The South Beach Diet and the Zone diet, like other low-carbohydrate diets, suggest certain nutrition plans in order to lose weight and restore a healthy body. These diets minimize carbohydrates and sugar in the first weeks. Then they reintroduce them through healthy sources, such as complex carbohydrates and natural sugars. The South Beach Diet and the Zone diet provide specifically formatted meal plans to prevent confusion about exactly what to eat for every meal of the day. You should consult your doctor before substantially restricting carbohydrates from your diet.
Purpose
The Zone diet, introduced by Dr. Barry Spears, seeks to stabilize insulin and glucose levels in your body by consumption of recommended, predetermined meals. The South Beach Diet, created by Dr. Arthur Agatston, focuses on consumption of the right kinds of fats and carbohydrates, like complex carbohydrates, to maintain a healthy weight. Dr. Agatston and Dr. Spears both aim to transition the body to burn fat as energy, rather than carbohydrates.
Appropriate Diet
The Zone diet focuses on lean meat, low-fat dairy, good fats and complex carbohydrates that don't highly affect insulin levels, such as vegetables and fruits. Your carbohydrates, proteins and fats are supposed to be in the ratio of 40:30:30, respectively, per meal. The South Beach Diet is more about changing your lifestyle than a one-time diet. Consumption of healthy fats are encouraged in this diet because if carbohydrates are simply lowered, stored reserves of fat would also be reduced, and your body may go into starvation mode and store protein as fat. Healthy fats encouraged on the South Beach Diet include seafood, extra virgin olive oil and nuts. Protein such as lean meats and low-sugar dairy are also appropriate on this diet.
Programs
The Zone diet requires frequent meals to maintain the stability of insulin levels. The diet recommends three balanced meals per day and two snacks. There are suggested meals that the Zone diet provides. The South Beach Diet consists of three phases. The first two phases last for a designated time frame, while the third phase is a maintenance phase that lasts indefinitely. In phase one, three full meals are consumed daily in order to satisfy hunger and maintain nutrition, while carbohydrate consumption is greatly reduced. This phase lasts for about 2 weeks. In phase two, more complex carbohydrates are allowed, and your body is expected to assume your desired, ideal weight. Phase three increases the level of carbohydrate consumption from 27 percent to 28 percent and aims to maintain the weight loss that was achieved in phase 2. This phase is expected to last a lifetime. Both programs encourage exercise while on the diets.
Warning
According to a study by Samuel N. Cheuvront, Ph.D., R.D., published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2003, there is no evidence that the Zone's carbohydrate and protein ratio "reduces the insulin response when compared to traditional dietary guideline meal/food intakes and may even potentially produce a larger area under the insulin curve." The study concluded that the Zone diet is not an advisable plan for weight loss. The South Beach Diet may cause digestion complaints due to insufficient fiber, dizziness and low energy. Individuals with diabetes should be particularly cautious of the South Beach Diet since they rely on sugar and carbohydrates if their insulin levels drop. Ketosis is another risk associated with lowered carbohydrate levels. Your body cannot sufficiently break down fat when you have ketosis, which can cause gout and kidney stones.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Low-carb Diet
- Mayo Clinic: South Beach Diet
- Journal of the American College of Nutrition: The Zone Diet Phenomenon; A Closer Look at the Science behind the Claims
- Zone Diet: Dr Sears' Zone Living
- South Beach Diet: How the South Beach diet Works
- American Dietetic Association: The South Beach Diet Supercharged
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