Archive for 'South Beach Diet'
South Beach Diet
Posted on 11. Apr, 2009 by admin.
peterhutch asked:
The South Beach diet is a diet plan started by Miami, Florida, area cardiologist Arthur Agatston, a graduate of New York University, which emphasizes the consumption of “good carbohydrates” and “good fats”. Dr. Agatston developed this diet for his cardiac patients based upon his study of scientific dieting research. The diet first appeared in a book of the same name published by Rodale Press.
Most people are sick of trying new diets for one reason – they do not work! What makes the South Beach Diet different is that it teaches a way of life where you rely on the right carbohydrates and fats. This new way of eating allows you to live contently without eating the bad carbohydrates and fats. In contrast, when a person eats bad carbohydrates and fats they feel hungrier, causing them to eat more, which causes weight gain. In exchange for eating right, you become healthier and can enjoy an 8 to 13 pound weight loss in just two weeks
Both South Beach and Atkins diets restrict carbohydrates — carbs, as diet dilettantes like to say. True, “good carbs” are allowed. But South Beach dieters must say goodbye to potatoes, fruit, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, beets, carrots, and corn for the first two weeks. After that, most of these foods remain strongly discouraged.
Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled with fresh herbs and mushrooms and 2 rashers grilled lean bacon. Plus a small glass of tomato juice and a decaf coffee or tea. Morning Snack: 1 small chunk reduced-fat Cheddar cheese. Lunch: Chicken Caesar salad (no croutons) with 2tbsp Caesar dressing. Afternoon Snack: 3tbsp low-fat cottage cheese with 1 tomato and cucumber. Dinner: Grilled salmon with steamed asparagus and a salad made from mixed leaves, cucumber, green pepper, cherry tomatoes and 2tbsp low-sugar dressing.
How does it work?
South Beach Diet was created a well known cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston. He developed this diet for his cardiac patients after a lot of scientific dieting research. The best thing about this diet is that you will get your three, normal size meals everyday and you can even enjoy your snacks and deserts. In just a short amount of time you will see incredible results. So you can not only enjoy your favorite foods but you can also put your fear of getting fat to rest.
The phases South Beach Diet:
Phase I -You will eat normal-size portions of lean meat, fish, eggs, reduced-fat cheese, nonfat yogurt, nuts, and plenty of vegetables including snacks and desserts. This will last for two weeks. You would have to high or moderately high-glycemic carbs so that you eliminate insulin resistance .This way the body will lose its insulin resistance, and thus use excess body fat, causing the dieter to lose between 8 and 13 pounds.
Phase 2: Now you can start adding foods from the Phase 1 Foods to Avoid list. It’s up to you which ones you re-introduce: bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, cereal, or fruit.This diet gives you the freedom to cherry pick which of these foods you add back into your diet. While you can’t eat them all (nor eat the ones you choose with abandon) they’ll no longer be off-limits. The key here is to re-introduce these foods in moderation and to not eat them as often as you were before.
Finally, in Phase Three you introduce an even wider variety of foods. This phase is aimed at keeping your weight steady and the diet recommends you stay on this for life.
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Is Fat Loss 4 Idiots Better Than The New South Beach Diet?
Posted on 10. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Janet Sommers asked:
There are so many diet plans being offered to those who want to lose weight fast and easy that it gets confusing as to which is better and which is not. Among these plans, the new South Beach diet and Fat Loss for Idiots are currently popular due to the sameness and contradictions that suits specific types of people with various health and physical requirements.
Fat Loss For Idiots vs the new South Beach Diet
Diet plans suggests almost the same things: take foods low in fat and low in carbohydrates. The new South Beach diet is no exceptions. Basically, this diet plan advocates good fats and good carbohydrates to rule our body for life, which is highly effective but recommended more for geriatrics who do not need much movement or have a computer-based job in a corporate environment. The reason is mainly because foods low in carbohydrates, which the new South Beach diet suggests, strips off the intended carb requirement to run the metabolism and convert them into energy. So, if you are involved in jobs where legworks are demanded, the new South Beach diet is not for you.
