Sugar Crush (2015) is a book that advises avoiding sugar and eating lower-glycemic foods to reduce inflammation, reverse nerve damage, and improve your health.
- Avoid all processed foods, added sugars, and sweeteners.
- Plan A – very low to zero carbohydrates, grass-fed protein, grass-fed fats.
- Or Plan B – variety of fruits and vegetables with low to moderate glycemic levels, limited grass-fed protein and dairy.
Below on this page is a description of the food recommendations in the diet. General guidelines | Plan A – ketogenic | Plan B – low-glycemic. There’s a lot more in the book.
Use this page as a cheat sheet alongside the book. Send this page to friends, family, and anyone else who you want to understand what you’re eating on this diet.
Get a copy of Sugar Crush for detailed explanations of why sugar damages your health, the phases of peripheral neuropathy / nerve damage, treatment options to help with the pain, how to cope with sugar cravings, deciphering food labels, travel and restaurant tips.
The reasoning behind Sugar Crush
The authors argue that sugar (carbohydrates) = chronic inflammation + trauma = nerve damage, pain, and dysfunction. It describes how sugar causes inflammation, which scars the blood vessels and nerves, and causes compression in any area where blood vessels and nerves pass together through a tight area, leading to symptoms such as neuropathy and possibly gangrene and the need for amputation. If your body has never handled sugar well, you probably had early symptoms like acne and migraines, and even if your blood sugar numbers aren’t high you should avoid sugar because it can lead to nerve damage.
The authors argue that high-carb, low-saturated-fat diets such as MyPlate which are often described as healthy aren’t good for you – they’re more likely to lead to cardiovascular disease and weight gain.
Sugar Crush diet plan – what to eat and foods to avoid
General guidelines | Plan A – ketogenic | Plan B – low-glycemic
Dr. Jacoby offers 2 alternative diets as well as some general guidelines. Pick the diet that you feed will work best for you.
There are no specific guidelines for vegetarians/vegans.
General guidelines
Hot buttered coffee for breakfast | Foods to avoid
Foods to eat in Sugar Crush general guidelines
- Breakfast – have hot buttered coffee (sometimes called bulletproof coffee)
- Put a tablespoon-sized glob of unsalted organic butter (not any other type of butter) in the bottom of your mug
- Add hot coffee, let sit for about 15 seconds to melt the butter, stir, and drink
- If you want to avoid caffeine, decaffeinated coffee works just as well – although caffeine-sensitive people may find that when they add butter to coffee they don’t feel their normal caffeine jitters
- Note you can use tea instead of coffee
- If this doesn’t work for you, have bacon and eggs with plenty of butter (presumably for Plan A only)
Foods to avoid with Sugar Crush general guidelines
- All processed foods
- Sugars
- When you check the ingredients label, avoid the product if a sugar is one of the first 5 ingredients
- Natural sugars commonly described as “healthy” – agave nectar, barley malt, blackstrap molasses, brown rice syrup, carob syrup, coconut palm sugar, date sugar, dried oat syrup, fruit juice concentrate, honey, malt syrup, maple syrup, palm sugar, sorghum syrup, sucanat
- Sugars – brown sugar, cane sugar, caramel, dehydrated cane juice, evaporated cane juice, evaporated cane juice crystals, golden syrup, muscavado/muscovado sugar, refiner’s syrup, simple syrup, treacle, turbinado sugar
- Processed sugars – corn sweetener, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, crystalline fructose, dextrin, dextrose, glucose, gum syrup, high fructose corn syrup HFCS, inverted sugar, maltodextrin, maltose, sucrose
- Sugary drinks
- Fruit juice
- Soda, including diet soda
- Sports drinks and energy drinks
- Artificial sweeteners including stevia
- g. acesulfame (Sunett), aspartame (Equal, Neotame, NutraSweet), saccharin, stevia, sucralose (Apriva, Spleda)
- Soy, particularly unfermented soy – soy milk, tofu, soy infant formula, cooking oil, processed foods, etc.
- Processed fats
- Trans-fatty acids / artificially produced hydrogenated oils – may be found in margarine, baked goods, and other shelf-stable goods
- Fried foods – French fries, potato chips, onion rings, etc.
