How to Not Let Sugar Destroy Your Skin this Holiday Season

The holidays are a time where many indulge in sugary things. From the holiday parties to intimate gatherings, there is so much temptation that it can sometimes be hard to avoid. But do know this! Sugar REALLY is bad for your skin and may exacerbate acne as well. Many people wonder why they can't break the cycle of acne - and this is one major cause.

Sugar is not just a part of cookies, candies, cakes or sodas, but it also can be found in almost every food in your refrigerator from mayo to Canadian bacon. The ingredient may not say "sugar", and be disguised as corn syrup (or a word that ends with "syrup"), fructose, lactose (or a word that ends in "ose"), fruit juice concentrate, sorbitol or xylitol. When you combine their rather overwhelming presence with foods that easily and rapidly convert into sugar like potatoes, pasta, crackers and potato chips, your skin can continually have issues.  Remember - sugarplums should dance in the Nutcracker, not on your table!

Sugar causes two major types of damage to your skin:

Inflammation, that may affect different organs in your body including skin (which is an organ!) and Glycation, which is a chemical reaction similar to the one that occurs when you fry meat - collagen (a building block of the skin) deteriorates, and as a result, your skin loses its elasticity and brightness - basically, it AGES.

So how do you decrease your sugar intake, and save your skin?

1. Be an educated consumer. Read the labels and ask your waitress what is in the food you're about to eat - you need to not only watch the sugar content but also the carb content.
2. Learn which foods contain carbs that have a high glycemic index (turn rapidly into sugar) and try to avoid them or at least limit them. Turn to www.glycemicindex.com for this information.
3. There are "friends" that can help your cause. Fiber slows the absorption of sugar. Antioxidants and proteins, when eaten before carbs or sugar containing products, prevent the rapid increase in sugar level in your blood, prevent excessive food cravings, can help you lose weight and will keep your skin younger and happier and your body and skin less exposed to inflammation.
4. Eat before you go! Fill up on something nutritious before you go so you'll feel a bit "fuller". A spoon of natural low fat cottage cheese, hard boiled egg, 2-3 slices of home baked turkey breast (NOT A COLD CUT) can do the job right.
5. If you opt to use supplements, choose Vitamin C Ester. This highly absorbable form of Vitamin C has great anti-inflammatory properties. By taking 500mg a day, your skin can show a difference in 3 months or less.