Sugar Busters! Cut Sugar to Trim Fat (Hardcover)

by H. Leighton Steward (Author), Morrison Bethea M.D. (Author), Luis Balart M.D. (Author) "If you enjoy eating, this is a good-news book..." (more)
Key Phrases: New Orleans, United States

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Sugar Busters! was first independently published in New Orleans and sold an amazing 100,000 copies by word of mouth. Its advice may be hard to swallow for most Americans, as it advocates squelching your sweet tooth in order to lose weight. Those who follow the diet, however, swear by it, and no wonder: excess sugar consumption has been linked to depression, impaired immune function, and, of course, weight gain, as the body can almost effortlessly convert sugar to fat. Because sugar comes in so many different forms and hides out in unexpected places (carrots, beets, and white bread, among others) the authors list what foods are safe and which ones should be avoided and include a two-week menu plan for getting started. They also tempt the taste buds with recipes for unheard-of "diet" dishes such as Eggs Sardou and Filet Mignon with Bleu Cheese.

This book will be too basic for anyone with a solid knowledge of nutrition, but for those who are overdoing the sweet stuff and want some handholding and help with shedding excess weight, Sugar Busters! can do nothing but help.

From Library Journal
Created by Steward, the CEO of a Fortune 500 energy company, and three M.D.s, this best-selling diet asserts that overindulgence in sugar is the root of many weight and medical problems, causing the body to produce too much insulin, which, in turn, causes fat storage as well as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The diet forbids refined sugar and simple carbohydrates like pasta and potatoes but permits traditionally taboo foods like butter, red meat, and eggs. Because the target audience of this program is both medical professionals and laypeople, highly technical medical terms are used throughout. Lengthy scientific explanations of the digestive process, coupled with Steward's slow Southern drawl, may cause a layperson to quickly lose interest. Also, some nutritionists and medical organizations have given Sugar Busters poor reviews, declaring that the authors overstate the insulin-to-fat connection and lack scientific data to support their claims. Public libraries should purchase only for demand.?Beth Farrell, Portage Cty. Dist. Lib., OH
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 270 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 2 edition (April 7, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345425588
• ISBN-13: 978-0345425584
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (215 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #114,330 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #34 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Diets & Weight Loss > Special Conditions > Low Sugar
  #84 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Special Diet > Low Fat

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

140 of 141 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It works!, November 9, 1999

By	Arnold C. Mendez, Sr. ([e-mail]) "a... (Corpus Christi, TX) - See all my reviews

In the last 8 months I've lost 35 + lbs eating the Sugar Buster's way (I'm 46 years old, use to weigh 230 lbs. now I weigh 193 lbs). I don't want to call it a diet because you are not dieting. A diet only works as long as you are on it. This is a new way of eating. Their are so many choices that you never tire of the SB approach. I'm presently working on my Master of Science Degree in Biology and can verify that the SB works from biological point of view. I have always excercised and could not keep the weight off. After following the guidelines in the book I'm eating chicken, steak, whole wheat bread, eggs, lots of veggies, almost all the fruit I want and Im still losing weight. The SB way is not a low carbohydrate, high protein diet. It is well balanced and full of fiber, carbohydrates, protein, and the right type of fat. I found that the sugar addiction is easy to break and once broken, culinary life is still enjoyable. This "diet" works because you can eat the SB way from now on. The book is well written and very informative. It is a must read for anyone interested in why the American public is steadly putting on weight. Buy the book it will change your life!

83 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It worked for me, January 12, 2000

By	Mary Bricker (Arizona) - See all my reviews

It's hard to argue with success. The authors premise is that excessive insulin levels in your blood is what causes your body to store fat and elevate cholesterol levels. Since I started on this diet 3 months ago my cholesterol went down 35 points. I've lost 11 pounds. And it has "cured" my diabetes. If I follow the diet, my blood sugar stays completely normal. It's also one of the most sensible eating plans I've ever come across. I still eat carbohydrates, but they are whole grain or whole wheat now. The only thing I've had to give up is sugar, which was easier than I thought it would be. Pretty amazing for a lifelong chocoholic. The fact that I can still eat cheese, peanutbutter and other tasty foods makes it fairly easy. If you want to lose weight, lower your cholesterol, or get your diabetes under control, give it a try. This book has done everything for my health the authors said it would.

87 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars this is no quick fix! but it makes sense!, January 23, 2000

By	cyndi mulder (Riverside, CA) - See all my reviews

Hasn't anyone read the whole book? Having had a weight problem all my life, I feel I have tried virtually every thing there is, not only to lose weight, but eat right. What a lot of people like myself want is a quick fix to a weight problem that did not happen overnight. Like other overweight people, I was looking for the "magic" diet/pill that would let me wake up one day skinny. Guess what, it doesn't work that way. I didn't become fat overnight, nor will the reverse happen overnight either. The one word missing in all of the negative reviews is moderation. Of all the programs that you can do on your own, I have found that this works, if you use moderation. It does allow more fat than others and virtually eliminates sugar as we know & love it, but it also promotes eating natural grains, fresh fruit & vegetables, & lean cuts of meat. And yes you can have dessert! It's up to the reader to understand that just because you can have nuts doesn't mean to eat the whole bag! Nor does it mean to eat a whole stick of butter with a loaf of whole wheat bread! Moderation is the key here, along with the other things we lazy Americans hate to do, exercise, drink lots of water and eliminate caffiene. I love the fact that I can still enjoy a little butter with my roll, but it's up to me to decide how much. Also, for those of you experiencing headaches, it's from the caffiene elimination, not the sugar, that's why a bag of M&M's works to get rid of it! So for all you naysayers, when you find the "perfect" diet that melts it all away no matter what you eat or how much, let me know, but until then, this is the lifetime way to eat for me.