Does anyone know
 

the difference between South Beach and Sugar Busters? I'm not thinking of switching or anything - just curious is all.

Sorry. I know there are similarities. Perhaps the Sugar Busters Forum has the answer.

This is the info I found:

Sugar Busters Diet - Overview
Published in 1995 and recently modified and re-published, Sugar Busters diet is based on the idea that sugar produces insulin which stops us losing weight, despite strict dieting and exercise. Thus, added sugar is restricted (it was banned) and mostly it recommends foods which are low on the Glycemic Index (GI).

Sugar Busters diet plan is based broadly on 30 percent protein, 40 percent fat and 30 percent carbohydrates.

The diet allows red meat, poultry, fish, olive oil, dairy foods, nuts and a selection of fruit and vegetables. Potatoes are banned, as are white bread, pasta, white rice, and most sugar. However, small amounts of whole grain bread, wholewheat pasta and oats are permitted.

Sugar Busters diet now recommends portion control.

Sugar Busters diet is easy to follow and, if you follow their 14-day diet exactly, you should lose weight.

That said, the success of the diet is almost certainly due to the fact that restricting sugar helps to reduce calories, not because of anything to do with insulin.

The idea that insulin causes weight gain is highly controversial. There can be no weight gain in the absence of a calorie surplus caused by eating too many or burning too few. It's true that high insulin levels increase the risk of heart disease, but there is little if any evidence that insulin causes extra fat storage.

Interestingly, a UK study of weight loss published in the International Journal of Obesity (2001), found that the elimination of sugar from weight loss diets made very little difference. Two sets of dieters who followed (a) sugar-free and (b) 10 percent sugar diets, respectively, lost similar amounts of weight.

In addition, other clinical studies show that diets with zero sugar have lower compliance rates.

Sugar Busters Diet - Claims
Sugar - not fat - is the cause of excess weight.
For best weight loss, eat according to the Glycemic Index.
Sugar Busters Diet - Drawbacks
Based on a false premise. Sugar is not toxic and insulin does not lead to weight gain.
Bans some healthy foods, like potatoes and bananas.
Difficult to follow for vegetarians.
Downplays the idea that calorie-intake causes weight gain or weight loss.
Unnecessarily complicates the refined-sugar-is-bad issue.
Sugar Busters Diet - Summary
Recommended. Despite the above drawbacks, Sugar Busters diet still promotes enough healthy eating to justify a recommendation.
But losing weight on Sugar Busters diet will be much easier if you pay attention to the calories-in/ calories-out principle. This (and not insulin) is the determining weight loss/gain factor.

Thanks, Jen. Where did you find that?

Thanks Jenn. It sounds very similiar to SB.

Wonder how old the review is? I do believe strongly in what Dr. A discusses in SBD about the effects of too much sugar and too much insulin leading to fat storage. I think a lot of the studies he mentions in the book were recent.

This is where I found it, at Diet Information:

http://www.diet-i.com/diets/sugarbusters-diet.htm

There is no date on the review. I don't like the review of South Beach though, but the place is interesting to read about all these "diets"! Who knew there were so many!?!?!?!