Additionally, the new South Beach diet is a long-term weight loss plan and comes in three exhausting phases. The Phase I is the toughest since the dieter has to remove the carbohydrates 100% from the meals for two weeks. Only lean meats, seafood, and poultry are allowed. In Phase II, the dieter gradually re-introduces the carbohydrates in limited servings. Phase III is the maintenance part and the body should be used to the eating culture.
Fat Loss For Idiots has a pretty similar yet still different approach. Economically, the Fat Loss For Idiots has the cheapest diet plans around. Your initial expense would be $30+ for the ebook and everything follows. The new South Beach diet, because the foods required are selected can be costly in comparison.
While the South Beach diet has three tedious phases - Phase I lasting for two weeks, Phase for two weeks, and phase III for life - Fat Loss For Idiots will only take 11 days to lose 9 pounds while still taking pleasure in the planned menus consumable in four meals per day. This prevents the person to move on with the diet instead of fall back halfway because of the length f the process.
Opposite from what people think that Fat Loss For Idiots might be accompanied by weight loss pills, it is absolutely safe and natural. You are also spared of other methods such as calorie counting and body mass index calculation.
Fat Loss for Idiots also has a different way of approaching the metabolism. Instead of accustoming the system in burning fats and calories, as what the new South Beach Diet does, Fat Loss randomly does it so the system does not get shocked when our eating habit changes.
Yet, there are still so much to discover about Fat Loss For Idiots and it would be interesting to know why this is so easy and cheap yet so effective. What you can do is to get your own copy of the e-book to get started and enjoy better figure, better health, and better self-confidence.
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Reach Your Bikini Goal With The South Beach Diet
Posted on 10. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Jason Cox asked:
Everyone wants to look great for the summer. One way to be able to reach your ideal weight that will help you look good in a bikini is to use the South Beach Diet.
In order for the South-Beach Diet to work for you it needs to be followed exactly how it was designed. Furthermore, each individual South Beach-Diet that you follow needs to be tailored to your specific body. This will help you lose weight safely in a way that was meant for you.
The South beach diet is very similar to the Atkins diet in that it is a low carbohydrate diet. Dr. Arthur Agatston originally designed this diet with some of his heart patients in mind. These patients had a condition called the insulin resistance syndrome, most commonly known as the metabolic syndrome.
People with insulin resistance syndrome are people who have a combination of symptoms including high blood pressure, signs of obesity (especially in the belly), elevated blood glucose, high triglycerides, and low HDL.
These people do not respond as well to the traditional low fat diets that contain quite a few carbohydrates. Therefore, the South-Beach Diet became the alternative. Since then it also have become a popular diet alternative for those of the general public wanting to lose weight, even if the reason is to look good in a bikini.
The South Beach-Diet is divided into four phases. These four phases are as follows:
Phase One: This phase excludes most carbohydrates including all fruit, most dairy products, and most sources of saturated fat. What you can eat during this phase of the South Beach diet include lean meats, eggs and egg whites, seafood, soy foods, fat free and low fat dairy products, one serving of beans, and low starch vegetables (carrots, broccoli, lettuce greens, leeks, cauliflower, etc.).
The starchier vegetables such as potatoes, corn, and peas should be avoided during this initial diet phase. This is the most rapid stage of weight loss and lasts approximately two weeks.
Phase Two: This is the stage that the dieter continues until he or she reaches desired weight loss. During this phase of the South-Beach Diet the dieter will start to add one carb a week that was disallowed during the first two weeks of the diet. Usually dieters will start with a low glycemic fruit such as berries or grapefruit during this phase, and then continue to add more and more carbs.
This also is the phase in which the dieter tests the waters and finds foods that are a fit. If there is no negative reaction to the foods tried during this phase the dieter continues to add more and more carbs. This phase lasts until the dieter reaches the desired weight goal.