- Cooking oils high in omega-6 fatty acids, including corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil
- Dairy foods that aren’t organic, grass-fed, or raw
- Wheat and gluten-containing grains
- Food additives – e.g. monosodium glutamate MSG, other flavor enhancers, artificial colors, stabilizers, preservatives, anticaking agents, bulking agents, emulsifiers, glazing agents, thickeners, etc.
- Deli meats, sausages, and bacon preserved with nitrites and nitrates
- Alcohol – this is high in sugar and a burden on the liver – eliminate completely or use in moderation
Sugar Crush Plan A – Ketogenic approach
Nutrient guidelines | What to eat | Foods to limit | Foods to avoid
This diet is how Dr. Jacoby eats – very low to zero carbohydrates, a moderate amount of grass-fed animal protein, and a predominant amount of grass-fed fats including butter, hard and soft cheeses, and real cream.
This type of diet (low-carb/high-protein/high-fat) aren’t advised for: women who are nursing or pregnant, women with fertility complications, athletes requiring high glycolytic output, and individuals with kidney disease, hypothyroidism, or adrenal fatigue.
Nutrient guidelines for Sugar Crush Plan A
- Eat at least 75% (presumably of calories) as fat
- Limit carbs to under 50 grams a day
Foods to eat in Sugar Crush Plan A – primary foods to eat
- Drink hot buttered coffee for breakfast as described in General guidelines above
- Fats high in omega-3
- Animal fats – butter, cream, ghee – any fat product from animals that eat grass
- Fish oil (presumably from wild fish)
- Fatty fruits – olives, coconut, avocado (presumably these are unlimited on this plan as long as you stay within the carb guidelines, although that is not clear in the book)
- Oils – olive oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, macadamia nut oil, pumpkin seed oil, sesame seed oil, walnut oil (presumably these are unlimited on this plan, although that is not clear in the book)
- Proteins from animals that eat only grass or forage
- Meats, grass-fed and organic, e.g. beef, buffalo, goat, lamb, veal, venison, wild game (whether pork is allowed is unclear as it isn’t grass-fed)
- Fowl/poultry, preferably free-range and organic, e.g. chicken, cornish hen, duck, goose, ostrich, pheasant, quail, turkey (thigh and leg)
- Organ meats from the above meats and poultry – heart, liver, kidney, sweetbreads, pâté
- Fish/seafood, wild caught e.g. abalone, anchovy, arctic char, catfish, caviar, clam, cod, crab, crayfish, flounder, grouper, haddock, halibut, herring, lobster, mackerel, mahi mahi, mussel, octopus, oyster, perch, red snapper, sablefish/black cod, salmon, sardine, scallop, scrod, shrimp, skate, sole, squid, tilapia, trout, tuna, white sea bass
- Snail/escargot
- Eggs, free range and organic
- Dairy
- Whole fat, no skim or light
- Grass-fed and organic, preferably raw
- Eliminate pasteurized dairy products
- Cream, cheese, cottage cheese, kefir, plain yogurt, sour cream (also butter, cream, ghee as fats)
- Vegetables
- Very low glycemic – arugula, asparagus, beet greens, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chard, Chinese cabbage, cucumber, endive, horseradish, lettuce, mesclun or spring mix, mushrooms, purslane, radicchio, radish, seaweeds, spinach, string beans, vegetable seed sprouts, watercress
- Nuts & seeds (presumably unstarchy nuts and seeds are unlimited in Plan A – unclear)
- Nuts – almond, brazil nut, cashews, macadamia nuts, pecan, pine nuts, pistachio, pumpkin, walnut
- Seeds – flax seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
- Beverages
- No specific guidelines – it looks like you can have water, coffee, tea
Foods to limit with Sugar Crush Plan A
- Fats from a grain-fed animal
- Grain-fed meat and poultry
- Eggs from grain-fed poultry
- Vegetables
- Low glycemic – bell pepper, broccoli, broccoli rabe, brussels sprouts, cilantro, collard greens, dandelion greens, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, fennel, kale, leek, mustard greens, onion, parsley, scallion, shallot, tomato, turnip greens
- Fruits
