South Beach Diet
Developed by cardiologist Dr. Arthur
Agatston, this diet first became popular in Miami.
It was developed into book form, and is now a worldwide
best seller.
The weight loss advice focuses on a healthy balance
between good carbohydrates and fats. The idea is to
decrease ‘bad’ carbs (eg baked goods and
soft drinks) to help you metabolise what you eat better.
The South Beach dietary programme
also claims to improve insulin resistance, leading
to weight loss.
While there are three phases to the plan –
the first of which is about banishing your carvings
and, to some, can be daunting - this diet plan aims
to change your dietary lifestyle. The last phase is
meant to change the way you eat forever.
While for the first two weeks of the plan you are
not allowed bread, rice potatoes etc, for most of
the diet you'll eat normal-size helpings of meat,
poultry and fish as well as vegetables, eggs, cheese,
and nuts.
You’ll gradually re-introduce foods as the
plan progresses, albeit in smaller portions. To maintain
your healthy weight for the rest of your life, you’ll
follow the South Beach ‘rules’. Not as
scary as it sounds, healthy eating is something that
we should all follow, lifelong.
Like the Atkins diet, if there are lots of foods
you don’t enjoy or you cannot stick to a diet
where food stuffs are restricted (even in the short
term), this may not be the diet for you.
