The creators of this diet are physicians who say they discovered the danger of sugar by accident. When they put diabetics on insulin treatments, they realized that their patients’ cholesterol levels went up. The authors concluded that increasing insulin somehow makes the liver produce more cholesterol, and ingesting sugar produces more insulin in the body. Increased insulin not only generates more cholesterol but also more fat storage, which in turn causes weight gain.
These doctors are deadly serious about sugar. They believe it is toxic to your body and something you must eliminate completely from your diet. You should begin by not eating obviously sugar-laden foods like regular soda, candy, cakes, cookies, and pastries. Then you must learn to read food labels and eliminate anything that has sugar as an ingredient. Finally, you eventually eliminate “high-glycemic foods,” which include pasta, bread, beer, corn and potato chips, graham crackers, most cereals, white rice, and foods made from refined flour.
However, the high-glycemic list also has some less obvious choices like potatoes, corn, raisins, carrots, bananas, watermelon, parsnips, beets, rice cakes, and pineapple. The authors also believe that eating a high-protein diet forces the body to release its fat deposits.
Therefore, the Sugar Busters Diet breaks down to 40% to 50% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat. All fats must be unsaturated. The original Sugar Busters Diet had no menu plan or calorie counting, but had a few rules. By simply following the rules, you create a favorable insulin/glucagons relationship and thus you lose weight automatically.
The rules are:
• Eliminate high-glycemic foods.
• Eat only low-glycemic foods such as lean meat and certain fruits and vegetables within the daily formula of 40% to 50% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat.
• Eat fruit by itself, preferably only once a day.
• Eliminate alcoholic drinks except occasional red wine.
See: Steward, Leighton (MD), Bethea, Morrison (MD), Andrews, Samuel (MD), and Balart, Luis (MD). Sugar Busters (New York: Ballantine Books), 1998.
Created:
1998
Categories:
Low Sugar, Glycemic Index
Website:
Meetings:
No
Books:
Yes
Sample Menu:
Recipes offered: Low Glycemic Index
The new Sugar Busters Diet includes a 14-day menu plan. Here is a sample daily menu:
BREAKFAST
Orange or grapefruit juice
1 package Quaker instant oatmeal with 2/3 cup skim milk
Coffee or tea
LUNCH
Turkey on whole-grain bread with mustard and/or thinly spread low-fat mayonnaise, lettuce, or fresh spinach
Diet drink, tea, or water
SNACK
Apple
DINNER
Grilled or baked pork tenderloin with onions
Brown rice cooked with one can of Swanson’s fat-free, sodium-limited broth
Steamed green beans
One dozen nuts
Water or other appropriate beverage