No Sugar, No Starch Diet

Dr. Eric Westman has been clinically researching low carbohydrate/ketogenic diets for over twenty years. He is specialized in internal and obesity medicine. He is currently a practicing physician at Duke University Health Systems. 

Westman has written several books and published a number of papers detailing the effects of low carbohydrate diets for the management of metabolic disorders like overweight/obesity, diabetes and fatty liver disease. 

Though his dabbling and associations in the low carb sphere has been questionable, his protocol is not. Westman has formulated several low carbohydrate protocols which use the Atkins model as their foundation. This protocol is based on his original diet plan. 

OVERVIEW: 

• This is a classic low carbohydrate, moderate fat and adequate protein diet.
• This diet is safe to follow for the entire month or for life. 
• This protocol can be used for body fat loss and the improvement of metabolic markers like blood glucose and fatty liver disease. 

RULES: 

• Carbohydrates must stay at fewer than 20 grams per day. This carb allotment cannot come from any sugar, grain or starch source.
  Salad greens - 2 cups a day
  All other vegetables - 1 cup a day
• Protein from all meats are allowed, including processed meats, but you must check labels and make sure carbohydrates are only 1 gram per serving. 
• Fat that comes naturally in animal based foods is not restricted. There are no provisions for added fats on this diet but the following recommendations are made:
  Cheese up to 4 ounces a day
  Cream up to 4 tbsp. a day
  Mayonnaise up to 4 tbsp. a day
  Olives up to 6 a day
  Avocado up to 1/2 fruit a day
  Any salad dressing is a allowed if the label reads 1 - 2 grams of carbs per serving or less
• 2 cups of bouillon are recommended daily unless you are on a sodium restricted diet.
• Caffeine is restricted to 3 cups of coffee, tea or diet soda a day. 
• Artificial sweeteners are allowed on this diet. 
• You can have three meals a day, plus one snack. 
• This diet does not track calories, as the premise is that the diet works best on a "demand feeding" basis. Meaning that you eat whenever you are hungry but you don't eat more than what will satisfy you. 
• There are no fasting recommendations for this diet. 

KEEP IN MIND: 

• You have to be extremely careful with "demand feeding" as you can't "learn to listen to your body" when it is not producing any signals to listen to. If you are someone who has issues with satiety signaling, I suggest you calculate your macros before you begin this protocol. You can do so here.
• The good thing about Westman is that, though he may be questionable, he was never a zealot nor did he ever recommend eating fat ad libitum. Though there aren't any specific restrictions in this diet for fat consumption you should still heed his advice: "If you are trying to lose body fat, use added fats and oils sparingly. Enjoy the fat that occurs naturally in meat, eggs, seafood, poultry and cheese. If you are living with a health problem but not carrying excess body weight, you may consume larger quantities of fats and oils." - Eric Westman, M.D. 
• As with all carbohydrate restricted diets, keep electrolytes in mind and supplement accordingly. At least 5 grams of table salt, every day. A recommended electrolyte guide can be found here. 
• If you are a type II diabetic, on medications, do not start this protocol without first discussing it with your healthcare professional, as combining this diet, alongside glucose lowering medications, can cause dangerously low blood glucose. 

MORE INFORMATION:

Westman does not have a dedicated website, except for the 💩 he sells, but you can get more information and meal ideas at Atkins as the diet is basically a revised version of Atkins where the only difference is in the amount of carbohydrates allowed and their sources.