Independent
Articles About:
1. The South Beach Diet Plan
2. South Beach Diet Info
3. Compared to Dr. Atkin's Plan
How South beach diet works?
By Paul Dr Agatson, created the South Beach diet. It is a low carb
diet and has been followed by millions of people worldwide. The main thing
about this diet is highly processed foods and soft drinks are to be cut
down completely. Lowering these carbs would help the metabolism and improve
the insulin in the liver, and lead to weight loss.
South beach diet is all about eating the right carb and right fats and
lose weight and stay healthy. There are 3 phases in South Beach diet and
the first one is supposed to be the most difficult one.
First Phase: In the first phase all carbohydrates have to be stopped. Three
meals a day along with two snacks are allowed. When carbohydrates are completely
stopped the fat in the body are burnt to yield energy. Around 3-5 kgs can
be lost in this phase.
Second Phase: In this phase you start adding back some carbohydrates to
your diet. This phase will last until the desired weight is achieved. Once
you reach your goal you can then have even more foods and keep your weight
controlled.
Third Phase: The South Beach diet teaches a health way of having food.
Once the target weight is achieved you can start adding more foods to your
kitty. You will start eating foods in a balanced and disciplined manner.
Your intake of minerals and vitamins are balanced to maintain your weight.
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What Is The South Beach Diet?
By Kirsten Hawkins The South Beach Diet was developed by cardiologist
Arthur Agatston to help his patients lose weight and maintain a healthy
diet for a lifetime. It is designed in phases, like the Atkins Diet, with
different eating recommendations in each phase. All phases have the same
underlying philosophy, though. Weight loss and maintenance depends on establishing
a balanced diet that avoids 'bad' fats and carbohydrates. The proponents
of the South Beach diet claim that you can lose weight and maintain the
weight loss without counting calories, weighing portions or depriving yourself
of good-tasting, satisfying foods. This is accomplished by cutting out empty,
high-carbohydrate foods like sugars, potatoes, rice and white bread. Each
phase is specially designed to accomplish a particular goal. Phase I: Adjusting
your Metabolism
In Phase I, you eat three meals and two snacks daily, eating until you
are no longer hungry. The phase lasts two weeks, during which time your
body will shed 8-13 pounds. These items are not allowed during Phase I:
bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, fruit, candy, cake, cookies,
ice cream, sugar or alcohol Phase II: Weight Loss
The aim during Phase II is to lose weight, with loss averaging 1-2 pounds
per week. During this phase, you will gradually add the restricted foods
from Phase I back into your diet, but you will eat less of them. The daily
diet on Phase II should consist of: All the protein you want Minimum of
4 1/2 cups of vegetables Up to 3 servings of fruit Up to 3 portions of starch
1 1/2 cups of milk/dairy (including yogurt) 3 tbs. fat In real terms, a
typical menu for a meal on the South Beach Diet might include something
like this: ½ grapefruit 2 scrambled eggs mixed with Monterey Jack
cheese and salsa 1 slice of whole grain toast Decaffeinated coffee or tea,
fat-free milk and sugar substitute if desired The eating plan recommended
by the South Beach Diet emphasizes low carbohydrate foods, restriction of
sweets, processed starches, white sugar and 'unhealthy fats', and all the
protein you want. It specifies minimum amounts of low carb vegetables to
be eaten daily that are remarkably close to the recommendations made by
the USDA and the American Diabetes Association. A key concept in the South
Beach diet is the Glycemic Index. Foods are ranked on a scale of 1-100 according
to their Glycemic index - the amount by which they raise blood sugar levels
after meals. The focus of your diet should be on foods low on the GI level,
such as yogurt, cucumbers and broccoli and whole grain cereal, while avoiding
those high on the GI scale such as white bread, potatoes and pretzels. In
addition to the above, the South Beach Diet offers the following guidelines:
* Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water and other decaffeinated beverages
per day (excluding fruit juices) * Limit your intake of caffeine-containing
beverages to 1 cup each day * Take one multivitamin and mineral supplement
daily * Take between 500 and 1,000 mg of calcium daily Phase III:
The lifetime maintenance plan is nearly identical to the weight loss phase,
with more portions of foods allowed. Dr. Agatston cautions that patients
being treated for diabetes, impaired kidney function, pregnancy or other
chronic illness should consult their physician before embarking on any weight
loss regimen.
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Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and comments on popular diets.
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South Beach Diet Overview
By Beverley Brooke Developed by Dr. Arthur Agatston, The South Beach
Diet touts itself as teaching dieters to eat the right carbs and the right
fats. The diet has three phases. In the first dieter's banish their bad
carb cravings and induce rapid weight loss. In the second phase, some types
of carbs are reintroduced and weight loss is slower. The final phase is
the "Diet for Life" phase. This is the maintenance diet and will
be followed for the rest of the dieter's life. If at any time the dieter
begins to gain unwanted pounds, then he simply goes through the induction
and pre-maintenance phases again.
