Foods To Avoid With South Beach Phase One

The South Beach Diet is a popular diet that was created in 2003 by cardiologist Arthur Agatston. Rather than being low fat or low carb, the South Beach Diet is meant to help you choose the healthiest options for carbs and fats and limit your consumption of the less healthy options in these food groups. The diet consists of three phases, with phase one being the most limited. This phase lasts for two weeks and is meant to kick-start your weight loss.

Grains

Grains are prohibited during phase one of the South Beach Diet. This phase is meant to eliminate your cravings for carbohydrates. After phase one, whole grains, such as brown rice and whole wheat, are allowed again in limited amounts, since these are the most nutrient-dense foods and are full of fiber.

Fruits

Fruits and fruit juices are also not allowed in phase one of the South Beach Diet. Eliminating fruits is meant to stabilize your blood sugar levels. Fruits and juices are more quickly digested than more complex carbohydrates and can cause increases in your blood sugar. However, they do provide a lot of nutrients and can make a healthy sweet treat at the end of a meal, so they are allowed in limited amounts in phase two.

Starchy Vegetables

Starchy vegetables such as yams, beets, corn and potatoes are on the list of foods to avoid. These vegetables provide more calories per gram than nonstarchy vegetables, such as broccoli, which are allowed. Limiting these vegetables is meant to make it easier to lose weight.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fat increases the risk for heart disease and other health conditions, so it is limited. Foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty cuts of meat and full-fat dairy products, also contain a lot of calories. The South Beach diet focuses on making most of your fat consumption the healthier unsaturated fat, and so only allows lower-fat versions of foods that contain saturated fats.

Treats

Baked goods and sweets are full of unhealthy saturated fats, calories and simple sugars that cause spikes in blood sugar levels. They are also low in vitamins, minerals and fiber. These types of treats are to be avoided during both phase one and phase two of the diet and are limited during phase three.