Sugar Busters Review

 

Another wildly popular bestseller, H. Leighton Steward's message is three words: "Sugar is toxic." Sugar Buster's Diet philosophy holds that sugar produces insulin, and insulin stops people from losing weight. You'll find this fundamental theory in play in many popular diets - Atkins Diet, Protein Power, Suzanne Somers, - yet the scientific link between and insulin and weight loss (or gain) remains unproven.

The nutritional guidelines of the the diet are 30% protein, 30% carbohydrates and 40% fat, with portion control. This is not a calorie counting or food measuring diet per se - the key is the limitation and/or removal of refined sugars and white flour from the diet. Lean meats, poultry, fish, olive oil, high-fiber vegetables, dairy and nuts are allowed. Fruits are limited to those with a low sugar content. Oats, whole grain breads, and whole-wheat pasta are also allowed. If you wish to drink alcohol, red wine is allowed. Banned are: regular pasta, white bread, white rice, potatoes and most sugars. Remember that sugar is the basic builidng block of carbohydrates....in short: this is a classic low carb diet.

Sugar Busters offers up the same scientific theories on the sugar/insulin connection that you'll find in other bestsellers like Atkins. Namely, that a high carb intake raises the blood sugar (glucose) level in the bloodstream quickly. When glucose gets too high, the pancreas releases insulin. Here the authors posit that if too much insulin is released, the body is unable to convert all of the glucose into glycogen (energy source)...and the extra glucose becomes stored fat. This is especially troublesome, given that the body has a FAR greater capacity to store fat than it does to store glycogen. (This is historical, how are bodies are designed to work...our ancestors ate far less, and far less often, than we do today. Our bodies will convert fat into energy if there hasn't been much incoming, but given today's on the go, all the time eating habits...they don't get a chance to do that.)

Sugar Busters asserts that a high-protein, low-carb meal causes a minimal rise in blood glucose, and then only a minimal release of insulin. They claim that this combination causes an increase in the levels of another hormone called glucagon, which also helps regulate blood sugar. But the secret, according to the authors, is that high levels of glucagon "promotes the mobilization of previously stored fat," according to the authors. Whereas insulin, they say, "inhibits the mobilization of previously stored fat". This sounds fantastic, but keep in mind there is no scientific evidence to support it.

Sugar Busters has generated some controversy within the medical establishment for its claims that one can ward off "insulin resistance" (our bodies don't recognize acceptable insulin level, level gets out of whack, obesity and diabetes result) - by eliminating or severely restricting certain foods. The author asserts that "fifty percent or more of insulin resistance can be reduced or even reversed" following these dietary guidelines. Theresa Nicklas, PhD, professor of pediatrics at the Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, says "Insulin resistance is a medical condition that must be diagnosed by a physician. It isn't something that can be self-diagnosed by reading a book." Furthermore, no scientific evidence exists to prove that a Sugar Busters style diet will absolutely ward off diabetes.

A good tip: Sugar Busters notes that moderate exercise is not going to help shed the pounds much if you're still taking in a lot of high sugar content foods. The bottom line: setting aside the junk science theories, this is a 1,200 calorie a day diet consisting of healthy foods. Anyone will drop pounds on this approach. If you're exercising too, mores the better.