South Beach Diet For The Heart

Cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston created the South Beach Diet to help his patients improve their cardiovascular health by altering the types of foods they ate. This diet was created after noticing that traditional low-carbohydrate or low- to no-fat diets were not decreasing the incidence of heart disease. With the South Beach Diet, Agatston has seen his patients experience a decrease in blood sugar levels, cholesterol, triglycerides and other lab values indicative of increasing the risks of heart disease, heart attacks and death.

The Diet

The South Beach Diet has three phases. Phase 1 requires you to forgo all refined sugar, starchy vegetables, bread, pasta and the like. It lasts for two weeks, enabling your body to normalize blood sugar values and stop cravings for sugar. Phase 2 slowly introduces most of these foods back into your diet. You stay on Phase 2 until you reach your goal weight. Phase 3 is for maintenance for the rest of your life. The diet is not low-carb or low-fat. Instead, it focuses on teaching you about good carbs and good fats to improve cardiovascular health and promote weight loss.

Role of Diet in Heart Health

Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. According to The South Beach Heart Program by Agatston, 900,000 people experience their first heart attack each year. Many foods the typical American consumes each day, including fast foods and processed snack foods, contain high levels of sugar, trans fats and saturated fats. The South Beach Diet helps steer you away from these foods and toward healthier foods that won't clog arteries and contribute to heart disease.

The Good and Bad

When it comes to carbohydrates and fats, not everything is bad. The South Beach Diet recommends that you avoid refined sugars and unhealthy fats, such as trans fat and saturated fat. You can eat whole-grain breads, pastas, brown rice and fruits in moderation during Phases 2 and 3. Foods containing unsaturated fats are also encouraged, such as nuts, avocados and olive oil. Learning how to choose foods containing these good carbohydrates and fats can help lower bad cholesterol, blood sugar and also blood pressure. The South Beach Diet can also help raise the good cholesterol in your blood that helps to decrease inflammation in the walls of your arteries.

Warning

The South Beach Diet may not be for everyone. Always consult with your physician before starting any diet. The South Beach Diet is not recommended for pregnant women, though breast-feeding mothers may participate in the program with clearance from a doctor after childbirth. Nursing mothers should skip Phase 1 and start with Phase 2 of the program.