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A beauty influencer has opened up about how giving up all added sugars improved her life for the better. She said her skin cleared up, her dark circles under the eyes faded, and she woke up energized.
Alexandra Anele, 32, of Los Angeles, has more than 1.12 million subscribers on YouTube, where she shares makeup tutorials and skincare advice. In a recent video entitled ‘How do I stop sugar?’, she shared her experience cutting processed candies.
“Clearly I’m not a nutritionist. I’m not a doctor. I would never tell you what to do,” she explained. “However, I have a lot of experience trying to cut out added sugars. I have personally seen many benefits.’
Beauty YouTuber Alexandra Anele, 32, of Los Angeles, opened up about giving up added sugar in a recent video titled ‘How I Quit Sugar’
Anele is pictured when she has added sugar (left) and has no added sugar (right)
The makeup artist emphasized that she still consumes naturally occurring sugars found in milk, fruits and vegetables.
“Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or drinks when they are being processed or prepared,” the statement said. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Anele gave the example of the naturally occurring sugar in an apple versus the added sugars found in a Snickers bar.
“The first week I was added completely sugar-free was the biggest change I saw in my mood and my productivity,” she recalls. ‘I woke up feeling motivated and energetic.’
The YouTube star noted that she thought it was normal to snooze her alarm clock and struggle to get out of bed until she cut out the added sugar.
“I would wake up in the morning and it was easy to get out of bed,” she said of the drastic change in her energy. “I was ready to get out of bed. I was ready to do things.’
Not only did she feel better, but she insisted that cutting out added sugars also improved her appearance.
The influencer filmed the video on October 31 (pictured), and she admitted earlier that month she “started skidding and eating added sugars.”
Anele (pictured right on added sugar and left off) claimed her skin got brighter, her dark circles under the eyes faded and she woke up energized when she stopped using added sugars
Anele said it was her fans who first noticed her dark circles disappearing under the eyes and asked her what she did differently.
“It took me a long time to make the correlation because it was definitely a slow process. I didn’t notice that right away,’ she explains.
According to the influencer, it took her about six months to notice the changes in her physical appearance.
“It’s not that they left,” she clarified. “I still have them, but they got a lot better. Like my skin just looked brighter overall.”
Anele filmed the video on October 31, and she admitted earlier that month she “started skidding and eating added sugars.”
She pulled out images of herself from when she had stopped adding sugar to give viewers a comparison of what she looks like now and what she looked like then.
Anele noted that the dark circles under her eyes seemed deeper and her face was “a little more puffy” than before because added sugar causes inflammation.
Anele noted that the dark circles under her eyes seemed deeper and her face was “a little more puffy” than before because added sugar causes inflammation
She said she “grew up with a sugar addiction,” explaining that she was a picky eater who preferred cookies and candy bars to healthy foods.
However, she explained that her “main concern” was what added sugar does to her, rather than how it changes her appearance.
‘One of the reasons I wanted to make this video today was because I have fell off the car – really bad,” she said.
Anele said she “grew up sugar addicted,” explaining that she was a picky eater who preferred cookies and candy bars to healthy foods.
She admitted that sugar still has her grip on her, and she’s had a hard time getting back on track since she started slipping.
The YouTube star recalled ordering a rich dessert recently while celebrating her birthday in Aspen, Colorado.
“After that experience, when I got home, I was like, ‘Holy crap, I look like death,'” she said. ‘My skin was pale. My under eyes were super dark, and pretty much ever since — it’s been about two weeks — I’m still trying to get out of that addictive behavior where my brain is like I need that sugar. I need chocolate.’
Anele shared her tips for cutting added sugars from your diet and said people need to understand that it will “take a long time” to stop their cravings.
The makeup artist emphasized that she still consumes naturally occurring sugars found in milk, fruits and vegetables
Anele said one of her favorite desserts is a honey crisp apple with ricotta and cinnamon, explaining that it’s important to find a dessert you like that contains “naturally occurring sugar.”
“You need to find a sweet dessert that you like that contains naturally occurring sugars,” she explained. ‘For example an apple. One of my favorite desserts is a honey crisp apple with ricotta and cinnamon.’
She added that she would also like to have berries and plain Greek yogurt sweetened with a few drops of stevia — a sugar substitute made from the leaves of the stevia plant — which she tops with pecans and cinnamon.
“Don’t worry about the amount,” she insisted. “If you eat three mangoes, eat three mangoes, okay? That’s how I had to do it.’
Anele noted that she personally does not experience any lethargy or puffiness when overdosing on fruit compared to added sugars.
‘The biggest advantage of this is that we just focus on the naturally occurring sugars. Eat as much as you want. Reduce that slowly. Don’t feel guilty about eating five apples,’ she said.
‘If it means eating five apples over half a liter of ice cream, I think that’s much better. It will help train your brain to crave natural foods and kick the habit of added sugar.’
“If you’ll give this a shot, I’m starting over now, so I’m with you,” she added.