Sugar Rush: what sugar really does to your body

Okay I won't sugar coat this for you:

Sugar isn't a toxin in the sense you should never eat it, we're just consuming too much.

It slows you down. Mentally and physically. Diets high in sugar basically put your brain in a food coma: cells are stripped of the energy they need to communicate efficiently, making it harder for you to learn and remember information.

It dampens your mood. You've heard of probiotics -healthy bacteria in the gut. Well, refined sugars breed the opposite. And these unhealthy bacteria cause the release of inflammatory hormones, which can put your body in a state of stress that, over time, may increase your risk of depression.

It wrinkles your skin. When too much sugar circulates in your blood, it starts attaching itself to to collagen and elastin- two substances that usually keep the skin looking young. The result: Your skin becomes stiffer and more prone to wrinkles.

It weakens eyesight. Proteins in your retinas keep vision sharp. But when the body breaks down simple sugars, by-products latch onto these proteins, accelerating aging -and words may begin looking blurry or distorted, especially in low light.

But fear not! You don't have to swear off sweets altogether. To slash your sugar intake relatively painlessly:
Bake at home. Packaged foods generally have more sugar than anything you'd cook.

Eat Slowly. Really. The more sugar that hits the liver all at once, the worse the damage.

Fit in fiber-rich foods. They slow digestion and help level blood sugar.

Check labels on low-fat items. Food manufacturers often add copious amounts of sugar to make up for lost flavor.

Incorporate more Omega-3s. These fatty acids found in oily fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts can offset sugar's harmful effects on the brain. 

You can read more about the effects of excessive sugar in this article from The Huffington Post: 10 Things you Don't Know About Sugar
Tell me what your favorite sweet treat is in the comments below! I know you all have a guilty pleasure! Mine is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.


There's a reason Sour Patch Kids don't have thigh gaps,

Cait

P.S. 
I have a huge thigh gap in between my teeth.

 
 

#NoFilter: the correlation between acne and poor nutrition

Mirror: "You look good today."

Camera: "LOL no."

Instagram filters: "I got you."


It's no longer just teenagers suffering from acne. More and more adults are unhappy with their skin. This is because hormones aren't the only factor in whether or not you get pimples. Many scientists have traced this rise to the changes in the dietary habits of North Americans. Studies continue to prove their hypothesis correct. 
I started suffering from severe acne as a freshman in college. It was painful physically and emotionally. After much research and self-discipline, my skin cleared up. To make it easy for you here are some do's and don'ts for skincare:

Do:

• switch to "whole wheat" if you're eating white bread, or "multigrain"
• get enough Omega-3 and Vitamin B
• cleanse your face twice a day (especially before going to sleep)
• drink a lot of water all the time
• get plenty of sleep
• moisturize 

Don't:

• drink too much coffee (or other heavily caffeinated drinks)
• fill up on sugar
• consume greasy or processed foods
• touch your face (or pick at your blemishes) 

Let me know in the comments below if you've tried any of these tips and how they worked for you. Also, feel free to share any other skin care advice. There's plenty to share; I could write forever on this subject. SKIN FOR THE WIN!


One day we won't need Photoshop,

Cait 

P.S.
Who can tell me what "PS" stands for? And don't tell me
Playstation.

The Real Hunger Games: why dieting doesn't work

Don't diet! Change your diet.
The definition of the word diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism; and dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat.This generation of people are being brain washed into believing a diet is a temporary plan to help you lose weight. But the weight-loss is really what becomes temporary. Once you tell yourself you're on a diet, you start thinking short term. Most people gain more weight after "dieting" because, they are so happy to be eating again that they gorge themselves on more and more of the same unhealthy foods they were eating in the first place. We as a society are willing to try every weight-loss program on the market, but we are so stubborn to change what kind of food we put in our bodies. If we can stop feeding ourselves processed foods, and toxic chemicals our bodies will thank us. If you are good to your body, your body will be good to you. It's that simple.
I recently watched a great documentary called, Hungry For Change. You can watch the first 20 minutes of the film online, or the whole film on Netflix.

Watch the Movie Trailer here: http://www.hungryforchange.tv/

Don't make every personal pizza a personal problem. Kick all your bad habits. Everything! (Including the everything bagels).

Tell me what you think of the documentary in the comments below. Also, please share any other films you liked!



All this writing made me hungry,

Cait

 P.S.
It's not considered brunch if you're alone, at 2pm, in your bed, eating Dorritos.