The “No Sugar, No Starch” Diet
No Sugar, No Starch. Full flavor.
This way of eating provides your body with the nutrition it needs, while eliminating foods that your body does not require, namely, nutritionally empty carbohydrates. For most effective weight loss, you will need to keep the total number of (net) carbohydrate grams to fewer than 30 grams per day. Make up your meals based exclusively of foods and beverages from these instructions.
Do not eat food that is packaged. If you have no alternative, check the label and make sure that the carbohydrate count is 1 to 2 grams or less for meat and dairy products, 5 grams or less for vegetables. All food may be grilled, baked, boiled, stir-fried, sautéed, roasted, or fried (without flour, breading, or cornmeal).
WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY, EAT YOUR CHOICE OF THE FOLLOWING FOODS:
Meat: Beef (including hamburger and steak), pork, ham (unglazed), bacon, lamb, veal, or other meats. For processed meats (sausage, pepperoni, hot dogs), check the label—carbohydrate count should be about 1 gram per serving.
Poultry: Chicken, turkey, duck, or other fowl.
Fish and Shellfish: Any fish, including tuna, salmon, catfish, bass, trout, shrimp, scallops, crab, and lobster.
Eggs: Whole eggs are permitted without restrictions.
Eat the fat that comes with the above foods.
Stop eating when you feel full. If you’re not sure whether you feel full, stop eating. Wait 20 minutes. Allow yourself to eat when you are hungry.
EAT THESE FOODS EVERY DAY:
Salad Greens: 2 cups a day. Includes arugula, bok choy, cabbage (all varieties), chard, chives, endive, greens (all varieties, including beet, collards, mustard, and turnip), kale, lettuce (all varieties), parsley, spinach, radicchio, radishes, scallions, and watercress. (If it is a leaf, you may eat it.)
Vegetables: 1 cup (measured uncooked) a day. Includes artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, green beans (string beans), jicama, leeks, mushrooms, okra, onions, peppers, pumpkin, shallots, snow peas, sprouts (bean and alfalfa), sugar snap peas, summer squash, tomatoes, rhubarb, wax beans, zucchini.
If you are not losing weight, reduce or avoid onions, pumpkin and tomatoes.
Bouillon: 2 cups daily—as needed for sodium replenishment. Clear broth (consommé) is strongly recommended. Check with your doctor if you are on a sodium-restricted diet for any reason.
FOODS ALLOWED IN LIMITED QUANTITIES:
Cheese: up to 4 ounces a day (115 grams). Includes hard, aged cheeses such as Swiss and Cheddar, as well as Brie, Camembert, blue, mozzarella, Gruyère, cream cheese, goat cheeses.
Avoid processed cheeses, such as Velveeta. Check the label; carbohydrate count should be less than 1 gram per serving.
Cream: up to 4 tablespoonfuls a day. Includes heavy, light, or sour cream (not half and half).
Mayonnaise: up to 4 tablespoons a day. Duke’s and Hellmann’s are low-carb. Check the labels of other brands.
Olives (Black or Green): up to 6 a day.
Avocado: up to 1/2 of a fruit a day.
Lemon/Lime Juice: up to 2 tablespoons a day.
Replace Soy Sauces with coconut aminos.
Pickles, Dill or Sugar-Free: up to 2 pickles a day. Check the labels for carbohydrates and serving size.
Snacks: Pork rinds/skins; pepperoni slices; ham, beef, turkey, and other meat roll-ups; deviled eggs.
THE PRIMARY RESTRICTION: CARBOHYDRATES
Do not eat any sugars (simple carbohydrates) or starches (complex carbohydrates). Only eat the nutritionally-dense, fibre-rich carbohydrates listed above.
Sugars are simple carbohydrates. Do not eat these kinds of foods: white sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses, corn syrup, beer (contains barley malt), milk (contains lactose), flavored yogurts, low-fat dairy products, fruit juice, and fruit.
Starches are complex carbohydrates. Do not eat these kinds of foods: grains (even “whole” grains), rice, cereals, flour, cornstarch, breads, pastas, muffins, bagels, crackers, and “starchy” vegetables such as slow-cooked beans (pinto, lima, black beans), carrots, parsnips, corn, peas, potatoes, French fries, potato chips.
FATS AND OILS
All fats and oils, especially butter, are allowed. Use olive oil for cold preparations. Use coconut oil, butter and animal fat (lard, tallow, etc.) for cooking.
Do not eat margarine and other hydrogenated oils that contain trans fats.
For salad dressings, the ideal dressing is a homemade oil-and-vinegar dressing, with lemon juice and spices as needed. Commercially prepared dressings such as blue-cheese, ranch, Caesar, and Italian may be acceptable. But read the label first: don’t use the dressing unless it contains fewer than 1 to 2 grams of carbohydrate per serving. Do not use “lite” salad dressings, because these commonly have more carbohydrates. Chopped eggs, bacon, and/or grated cheese may also be included in salads.
Fats, in general, are important to include, because they taste good and make you feel full. You are therefore permitted the fat or skin that is served with the meat or poultry that you eat, as long as there is no breading on the skin. Do not attempt to follow a low-fat diet!
