The South Beach Diet is a relatively new diet created by Miami cardialogist Dr. Arthur Agatston. Dr. Agatston wanted to find a diet that could help his heart patients and began researching all of the current scientific data about dieting. What Dr. Agatston came up with is the South Beach Diet which is a diet that emphasizes eating healthy fats and low glycemic index foods. Many compare the South Beach Diet to the Atkins diet because a typical South Beach menu tends not to include many carbohydrates and during the first couple of weeks of the diet carbohydrates are carefully restricted.
How does the South Beach Diet Work?
The South Beach Diet is based on eating healthy foods that bring certain desired results from the body. The first part of this is eating lean healthy protein sources and good fats. It is important to realize while dieting that even though you are trying to get rid of body fat, not all fat in foods are created equal and some have beneficial effects. For example the fats in olives and avacodoes tend to be healthy sources of vital nutrients your body needs. The South Beach Diet teaches you to identify what fats are good fats and what fats are not so that you can make healthy choices in the foods you eat.
The second part of the diet plan is based on the science of the glycemic index also called GI. Glycemic index is a rating system for types of carbohydrate sources that measures how that carbohydrate will effect blood glucose levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly in the body (such as white rice or a candy bar) will have a high glycemic index meaning they cause a significant spike in blood glucose that will quickly drop. This is bad because it gives a burst of energy then will quickly make you tired, it will also cause your body to develop a resistance to insulin that will make it very difficult to lose weight. Low GI foods will not cause nearly as much of a spike and will be absorbed by the body slower leading to sustained energy and a better response by the body to the insulin that is trying to break down your fat.
Wow That’s a Lot of Science What Does it Mean?
I know thats a lot of science to take in all at once but it’s not really important that you understand it all you just have to realize that this is what the South Beach Diet is based on and that Dr. Agatston has done all of the work understanding it all for you with his South Beach Diet program. Ultimately what it means for you is that on the South Beach Diet you should be able to keep sustained energy levels even while not eating a great deal, and possibly even higher energy than previously if you are used to eating a lot of bad carbohydrates. You’ll also be able to break down the fats that your body has stored because of your former habits of eating lots of bad carbs.
The 3 Phases of the South Beach Diet
The South Beach Diet is a phase based program that is separated into 3 different phases of weight loss. During the first phase which will last two weeks you are fairly restricted on the types of foods you will be eating, you will have to mostly avoid carbohydrates in sugary and starchy foods and you’ll also avoid most fatty foods as well. You’ll be eating mostly lean protein sources and vegetable sources. This phase is designed to get your system out of the insulin resistant state it is probably in right now and get it ready to start losing weight. Phase two is the weight loss phase you’ll stay in during the majority of your weight loss. During this phase you’ll add a few more low GI carbs back into your diet like sweet potatoes and this is the phase you’ll maintain until you reach your weight loss goals. The third phase of the South Beach Diet is designed to maintain your new weight, you’ll slowly introduce more carbs and fats back into your diet and learn what type of food intake you need to maintain your weight and stay healthy with your new slim body.
Is the South Beach Diet Right for Me?
The first thing you must consider when trying to decide if the South Beach Diet is right for you is to think about how you would feel with the restrictions is places. For example if you can’t imagine not being able to eat your sugary favorites like candy bars or cake while trying to lose weight it may not work for you. However, there are many low GI versions of many of your favorite foods that may help you there. There is also the convenient option of South Beach Diet frozen dinners which you can get at most grocery stores that can make this diet easier to follow.
Another thing to consider is that the South Beach Diet is a slightly more long term diet plan and is probably best for people who have a medium or large amount of weight they’d like to lose. It may not be right for you if you are only looking to lose 10 or less pounds. However if the idea of eating good only good carbs and good fats appeals to you it may be right after all.
What Do You Get With the South Beach Diet
If you think the South Beach Diet would be good for you then I’d recommend you join them online as you get a lot of good benefits and the cost is really low at $6 per week. What you get with your membership includes training on the 3 phases of the South Beach Diet that will teach you what good carbs are and how to identify them as well as what good fats are. You’ll also get a meal planner to help you plan out your meals as well as weight tracking tools to help you keep track along your way to your goal. You are also provided with delicious healthy recipes that work on your diet as well as an automatic shopping list generator to help you buy the right foods. South Beach Diet also provides answers to questions asked by members from Dr. Agatston himself. Last but certainly not least is access to an online community of dieters that are going through the same thing you are and can give you lots of support and help.
Should I Try the South Beach Diet?
Ultimately I think the South Beach Diet is based on good scientific data and if you follow the plan you should definitely see results, just keep in mind that calories will still matter as well. I recommend you try the South Beach Diet if you fall into a couple of categories such as if you have a medium to large amount of weight to lose. Also if your body is used to eating a lot of sugary or starchy type foods like cake or french fries that caused you to gain weight and you’re weight tends to be stored in your midsection you may be insulin resistant and the South Beach Diet could work very well for you.
Pros
- Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day
- Very affordable
- Can provide really good results
Cons
- Can be hard if you’re addicted to carbohydrates
- Can be hard for vegetarians
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