- One serving a day is plenty – although to really kick your addiction you should cut it out altogether and substitute nuts, seeds, or raw vegetables
- Eat fresh, raw, and slightly unripe
Foods to avoid with Sugar Crush Plan A
- Foods listed under General – Foods to Avoid
- Higher-carb vegetables (presumably these are avoided on plan A – unclear)
- Moderate glycemic – artichoke, beet, carrot, jicama, kohlrabi, okra, peas, pumpkin, rutabaga, spaghetti squash, summer squash, turnip, yellow squash, zucchini
- High glycemic – corn on the cob, parsnip, potato, sweet potato, sunchoke/Jerusalem artichoke, taro, winter squash, yam
- Grains (presumably these are avoided on plan A – unclear)
- Legumes (presumably these are avoided on plan A – unclear)
- Milk, milk substitutes containing added sugar (e.g. rice milk, soy milk, almond milk)
Sugar Crush Plan B – Blood Sugar Regulation Diet
Portion sizes | What to eat | Foods to limit | Foods to avoid
Dr. Jacoby finds that many of his patients find Plan A different to sustain, so he asked a nutritionist, Judy Nicassio, to devise an alternate approach allowing you to taper off carbohydrates and bring your body’s chemistry back into the normal, healthful state. This diet is based on the glycemic index and adapted from food options developed by Dr. Joseph Mercola and others. It includes limited dairy and a variety of fruits and vegetables with low to moderate glycemic levels.
Portion sizes for Sugar Crush Plan B
The amount of carbohydrate is reduced over time to avoid severe withdrawals connected to your sugar addiction
- Primary (green) proteins should be approximately 3-6 ounces per meal
- Low-starch foods on the Primary (green) list can amount to what fits in a medium-sized bowl
- Portion sizes aren’t given for fats, except a note to “include small amounts of fat”
- For weeks 1-2, eat only three ½ cup servings of the Cautionary (orange) foods (presumably per day)
- For weeks 3-4, eat only two ½ cup servings of the Cautionary (orange) foods (presumably per day)
- For weeks 5-6, eat only one ½ cup servings of the Cautionary (orange) foods (presumably per day)
- After week 6, you will be consuming mostly Primary (green) foods (at least 80% of the time)
- Once your blood sugars, insulin levels, weight, metabolic syndrome, etc. have stabilized, you may experiment with how often you can include “secondary foods” (orange) in your diet
- For the rest of your life you will have to walk the a fine line determining the appropriate macronutrient ratios from your changing needs, and guidance from a nutritionist can be beneficial
Foods to eat in Sugar Crush Plan B – Primary foods to eat
Any food with a Glycemic Index (GI) rank below 55 (low GI) is a very good choice, and a Glycemic Load (GL) of 10 or less (low GL)
- Drink hot buttered coffee for breakfast as described in General guidelines above
- Proteins
- Meats, preferably grass-fed and organic, e.g. beef, buffalo, goat, lamb, pork (chop), veal, venison, wild game
- Fowl/poultry, preferably free-range and organic, e.g. chicken, cornish hen, duck, goose, ostrich, pheasant, quail, turkey (thigh and leg)
- Organ meats from the above meats and poultry – heart, liver, kidney, sweetbreads, pâté
- Bacon, ham (nitrate-free)
- Fish/seafood, preferably wild caught e.g. abalone, anchovy, arctic char, catfish, caviar, clam, cod, crab, crayfish, flounder, grouper, haddock, halibut, herring, lobster, mackerel, mahi mahi, mussel, octopus, oyster, perch, red snapper, sablefish/black cod, salmon, sardine, scallop, scrod, shrimp, skate, sole, squid, tilapia, trout, tuna, white sea bass
- Snail/escargot
- Eggs, preferably free range and organic
- Dairy, preferably raw, grass-fed and organic – cheese, cottage cheese (also butter, cream, ghee as fats)
- Vegetables
- Very low glycemic – arugula, asparagus, beet greens, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chard, Chinese cabbage, cucumber, endive, horseradish, lettuce, mesclun or spring mix, mushrooms, purslane, radicchio, radish, seaweeds, spinach, string beans, vegetable seed sprouts, watercress
