The South Beach Diet is a popular American weight loss diet that was created in 2003 by cardiologist Arthur Agatston. MayoClinic.com reports that Dr. Agatston originally outlined the diet in his book ""The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss." The diet has three phases where you remove nearly all carbohydrates and gradually reintroduce only "good" carbohydrates as you approach your target weight and eventually attempt to maintain this weight. In addition to weight loss, this diet can have many advantages that you should be aware of. Please speak with your health care provider before starting the South Beach Diet.
Weight Loss
The primary advantage of the South Beach Diet is weight loss. The South Beach Diet, like many low-carbohydrate diets, ha been shown to result in a greater amount of weight loss than low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets over a period of six months, according to Virginia Tech University. Western Michigan University explains that a large amount of weight loss will occur in the first two weeks when glycogen stores are depleted and water is lost. The South Beach Diet aims to keep blood sugar levels stable, which can help you keep off unwanted weight. Phase three of the South Beach Diet is called "The Rest of Your Life," and it seeks to help you build healthy sustainable eating habits and maintain your desired weight.
University of West Georgia reports, "In one 12-week study of 40 overweight people, those who followed the South Beach Diet lost an average of 13.6 lb, almost double the 7.5 lb lost by those on the strict "Step II" American Heart Association (AHA) diet."
Reduced Carbohydrate Cravings
According to Virginia Tech University and MayoClinic.com, the South Beach Diet may help to reduce your psychological craving for carbohydrates. During phase one of the diet, which lasts for two weeks, you remove nearly all carbohydrates from your diet. MayoClinic.com and Western Michigan University report that your cravings for carbohydrates may be drastically reduced during this 14 day period. Unlike the Atkins diet and many "low carb" weight loss diets, however, carbohydrates are reintroduced in small quantities after the first phase of the South Beach Diet. Many people do not adapt well to very low carbohydrate diets, in addition to the reduced carbohydrate cravings, another advantage to the South Beach Diet is the low-moderate quantities of carbohydrates which can help you stay of a state of ketosis.
Other Advantages
Besides weight loss and reduced carbohydrate cravings, the South Beach Diet offers several other advantages. The diet is fairly flexible does not require a set meal plan, you are allowed to pick the foods you like so long as they are allowed. According to Virginia Tech University, low-carbohydrate diets like the South Beach Diet that are high in healthful unsaturated fats and low or void of simple carbohydrates may improve your cholesterol levels. The South Beach Diet will help you avoid processed and refined sugars, according to Dayton University. Simple sugars trigger the body to release insulin and promote the storage of fat.
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