Phase Three: This is the maintenance stage of the diet. This stage is very similar to Phase Two of the South Beach-Diet. The big difference between this stage and the stage two is that in this stage, carbs are allowed to be eaten more often. Otherwise, this stage is a continuation of the previous stage, which is to just eat the foods that the dieter has defined as right for them in the previous stage.
This stage of the diet lasts for the dieters lifetime and contains mostly lean proteins, fruits, whole grains, and sources of mono and polyunsaturated fats such as avocado, nuts, and olives.
There is no cut and dry way to succeed at the South Beach Diet. However, those who are determined to make it work for them can find this diet to be a great alternative. Therefore, if you are a person who has a desire to lose weight in order to fit into that bikini you have always wanted to wear you can learn the South-Beach-Diet plan and make it work for you.
If you want more information regarding the South-Beach-Diet you can read other articles such as this one or contact your doctor or dietician for more information. You can also refer to the South Beach Diet book, as well. You can also read more articles such as this or contact a health care professional for more information about nutrition and dieting.
One more thing you always need to remember when dieting: aerobic exercise will help you reach your weight goal faster if it is done along with proper dieting. This is the case more than just dieting alone, no matter what type of diet you are on.
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Why the South Beach Diet Plan Fails Over and Over Again!
Posted on 09. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Janet Sommers asked:
Do you every wonder why South Beach diet plan is so popular yet many people doubt its efficiency? Just a bit of a background, this eating system is developed by Dr Arthur Agatston based on his patients’ dietary requirement. These people have cardiovascular problems so Dr Agatston’s diet promotes good fat and good carbohydrates for consumption of those with heart problems and Diabetes to avoid aggravation of the disease. The South Beach diet fairly worked and enhanced the health of those who have the problem.
It follows that the South Beach diet plan is mainly to focus on the health and weigh-loss comes the second priority. What it fails to work on people who reduce weight is further discussed.
Why South Beach Fails
The South Beach diet plan basically has three phases. Phase I is a two-week no carbs and no-fat diet, which means no meat, pasta, rice, bread, cereals and only poultry, seafood and lean meats. For two weeks, your goal is to refrain from eating foods that will get you overweight.
In Phase II, you take very few carbohydrates or limited and calculated servings of the foods you tried to avoid in the first two weeks. In phase III, the final phase, your body should have adjusted to the way of eating you started with South Beach diet plan.
Looking at it, South Beach diet plan offers promises good health and nice figure. However, it could take you years because you achieve them through the South Beach diet. Why years? Because it is meant to work long-term, many people tend to fail and relapse due to its strict diet monitoring and practice. Before you could approach the second week of Phase I, you are already stuffing hamburger and fries as you feel deprived.
Dieting does not have to be this hard unless you have heart problems or a candidate for Diabetes. If your only goal is to lose weight, you might as well opt for one that will not waste your time, money and effort. Settle for something that is not quite hard on your system especially if you are employed in a fast-paced environment where you need more energy to get through each day.
Why Fat Loss For Idiots is Effective
Contrary to the South Beach diet plan, Fat Loss For Idiots e-book teaches you another weight loss program that is also safe and guarantees results in barely 11 days. Absolutely no diet pills, working out and meticulous calorie counting are involved.
Fat Loss for Idiots is a cheap e-book that presents different menus to be taken for 11 days, four times a day. With it, you are spared of monitoring a strict food intake and disappointment for not completing the plan.
The approaches are simple and comprehensive with rules that are easier to follow that the other diet plans. After 11 days and you still want to shed some more pounds, you can take a three-day break from dieting again and continue for another 11 days of dieting until you achieve your ideal figure.
Because it is fast some people may think that it is not safe. Actually it is proven 100% safe to practice without having to grieve over not being able to eat what you want. If you want to find out more about this wonderful weight-loss technique, you can buy the e-book for details.
