The Sugar Busters diet operates according to the principle that most people eat
too much sugar -- as much as a pound a week.
Yup, whether your idea of a treat involves a slice of apple pie or a scoop of
chocolate frozen yogurt, sugar may be a mainstay of your normal diet. But while sugar adds so much flavor to your favorite desserts, it can also cause you
to pack on the pounds. That’s why a diet that zaps
the sugar right out of your daily intake isn't a bad idea.
Therefore, in order to lose weight you must avoid refined sugar in cakes, beverages,
candies, and other sources. Why? Sugary and starchy foods increase
the production of the hormone insulin, which causes fat storage, and an expansion of your waistline.
In other words, in the Sugar Busters diet, sugar is the enemy—to be avoided at
all costs.
But Sugar Busters does not just eliminate desserts from your daily menu. It
also strikes corn, carrots, pasta, and potatoes - high-starch foods - from the mix.
Starting to sound familiar? Yup, you've heard this all before in the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, Barry Sears' Zone diet and so on.
Among its advantages, however, is the fact that a number of dieticians believe
that you will feel happier and healthier if you eliminate refined sugar from
your diet. They believe that a sugar-free diet can give you a brighter outlook
on life which, in turn, can help you shed additional weight. The idea here is
that processing sugar drains your energy and is likely to leave you tired and
depressed.
A typical Sugar Busters diet would be something like this: a cup of oatmeal and
skim milk for breakfast, topped with a sugar substitute; a turkey sandwich with
lettuce and tomato for lunch; an apple snack; a dinner consisting of pork
tenderloin, brown rice, and steamed green beans; and a handful of nuts for
dessert.
However, the diet plan has its disadvantages as well. Like many low-to-moderate carb diets, this diet is restrictive. In fact, many individuals may find it difficult to follow.
And research shows that if a diet is hard to maintain, chances are dieters
won’t follow it for long. However, eliminating sugary foods and high-starch carbs will lead to more stable blood sugar levels, which should dramatically reduce the temptation to
eat more.
Is Sugar Busters the right diet for you?
That all depends on your lifestyle and
eating habits. If you've never heard of the Atkins, South Beach, or Zone diets, it is a radically different way to lose weight.
However, a
diet high in sugar is likely to leave you feeling listless, suffering intense cravings, and over-consuming calories.
So I think it would be safe to say that Sugar Busters will help improve your energy
level and trim down your waistline.
But maintaining the Sugar Busters program can
be difficult - even for the most disciplined dieters (this is true for any carb-restrictive diet). As with all diets, it is
important for you to check with your family physician before starting Sugar
Busters or any other new eating plan.
Check out my review of Jim Stone's "Stop Cheating On Your Low Carb Diet" if you're looking for an interesting perspective on maintaining your diet in the long term.
You can read that review here!
Or, for the ultimate weight loss manifesto, check out my review of Tom Venuto's Burn The Fat here!
