The South Beach and Mediterranean diets both focus on health improvement, but each diet addresses a particular health risk. The South Beach Diet concentrates on weight loss, while the Mediterranean focuses on improving heart health. Although both diets emphasize eating healthy foods such as poultry, seafood and cheese, the two diets have some fundamental differences.
Background
The South Beach Diet was created by Dr. Arthur Agatson and is structured using phases. The first phase of the diet concentrates on reducing your cravings for certain foods and beginning the weight loss process. Cravings are lessened when your blood sugar becomes stabilized, according to the South Beach website. This period lasts for two weeks and includes foods that are high in fiber. Phase two is the longest phase and includes all the foods eaten in phase one plus more carbohydrates. The third phase requires you to use what you've learned during the first two phases and permanently apply it to your diet.
The Mediterranean diet does not follow phases. Instead it focuses on cooking methods, such as the addition of olive oil, enjoyed by various countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Greek cuisine, for example, consists of large amounts of fruit and vegetables with minimal red meat.
Foods
The South Beach diet allows you to eat high amounts of protein, especially during the first phase. Healthy protein sources include fish, seafood and lean beef. A sample meal during phase one of the diet is chicken breast, spinach and goat cheese. Other foods in this diet include vegetables high in fiber, nuts, seeds, extra-virgin olive oil and avocados. The diet also encourages eating snack foods such as reduced-fat cheese. The second phase of the diet adds whole-grain bread, whole-wheat pasta and sweet potatoes and fruit.
The Mediterranean diet also emphasizes fish and seafood consumption, suggesting that you eat fish as well as poultry at least twice per week. It limits salt in favor of herbs and spices. Similar to the South Beach Diet, the Mediterranean diet stresses the importance of fruits and vegetables. Whole grains and nuts are also encouraged. However, the Mediterranean diet does not allow you to eat red meat more than a few times per month.
South Beach Health Claims
The South Beach Diet claims that you can lose between 8 and 13 pounds during phase one of the diet and 1 or 2 pounds during the diet's second phase. At its core, the South Beach Diet is considered a low-carb diet. This diet is controversial among medical professionals because several different diets can help you lose weight initially. MayoClinic.com notes that diets that minimize carb intake are not more effective than those that don't require a carbohydrate reduction.
Mediterrannean Diet Benefits
The Mediterranean diet is effective at lowering your risk of heart problems and other diseases such as cancer, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, according to MayoClinic.com. This diet also emphasizes physical exercise, whereas the South Beach Diet does not. The Department of Health and Human Services suggests you exercise at least 30 minutes each day. Speak to your doctor before starting any new diet.
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