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How Much Weight Can One Lose With South Beach Diet?
Posted on 09. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Wade Robins asked:
Carol is a happy individual. However, this was not always the case. A year ago, she was suffering from depression. Her frame of 5′7″ was under pressure. The reason - her weight of 87 kilos was too much for her body to bear. Doctors had classified her as obese and she was suffering from chronic backache, high levels of cholesterol and heart problems.
That is when she read about the South Beach diet. She tried it out and successfully lost as weight. So, what is South Beach diet?
South Beach diet is one of the few diets that have managed to attract thousands of loyal followers. Devised by Miami based cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston, the diet first hit the American shores in form of a book titled The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss.
The cornerstone of South Beach diet is the regulation in the type of carbohydrates and fats that enter the body. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are the main components of food. However, different food items contain different kinds of carbohydrates and fats. The kind of fats and carbohydrates ingested by you creates a negative or a positive impact on the body.
South Beach diet stresses on restricting the consumption of bad carbohydrates. Bad carbohydrates are complex in nature and rank high on the glycemic index. Most processed foods, soft drinks and bakery items made from refined flour contain bad carbohydrates. Bad carbohydrates are rapidly broken down and get absorbed into the blood stream. The body releases high doses of insulin to regulate the glucose levels. However, once the carbohydrates get burnt up, the insulin still present makes you carve for more food and you end up gulping more. Similarly, the saturated fats tend to be sticky and may increase the risk of arteriosclerosis and other heart related ailments.
South Beach diet restricts the consumption of bad carbohydrates and saturated fats. The three phases of South Beach diet also ensures that you are able to shed those extra pounds. In the first stage - which lasts for two weeks- the dieter can expect to lose weight of around 8-13 lb. There is no fixed period for the second stage of South Beach diet and one can continue with it till the time the weighing machine displays the figure you want, in other words till you have achieved the desired target. Usually, people lose anywhere between 1-2 lb per week. The third phase is to be continued for lifetime. For more info see http://www.southbeachdietclub.com/sbdclub/south-beach-diet-recipes.html on south beach diet recipes.
Thus, South Beach diet has helped thousands to regain a slim and a healthy body. However, South Beach diet asks the sacrifice of burgers, pastries, pizzas, soft drinks, and many other yummy food. This is a small ask for a life long of health and fitness.
The third phase can consist of meals that are recommended for phase one and two. But remember to steer clear of fats, and anything that contains bad carbohydrates. Adhering to the rules of South Beach diet can launch you on a path to a healthy self.
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What Is South Beach Diet?
Posted on 09. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Chris Chew asked:
The South Beach diet plan was developed for obese patients by an American cardiologist in Florida, Dr Arthur Agatston. He supports the consumption of mostly “good carbohydrates” and “good fats.”
The South Beach diet is often being confused or compared to the Atkin’s diet which was developed by the late Dr Atkin. The Atkin’s Diet is mainly a low-carbohydrate dieting system.
Dr. Agatston believes that excessive consumption of “bad carbohydrates” ie high glycemic carbohydrates, creates an insulin resistance in the human body. This is a malfunction of the hormone insulin’s ability to properly process fat and sugar. He also held the view that over consumption of “bad fats”, such as saturated fat and trans fat, contributes to an increase in cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and stroke.
To prevent these two conditions, The South Beach diet minimizes consumption of bad fats and bad carbohydrates and instead push for the replacement of these unhealthy food with good fats and good carbs.
The South Beach Diet is a 3 step process. In all 3 steps of the diet, Dr. Agatston recommends minimizing consumption of bad fats.
The South Beach Diet Step 1 – During the first two weeks, weight loss dieters try to eliminate insulin resistance by avoiding high or moderately high-glycemic carbs, such as sugar, candy, white bread, potatoes, fruit, cereals, and refined grains such white rice. During this step, the body will lose its insulin resistance and begin to use excess body fat for energy, thus the dieter will lose weight rapidly as much as up to 10 pounds during this step.
