I have many people ask me about the South Beach Diet. The South Beach Diet is a popular diet that has led a lot of people to success but it is shrouded in mystery. No one seems to be straight about what you eat and why or why the diet works. This mini review should answer some of those questions for you.
The South Beach Diet is not a traditional low-carb plan. Instead, you’ll be encouraged to choose the right carbs, such as whole grains and certain fruits and vegetables; the right fats, such as olive, and canola oil; and lean sources of protein. You’ll find plenty of information on The South Beach Diet Online to help guide you. Explore this site for more on the diet and what you can expect.
Here is what the founder, Dr Agatston has to say about the South Beach Diet
“The real secret to The South Beach Diet is that it’s not just a diet, it’s a way to eat for life.”
Dr. Agatston.
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How does the South Beach Diet Work?
The South Beach diet works in three phases, this is pretty simple and here is what takes place in each phase.
South Beach Diet Phase 1
for two weeks kick-starts yourweight loss. You’ll eat normal-size portions of lean meat, fish, eggs, reduced-fat cheese, nonfat yogurt, nuts, and plenty of vegetables. Snacks and desserts are part of the plan, as well.
South Beach Diet Phase 2
Next, you’ll move on to Phase 2, where you’ll learn to reintroduce the right carbs, such as whole grains and most fruits. Some indulgences are allowed. You should continue to lose on Phase 2 until you reach your goal.
South Beach Diet Phase 3
Once you’ve reached your goal , you’ll move to Phase 3 (the maintenance phase), where you’ll continue to make good eating choices. The plan will feel less like a diet and more like a lifestyle.
Why does the South Beach Diet work this way?
The South Beach Diet follows the same principles of other diets based on the Glycemic Index. When we’ve eaten, the carbohydrates in food get broken down into sugars, which are then absorbed into the blood causing a rise in blood sugar. In response, the hormone insulin is released from the pancreas to remove the sugar from the blood.
Carbohydrate-rich foods with a high glycemic index, like bagels, cornflakes, white bread and jacket potatoes cause a rapid rise in blood sugar, resulting in the release of a large amount of insulin to deal with this. This causes blood sugar levels to drop rapidly, leaving you lacking in energy, craving more carbs and quickly feeling hungry so that you eat again. If this pattern is frequently repeated, you’re likely to gain as a result a constantly overeating. But on top of this, over time the body becomes resistant to the action of insulin and when this happens, the body becomes more effective at storing fat – especially around our middle! No surprises then that to lose weight, foods with a high GI are out!
South Beach Diet and treat low GI foods
In contrast, carbs with low glycemic index such as pasta, pulses and porridge slowly release sugar into the blood, providing a steady supply of energy and leaving you feeling satisfied for longer. This means you get fewer carb cravings, don’t constantly feel hungry and so are less likely to overeat. Plus there’s less chance that your body will become resistant to the effects of insulin with the result that it continues to burn fat efficiently. Foods with a low GI are therefore recommended if you want to lose weight.
South Beach Diet Online
The trouble that most people have with this kind of diet is that it is very hard to track the glycemic levels of all food so the online version of this diet is great and offers over a 1000 recipes so that you never get bored of the food. Also for people looking for a diet that they can just start there is no real barrier to entry. You just go to the grocery store and buy the food that you can cook at home so all you need is the recipes and support network from the website and the grocery store. Very refreshing I would say.
So there you have it. The diet seems to work quite well and in general I do like the idea of the GI index and GI types of diets. Look at the online South Beach diet site so that you can get lots of tips, recipes and tools that will help you more than just buying a book from the store. Try the South Beach diet out and let me know by giving me feedback as to how the diet has worked out for you.