melissa acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Vitamin (DPD) from the School of Saint Benedict and accomplished her dietetic internship by means of Iowa State College. In Could 2024 she was acknowledged because the Registered Younger Dietitian of the 12 months awarded by the Minnesota Academy of Vitamin and Dietetics.

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4. Pores and skin Issues

Sugar won’t be the very first thing you blame when your pores and skin flares up, however it may be a sneaky offender. 

Excessive sugar consumption can result in hormonal shifts and irritation, each of that are dangerous information to your pores and skin. 

One examine discovered that individuals who consumed high-sugar diets had considerably extra breakouts than those that stored their blood sugar regular (8). 

What’s taking place:

Sugar spikes insulin, which might improve oil manufacturing and set off irritation—two key components in breakouts and uninteresting pores and skin (7).

What to observe for:

• Frequent breakouts
• Uninteresting or infected pores and skin
• Pores and skin points after high-sugar meals or weekends

What to do:

Reduce on added sugars, particularly from ultra-processed meals and sweetened drinks. Swap in additional antioxidant-rich produce like berries, leafy greens, or candy potatoes.

5. Digestive Points

Sugar can throw your intestine out of whack. A high-sugar food plan could feed dangerous intestine micro organism and trigger an imbalance, resulting in bloating, gasoline, or constipation (9). 

On prime of that, sugar alcohols—widespread in “sugar-free” merchandise—can act like laxatives and irritate your digestive tract (10).

What’s taking place:

An excessive amount of sugar disrupts intestine micro organism and may trigger digestive discomfort and even flare-ups of IBS (9, 18).

What to observe for:

• Frequent bloating or gasoline
• Sensitivity to sugar-free merchandise
• Irregular digestion

What to do:

Give attention to complete meals with fiber—like fruits, veggies, and legumes—and reduce on extra added sugars and synthetic sweeteners like sorbitol and maltitol.

6. Temper Swings and Irritability

Ever felt hangry after a sugar crash? That rollercoaster of temper and vitality is likely to be your blood sugar speaking. A examine in Scientific Reviews linked excessive sugar consumption with anxiousness and emotional volatility (11).

What’s taking place:

Sugar causes fast spikes in serotonin and blood sugar, adopted by dramatic crashes—leaving you drained, anxious, and cranky (11). 

What to observe for:

• Feeling “off” or irritable after consuming sweets
• Temper dips an hour or two after sugary meals
• Emotional consuming patterns

What to do:

Select advanced carbs and pair them with protein or fats. For instance, go for candy potatoes and grilled hen or fruit with peanut butter to maintain your temper (and blood sugar) secure.

“Give attention to fiber-rich carbohydrates for a nutrient-dense vitality supply that helps you are feeling full and energized longer,” presents Melissa Jaeger, RD, LD,  Head of Vitamin at MyFitnessPal.

7. Poor Sleep

Late-night sweets is likely to be messing along with your relaxation. Analysis exhibits that diets excessive in sugar can intervene with melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle (12).

What’s taking place:

Blood sugar spikes late within the day can wake you up in the midst of the night time, disrupting deep, restorative sleep (12)(13).

What to observe for:

• Hassle falling asleep or staying asleep
• Stressed nights after dessert-heavy dinners
• Feeling groggy within the morning

What to do:

Keep away from sugary snacks late within the night. As a substitute, attempt a bedtime snack with magnesium and protein like a banana with almond butter or Greek yogurt. (You should utilize MyFitnessPal’s Sleep Feature to match meals consumption with the way you slept.)

8. Weight Acquire

Consuming an excessive amount of sugar—particularly added sugars—can result in weight achieve as a result of sugar doesn’t preserve you full the best way protein and wholesome fat do. 

What’s taking place:

Sugary meals can spike your blood sugar and go away you hungry once more quickly after consuming, resulting in overeating (14).  Research additionally present that high-sugar diets are linked to elevated fats storage, particularly across the stomach (14).

What to observe for:

• Problem shedding weight or unexplained weight achieve
• Meals or snacks excessive in refined carbs and low in fiber or protein
• Fixed starvation, even after consuming

What to do:
Shift your focus to meals that embody extra fiber, protein, and healthy fats to assist regulate starvation and assist wholesome weight administration. Be conscious of added sugar hiding in on a regular basis meals like:

• Salad dressings
• Granola bars
• Low-fat yogurt
• Pasta sauce
• Immediate oatmeal
• Non-dairy milks

Reducing again on these and selecting extra complete, unprocessed meals might help you are feeling fuller for longer—and handle your weight extra successfully.

9. Power Crashes

In case your vitality seems like a rollercoaster—up after breakfast, crashing by lunch—sugar is likely to be the rationale. Meals excessive in refined sugars trigger fast spikes adopted by steep crashes, resulting in sluggishness (15).

What’s taking place:

Sugar rapidly boosts blood sugar, however the ensuing crash can go away you feeling fatigued and foggy.

What to observe for:

• Afternoon slumps
• Want for caffeine or sugar to get by means of the day
• Fatigue shortly after consuming

What to do:

For regular vitality, concentrate on snacks and meals that mix fiber, protein, and wholesome fat—like apple slices with almond butter or eggs with avocado toast.

How one can Lower Again on Sugar

Listed here are 5 easy methods I like to recommend as a dietitian that will help you scale back your sugar consumption with out feeling disadvantaged:

• Swap sugary drinks for glowing water, natural tea, or espresso with only a splash of milk.
• Select complete meals like nuts, cheese, or fruit as an alternative of packaged snacks with added sugars.
• Learn meals labels and search for added sugars in addition to hidden sugars underneath names like maltose, dextrose, and cane syrup.
• Don’t go chilly turkey—scale back sugar progressively to keep away from cravings.
• Use MyFitnessPal to trace sugar consumption and set life like objectives.

Steadily Requested Questions

The Backside Line

Should you’re seeing indicators you’re consuming an excessive amount of sugar like continually craving sugar, feeling sluggish, or fighting temper swings, it might be time to chop again. 

Decreasing sugar doesn’t imply deprivation — small adjustments, like swapping sugary drinks for higher options and prioritizing complete meals, could make a giant distinction. 

You too can use MyFitnessPal to trace your sugar consumption, experiment with new habits, and take management of your well being—with out sacrificing your means of consuming.

The put up 9 Signs You Could Be Eating Too Much Sugar (And What to Do About It) appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

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