Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist from South Beach, Florida developed the South Beach Diet to help his patients who were overweight and suffering from medical conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Dr. Agatston believed that his patient's medical problems were directly related to their low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets.
About
Dr. Agatston views his plan not as a diet, but more as a way of life, according to Sensational.com. He believes that the consumption of foods that are high in sugar, starch or those that are heavily processed are responsible for many people's weight and health issues. Dr. Agatston favors a lower-carb diet that favors complex carbs such as whole-grains, fruits and vegetables. However,l ow-carb diets are controversial; while, like any other restrictive diet, they will help you lose weight, the MayoClinic.com warns that these types of eating plans are generally difficult to maintain in the long-term.
Phases
The South Beach Diet is a three-phase program, according to Sensational.com. The first phase is designed to break your bad eating habits and jump-start your weight loss, and as such, it is the most restrictive. For the first two weeks virtually all carbs are prohibited, including bread, grains, fruits and vegetables. During the second phase you begin to reintroduce healthy complex carbs back into your diet. The third phase is the maintenance section and it is recommended that you stick with this type of eating plan for life.
Food
The food you eat while on the South Beach Diet is dependent on the phase that you are currently in, but it generally consists of lean proteins, legumes, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and poly- and monounsaturated fats. Eggs Benedict made with artichokes rather than an English muffin is a breakfast example from SouthBeachDiet.com. For lunch, you are able to have flank steak and vegetables wrapped in a whole-wheat tortilla, and for dinner you may have whole-wheat pasta with eggplant and ricotta cheese.
Benefits
It is Dr. Agatston's belief that foods consisting of sugar, white flour, saturated fat and trans fats are the same foods that can result in high cholesterol and blood sugar, according to Dietsinreview.com. These elevated levels can result in medical conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Dr. Agatston developed the South Beach Diet to help his patients with these specific conditions and Dietsinreview.com reports that South Beach Diet participants have had favorable results. But again the MayoClinic.com warns that the plan is difficult to follow and these same results can be achieved through a balanced eating plan that includes all food groups diet.
Resources
There are several resources to help you follow the South Beach Diet, according to Sensational.com. The "South Beach Diet" book lays out the plan in an easily to follow manner with guidelines, explanations, tips, medical information and recipes. There is also the "South Beach Diet Cookbook", which provides additional South Beach Diet friendly recipes and eating tips. Participants can also access resources online at the official South Beach Diet website, www.southbeachdiet.com.
