Why is eating too many sweets unhealthy?

 

Candy, cookies, cake, popsicles, ice cream… When it comes to dessert, there are many sweet treats available. While having a sugar-filled goodie every now and then can be quite tasty, too much sugar can keep our bodies from being as healthy as they can be!  

Sugar is a type of carbohydrate, and carbohydrates give you energy. Do you sometimes feel a burst of energy after you eat food with sugar in it?! Even foods that are good for us, such as strawberries and oranges, have sugar in them. But this sugar occurs alongside other nutrients and it also occurs naturally, meaning it is not added the way you add sugar to a batch of cookies you’re baking.  

When you eat lots of foods with added sugar, you are consuming “empty calories.” You’re filling up on foods that might not have many healthy nutrients compared to the amount of sugar they have. These foods do little to help your body thrive, and make you less hungry for the nutrient-rich food that your body needs! Sugar is not good for your teeth, either. Eating sugar-rich foods may cause cavities, especially if you don’t brush your teeth afterward. Eating lots of sugar may also cause an unhealthy weight gain and high blood pressure, which can lead to other health problems.

Being aware of sugar-rich foods is one great step toward healthy eating! Read on to learn more about some helpfully sweet choices you can make…

Some foods that you might not think of as dessert, such as certain breakfast cereals, can have lots of sugar. Saving these foods for a dessert treat and choosing a lower-sugar alternative for a morning meal is a good way to cut down on sweets. Eating yummy foods with naturally-occurring sugar, such as fruit, can also put a healthy twist on satisfying your sweet tooth! Eating sweets in moderation is okay, but make sure you’ve first taken the time to eat the healthy food your body needs!