Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Sugar and the Aging Process!
It is a fact of life, as we begin to approach mid-life, we will do anything to keep our youthful appearance. I am always amazed when I see a Hollywood star that I haven't seen for awhile and I don't even recognize her. Sometimes the face is stretched so out of place it looks like a wax figure.
We get injected with fats and synthetics to puff out our lips, cheeks and erase those wrinkles, and then, of course there is the ever popular BOTOX! Personally, I will never go there.
Do you know that restricting your intake of fats to a very low level can contribute to the aging process? Saturated fats help your skin resist the damage that oxidants can create. It makes your skin cells more resilient. Avocados, olives and olive oil are great sources of fat. You can also cook with coconut oil, peanut oil or even animal fats if you are not vegetarian. Walnuts, almonds and other nuts are also great sources of fat.
Now let's talk about sugar......the more sugar you ingest, the faster your body ages. Ditching sugar is the fastest way to look 10 years younger. Sugar activates a process in your body called glycation. Glycation occurs when sugar binds to your collagen and elastin fibers (building blocks of your skin), making them less springy and resilient. Those laugh lines won't bounce back into shape as quickly and sooner than later won't bounce back at all!
Eventually this glycation process produces damaged proteins called advanced glycation and produces (AGEs), which can lead to cellular dysfuntion, and ultimately, cell death. AGEs can play a crucial role in Alzheimer's disease, kidney failure, arthritis etc. So if more youthful skin isn't enough to cause you to ditch the sugar, these factors should be.
Have you heard the phrase "sugar feeds a cancer cell"? Processed sugar is like poison to your body and has no benefit at all. You can find natural sweeteners such as Stevia or even replace sugar with organic sugars such as evaporated cane juice. Your body will know what to do with the natural, organic sugar. Once you get used to a diet without sugar, you won't even crave it anymore. Stay away from the artificial sweeteners - they are bad news and that is a topic for another day!
We get injected with fats and synthetics to puff out our lips, cheeks and erase those wrinkles, and then, of course there is the ever popular BOTOX! Personally, I will never go there.
Do you know that restricting your intake of fats to a very low level can contribute to the aging process? Saturated fats help your skin resist the damage that oxidants can create. It makes your skin cells more resilient. Avocados, olives and olive oil are great sources of fat. You can also cook with coconut oil, peanut oil or even animal fats if you are not vegetarian. Walnuts, almonds and other nuts are also great sources of fat.
Now let's talk about sugar......the more sugar you ingest, the faster your body ages. Ditching sugar is the fastest way to look 10 years younger. Sugar activates a process in your body called glycation. Glycation occurs when sugar binds to your collagen and elastin fibers (building blocks of your skin), making them less springy and resilient. Those laugh lines won't bounce back into shape as quickly and sooner than later won't bounce back at all!
Eventually this glycation process produces damaged proteins called advanced glycation and produces (AGEs), which can lead to cellular dysfuntion, and ultimately, cell death. AGEs can play a crucial role in Alzheimer's disease, kidney failure, arthritis etc. So if more youthful skin isn't enough to cause you to ditch the sugar, these factors should be.
Have you heard the phrase "sugar feeds a cancer cell"? Processed sugar is like poison to your body and has no benefit at all. You can find natural sweeteners such as Stevia or even replace sugar with organic sugars such as evaporated cane juice. Your body will know what to do with the natural, organic sugar. Once you get used to a diet without sugar, you won't even crave it anymore. Stay away from the artificial sweeteners - they are bad news and that is a topic for another day!
