The South Beach Diet originally was developed from the area close to Miami, Florida, which is named, South Beach. The reason for this came about from all the healthy places to eat and the gorgeous bodies which flock around this part of South Florida. It was published into a book entitled The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Fool proof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss.
The author, Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist in the Miami area, developed the plan for his seriously overweight heart patients. The book was first released in 2003, and has been flying off the shelves ever since. A cookbook and food guide also was released to supplement the original book which Dr. Agatston made so popular.
The South Beach Diet is divided into three phases with the first one lasting for two weeks and being the most stringent. Though some have compared it to the Atkins diet, Dr. Agatston states the only similarity is the strict introductory period. He also stresses that South Beach Diet is NOT a low-carb like Atkins but rather focuses on a healthy combination of good carbs and fats leading to a change in a person’s overall lifestyle.
It is based on the Glycemic Index meaning decreasing the bad carbs will help better metabolize what you eat. This in turn allows for more effective weight loss. The requirements of Phase 1 may seem a little hard at first; keeping certain foods out of the diet like white breads and sugars. The only way to help the body to stop craving the bad carbs is to keep them out of your diet for two weeks. This phase allows a person to learn how to eat the good carbs and fats which will allow for a weight loss between eight and thirteen pounds the first two weeks.
During Phase 1 you will eliminate fruits, bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, sugar, alcohol, and baked goods. After Phase 1 you will gradually add some of the excluded back into your diet with food substitutions. For example, Phase 2 allows breads and rice to be brought back into the diet but it must be brown rice or whole wheat bread.
Many people suggest if you have a great deal of weight to lose, staying on Phase 1 longer than two weeks is an option since the whole South Beach diet is based upon a change in overall lifestyle and eating habits. The surprising aspect of this diet is it is based around eating five small meals a day. They options are endless for snacking and meals and with the recipes, many are easy to follow.
More information on this diet and how it works can be found on their website:
www.southbeachdiet.com. There are also other websites where you can find more information by simple doing a search under South Beach Diet.