The Sugar Busters Diet Plan

The average American eats more than 130 lbs. of sugar, honey and other caloric sweeteners each year. The Sugar Buster's Diet plan focuses on eliminating your portion of sugar and getting rid of the associated cravings permanently. Of course, eliminating sugar and other refined carbohydrates is certain to have a positive effect on weight loss. Those who follow this diet plan are likely to be quite pleased with the outcome.

The Theory

The idea behind the Sugar Busters diet plan is that sugar and other refined carbohydrates cause an overproduction of insulin in the body. Too much insulin in your body can put a halt to weight-loss efforts, as it can cause you to have intense food cravings, according to the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine. Overcoming cravings is an obstacle for many dieters -- when you eliminate that barrier, dieting for weight loss becomes much easier. Decreasing the amount of circulating insulin in your body will also help your body to stop storing calories as fat.

Features

The hallmark of the Sugar Busters diet is the elimination of all sugars and other refined carbohydrates from your diet. Sugar can be found in many foods, including spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, canned soup and other foods that you wouldn't suspect. The creators of Sugar Busters recommend eating plenty of high-fiber vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. Eating at night is prohibited and, as with most diets, exercise is encouraged.

Challenges

Since so many foods have added sugars or are high in carbohydrates, a simple trip to the grocery store can be an exercise in patience when you are on the Sugar Busters diet plan. It is important to read labels and reject foods that have more than 3 g of sugar per serving listed. Going to restaurants is also challenging, as you don't always know what ingredients are in the dishes you order. The best strategy is to order simple items such as steak, salad with a lower-calorie dressing, grilled fish without sauce and other equally unadorned foods.

Benefits

Once you stop eating sugar and other refined carbohydrates such as white bread, potatoes and white rice, you'll find that many of your food cravings disappear. As long as you keep your calorie consumption below what you need to maintain your weight, the pounds should come off slowly and steadily.

Eating sugar and other refined carbohydrates will cause the levels of cytokines in your blood to rise. Cytokines are inflammatory messengers that contribute to hardening of the arteries, dementia and other diseases, according to the Harvard Medical School. The increased amount of fruits and vegetables that you eat on the diet help to squelch the inflammation caused by cytokines. Sticking to a diet plan such as the Sugar Busters plan can help decrease your chances of becoming ill due to these degenerative diseases.

Expert Insight

Dr. Sam Andrews, endocrinologist and one of the authors of "Sugar Busters," points out that sugar can make you nervous and hyperactive and that eliminating it from your diet will cause you to lose your taste for sugar. He also notes that the high fiber content of the Sugar Busters diet plan causes people to eat lower on the glycemic index, to improve their digestion, and to lower triglycerides, cholesterol and blood sugar. Clearly, eating a diet low in refined carbohydrates, but high in fiber and plant foods, has its advantages.