It’s not the raisins that are the biggest problem, it’s the coffee drinks! If this reader is able to just give up the Frappuccinos—completely—she will see a huge difference in her skin.
I don’t eat a lot of refined sugar. This illustrates once again that many times we neglect to see the obvious, blatant sugar in our diets. (Is it denial?) Of course it is the high-sugar content coffee drink that is the most egregious offender in this client’s diet thus her problem skin. Caffeine is addictive, so is sugar. Because of this, removing this three to four times a week habit will not be easy, but if clear and healthy skin is her main goal, it is possible!
Raisins (and carrots, too) are high in sugar. If you are eating a lot of raisins and have problem skin, try reducing or eliminating the raisins from your diet for a week or two and see if your skin clears a little—or a lot. The same goes for carrots. However, don’t do this in lieu of cutting out obvious sugar in your diet such as Frappuccinos. This client recently gave me some feedback:
Since the last email, I have been monitoring my sugar intake. I have eliminated the Frappuccinos, much to my chagrin, and I am definitely seeing some positive changes. I also eliminated the raisins. Not only is my skin prettier, but my mood seems to fluctuate less.
You don’t have to give up your Starbuck’s (or whatever coffee company) completely. There are many other coffee drinks you can choose from, cappuchinos and lattes for instance, that don’t contain sugar. If you are trying to cut down in general or because sugar in your diet is affecting your skin, just steer clear of any with sweeteners or syrups added to them, and of course don’t you add sugar to any coffee drinks you order.
I had this article prescheduled for a later date, but after posting Sugar Addicted? Try a three-day sugar fast I had a lot of people asking about sugar in food, etc. So I thought I’d post this as a reminder that even though you know something you love has sugar in it, it may have even more than you imagine if you really take a good look.
From starbucks.com:
Caramel Frappuccino® roast coffee blended with caramel syrup, milk, and ice, topped with whipped cream and a swirl of caramel sauce:- Tall 12 oz: Sugars 45g (300 calories, by the way)
- Grande 16 oz: Sugars 64g (410 calories)
- Venti Iced 24 oz: Sugars 81g (510 calories)
According to the American Heart Association (AHA),
the maximum amount of “added” sugars women should consume in a day is 25 grams or about 6 teaspoons. For men, 37.5 grams, which equals about 9 teaspoons. Here is what “added” sugar means, as defined on the AHA website: “Sugars in your diet can be naturally occurring or added. Naturally occurring sugars are found naturally
in foods such as fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose). Added sugars are
sugars and syrups put in foods during preparation or processing, or
added at the table.”
No one needs a calculator to see how high the sugar content is in even a “small” Frappuccino. Although I am in favor of having “bad” foods and desserts once in a while, having something like this sweet treat on a daily or even several-times-a-week basis can end up not being a treat at all—for your skin or other organs in your body, to say nothing about your blood sugar (diabetes, anyone?). I personally think 25 grams a day, if you are super sensitive to sugar, is a bit high. But use that as a guideline and see how many more grams of added sugar you are ingesting on a daily basis. (Sorry to be the bearer of sad news!)
For more information, see:
- “I don’t eat much sugar”—really?
- Problem skin profile: Donna—constipated with problem skin
- Helpful hints to lessen sugar intake
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