You might have heard about the calorie balance: the idea that to avoid gaining weight you have to burn as many calories as you gain. This may lead you to think “Oh, I can just exercise away that sugary soda or that cookie.”  But this is not true–you can’t just exercise away the sugar you eat.

Sugar causes your body to release insulin, which is your body’s messenger to tell your cells to absorb the sugar that is in your blood. Sugar is a source of fuel for your body, but in high levels, it is damaging to your organs, especially your eyes and your kidneys. Diabetes occurs when your body can’t keep up with the amount of sugar in your body and can’t release enough insulin or when your cells stop listening to the insulin. Essentially, diabetes occurs when your body has had too much sugar too frequently.

Think about a house or your local roads. If it rains seven inches over the course of the whole day, there is very little chance of flooding. However, if all that rain comes down in three minutes, flooding is much more likely because the drains are overwhelmed.  The same thing happens with your body’s ability to release insulin. If you give your body too much sugar too quickly (like regularly drinking a soda or snacking on cookies), your body can’t keep up. That’s why it is best to limit the amount of sugar your body gets over the course of the day to no more than 20 to 25 grams of sugar (roughly seven to eight teaspoons). The less sugar the better.

Some easy ways to significantly reduce your sugar intake:

• Eliminate Soda and Sugary Drinks: Replace them with water or sparkling water. Many sparkling waters come with natural flavors and taste delicious. Even kids like them!
• Don’t Buy Snacks Like Cookies or Candy: the more readily available they are, the more you are likely to be tempted.
• Limit Sugar Portions: Save some for later. One trick is to find foods that are sold in smaller quantities (e.g. snack size snacks instead of the regular size).
• Move After You Eat: Even a short walk can help burn off some of the sugar by sending more blood to your muscles (and your muscles use up some of the sugar in the blood). Remember that even if you exercise after you eat, you can’t undo all the harmful effects the sugar had on your body.
• Keep Healthy Snacks Around: Nuts, dried berries and fresh fruit are better for you (more nutritious)
• Keep a Food Journal: There are many apps for this online, or you can just use a little notebook. Keep track of what you ate and how much you ate. Learn your patterns – when do you consume the most sugar? Are there ways you can avoid it?
• Start Your Day Right: Don’t eat pastries, muffins or sugary cereals for breakfast. Choose healthier options like eggs, berries or oatmeal.

Remember: Avoid flooding your body with sugar.  Exercising is important, but you can’t exercise away the damage sugar does to your body.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Amanda Parsons is vice president of Montefiore Health System’s Office of Community & Population Health and assistant professor of Family & Social Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine.