Many of my skin care clients include foods with white refined sugar in their “cheat meals.” Although we are all entitled to a cheat meal during and after training you may want to reconsider the amount of white refined sugar you consume.
The prompts the question can candy cause collagen corruption and will those cheat meals lead to more face peels?
First, let’s have a quick look at the history of refined sugar.
The majority of sugar comes from sugar cane (Saccharum SPP), which is a tall grass that grows in tropical regions. The juice from raw sugar cane is traditionally used as sweetener from the Caribbean to India. Interestingly, raw sugar cane juice can be good for you. But back in the 1500s manufacturers started ‘refining’ sugar cane so that it could be easily shipped overseas. Over years, the process became more complex and dependent on chemicals. After the juice is pressed out of the cane stalks, the liquid is treated with chemical solvents to remove impurities. After a process that crystallizes the liquid, it is treated with bleach and other chemicals then filtered through bone char, a powder made from cow or pig bones. Brown sugar is made by adding molasses.
Refined sugar, known as white sugar, can make our skin age by changing the structure of collagen. Collagen is a protein found inside and outside of cells. Putting it simply, it works with keratin to provide skin with strength, flexibility and resilience. Think of it as the “framework” of your skin. Like a building, if the framework is weak, the building will crumble “down”. White refined sugar breaks down the collagen protein causing skin to sag and wrinkle. In older persons, white refined sugar has been shown to increase wrinkles and dry aged skin. It produces an acidic condition in the digestive system. This drains the body of vitamins and minerals which could be benefiting your skin.
While foods that contain white refined sugar don’t actually cause acne, sugar in the bloodstream can cause inflammation of the skin making the appearance of acne more prominent.
Refined sugar, known as white sugar is a refined sweetener. It adds nothing but calories and taste to food. When reading ingredients, the word “sugar” can also mean high fructose corn syrup, refined cane sugar or white sugar.
You may be able to “workout” the calories from sugar by exercise. But you won’t be able to workout the effects of sugar from your skin.
Aging Antidote: Avoid sugar sag by treating your skin not your sweet tooth with one of Motion Medica’s botanical skincare products designed especially for athletes.
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Change your Training Tactics and try some Primal Play!