The first phase emphasizes protein from high-quality meat sources with
lots of fresh vegetables and salads with real olive oil dressing. Bread,
rice, pastas, potatoes, baked goods, soy milk and cheese, yogurt, beets,
carrots, corn and all fruit are forbidden in the 14-day induction phase.
This includes all candy, cake, ice cream and sugar, plus meats that are
cured in sugar or molasses.
The diet encourages three meals a day with a mid-morning and a mid-afternoon
snack. There is also a daily meal plan. This plan includes strict portion
control in the induction phase. An example of a daily snack is 20 peanuts.
And 30 pistachios is another snack option.
Unlike Atkins, unlimited protein consumption is not advised or allowed
on this diet. However, during the later phases of the diet some of the strict
portion control does end and dieters are able to eat until satiated.
Some of the forbidden foods can be slowly reintroduced, sometimes in modified
form in the second phase of the diet. The second phase lasts until the dieter's
goal weight is reached. However, white flour products, potatoes, corn, carrots,
beets and sweet fruits like banana and pineapple are still forbidden.
After dieters reach their ideal weight, they proceed on to their Diet for
Life or maintenance diet.
In this phase the forbidden foods are processed foods, white flour products,
sweet fruits, and foods with a high glycemic index in general.
During the 14-day induction period, Dr. Agatston predicts a weight loss
of between eight and 13 pounds, with belly fat being the first to go. In
the second phase dieter should continue to lose 1-2 pounds each week as
long as they do not go overboard with the carb reintroduction.
The Atkins Method: Is it Right for You?
By Tony Robinson Over the years, the Atkins plan has become synonymous
with weight loss. Fans of the program say that it has proven to be instrumental
in helping them to shed unwanted pounds. They talk of improved overall health
and greater energy as a result of the Atkins program. However, critics maintain
that Atkins could lead to heart damage, making it an unhealthy diet.
Supporters of Atkins say just about anyone can slim down using their program.
However, there are certain people that are most likely to benefit from the
Atkins plan. These include yo-yo dieters, who find themselves losing weight,
only to gain it back again; dieters who feel constantly hungry; and those
who eat for emotional reasons. Binge eaters and constant snackers can also
benefit from the Atkins program. In addition, those who suffer from a food
addiction are prime candidates for Atkins.
Atkins relies heavily on proteins and fats, along with carbohydrates that
are rich in nutrients. The idea is to strictly reduce the amount of non-nutritious
carbohydrates you consume. The theory behind this is that, when carbs are
restricted, you end up burning fat rather than glucose. In addition, it
has been shown that, all things being equal, you will lose more fat with
Atkins than with other types of weight loss plans.
The Atkins plan is divided into four stages. During the initial stage,
your body moves from burning carbohydrates to burning fats. You should also
be able to kick the sugar habit during this stage. During the second stage,
your weight loss will accelerate, but you will also be able to eat larger
portions of vegetables. In the third stage, known as pre-maintenance, you
will continue to add more foods to the mix. The final stage involves lifetime
maintenance. During this phase, you can continue to fight food addictions,
maintain your goal weight, and decrease the chance that you will suffer
from diabetes.
However, it can be difficult to stick with the Atkins plan. This is because
the temptation to eat carbohydrates and sweets is so great. Friends and
relatives can become diet saboteurs, preventing you from achieving the results
you're looking for. In this case, the best defense is a good offense. This
means telling your significant others in advance that you're determined
to complete the Atkins program. Inform them that you don't want to even
be offered French fries and potato chips.
The Journal of the American Medical Association has suggested that the
Atkins plan can be dangerous for children. This is not surprising, considering
that young people are still growing and need all the nutrients they can
get, whether the vitamins and minerals are from carbohydrates or other sources.
Supporters of Atkins say that, while children may not benefit from a restriction
of vegetables and fruits, they could consume fewer potatoes and breads and
still remain healthy.
Some medical experts say that the Atkins approach is not appropriate for
people who already suffer from kidney or liver trouble. Also, because Atkins
reduces the amount of fruits and vegetables an individual consumes, the
diet can leave people at greater risk for such problems as cancer and heart
disease. As a result, you should probably check with your family physician
before resorting to the Atkins plan, or any other low-carb, high-protein
diet.
It is likely that the Atkins plan will remain controversial for the foreseeable
future. While it has been proven effective in helping people lose weight,
it may also place individuals at a higher risk for serious diseases. A great
deal of additional research needs to be conducted in order to determine
if Atkins is a miracle cure or a medical nightmare. Once more studies are
conducted, the long-term effects of Atkins on the human body may be easier
to determine.