The South Beach Diet Step 2 – During the second phase of The South Beach Diet two weeks later, whole grain foods, some starchy carbs and fruits are progressively reintroduced into the diet albeit bit by bit until the dieter reaches the desired ideal weight.
The South Beach Diet Step 3 – In step 3, dieters continue to increase consumption of whole grains, fruit servings and some moderate carbs. If the dieter’s weight do not increase or stay at status quo, then that will be the level of carbs in his meals and henceforth to maintain his ideal weight, he will know his carbohydrate tolerance level.
The South Beach diet weight loss program do not have the cumbersome counting of calories or limiting calories. Dr Agatston suggested that you eat until you are satisfied. Dieters are told to eat small 6 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with small snacks between each meal to increase their their metabolism for fat burning purpose.
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South Beach Diet - How To Do It The Right Way?
Posted on 08. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Oliver Turner asked:
Dr.Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Miami Medical School, created South Beach Diet. It was charted mainly to work with your body safely and efficiently. This system helps you to rely on right carbohydrates and fats. Thus the consumption of bad carbohydrates and fats are completely avoided. Following this diet, one could reduce his/her weight up to 8 to 13 pounds in mere 2 weeks.
The South Beach Diet consists of 3 phases:
Phase 1
The duration of first phase lasts for fourteen days. In this phase, the south beach diet recipes include normal meals consisting of chicken, fish, beef, shellfish, turkey, eggs, lots of vegetables, nuts, cheese, and garden salads using original olive oil for salad dressing. That is, every day for two weeks the dieter consumes 3 well-balanced meals. Besides this, the dieter can also have snacks between his/her breakfast and lunch. During this phase the dieter is recommended to take lots of drinking water.
However, there are several things the dieter has to avoid during the first phase of the South Beach Diet. The south beach diet recipes which are avoided in phase 1 include rice, bread, baked foods, pasta, fruits, ice cream, cookies, sugar, and cake. There is nothing to worry about eliminating all these foods as all these foods will be included into your diet in the second phase. Even though you will find it difficult to adjust o the diet, on seeing the results, you will be extremely happy that you won’t give up.
Phase 2
Phase 2 is quite different from that of Phase 1. The dieter needs to continue with the second phase until he/she has lost the desired weight. Hence, the duration of this phase will vary from one individual to the other. The length of this phase purely depends upon the individual, how he/she follow the diet program, and how his/her body reacts to the program.
It is to be noted that, by the time you start the second phase, you would have already reduced the weight by 8 to 13 pounds, provided you have strictly followed the South Beach Diet program.
One of the main advantages of South Beach Diet program is that, by following this diet program, you are not limiting your daily food; instead you are consuming foods that deposits less fat in your body. In Phase 2 some of foods you have avoided during Phase 1 will be added back. Though the weight loss during Phase 2 will not be dramatic, it will be constant. Generally, the weight loss in this phase will be around 1 to 2 pounds.
Phase 3
Phase 3 starts when you have reduced your weight to the desired level. By the time you have reached Phase 3, the diet will be similar like your normal eating habit and you can follow that for the rest of your life. In between, if you feel your weight is increasing, you only need to modify the food and the amounts slightly.
Besides reducing the body weight and reducing fats, the South Beach Diet helps to improve one’s cardiovascular system. This helps one to reduce the risk of heart attack to a great extend.
Keep in mind that the end result of South Beach Diet program purely depends on how well an individual follows the diet recommendations. Hence make sure that you follow it correctly.
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South Beach Diet Exercise- Does it Work?
