South Beach Diet Plan Information

THE SOUTH BEACH DIET

The South Beach diet has gained in popularity in recent years. What makes the South Beach diet different from other diet plans is that it separates good carbs from bad carbs. You choose whole grains, fruits, vegetables and good fats. Eating bad carbs and bad fats ends up making you feeling even hungrier which is not good when you're trying to shed those pounds!

Eating good carbs is beneficial because they are digested and then absorbed slowly by the body. This means you are less likely to get hungry and this is also easier for your body to handle.

The South Beach diet also features foods that are high in fiber and good fats. Eating these foods helps to slow digestion of carbohydrates. Good fats like polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are also a healthy choice. Fats containing omega-3 fatty acids like olive and canola oil are especially beneficial. The diet avoids harmful saturated fats and trans fats.

The advantage of the South Beach Diet is that you get three regular meals each day. You can even have snacks and desserts! It delivers great results if you can stick to the diet. The only real disadvantage is that it effectively bans certain foods as do a lot of diets. If you can live without bad carbs and bad fats then perhaps the South Beach Diet is right for you.

So how does the South Beach Diet work?

The South Beach Diet was actually created by a well known cardiologist. Doctor Arthur Agatston created the diet for his patients. He did a lot of research after a lot of scientific dieting research.

Doctor Agatston found that when you eat bad carbs or more specifically foods with a high glycemic index that they affect insulin. Eating these foods creates insulin resistance syndrome which is impairs insulin's ability to process fat or sugar effectively. Bad carbs also increase the chance of getting cardiovascular problems.

Three Phases to the South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet works in phases or stages. The first two phases function within a specific timeframe and the third phase is for life.

Phase 1

You eat normal portion sizes of fish, eggs, lean mean, low fat cheese, non fat yoghurt, nuts and lots of vegetables. This phase lasts about two weeks. You have to remove foods with a high glycemic index to stop insulin resistance. This effectively causes the body to use excess body fat and you should lose around 8-13 pounds fairly easily.

Phase 2

Reintroduce fruits and whole grains into your diet in smaller amounts than you ate before starting the diet. Continue to consume foods with a low glycemic index. Continue to lose weight until you reach your desired weight.

Phase 3

Phase 3 of the South Beach Diet begins when you have reached your desired weight. You will continue to make healthy eating decisions and include three servings of fruit and three servings of whole grains per day.

Effectively Losing Weight with the South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is all about changing the way you eat for life. Processed and refined foods are discouraged as are high fat meats and saturated fats. One good thing about the South Beach Diet is that you won't be hungry. You are encouraged to eat until you feel satisfied and are not asked to count calories. For this reason the diet is popular with a lot of people with busy lifestyles.

The South Beach Diet is very much about eating the right foods to help your body's metabolism. It can be difficult to adjust to at first especially if you like bad carbs. However, the benefits easily outweigh the sacrifices made especially in the long term health benefits.