Cutting down on sugary food and drinks can certainly help you to lose weight and be healthier, but the enjoyment of a chocolate snack with our coffee is hard to resist.
If you are not too concerned with being a few pounds overweight, maybe the thought of getting more lines and wrinkles will make you think twice about how much sugar is in your diet.
Yes, sadly it is true that many of life's pleasures are bad for you! But the key is everything in moderation.
As well as being bad for your teeth and causing you to pile on excess weight, the glucose in sugar can react with collagen protein in our skin, resulting in the formation of Advanced Glycation End products or AGEs.
This weakens the collagen, causing facial lines, and making the skin more at risk from sun damage.
To limit the damage caused by too much sugar, try and keep your intake to the Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) of 90g per day.
Avoid or cut down on processed meals, bread, snacks and fizzy or fruit flavoured drinks.
Where possible, select natural foods, including chicken, nuts, fruits and vegetables.
Some skin care products have been developed to control the formation of AGEs and reduce the development of lines and wrinkles.
To protect your skin, always wear a sunscreen of at least 25 SPF, whether of not you intend to go out in the sun, even in the winter on cloudy days.
Antioxidants neutralise free radicals and protect against damage to collagen.
Eat a balanced diet rich in natural antioxidants or take a supplement such as Selenium.
Vitamins C and E are found naturally in many fruits and vegetables and can also benefit the skin when applied as part of your skin care routine.
Studies indicate that vitamins B1 and B6 inhibit AGEs, so if your diet does not contain the recommended daily intake of 1mg, then take a supplement.
Breakfast cereals are a good source, but do not contain 100% of the Recommended Daily Amount.
Foods high in vitamin B6 include tuna, bell peppers, bananas, chicken, salmon cod and spinach.
Vitamin B1 is found in pork, unsalted peanuts, red kidney beans, brown rice and wholemeal bread.
Choosing foods which are low on the Glycemic Index (GI) will help reduce the amount of sugar in your diet.
The Glycemic Index ranks foods according to the effect they have on blood sugar levels.
There are many books available on GI diets and the health benefits of choosing foods with a low GI.