Posted on 08. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Kelly Purden asked:
It has been well documented that the problem of obesity in the United States is on the rise. There are different reasons for this and most people and the media blame it on unhealthy food choices like fast food products and processed food. A lot of those who are fat, overweight and obese is due to bad choices in life or led an unhealthy lifestyle. Today, the demand for products such as weight loss pills is on the rise. But it was found that these supplements aren’t effective and we now know that the best way to lose weight is to exercise properly and eat right. This resulted in weight loss plans to become very popular; one such weight loss plan is the South Beach Diet Exercise.
The South Beach Diet Exercise is currently one of the most popular diet plans available today. If you haven’t heard of this its either you were living under a rock or you simply didn’t want to hear it. What make the South Beach Diet Exercise so popular are its immediate results. Yes you do lose weight and this is by eating only the known good fats and eating lesser carbohydrate. This means that the dieter will have to avoid eating corn, carrots, bread, rice, pasta and the like. Eating less carbohydrate is the key to the success of the South Beach Diet Exercise. But, most of the time things are too good to be true. This is exactly the case with this method.
Most if not all of us know about the South Beach Diet Exercise and how it is effective in weight loss. But there are things that they do not advertise, and of course this is the bad effects or disadvantages of this diet plan. One such disadvantage is the loss of protein. When the body does not have enough carbohydrates to convert into glucose, it turns to protein. When it converts protein instead, you will lose muscle. Protein is important in the body’s maintenance, and part of this is the building of muscle tissues. Another disadvantage is that the South Beach Diet Exercise will burn a lot of excess fat, but burning them too fast will result in a higher level of acidity in the blood stream.
We all know that right diet and exercise is the key to being healthy, and that is what weight loss should be about. It is not enough just to burn fat in the fastest way possible; you should become a healthier person and live longer. This is what the Fat Loss 4 Idiots guide suggests. This weight lose plan does not rely on anything else but on a proper balance of everything. Having the proper balance of all the food groups would mean that the body gets everything it needs in order to function properly and efficiently. Take away one of these like in the South Beach Diet Exercise then you take away a part of what makes our body tick. The Fat Loss 4 Idiots is a weight lose plan which will make the dieter healthier in more ways than one.
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The South Beach Diet - Is it Right For You?
Posted on 08. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Kel. Purden asked:
Overweight? Already hate your double chin and annoying abs? You might be planning what dietary plan you can take to get over your weight and size problems and the South Beach diet poses great possibilities. The testimonials say it works, it is safe and healthy. However, the testimonials are not enough basis to commit to it. First you must answer the question: is it right for you? Am I qualified for this type of diet?
Hopefully, the following article will help you decide what diet plan best suits you and your lifestyle.
South Beach Diet pros and cons
The South Beach diet was developed in Miami Florida by a cardiologist named Dr Arthur Agatson. He based his South Beach food list to the requirements of people who suffer from cardiovascular diseases as well as those who are possible to develop Diabetes which is also related to certain heart conditions. It comes in three phases: Phase is a two-week diet where carbohydrates and fats are eliminated - no rice, pasta, bread, cereal, meats and potatoes. The intention is acclimatize the body to such foods. In the second phase, the person is allowed to take very minimal amount of the foods restricted in phase I. As much as possible, carbohydrate content should be calculated up to 75 grams. Phase III serve as the maintenance stage which is meant to last for a long time since the body, by this time, should have adjusted to it.
In relation to this, the South Beach diet recommends less to no bad fats and bad carbohydrates consumption as these aggravate the disease. Naturally, because the body is rid of carbohydrates and fats, the outcome would be a better figure and better health condition at the same time.
As we all know, carbohydrates play a major role in the body metabolism and production of energy. With less amount of it in our body, the effect could be weaker muscles and senses and lack of vigor. This goes to say that South Beach diet is not the best for people who are always on the go. It is instead ideal for those who require minimal force in their jobs.
On the other hand, you can have a weight loss diet without depriving yourself of the carbohydrates you need. The Fat Loss For Idiots will tell another different thing for a cheapest offer online. The good news is that you can achieve better figure in just 11 days of eating delicious, safe, and healthy foods. The bonus is that despite that you are on diet, you do not need to monitor your calorie or carb intake, calculate body sizes, or take down notes. Fat Loss For Idiots reveals the easiest and fastest way to reduce weight without compromising your health, your work, and you life.
