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South Beach Diet

South Beach Diet


About South Beach Diet?

The south beach diet plan is a diet plan developed by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston and dietician Marie Almon. This diet plan was originally developed to prevent heart disease, but soon gained popularity as a weight loss diet plan.

The south beach diet comprises of three phases and aims at replacing the ‘bad carbohydrates’ and ‘bad fats’ with ‘good carbohydrates’ and ‘good fats’ respectively. The basic principle of south beach diet is to provide the body with healthy food and burn the stored fats as energy fuel. This diet plan does not rely on fasting or craving for food, rather allows one to have three full meals plus two snack times too.

According to Dr. Agatston, hunger cycles are triggered by eating carbohydrate-rich foods that the body digests quickly (refined sugars and grains), creating a spike in blood sugar level. The south beach diet eliminates these carbohydrates in favor of relatively unprocessed carbohydrates such as vegetables, beans and whole grains. Good carbohydrates sources are foods with a low glycemic index.

The south beach diet eliminates trans-fats and advises limited intake of saturated fats. Good fats are foods rich in unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. Therefore, the diet excludes the fatty portions of red meat and poultry, replacing them with lean meat, nuts and fish.

Advantages of south beach diet plan-

  • Weight loss
  • Lowers cholesterol
  • Reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes
  • Eliminate cravings without feeling hungry
Advantages of South Beach Diet Plan

According to Dr. Agatston, weight loss is owing to elimination of simple carbohydrates and breaking a bad-eating cycle and not because of eating less.

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