- Low glycemic – bell pepper, broccoli, broccoli rabe, brussels sprouts, cilantro, collard greens, dandelion greens, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, fennel, kale, leek, mustard greens, onion, parsley, scallion, shallot, tomato, turnip greens
- Fats
- Fatty fruits – olives, coconut, avocado
- Animal fats – butter, cream, ghee
- Oils – olive oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, macadamia nut oil, pumpkin seed oil, sesame seed oil, walnut oil
- Nuts from the secondary list can be used in moderation
- Beverages
- No specific guidelines – it looks like you can have water, coffee, tea
Foods to limit with Sugar Crush Plan B – secondary/Cautionary foods to eat
- Dairy
- Whole fat, no skim or light
- Eliminate pasteurized dairy products. If raw dairy is unavailable, substitute grass-fed or organic dairy
- Milk
- Kefir
- Plain yogurt
- Sour cream
- Vegetables
- Moderate glycemic – artichoke, beet, carrot, jicama, kohlrabi, okra, peas, pumpkin, rutabaga, spaghetti squash, summer squash, turnip, yellow squash, zucchini
- High glycemic – corn on the cob, parsnip, potato, sweet potato, sunchoke/Jerusalem artichoke, taro, winter squash, yam
- Legumes
- Beans, dry
- Lentils
- Peas, dry
- Fruits, moderate to high glycemic
- One serving a day is plenty
- Eat fresh, raw, and slightly unripe
- Eat with peel or skin: apricot, apple, all berries, blueberry, blackberry, cherry, fig, grape, nectarine, peach, pear, persimmon, plum, raspberry, strawberry
- Eat without peel or skin: banana, cantaloupe, cherimoya, grapefruit, kiwi, lemon, lime, mango, all melons, orange, pineapple, pomegranate, tangerine, watermelon,
- Grains
- Whole grains only
- Amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat, corn (on the cob), millet, oat, triticale, wild rice
- Note that wheat and other gluten-containing grains are to be avoided for Sugar Crush
- Nuts & seeds
- Unsalted
- Nuts – almond, brazil nut, cashews, macadamia nuts, pecan, pine nuts, pistachio, pumpkin, walnut
- Starchy nut – chestnut (unlike other nuts these are high in both fat and starch)
- Seeds – flax seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
Foods to avoid with Sugar Crush Plan B
- Foods listed under General – Foods to Avoid
Health benefits claimed in Sugar Crush
The diet in this book claims to reduce the risks for: adult acne, allergies, Alzheimer’s disease, amputation, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS, asthma, autism, autonomic neuropathy, cancer, candidiasis, cardiovascular disease, carpal tunnel syndrome, cystitis, depression, type 2 diabetes, dry skin, fatigue, food addiction, foot ulcers, gallbladder disease, gangrene, headaches, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, hyperglycemia, inflammation, insulin resistance, inflammatory bowel disease IBD, irritable bowel syndrome IBS, metabolic syndrome, migraine, multiple sclerosis MS, nerve damage, pain, peripheral neuropathy, plantar fasciitis, prediabetes, reflux disease, restless leg syndrome RLS, runny nose, sinusitis, stroke, syndrome X, urinary tract infections UTI, wrinkles
Chewfo received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review, and was not required to write a positive review.
As always, this is not intended to be a replacement for professional medical diagnosis or treatment for a medical condition. Consult your doctor before starting a new diet. This page describes what the authors of the diet recommend – Chewfo is describing the diet only, not endorsing it.
The book’s website is http://sugarcrushthebook.com, and it’s on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sugarcrushbook. Also see Dr. Jacoby’s YouTube channel for videos on how diabetes affects your feet.
Get a copy of Sugar Crush for detailed explanations of why sugar damages your health, the phases of peripheral neuropathy / nerve damage, treatment options to help with the pain, how to cope with sugar cravings, deciphering food labels, travel and restaurant tips.
How has this diet helped you? Please add a comment or question below.
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