10 Signs You Are Eating Too Much Sugar

9. Low Energy

Low energy (or fatigue) can be a symptom of many things such as stress, lack of sleep, iron deficiencies, kidney disease, thyroid issues, depression, lack of physical activity and even dehydration. But one of the most common things that cause chronic low energy is a poor diet – specifically, too much sugar.

The state of your diet has a lot to do with your energy levels. When we eat a healthy, balanced diet that contains whole foods like fruit, vegetables, grains, proteins and healthy oils, our body is adequately fueled and makes us feel as though we’ve got an endless, steady supply of energy. But if our diet is filled with things like candy, soda, fried foods and things that contain refined sugar, we get quick bursts of energy paired with periods of listlessness and fatigue.

The rapid rise of energy that we get from a sugary snack might feel great at the time, but it fades just as quickly, leaving us craving more sugar in order to get that energy back. This creates a cycle of peaks and lows that can make us feel worse and worse, and it can be a hard cycle to break.

If you feel that sugar is the cause of your constant feelings of tiredness, start by reducing the amount you eat. Snack on healthy meals (like fruit or a handful of nuts) every few hours to give your body a steady supply of nutrients and keep you from feeling too hungry, which can lead to sugar binges. You might feel exhausted and irritable at first, but by slowly replacing sugary foods with healthy ones, your energy will pick back up and you’ll end up feeling even better than before.