Eat Pretty

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Sugar, it seems, is everywhere.

It’s where we expect it to be (cookies, candy, cakes) as well as places that surprise us. Regardless of the source, sugar is a beauty buster. Perhaps the biggest.

Several studies have shown that excess sugar in the diet contributes to increased risk of heart disease, increased triglycerides, diabetes, weight gain and malnutrition.

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Scary? Si! But what’s most frightening to beauty buffs is that it also wreaks havoc on your skin.  The more sugar you eat, the more likely you are to have skin that is dull and wrinkly. Researchers think this occurs due to a process called glycation, in which sugar in the bloodstream attaches to proteins to form something called AGA’s, or, advanced glycation end products.  AGE’s damage collagen and elastin, two structural proteins directly related to how great….or in this case, not so great, your skin is.  

The two lists provided here outline the main sources of sugar in the American diet. If either of these lists resembles a daily diary of food choices for you, it may be the perfect time to kick the sugar habit!  After all, you don’t want a bunch of AGEs waging war against your skin, right?

Top 10 sugar foods

1. Cola
2. Sweetened cereals
3. White bread
4. Candy
5. Granola/energy Bars—up to 25 grams for one bar
6. Juice and other sweetened beverages
7. Bakery Items (muffins, cookies, etc)
8. Frozen yogurt and ice cream
9. Canned or dried fruit
10.  Smoothies—can have up to 60g in a 16 ounce serving

Top 10 foods that surprisingly have a lot of sugar 

1. Frozen entrée’s
2. Low-fat or fat-free salad dressing
3. Crackers
4. Ketchup and BBQ sauce
5. Soy milk
6. Tomato sauce
7. Flavored yogurts
8. Fat-free “diet” products
9. Instant flavored oatmeal
10. Specialty coffee drinks – large

MORE: Are Low-Fat Foods Making You Fat?