South Beach Diet

The South beach diet was introduced by Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist to work with your body safely and effectively. This diet is a new way of eating allows living contently with out eating bad carbohydrates and fats. When a person eats bad carbohydrates and fats he or she feel hungrier, and eats more which causes weight gain. The idea of South Beach Diet is to lose weight in manner which is healthy for the person who is dieting. South beach diet is more heart friendly diet and there are some common factors between South beach diet and Atkins diet.

In South beach diet the dieter will often eat more fruit and even whole grain bread when compared to other carbohydrate diets. It is more balanced than any other diet. South beach diet focuses on how foods affect the blood sugar levels. Exercise is not required for the success of South beach diet. This diet is not a low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet; instead it focuses on eating the right carbohydrates and right fats. The diet severely restrict carbohydrate in the first two weeks, before reintroducing it with a low glycemic index and it also recommends swapping saturates for unsaturated.

The diet work in three phases, the first and second phases are for a specific time frame and the third phase for life time. In this diet there is three times meal and two snacks to enjoy the variety.

Phase I – This is the strictest phase which will last for two weeks with all carbohydrates restricted. It emphasizes lean meats such as chicken, turkey, fish and shell fish. Low-glycemic index vegetables are allowed as well as low fat cheese, nuts, eggs etc. In this phase dieters are expected to loss weight of 8 to 12 pounds.

Phase II – Some of the restricted food are slowly introduced but weight loss continue to around 1 to 2 pounds per week. The person should remain on it until the person lost the desired amount of weight.

Phase III – For maintenance and should follow for life time.

The South beach diet follows the same principles of other diets based on glycemic index. After the food intake, the carbohydrate in food gets broken down into sugars, which are then absorbed in to the blood causing a rise in blood sugar. The hormone insulin is released from the pancreas to remove sugar from the blood. This causes the blood sugar levels to drop rapidly, lacking the energy and feeling hungry to eat again. If this is repeated there will be weight gain as a result of overeating. But carbohydrates with low glycemic index such as pasta, pulses and porridge slowly release sugar in to blood providing a steady supply of energy and satisfied for longer, feeling less hunger resulting in less intake of food. The diet recommends eating fewer food filled with saturates and replacing some of these foods with heart-healthy monounsaturates. The extreme carbohydrate restrictions in the first two weeks require serious will power and may leave you weak.

South Beach Diet plan would improve the cholesterol and insulin level of the patient with heart disease. It not only improves the cholesterol and insulin but also helped in weight loss. South beach diet involves a high degree of determination and self motivation. Supplements are not required in South beach diet plan, but there if the benefits of fish oil capsules, a daily aspirin, daily multi vitamin and Metamucil fifteen minutes before a meal. A sensible lifestyle approach to nutritional diet, the right carbohydrates make the South beach diet plan one of the most accepted plans. The main principle behind the South beach diet is to teach dieters the right balance between nutrition and weight loss. It teaches that there should be a balance between carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the diet. The diet emphasizes proteins such as fish, poultry, lean meats, legumes and nuts. The kinds of fats that are encouraged on the South beach diet are olive and canola oil.