Sugar Busters: The Diet Sensation

If you love your sugary sodas and oh-so-sweet chocolate cream pies, you know how difficult it is to restrict the amount of sugar in your diet. However, eliminating sugar can be critical to effective weight loss. That, at least, is the theory behind the diet known as Sugar Busters. While some experts consider this diet to be instrumental in helping people shed unwanted pounds, critics contend that it is just another dietary fad. There are a number of misconceptions about Sugar Busters. It does not consider carbohydrates to be the enemy, and it is not oozing with fat. The Sugar Busters formula is 40/30/30, or 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein and 30 percent fat. That means that the diet does not ban carbs; it simply urges people to consume nutritious carbs. While dieters may consume a great deal of protein, it is not considered to be strictly a high-protein diet. Those on the Sugar Busters plan eat a fair amount of grain, which enables the intestines to work properly and can also reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels. In fact, the amount of fiber consumed is considered to be one of the diet's biggest attributes. Fiber has also been credited with helping the body to maintain healthy weight loss. Of course, the key ingredient of Sugar Busters is the reduction in an individual's sugar intake. While this may be difficult at first, medical experts say that, after an extended period of time without sugar, an individual will no longer crave it. Therefore, you can truly kiss those banana splits goodbye, once you go on the Sugar Busters plan. What you may not realize is all that sugar entails. It includes corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, and honey. In other words, to the layman, it includes not only sugar, but a number of sugar substitutes. About the only permitted sugars are the lactose found in milk and the fructose which appears in fruit. Of course, Sugar Busters has both assets and liabilities. On the plus side, it eliminates unhealthy sugary foods from one's diet. It allows an extensive array of protein-rich foods; therefore, you're less likely to feel unsatisfied. It also encourages healthy sugar consumption in the form of fruit. In addition, proponents of the Sugar Busters plan encourage dieters to drink a great deal of water which helps to flush out the system. But there are also flaws in the Sugar Busters plan. Critics maintain that it places too much emphasis on cutting sugar, and not enough on reducing one's intake of other unhealthy food. Also, it restricts the consumption of some fruits and vegetables, causing dieters to lose valuable vitamins and minerals. At the same time, detractors say, it encourages far too much consumption of protein, which can result in kidney damage. Moreover, some dieticians maintain that the only effective way to lose weight is by cutting calories, not simply by zapping sugar from the diet. And there are other things to consider with Sugar Busters as well. For instance, if you follow the program religiously, you may be deprived of vitamin D, as well as calcium. You could also see your bad cholesterol levels skyrocket because of the protein-rich foods you are eating. Sugar Busters has also been linked to heart disease and osteoporosis. And then there's the obvious problem: it's simply difficult to give up candy, cookies, bread, and other treats, even if you want to be committed to the program. It is also important to note that the authors of Sugar Busters do not guarantee a specific amount of weight loss. If you try to follow the program and you fail to lose weight, the plan's supporters maintain that you have probably indulged in too many carbohydrates. This may or may not be true; the point is that following the program can be a challenge for anyone--even the most disciplined dieter. However, if you're not fond of sweets, you enjoy high-protein foods, and you can live without many carbohydrates, Sugar Busters may be the right plan for you. The best advice may be to try it and see if it yields results--without jeopardizing your health in the process.