If you are generally in good health and have a normal energy level, you
might give Atkins a try. If, however, you suffer from any serious diseases,
or are experiencing symptoms such as high blood pressure, you might consider
an alternative diet plan. In the end, you, in consultation with your doctor,
will have to determine the diet program that's appropriate in your particular
case.
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As a Teacher of Sport and Physical Education, Tony Robinson has a keen interest in Health and Weight Loss issues. For handy hints and tips for weight loss visit http://www.weight-loss-arena.com
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The Atkins Diet: Is It Still Worthwhile or Worthless?
By Ellen Daniels By now, almost everyone has heard of the Atkins
diet. This is the diet that promotes weight loss through the consumption
of foods low in carbohydrates and quite high in fat and protein contents,
but not necessarily low in calories.
It was the brain-child of Dr. R. C. Atkins who claimed that it would initiate
a greater weight loss than a conventional, low calorie diet composed of
a "balance" of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. In addition,
it was supposed to be friendly to those prone to diabetes because of the
low intake of carbohydrate; it might reduce the body's need for insulin.
This diet concept is diametrically opposed to that used for years by traditional
nutritionists and medical specialists.
Most experts initial response to this diet was that it might not be safe
because years of scientific evidence suggested that high fat intake would
surely raise serum cholesterol, thus increasing the risk of cardiovascular
disease.
What ensued were numerous heated debates in print and on television about
the worthiness of this diet. Unfortunately, most of the battle lines were
drawn on shaky grounds because they were based on age-old dogma, and lacked
serious scientific inquiry. Fortunately, this was about to change. Some
results of very important research are now beginning to appear in the scientific
literature. Hopefully, this new information will eventually determine unequivocally
which side is right.
One of these studies was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine
in 2003. The investigators' aim was to conduct a controlled experiment to
determine the differences in weight loss of both obese men and women who
consumed either the basic low carbohydrate Atkins diet or a conventional
diet of reduced total calories. The study lasted for one year. Besides weight
loss, a number of other tests also were conducted, including blood sugar,
blood cholesterol, HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol), insulin levels,
and blood pressure.
The results were interesting and different than most traditional nutritionists
would have expected. As Dr. Atkins had claimed all along, after 3 months,
the volunteers who ate the Atkins diet lost 7-10% of their original body
weight while those who ate the conventional low-calorie diet only lost 3-5%
of their original weight. After 6 months, the results were similar to those
at 3 months; however, after one year, those on the Atkins diet had regained
enough weight so that differences in weight loss between the two diets were
not significant.
Another interesting result supported the view of the traditional nutritionists
in that total serum cholesterol was increased about 3% while those fed the
conventional diet had reduced their cholesterol about 5%. However, the "good"
cholesterol was increased about 20% in those consuming the Atkins diet but
only about 3% in those consuming the conventional diet. Neither diet affected
blood sugar, blood pressure, or insulin levels, although the insulin levels
of those consuming the Atkins diet tended to be lower than of those consuming
the low calorie conventional diet.
The final results of the study suggested that volunteers who consume the
Atkins diet may initially lose weight faster than those consuming the conventional
diet, but after a long period of consuming the diets, the differences may
be lost. The investigators suggested that a longer and larger study be carried
out before conclusive assessments are made about the benefits or dangers
of consuming low-carbohydrate, high-fat, and high-protein diets.
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Diet Information:The South Beach Diet
By Jason Hulott Developed by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston,
this diet first became popular in Miami. It was developed into book form,
and is now a worldwide best seller.
The weight loss advice focuses on a healthy balance between good carbohydrates
and fats. The idea is to decrease 'bad' carbs (eg baked goods and soft drinks)
to help you metabolise what you eat better. The South Beach dietary programme
also claims to improve insulin resistance, leading to weight loss. While
there are three phases to the plan - the first of which is about banishing
your carvings and, to some, can be daunting - this diet plan aims to change
your dietary lifestyle. The last phase is meant to change the way you eat
forever. While for the first two weeks of the plan you are not allowed bread,
rice potatoes etc, for most of the diet you'll eat normal-size helpings
of meat, poultry and fish as well as vegetables, eggs, cheese, and nuts.
You'll gradually re-introduce foods as the plan progresses, albeit in smaller
portions. To maintain your healthy weight for the rest of your life, you'll
follow the South Beach 'rules'. Not as scary as it sounds, healthy eating
is something that we should all follow, lifelong.
Like the Atkins diet, if there are lots of foods you don't enjoy or you
cannot stick to a diet where food stuffs are restricted (even in the short
term), this may not be the diet for you.
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