This is very contrary to what the South Beach diet dictates. While it is more strict, Fat Loss For Idiots is easier and lighter not only in the pocket but also in the body.
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South Beach Diet, A Scam Or Does It Work?
Posted on 08. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Craig How asked:
Overview. Dr Agatston, a leading American cardiologist, initially created the SouthBeach diet for his heart patients. While his diet was to improve his patients heart wellbeing, he discovered that a side effect of the diet was that they lost considerable amounts of weight. He claims this isn’t a low-carb or low-fat diet - instead it focuses on eating the ‘right’ carbs and the ‘right’ fats. In fact, the South Beach Diet is based on the Glycemic index. It begins by severely restricting carbohydrates in the first two weeks, before gradually re-introducing those with a lower on the glycemic index. In addition, it recommends swapping saturated fats for unsaturated fats.
The South Beach Diet follows the same principles of other diets based on the Glycemic Index. SouthBeach is divided into three phases. In Phase One, most carbohydrates are banned to give your body a complete rest from fluctuating blood sugar and insulin levels. The theory is this will help to resolve insulin resistance. During Phase One, the banned foods list includes bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruit, milk, sweets, cake, biscuits, ice cream, sugar and alcohol. A few low GI vegetable such as broccoli and cabbage are allowed, but the focus is on eating lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, low-fat cheese, some nuts and olive oil. You follow this phase for 14 days.
In Phase Two, low GI carbs including most fruits, Granary bread, wholegrain cereals and pasta and low-fat milk are reintroduced. The idea is to stay with this phase until you’ve reached your target weight. Finally, in Phase Three, you introduce an even wider variety of foods. This phase is aimed at keeping your weight steady and the diet recommends you stay on this for life.
What we like about this plan. The South Beach Diet differs from its low-carb competitors, like Atkins, in that it restricts saturated fats, which are associated with health problems like heart disease and high cholesterol. The plan reduces the cravings for sugars, sweets and other carbohydrates because the diet is supposed to keep blood sugar levels sustained. Its importance on fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and heart-healthy fats is an eating plan that is full of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.
Dr Agatston has great support from the medical science community. There is a new updated book released in 2008, “South Beach Diet: Supercharged”. The book does an excellent job getting a dieter started and includes great recipes. There is also a complete line of South Beach Diet foods that can be purchased in your grocery store from cereals to frozen meals.
What we dislike about this plan. The plan is tough for a vegetarian and a non-fish eater. The science behind Dr. Agatston’s assertions about certain foods and their ability to raise blood sugar levels or put on weight is inaccurate. Alcohol is forbidden in the induction phase and limited in the long-term diet. The book contains no exercise guidelines. Recipes rely on a lot of NutraSweet and sugar alcohols, which many find difficult to digest. To become a member of the website you must join for 6.00 a week.
How Healthy Is This Plan? It is a overall healthy plan after the first phase. Its encouragement of eating vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats is marvelous. Its elimination of white sugar and refined carbohydrates is equally creditable, but not so easy to follow. Many people have been successful losing weigh following the South Beach Diet and have been able to keep it off. The South Beach Diet has some scientific flaws and many nutritionists would argue that its promise of losing 8-12 pounds in 14 days is a bit aggressive and is certainly water weight and some muscle, especially since exercising is not addressed.
Here Is the Bottom Line. The South Beach Diet only requires serious willpower for the first two weeks during Phase One. Nevertheless, this phase is extremely restrictive. If you can get past the initial phase, then it will get easier. No major food groups are eliminated, plenty of fruit and vegetables are recommended and generally the diet follows the use of the glycemic index and taking heart health into consideration. If you can handle the restriction of carbs, this plan will be a plan for you.
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