Lamictal Blood Sugar Levels

So how much IS too much sugar?

Excess sugar in your system can cause your skin to get wrinkled and dull, and make you look years older. Even if the amount of sugar in your blood is only pre-diabetic, it becomes cross linked with the proteins collagen and elastin in the skin, seriously deteriorating its shininess, elasticity and texture.

You might not even know it. Of the 29 million diabetics in the US, 8 million are undiagnosed. Not only that, the Census Bureau estimates that there are 86 million people with prediabetes in this country. It’s obvious, then, you need to have your blood sugar level checked regularly and you need to cut down on sugar .

When excess sugar molecules attach to collagen and elastin by glycation, a new molecule is formed, called A.G.E. (Advanced Glycation End) that the body doesn’t recognize as natural. It automatically produces inflammatory antibodies to fight off A.G.E.’s and in the ensuing battle collagen and elastin are damaged and your skin looks and feels years older than it should. Without healthy collagen and elastin, which are two of the most prevalent proteins in the body and the most susceptible to A.G.E., it‘s impossible to have smooth, glowing, healthy-looking skin. The culprit is sugar.

Sugar, Sugar Everywhere

Modern propensity for fast food, processed food, soft drinks, etc. has increased the sugar intake of Americans so that obesity is an epidemic and blood sugar levels are rising. Even if you’re careful you often can’t know how much sugar, in one form or another, you’re ingesting. For example, don’t just pay attention to the sugar listed on a food’s label, since carbohydrates turn into glucose (sugar) in the blood stream. To determine the actual amount of sugar in processed foods, check the nutritional labels for the total amount of carbohydrates. Divide the total number of grams per serving by 4 to determine the equivalent number of teaspoons of sugar per serving (4 grams = I teaspoon). Pay attention to the serving size, since we often consume more or less of it.

Remember, sugar can be hidden in many forms in the ingredient list — corn sweetener, high fructose corn syrup, honey, molasses, sucrose, dextrose and maltose are a few of the sugary sweeteners used in our food products.

For sugar free diets that work, search the Internet where you’ll find a myriad of possibilities. But, by all means, if you want great-looking skin and overall good health, get rid of the sugar in your diet as best as possible.

The American Heart Association set a recommended limit. Men no more than 9 teaspoons daily. Women no more than 6 teaspoons. This amounts to a max of 37.5 grams of sugar for men, and 25 grams of sugar for women.

What Else Can You Do to assist in reducing your blood sugar levels:

Spread out your meals. Eat smaller meals throughout the day, instead of snacking and then eating a large, calorie dense dinner. This allows your metabolism to constantly run and avoids blood glucose peaks and valleys. Hint: Use small plates at meals. Get more sleep. Research shows that chronic lack of sleep can increase blood sugar levels as well as decrease how effectively your body metabolizes glucose. Exercise. A combination of strength building and cardio exercise will immediately reduce blood sugar levels. Eat foods high in fiber. High fiber foods stabilize blood sugars and help eliminate large spikes. It also helps reduce insulin resistance, something which can lead to diabetes. Try a cinnamon extract supplement. Multiple studies have confirmed that taking a cinnamon extract supplement can help reduce blood sugar levels safely for those with prediabetes as well as diabetes. Note that a cinnamon extract supplement is different than the spice. Simply adding cinnamon to your mealsis not enough to be effective.

We hope this helps you understand the risks of excess blood sugar. We hope you take action to cut way down on sugars in order to ensure that your heath is in good shape, and that you can take pride in your beautiful, youthful and radiant skin.