SWEETENERS AND DESSERTS
If you feel the need to eat or drink something sweet, drink a cold glass of water and wait until the feeling passes. If you decide to eat something sweet, use stevia. Powdered artificial sweeteners contain carbohydrates and cause cravings. Do not eat food with sugar alcohols (such as sorbitol and maltitol), because they occasionally cause diarrhea.
BEVERAGES
Drink as much as you would like of the allowed beverages, but do not force fluids beyond your capacity. The best beverage is water. Essence-flavored seltzers (zero carbs) and bottled spring and mineral waters are also good choices.
Caffeinated beverages: Caffeine intake may interfere with your weight loss and blood sugar control. If you’re not losing weight or having trouble with your blood sugar, eliminate coffee and tea.
ALCOHOL
Alcohol consumption will stop your body from burning fat. Don’t drink it.
QUANTITIES
Eat when you are hungry; stop when you are full. The diet works best on a “demand feeding” basis—that is, eat whenever you are hungry; try not to eat more than what will satisfy you. Learn to listen to your body. A low carbohydrate, high fat diet has a natural appetite-reduction effect to ease you into the consumption of smaller and smaller quantities comfortably. Therefore, do not eat everything on your plate just because it’s there. On the other hand, don’t go hungry! You are not counting calories. Enjoy losing weight comfortably, without hunger or cravings.
IMPORTANT TIPS AND REMINDERS
The following items are NOT on the diet: sugar, bread, cereal, flour containing items, fruits, juices, honey, whole or skimmed milk, yogurt, canned soups, dairy substitutes, ketchup, sweet condiments and relishes.
Avoid these common mistakes: Beware of “fat-free” or “lite” diet products, and foods containing “hidden” sugars and starches (such as coleslaw or sugar-free cookies and cakes). Check the labels of liquid medications, cough syrups, cough drops, and other over-the-counter medications that may contain sugar. Avoid products that are labeled “Great for Low-Carb Diets!” Eat real food.
LOW-CARB MENU PLANNING
What does a low-carbohydrate menu look like? You can plan your daily menu by using the following as a guide:
Breakfast – 6 carbs
Meat or other protein source (usually eggs)
Fat source—This may already be in your protein; for example, bacon and eggs have fat in them. But if your protein source is “lean,” add some fat in the form of butter, cream (in coffee), or cheese.
Low-carbohydrate vegetable (if desired)—This can be in an omelet or a breakfast quiche.
Lunch – 12 carbs
Meat or other protein source
Fat source—If your protein is “lean,” add some fat, in the form of butter, salad dressing, cheese, cream, or avocado.
1 to 11⁄2 cups of salad greens or cooked greens
1⁄2 to 1 cup of vegetables
Dinner – 12 carbs
Meat or other protein source
Fat source—If your protein is “lean,” add some fat in the form of butter, salad dressing, cheese, cream, or avocado.
1 to 11⁄2 cups of salad greens or cooked greens
1⁄2 to 1 cup of vegetables
A sample day may look like this:
Breakfast
Bacon or sausage
Eggs
Lunch
Grilled chicken on top of salad greens and other vegetables, with bacon, chopped eggs, and salad dressing
Dinner
Burger patty or steak
Green salad with other acceptable vegetables and salad dressing
Green beans with butter
READING A LOW-CARB LABEL
Start by checking the nutrition facts.
- Look at serving size, total carbohydrate, and fiber.
- Use total carbohydrate content only.
- You may subtract fiber from total carbohydrate to get the “effective or net carb count.” For example, if there are 7 grams of carbohydrate and 3 grams of fiber, the difference yields 4 grams of effective carbohydrates. That means the effective carbohydrate count is 4 grams per serving.
- No need to worry about calories or fat.
- Effective carbohydrate count of vegetables should be 5 grams or less.
- Effective carbohydrate count of meat or condiments should be 1 gram or less.
- Also check the ingredient list. Avoid foods that have any form of sugar or starch listed in the first 5 ingredients.
Sugar by any other name is still sugar!
All of these are forms of sugar: sucrose, dextrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, glucose, honey, agave syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, brown-rice syrup, molasses, evaporated cane juice, cane juice, fruit-juice concentrate, corn sweetener.
Want to Learn More?
A version of this plan appears at the back of a book by Gary Taubes called, Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It. It’s one example of a low carbohydrate diet. Gary got it from Dr. Eric Westman’s Lifestyle Medicine Clinic at Duke University Medical Center. It came originally from Dr. Robert Atkins’ diet plans. A much more complete plan can be found in Westman, et al, New Atkins for a New You.
I’ve modified it to follow the carbohydrate recommendations in Dr. Richard Bernstein’s The Diabetes Diet: Dr. Bernstein’s Low-Carbohydrate Solution. I agree with his recommendation to avoid increasing your carbohydrate consumption. For me, that triggers the weight-gain merry-go-round of cravings.
Another book you’ll enjoy: The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet, Nina Teicholz
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Low Carb High Fat Success Plan 