The South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet
By Sarah Keefe

The South Beach Diet -- sadly, it doesn't involve lounging on the beach all day, or partying at a trendy club all night. And although it may have a glamorous name, this diet is actually fairly simple and straightforward.

The aim of the South Beach Diet is to clear your diet of the types of carbohydrates and fats that can lead to weight gain. The diet distinguishes "good" carbohydrates from "bad" carbohydrates, and purports that by cutting the bad carbs out of your diet, you will lower your body's levels of cholesterol and insulin, which will ultimately lead to weight loss.

So, is the South Beach Diet just a new food fad that will soon be all washed up, or does it really work? Find out if you should try this new diet before hopping on a plane to Miami.

what is the south beach diet?

Contrary to what you may think, the South Beach Diet was not created by a pack of overweight surfers. The diet is actually based on the idea that high-glycemic carbohydrates -- those that rate higher than 55 on the glycemic scale -- or bad carbs, such as white bread and white rice, lead to weight gain.

These types of simple carbohydrates are digested very quickly, cause a blood sugar spike, and then leave the body with an elevated insulin level. The excess of insulin then lowers your blood sugar levels, causing you to crave more simple carbs, resulting in an endless cycle of cravings and indulgence.

The South Beach Diet thus recommends that dieters consume more low-glycemic carbs, or good carbs, such as whole grains and vegetables, which take longer to break down, expend more energy as they break down, and don't lead to empty cravings.

who can benefit from the diet?

Although the diet was originally designed for people with heart disease or diabetes, anyone who wishes to lower their blood sugar levels and shed some extra pounds can try it.

The diet was invented by Miami cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston, in order to help his cardiac patients maintain a healthy lifestyle and lose weight; however, after numerous patients began to report positive weight loss, Dr. Agatston decided that he was onto something, and wrote The South Beach Diet .

how does it work?

The diet consists of three phases, which initially restrict certain foods and then restore them to your diet.

Phase 1

This is the strictest phase, and lasts for 14 days. During this phase, you must eliminate most carbohydrates from your diet. Therefore, you cannot eat high-glycemic carbohydrates such as bread, rice, potatoes, pastries, fruit, pasta, alcohol, candy, ice cream, or sugar.

Your plate won't be empty though; during this phase you can eat protein-rich foods, such as lean meats, chicken, fish, shellfish, nuts, cheese, and eggs, as well as vegetables and olive oil.

Phase 1 may sound restrictive, but it's also the phase in which the diet's perpetrators claim that most people will lose eight to 13 pounds, especially from their midsection. Furthermore, according to Dr. Agatston, cravings for bad carbohydrates should be eliminated by the end of this phase.

Suggested foods for Phase 1: Oven-roasted vegetables (minus potatoes), brushed with olive oil.

Made it through the first 14 days? Then move on to Phase 2.

Phase 2

The second phase of the South Beach Diet lasts until you reach your target weight, and is less restrictive than Phase 1. A healthy goal for weight loss during Phase 2 is the loss of one to two pounds per week.

During Phase 2, good carbs such as whole grain breads, sweet potatoes, brown rice and pasta, and fruit may be slowly reintroduced to your diet, and chocolate and wine are also allowed, in moderation.

Suggested foods for Phase 2: Stir-fried broccoli, and chicken with lemon and couscous.

Phase 2 may seem like a day at the beach, but Phase 3 is when you know you've really made it.

Phase 3

This final phase begins after you reach your target weight. By the time you reach Phase 3, the South Beach Diet should feel more like a of a way of life than a diet; carbs have been reintroduced to your diet, but cravings for bad carbs should be gone.

Agatston recognizes that we all want some forbidden fruit sometimes, and recommends allowing yourself a small piece of chocolate from time to time, in order to avoid excessive feelings of deprivation that can ultimately lead to overindulgence.

Suggested foods for Phase 3: A roast beef, red onion and spinach wrap, and chocolate-dipped apricots.

pros & cons

The pros of living on the Beach:
# The diet isn't too limiting -- you may eat from most major food groups.
# The diet helps protect against heart disease by discouraging the consumption of highly processed carbohydrates and trans fats.
# The diet is high in vegetables and whole grains, as well as lean protein.
# The diet doesn't involve calorie counting or portion measuring -- dieters are encouraged to eat regular portion sizes.
# You won't go hungry -- dieters are encouraged to eat a healthy mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack.
# The diet is less restrictive than other diets, such as the Atkins Nutritional Approach, which forbids the consumption of most carbs and sugars.
# Weight loss should occur after 14 days -- since you see results quickly, you may be more likely to stick with the diet.

The cons of living on the Beach:
# Some of the meals that are suggested in the diet can take a lot of time to prepare, such as lemon ricotta creme.
# Some of the foods that the diet recommends can be quite costly, such as pistachios, mahi mahi, and chocolate-dipped apricots.
# You might want what you can't have. You may find yourself binging on the carbs you couldn't have in Phase 1 by the time Phase 2 rolls around.
# The initial weight loss may be of water, and not actual fat. Phase 1 restricts most carbs, and without energy coming into the body in the form of carbs, the body will use energy that's stored with water in the muscles, and as a result, the water loss may make you appear thinner.
# The diet is fairly new and doesn't have years of support to back up its claims.

getting results

The diet claims that most people who follow the diet will lose eight to 13 pounds after the first two weeks (although it's not certain whether this weight loss is actually the loss of fat or water). Then, if the basic rules of the diet are adhered to during Phases 2 and 3, you should be able to maintain your desired weight.

The diet should also help lower your blood cholesterol level, since it restricts the consumption of saturated fats. The diet should also discourage your body from storing the carbohydrates that you eat as fats, since you're instructed to eat mainly complex carbohydrates, which take longer to break down than simple carbs do.

heading to the Beach?

If you're able to stick with the South Beach Diet, the long-term effects should be positive, since, after Phase 1, the South Beach Diet becomes more of a healthy lifestyle choice than a restrictive diet.

Although the South Beach Diet does seem to present a straightforward method for shedding unwanted pounds quickly, it is still only a diet, not a magic recipe for weight loss.

Life may be a beach, but the healthiest way to lose weight and keep it off in the long run is still to combine a healthy diet with regular physical activity.

If you want more information on Dr. Agatston's method, then get your hands on his book, The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss .

Resources:
www.prevention.com
www.cnn.com
www.chasefreedom.com
www.healthyfatburner.com
www.southbeachdiet.com