So Sweet, So Sour

Hey guys, it's mid-week. That time of the week when we get so engrossed in our weekly activities that we even forget what day it is. Today was supposed to be an OK day for me but guess what I did to ruin it? I had too much sugar lol. I am usually the type to warn others to abstain from taking something that contains too much sugar but I guess I didn't practice what I preached lol.

Anyway, here's what happened. A good neighbour of ours celebrated his birthday yesterday and he invited his friends which included my dad. They spent a lot of eating and talking about their families, business life in general while having fun. My dad is considers a lot of things as children's meal and for that reason would not eat them. So, when the cake was shared, my dad brought it back home (we live almost opposite the venue). My mum had a taste of the cake and left a big chunk of it, including the icing, for me.

The cake was great and tasted really but but the icing was like eating raw sugar and it had a high concentration of food colouring. Now, guess the genius thing I did after eating what I believe to be my country's whole sugar produce? I decided to drink a bottle of coke. Am I not full of good ideas and wisdom? Well, my body said otherwise when I woke up this morning feeling a slight discomfort in my stomach. At first, I ignored it but it was becoming more discomforting, I was visibly bloated and I felt like really tired really fast. I knew it was the sugar and I knew I had to make reparations to my body. So, guess who's going to be increasing her exercising frequency? Yeah, me. I'm not loving it but I'm sure my body will be grateful.

Because of this experience, I decided to share the effects of taking too much sugar in hopes of deterring people from being like me.

• 1. DIABETES

Whenever I hear "too much sugar" the first thought that comes to my mind is usually diabetes. I have heard tales of people's legs (why always legs though?) being amputated because they left the diabetes untreated and their blood was unable to clot after an injury. Well, taking too much sugar reduces the ability of the body to produce insulin which is what is used to convert the food we eat into energy.

• 2. HIGH CHOLESTEROL

I remember when I first heard the word "Cholesterol" as a child and I struggled to pronounce it lol. Anyway, there are good and bad cholesterol and an excess of sugar can increase the bad one while reducing the good one which is terrible for the heart.

• 3. WEIGHT GAIN

When talking of sugar, it doesn't have to be pure sugar in cube or granulated forms. Sugars are present in a lot of foods we eat especially junk food. If you also love to have sweet drinks especially sodas, you have a high chance of gaining weight. If you are looking to gain weight, take the healthy route by eating more healthy calories especially proteins and keeping your body fit. If you are trying to lose some weight, a dietary change will make so much difference for you.

• 4. CAVITIES

Cavities is another word that just has you thinking of excess sugar. When I was much younger, I was told chewing gum or sweets would rot my teeth but I never really knew why (I was too busy wondering if swallowing gum would tie up my intestines). Well, the bacteria in the mouth feeds on sugar which leaves acid that rots the tooth. It is best to rinse your mouth properly or drink some milk after taking something sugary.

• 5. MOOD SWING

I experienced this yesterday. I wasn't very productive during the day, I was just not feeling it. As far as I know, too much sugar tends to give someone a high for some time, after which the person crashes, begins to feel down and hungers for more sugar. Sugar has been linked with mental health and is likely to increase anxiety or depression.

In all of these, do not totally abstain from sugar as it provides the body with the necessary energy it needs. So take a healthy amount of sugar but do not take too little or too much.

Thank you for reading!! Let me know your thoughts on this!