"Sugarbusters" Diet/Lifestyle

[djjd]

first off, great show

this is not technically a medical question but, a few episodes back you mentioned a diet you were following, more basic foods and such, what was the name of the diet, it sounded pretty interesting

[Dr Steve]

first off, great show

this is not technically a medical question but, a few episodes back you mentioned a diet you were following, more basic foods and such, what was the name of the diet, it sounded pretty interesting


First off, thanks!

I believe you're referring to the "Sugarbusters" diet that I mentioned a couple of times. You can get the book at Amazon.com here: http://www.amazon.com/New-Sugar-Busters-Leighton-Steward/dp/0345469585/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221710653&sr=8-1

There are cookbooks and places to buy sugarbusters stuff (though less necessary, now that "whole grain" has caught on): http://www.cajungrocer.com

This is the sugarbusters lifestyle in a paragraph: instead of low carb dieting, the sugarbusters diet is a "middle path" that concentrates on low glycemic index foods rather than simply low carbohydrate foods.

The lower the glycemic index of a food, the less of an insulin response the body produces. Pure sugar has a very high glycemic index; steak has a very low index. Interestingly, some starchy foods also have low indexes (though not as low as meat), like whole-wheat pasta, and sweet potatoes, and dense, wholegrain breads. By converting to a low-glycemic index lifestyle, you can still eat some carbs, but they're "good" carbs (according to the authors). Preventing diabetes is a goal of the sugarbusters lifestyle.

My father in law is diabetic and when he eats over I'll often make whole wheat blend pasta (I won't eat the bland white-ass kind anymore!) with marinara and meat sauce, with dense artisan bread and smart balance butter substitute. It's good, and his blood sugar NEVER increases afterward.

Anyway, we can talk more about if if you would like. this isn't something you do for 3 weeks and cast off...I've been on it for 6+ years and I love it.

PS: fun fact: if you have gastric reflux at night, avoiding all carbs for 4-6 hours before bedtime will often eradicate this symptom. Still get any weird symptoms checked out with your health care professional!

[CousinDave]

Rice Syrup and Barley Malt are good sweeteners that are absorbed slowly.

[djjd]

thanks dr. steve, i'll check out the links, if i have any other questions i'll be sure to post them

[LaBoob]

I never bought this book but basically follow the diet... Diabetes and Hypoglycemia run rampant through my family and we all really struggle with our sugar. My favorite low glycemic breads are Ezekial breads, which are sprouted grain breads, very hearty and tasty, and they make English muffins, buns, and different kinds of breads. I'm not big on breads, but when I do use bread it's one of these.

[KingGeno]

I followed the Sugarbuster diet, along with one other, back in 2001-2003. I used to weight 385lbs and I got down to 215lbs from it. I HIGHLY recommend this diet, because I started to notice that weightlifters followed a very similar diet in the 70s and 80s. I actually read up on Sylverster Stallone's diet for the Rambo movies and Rocky III and IV, and his diet was very similar to Sugarbusters.

Again, HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this diet. I noticed that by weening myself off of the addiction of sweet foods I had higher energy. The higher carbs and higher sugars in a lot of the foods described in the book can really make ya fat if you aren't working out pretty tough. Lot of them can bloat you also, which makes working out ever harder. Then that extra sugar and carbs just gets stored as fat.

[Dr Steve]

Again, HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this diet. I noticed that by weening myself off of the addiction of sweet foods I had higher energy.

That's a really common insight. Interesting isn't it? I never had as much energy as I did when I was on the strict Atkins Diet...in addition I was able to stop all of my reflux medications. However, I just couldn't sustain it. I craved crunchy/sweet stuff to the point it drove me insane. I got really inventive with things but it was still tough. Discovering SugarBusters was a great advance for me. Still feel great and I don't have the cravings for bread and stuff that I once did.

[nukinfuts]

This sounds great. I like Atkins but like you mentioned you start to crave the sweet and crunchy..I don't even like bread but I was making hot dogs for everyone else one evening and I found myself literally wanting to eat a plain bun. Your info is always so useful...thanks dr steve!!!

[spainlinx0]

This sounds great. I felt great on Atkins, but I did crave the bad stuff. I'm from Jersey, how can you tell me I can't eat pizza?

I might have to look into this.

[KingGeno]

Pizza isn't a problem. It's not a cheese burger or pulled pork w/ cole slaw sammich. As long as you take it is moderation, you are fine. I made that a "treat" food for my "treat myself and relax" day (Sundays). I didn't go to town on a whole pizza though.

If I'm not mistaken, on average it takes about a month to shrink one's stomach. By shrinking you stomach, you will feel less hungry and be able to absorb foods much quicker. Having a balanced diet like the sugar busters diet helped me out a lot. Tons of whole grain foods, good carb foods like sweet potatoes and brown rice, and chicken/fish made me feel great. Tons of energy, lost tons of weight quick. I didn't even notice until people were complimenting me and wooing when they saw me. It's a great feeling you can get from such a simple avoidance of certain foods.

[Ritalin]

Pizza isn't a problem. It's not a cheese burger or pulled pork w/ cole slaw sammich. As long as you take it is moderation, you are fine. I made that a "treat" food for my "treat myself and relax" day (Sundays). I didn't go to town on a whole pizza though.

If I'm not mistaken, on average it takes about a month to shrink one's stomach. By shrinking you stomach, you will feel less hungry and be able to absorb foods much quicker. Having a balanced diet like the sugar busters diet helped me out a lot. Tons of whole grain foods, good carb foods like sweet potatoes and brown rice, and chicken/fish made me feel great. Tons of energy, lost tons of weight quick. I didn't even notice until people were complimenting me and wooing when they saw me. It's a great feeling you can get from such a simple avoidance of certain foods.

Dr. Steve, a follow up based on Geno's answer here (and Geno, I'm definitely not calling you out or questioning you personally at all).

Geno mentions "shrinking one's stomach" and I've heard that before. Is it a legitimate physical occurrence, or is it a metaphor for the adjustment one makes to feeling satisfied with less food?

I'll hang up and listen for your answer.