The Hamptons Diet and South Beach Diet are two commercial diet plans emphasizing healthy fats and protein while limiting carbohydrate intake. Both plans claim to provide impressive weight loss, especially in the first phases, but differences do exist between the two. Understanding how the Hamptons Diet and South Beach Diet work can help you decide if one of these two plans might be right for you.
Hamptons Diet
This diet was developed by Dr. Fred Pescatore in 2004 as a low-carbohydrate diet influenced by the Mediterranean style of eating prevalent along the southern coast of Europe. The Hamptons Diet has many similarities to the Atkins Diet, another low-carb eating plan. Pescatore worked for the Atkins Institute prior to developing his own diet plan. The Hamptons Diet restricts carbohydrates to between 23 and 65 g per day, depending on the specific amount of weight you desire to lose.
South Beach Diet
The South Beach Diet, developed by Dr. Arthur Agatston in 2003, provides a weight-loss plan based on the glycemic index -- a measure of how rapidly and the degree to which specific foods raise blood glucose after consumption. Since refined carbohydrates tend to raise blood sugar significantly, these foods are restricted, but the South Beach Diet is not specifically designed as a low-carb diet. Carbohydrate intake on the South Beach Diet typically ranges from 50 to 120 g per day, depending on the phase and the person's total caloric intake. The diet is divided into three phases and is intended to teach you how to make healthy food choices that will help you maintain your weight loss for the rest of your life.
Similarities
The South Beach Diet and Hamptons Diet both focus on healthy, lean protein sources, such as skinless chicken breast, fish and lean beef. Also emphasized are healthy fats such as the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive oil, canola oil, nuts and avocados. Both diets contain a low level of calories that can cause effective weight loss, although calorie restriction is not the specific aim of either diet. Both diets also restrict refined carbohydrates, such as products made from white flour and refined sugar.
Differences
The Hamptons Diet includes a specific recommendation for using macadamia nut oil, available through the diet website, as a vital ingredient in many of the diet recipes. The South Beach Diet does not insist on any one ingredient, but does sell prepared snacks and meals for people who want a convenient option that fits the diet requirements. The Hamptons Diet is stricter with regard to carbohydrate intake than the South Beach Diet, so it may be more difficult to maintain over the long term.
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