Top 5 Reasons to Reduce Your Sugar Intake

1. If you're looking to reduce your body fat percentage, eating too much sugar will move you away from your goal. Sugar is digested very quickly which leads to a huge surplus of energy that your body has to deal with in a very short period of time. If you don't burn this energy off right away, your body will most likely store it as fat for later use.

2. Whenever you eat sugar, your body releases insulin which pushes the sugar into cells so that you won't have a high blood sugar level. When you eat too much sugar too often, your cells begin to become desensitized to the effects of insulin which can lead to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and type 2 diabetes.

3. If you're eating sugar to give yourself energy, try something else (sleeping more, eating complex carbs). Eating sugar will give you an initial rush of energy followed by a crash. The crash is the result of your body overcompensating and pushing too much sugar out of your blood. When all that sugar leaves your blood, you crash which makes you feel sleepy.

4. Foods that are high in sugar are typically empty calories. They're only filled with sugar and lack the nutrients your body needs to properly function such as vitamins, minerals and fiber. Cutting these foods out of your diet will lower the amount of sugar you take in but increase these healthy nutrients your body needs.

5. Eating too much sugar can also cause cavities. Can you think of anything more fun than going to the dentist on a Sunday morning to get your tooth drilled and filled? Don't forget about your oral health.

For more information on eating healthy, visit the Guide to Carbohydrates. You can also check out how others have cut their sugar intake and share your own experience at the diet forums.

Health Poll of the Week: Sometimes, those who are looking to lose weight skip breakfast in hopes of cutting calories. Do you eat or skip breakfast? Vote now. Remember, there's no need to register to vote and if you share your opinion, you could win an Amazon gift card.