Sugar Busters is a low-sugar diet that eliminates all added sugars and limits natural sugars by recommending that you avoid refined grains, fruits and vegetables that are high on the glycemic index (GI); these foods cause a sudden increase in glucose and insulin production. According to Sugar Buster, it's the production of insulin that causes your body to store fat and gain weight.
Sugar Busters and the Glycemic Index
According to the Sugar Busters Diet, it's the hormone insulin that is responsible for rising obesity in America. Insulin allows your body to store both sugar and fat as fat. If your pancreas doesn't produce too much insulin in response to glucose, then you won't store excess calories as fat and gain weight. The glycemic index ranks the effect of carbohydrates on blood sugar -- the higher a food scores on the GI, the more glucose and insulin your body produces. Sugar Busters limits you to foods that score low on the GI.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates have the greatest impact on blood sugar. On the Sugar Busters Diet, only 30 to 40 percent of your daily calories can come from acceptable carbs. Acceptable carbs include all beans and legumes, most vegetables with the exception of starchy root vegetables such as potatoes, corn, beets, parsnips and rutabagas, low-GI fruits such as berries, apples, peaches, pears and cherries, and whole grains including brown rice, oatmeal and whole grain flour. All foods made from refined white flour are forbidden, as are all added sugars. Read food labels carefully; foods should contain 3 g or less of sugar per serving, with the exception of dairy products, which may be slightly higher, but should be low-fat or nonfat.
Fat
About 30 percent of your calories come from fats on the Sugar Busters Diet. The diet emphasizes unsaturated fat and encourages you to choose lean proteins rather than high-fat cuts of meat. It's suggested that you limit saturated fat content to no more than 10 percent of your calories. Although butter is allowed, vegetable oils are preferred and margarine, shortening and lard are not acceptable. Trans fats are forbidden.
Protein
Lean protein should make up about 30 percent of your diet on Sugar Busters. Remove the skin form poultry and choose seafood instead of red meat. Because high-fiber, nutrient-dense carbs are Sugar Busters-approved, you can get protein from beans. Tofu and soy products are also allowed. You can use eggs, nuts and nut butters in place of higher-fat meats. Although beef, lamb and pork are acceptable, you should limit serving sizes to 3 to 4 oz. Deli meats that are cured with sugar, such as honey-baked ham, are not allowed.
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