7 Ways to Stop Sugar From Making Your Butt Look Big & Your Face Look Old

You already know from my last blog post that sugar is NOT your friend. If you want to scare yourself away from the sugar bowl, feel free to reread all the terrifying details. Otherwise, I’ll give you newcomers a brief summary:

As an experienced aesthetician, it’s my binding duty to educate my patients about the dangers of glycation. By definition, glycation is a process where sugar molecules bind to protein fibers like collagen and do serious damage on a cellular level.

Meaning- while you were feasting on that seemingly harmless, little cupcake, your skin was literally screaming for help. As sugar latches on to the protein deep within your skin, Advanced Glycation End products are formed. (That’s correct. The actual acronym aestheticians use is A.G.E. Yikes.)

If you’re freaking out about the cookie you had for lunch, the cheesecake you had last week, and that entire birthday cake you had last year….take a deep breath. It’s never too late. Here are seven ways to stop glycation in its tracks:

(Aka: 7 Ways to Stop Sugar From Making Your Butt Look Big & Your Face Look Old)

Cut back. There’s no way around it. (I know. You were hoping I concocted some sort of serum for that, right?) Unfortunately, you just have to bust out the willpower. The average American consumes 31 teaspoons per day of added sugar, so, on a positive note, there is plenty of room for improvement. Skip the donuts, cookies, and avoid any and every candy jar in sight. If you use sugar in your coffee or tea, try it without. If you drink soda, STOP. Soda is just liquid sugar….and, good try, diet soda is no better.
Read labels. It’s all sugar: corn syrup, dextrose, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, maple syrup, molasses, sucrose, barley malt- the list goes on! The November 2014 issue of Women’s Health identified 56 different names for sugar. If all else fails, check out how many grams of sugar are listed. The less the better, but if you’re not- at least- in single digits, move on.
Eliminate HFCS. High Fructose Corn Syrup is no good- not for your health and not for your skin. Take heed: this form of sugar produces more AGEs than anything else.
Supplement It. According to Dr. David Goldberg, vitamins B1 and B6 have proven to be potent AGE inhibitors in several published studies. The studies showed both of these vitamins are plentiful in foods, but if you want to play it safe, take a multivitamin to ensure you’re getting the proper amounts.
Wear Your Sunblock. Huh? Yep, sunscreen. According to the British Journal of Dermatology, more AGEs occur in unprotected, sunscreen-free skin! If you follow my blog, you already know the drill. Get a broad spectrum sunscreen (and USE it!), and reapply every 2 hours.
Eat well. I always say, “You are what you eat.” Unfortunately, this time, I’m wrong…sugar ain’t gonna make you sweet, sista! Ward off those nasty AGEs by eating a diet chocked full of antioxidants. Fruits- in moderation- are okay, but load up on plenty of green veggies, legumes, seeds, and nuts.
Choose products wisely. Treat your skin with some AGE-fighting topicals. The most effective anti aging products consist of AGE blasting ingredients such as green tea, retinol derivatives, and vitamins A,C, and E. Our best seller, tnt’s VitA Serum, contains a retinol derivative that will have you glowing in no time!

It’s never too late to turn back the clock. Fight glycation by eliminating the obvious, scrutinizing your labels, and banning high fructose corn syrup from your diet and home. If your doctor agrees, add supplements, eat right, and always wear your sunscreen!

Science. Truth. Results.