Summary of this book in one sentence: Most of our body fat comes from ingested sugar not ingested fat!

Sugar Busters! is an oldie but a goodie! I give this book four stars for it's usefulness and sound information. Sugar Busters! is written by four men- H. Leighton Steward (CEO of a fortune 500 energy company), Dr. Morrison Bethea (cardiac surgeon), Dr. Samuel Andrews (endocrinologist), and Dr. Luis Balart (gastroenterologist). Talk about a line up! The basic concept of this “diet,” is to have a positive influence on insulin and glucogon secretion through nutrition. The Sugar Busters! way of eating includes a diet composed of natural unrefined sugars, whole grains, veggies, fruits, lean meats, fiber, and alcohol (in moderation). So why cut out sugar? Sugar stimulates insulin secretion, which instructs our body's metabolism to create, store and hold on to fat. That is never good! On the other hand, protein stimulates glucagon secretion, which does the opposite of insulin. Glucagon instructs our metabolism to mobilize and convert fat back to glucose, which reduces our fat stores and waistlines! Gooooo Glucogon! Sugar Busters! isn't the Atkins diet, but it does recommend cutting out all overly processed carbohydrates and excess sugars. Overall, this book was very informative without being overly confusing. I was a little nervous about a book written by three doctors and a CEO. I was half way expecting to need a dictionary every other word, but that was not the case at all! 

• Avoid refined carbohydrates at all cost!
• “Potatoes are for pigs and corn is for cattle” (old french saying)nthey are both quickly converted to pure sugar and have a very high insulin response. Other high offenders are beets and carrots.
• Beware of sauces- ketchup, BBQ sauce, and salad dressing can all be loaded with sugar. 
• Whole grain (stone ground not whole meal) products are ok, but avoid ones with dextrose, maltose, honey, molasses, brown sugar or corn syrup. Read the ingredient labels! You might be surprised by what is hiding in your favorite loaf of bread. 
• Opt for smaller more frequent meals versus two or three larger meals. Less frequent larger meals will alter the body’s response to insulin secretion and increase fat storage.
• Proper portion sizes are still very important. This book does not give you a free pass to eat three plates of fatty steak for dinner!
• Since most cholesterol is manufactured at night (while we are sleeping), try to finish your evening meal by 8:00pm. Then close the kitchen.
• Healthy snacks are encouraged, and most fruits (except watermelons, pineapples, raisins, and bananas, which all have a high glycemic index) are great for this occasion. This part of the book almost brought me to tears due to the fact that watermelon is my all time favorite food! I’m talking even more so than ice cream!
• Fruit contains the basic sugar fructose and stimulates approximately 1/3 the insulin response of glucose. Fruit is great when eaten alone, but loses the advantage of lower insulin secretion when consumed with other carbohydrates.
• Caffeine should be limited because it makes the stomach produce gastric acid, which stimulates appetite.

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