Am I eating too much sugar?

If you look at the nutritional table of many foods, you will often find various names for sugar. Every day, we unconsciously consume more sugar than we actually want. Unfortunately, this often starts with an unhealthy breakfast, such as a cereal that is too sugary.

Excessive consumption of sugar can have long-term harmful effects on our body and promote various diseases such as type 2 diabetes .

You can find out how much sugar you should consume per day, how you recognize that you are consuming too much sugar, and what you can do to counteract excessive sugar consumption in this article.

Why is too much sugar harmful to our body?

The intake of sugar, especially in the form of conventional household sugar , causes our blood sugar levels to rise rapidly and, with excessive consumption, this can lead to our pancreas no longer being able to release enough insulin quickly enough.

The job of insulin is to regulate our blood sugar levels. With excessive consumption of sugar, type 2 diabetes can develop from an overconsumption of sugar. You can find out more about how harmful sugar really is here.

Is sugar equal to sugar?

Of course, not every type of sugar is processed equally by our body. Simple sugars such as glucose or table sugar, which consists of the two simple sugars fructose and glucose, ensure that our blood sugar level rises quickly. On the other hand, multiple sugars, which can be found in potatoes, bread, or legumes, for example, do not cause our blood sugar levels to rise so quickly since the starch contained must first be processed by our body.

Nevertheless, regardless of the type of sugar, you should be careful not to consume too much sugar. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily sugar consumption of about 25g of free sugar per day. But how do you know you're really eating too much sugar?

Your body's first warning signs of excessive sugar consumption

If you add too much sugar to your body in the short or long term, your body will send you various warning signs, and various symptoms can occur. Feeling tired all the time? You could eat something again? Are you often sick? Your skin is dry, and you are often thirsty? If you can answer "yes" to these questions, you should take a closer look at your sugar consumption. Here is an overview of the 7 different warning signs of your body that indicate that you are consuming too much sugar:

Constant feeling of hunger

If you eat a lot of foods that are very sugary, it leads to a constantly elevated blood sugar level. If the blood sugar level is constantly elevated, the glucose cannot penetrate into the cells. Since the glucose does not reach the cells, the brain does not receive any signal from the cells that they have been supplied with food. Therefore, our brain continues to send the signal that we still need energy, and this leads to a feeling of hunger.

Caries

Even as a child, you often learn that too much sweets is bad for our teeth and promotes tooth decay. Caries can therefore also be a sign of high sugar consumption, as sugar is converted into acid and this attacks the tooth enamel.

You're often thirsty

When you consume too much sugar, your body tries to get rid of the excess sugar. One way in which balance is restored is that you often have to go to the bathroom. This causes a lack of fluid in your body and your body therefore sends you the signal that you are thirsty so that it is supplied with fluid.

D iverse skin problems and blemished skin

As already mentioned, too much sugar causes a lack of fluid in your body. Another consequence of this deficiency can not only be a frequent thirst but also dry skin. In addition, excessive consumption of sugar can also lead to blemishes, pimples, and inflammation. This is because the sugar, which the body can no longer process, binds to the proteins collagen and elastin.

The two proteins are responsible for keeping our skin healthy and firm. However, if the sugar forms on the proteins, it prevents them from doing their job, and this can then lead to the formation of blemishes, pimples, or inflammation under the skin.

Common headache

Various case reports and studies show that people suffering from migraines, in particular, benefit from a low-sugar diet and the number of migraine attacks can be reduced. The reduction of sugar should also have a positive effect on other types of headaches.

Weak immune system

If you are frequently ill, it may also be because you are eating too much sugar. The reason for this is that sugar can affect and weaken our immune system. In addition, our diet and the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals it contains are an important building block for a strong immune system. Foods that have a high sugar content are also not particularly nutrient-rich for our body, which, of course, does not have a positive effect on our immune system.

Digestive complaints

Your digestive system can also suffer from excessive sugar consumption. Excessive consumption can, among other things, lead to a change in the intestinal flora, which can significantly affect digestion. It can therefore also lead to a feeling of fullness, flatulence, constipation or diarrhoea.

Now that you have identified one or more symptoms, you should take a closer look at your diet, your food, and your meal plan. We now give you 5 helpful tips that you can quickly and easily implement to reduce your sugar consumption.

What can I do if I eat too much sugar? Helpful measures against high sugar consumption

Regular meals

If you suspect or know that you are consuming too much sugar, you should work on your diet first and foremost. Make sure to eat regularly so that your digestion is strengthened.

Low-sugar and nutrient-rich diet

In addition, you should make sure to keep your diet as low in sugar as possible and to eat foods with a lot of vital substances . Especially a lot of vegetables and small amounts of fruit play an important role in a healthy diet. Furthermore, you should pay attention to complex carbohydrates with a high fiber content in your diet. Especially oatmeal , potatoes, or whole wheat bread are a good choice, as the blood sugar level rises more slowly. For breakfast, you can easily integrate complex carbohydrates in the form of oatmeal with a filling oatmeal . The delicious Verival Porridges without added sugar are a healthy hot breakfast.

Drink more water

Especially sugary drinks, sodas, or soft drinks often contain large amounts of sugar and are hidden calorie traps and sugar bombs. If you drink sweetened beverages often, you can easily reduce your daily sugar dose by replacing it with water or unsweetened tea .

Create weekly plan and meal prep

A weekly schedule can also help you reduce your sugar intake, as you can plan your meals and avoid unnecessary sugary snacks. In addition, you can also prepare your meals in advance. For example, you can prepare your midweek food on Sunday and then easily store it in the fridge. As a result, you have already prepared your meals during the week and only have to take them to work, school, or university and enjoy them. Our porridges are also available in practical single portions , so you can take your healthy hot breakfast with you wherever you go.

Natural sugar alternatives – the solution if you consume too much sugar?

Even if sugar alternatives are supposed to be better than conventional table sugar, you should also use natural sugar alternatives sparingly. However, various natural sugar alternatives can be a good alternative to conventional table sugar . You can find out more about the different ways to replace sugar here.