We all know it, but we all hate to admit it: as good as sugar tastes, it’s no good for our bodies. This deviously delicious (and addictive) ingredient makes its way into so many foods, but unfortunately, it’s terrible for your overall health. “A diet high in processed, sugary foods often leads to high blood pressure, unintentional weight gain, and inflammation, which has been linked to a variety of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease,” warns Sara Whipkey, registered dietitian and owner of The Plant Potential.
If you’re a frequent snacker with a sweet tooth, the habit may be hard for you to kick. However, if you want to lead a healthy life, it’s important to limit your intake of sugary snacks, including two common offenders health experts warn against: candy and pastries. To learn more about the dangers of these foods, we spoke to dietitian Dana Ellis Hunnes, author of Recipe for Survival, and nutritionist Lisa Richards, creator of The Candida Diet. They gave us a rundown on the blood sugar spikes, inflammation, weight gain, and disease you may be setting yourself up for if you eat them on a regular basis. Find all of their expert insight below!
1. Fruity candy
When it comes to sugary snacks, multi-colored, fruity candy is one of the most obvious options–and according to Hunnes, it’s also one of the worst for your overall health. According to her, “The worst sugary food is probably something like jellybeans, or pure-sugary candy like skittles.” It isn’t just the astronomical sugar content of these movie theater favorites that makes them such a poor decision for your health; they’re also packed with other artificial ingredients like food dyes. All of this can take a serious toll on your body. “These increase insulin production and can be stressful on the entire body system, leading to inflammation,” Hunnes warns.
If you want a healthier treat to munch on next time you’re craving a little sweetness, Hunnes offers some great options: “Healthy alternatives would be fruit of course, such as dried dates, figs, or craisins, or for real candy, dark chocolate or something along those lines.”
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2. Pastries/donuts
In addition to candy made with pure sugar, another major culprit to look out for is breakfast pastries and donuts that are packed with refined carbs. This is an especially terrible way to start your day, Richards warns. “These sugary snacks are among the worst for inflammation and weight gain. They are a combination of refined carbs and fat from oil. These two together provide you with a high calorie, inflammatory, and weight-promoting snack.” Yikes!
Like all processed ingredients, eating too many refined carbs over time can be detrimental to your weight loss goals, not to mention your overall health. RIchards tells us that they’re “highly inflammatory and turn to sugar quickly, causing a quick rise in glucose.” And those blood sugar spikes can lead to serious health consequences because they often cause inflammation, which can result in a range of chronic diseases, including heart disease and arthritis.
The bottom line
Overall, staying away from sugary foods (and even those made with artificial sweeteners!) is always the best option if you want to keep your health in check. While a little bit of sugar here and there won’t kill you, limiting your intake as much as possible is essential to leading the healthiest life possible. And when it comes to the worst culprits out there, colorful candy and breakfast pastries are two you should definitely be wary of.
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