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What Sugar Does to Your Brain, Skin, and Hormones (And How to Break the Addiction)

InsulinJourney / 28 May 2025 /

Hi, I’m Alex — founder of InsulinJourney, and someone who used to eat “healthy”… until I realized how sugar was quietly hijacking my brain, my hormones, my skin, and my energy.

Even when I wasn’t eating candy or desserts, I was still feeding a sugar-driven loop: pasta, cereal, granola, fruit juice, oat milk lattes — all these carbs turned into glucose fast. My CGM taught me that my body didn’t care if it came from fruit or flour — my blood sugar still spiked, my cravings returned, and my mood swung like crazy.

Let’s talk about what sugar really does to your biology — and how to finally break free.

How Sugar Hijacks Your Brain

Refined carbs overstimulate the brain’s dopamine system — the same reward center triggered by drugs and gambling. Every spike of glucose brings a hit of pleasure… followed by a crash. That crash leads to irritability, anxiety, brain fog — and more cravings.

Over time, your brain starts expecting sugar as a baseline reward. Willpower fades. You’re not weak — you’re wired.

I’ve been there. After lunch, I “needed” something sweet. Even on a good day, if I started with carbs, I’d be hunting for a snack by 3 PM.

Sugar, Glycation, and Your Skin

Excess glucose binds to proteins in your body in a process called glycation. This produces AGEs — advanced glycation end-products — which:

  • Damage collagen and elastin (hello, wrinkles)
  • Increase oxidative stress
  • Drive skin dullness and premature aging

You can literally age faster on a high-sugar diet. I saw it in my own skin: puffy face, uneven texture, more breakouts. When I cleaned up my glucose, people started asking me if I changed my skincare routine. (I didn’t.)

Hormonal Chaos: Insulin, Cortisol, and Sugar

When glucose spikes, insulin floods the system to clear it. Do this too often, and you develop insulin resistance. That means your body needs more and more insulin to keep sugar in check.

In women, this can lead to:

  • PCOS symptoms (irregular cycles, acne, hair thinning)
  • Estrogen dominance

In men:

  • Low testosterone
  • Fatigue, brain fog, belly fat

When I transitioned to a Paleo-style diet — cutting out processed carbs and focusing on whole foods, healthy fats, and protein — I saw a dramatic shift. Within three months, my testosterone levels rose significantly on lab tests. I felt the change: more drive, consistent energy, and a surprising sense of lightness in everyday life.

Add in poor sleep, and cortisol rises too — making sugar cravings even worse. It becomes a metabolic spiral.

My CGM Addiction Test (You Might Relate)

When I ate oatmeal with banana and honey, my glucose shot to 9.2 mmol/L (166 mg/dL). Two hours later? Starving.

Same calories from eggs, avocado, and greens? My glucose stayed at 5.1 mmol/L (92 mg/dL) — and I didn’t even think about food until lunch.

That’s the difference between hormonal chaos and metabolic calm.

How to Break Free (Without Losing Your Mind)
  1. Start with savory. Break your fast with protein + fat (eggs, salmon, avocado)
  2. Add fiber and fat to every meal. It blunts glucose response and reduces cravings
  3. Use a CGM for 2 weeks. Nothing’s more motivating than seeing the truth
  4. Delay sweet foods. If you want fruit, eat it after protein
  5. Fix your sleep. Poor sleep = more cravings, higher insulin, worse glucose control
  6. Watch your stress. Cortisol spikes = higher glucose = more cravings
  7. Don’t buy the lie. You don’t need sugar to function. Your brain loves ketones.

Your Brain, Skin, and Hormones Are Talking Sugar doesn’t just taste good. It speaks to your biology — and not in your best interest.

But here’s the good news: once you step out of the loop, your energy returns, your skin clears, and your hunger becomes… sane.

I share these kinds of lessons — with real CGM data, food tests, and success stories — every week in IJ Pulse.

Join here: https://insulinjourney.com/newsletter

And if you want help rewiring your metabolism with support, data, and real habits — check out the IJ Method: https://insulinjourney.com/method

Also join me on Telegram: https://t.me/insulinjourney

Alex Oleinik

I’m an entrepreneur, YouTuber, and creator of the Insulin Journey Method. My mission is to help people boost their energy, optimize their health, and build a sustainable lifestyle through science-backed strategies.

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