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Sunny Miami – the home of the South Beach Diet and the founder of the diet, cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, and Marie Almon, RD. From its humble origins in 2003 to the present, his best-selling book “The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss” has been sold to over 11 million copies!
According to Dr. Agatston, this diet is an excellent choice for those who want their body to be admired like a supermodel or at least as a Hollywood star. The doctor himself admits that while making the diet did not intend to create a healthy diet plan that prevents cardiovascular disease, his purpose was to create a beautiful body. So, what is the South Beach diet menu, what are its principles and consequences?
Key principles of the South Beach Diet
South Beach Diet teaches you to distinguish good, healthy fats from bad fats. It has a set of very strict rules that need to be followed in order for the diet to be truly effective.
It is necessary to eat five times a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks among them) and to drink plenty of water and tea. If necessary, coffee is allowed, although it is not recommended to abuse because coffee leads to loss of body water.
So do not forget to add at least a glass of water to a cup of coffee to restore the water balance in the body. The South Beach diet strictly prohibits alcohol consumption.
As mentioned, you should eat three principal meals a day, portion sizes should not make you overfill, but not to feel hungry. Therefore, if the body says “Thank you, I’m full,” your meal is over. However, what is the secret to South Beach diet efficiency?
Consists of the consumption of good and bad carbohydrates. According to the author, “bad carbohydrates” are rapidly absorbed by the body and have a high glycemic index that prevents insulin from processing fat as well as sugar assimilated with food. He suggests replacing animal fats with plant and fish oils. It’s not a week’s diet – to make sure your lost weight does not come back and you can enjoy the refined lines of your body, you have to understand that eating rules are changed for the rest of your life.
The phases of the South Beach Diet
The diet is divided into three main phases, so let’s discuss each one more in detail:
Phase one
This phase takes two weeks. During her time, you can savor dishes based on meat, chicken, fish, and seafood. Egg and cheese are allowed and you can make your day better with vegetables and nuts. But you have to give up completely the following: bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, sugar, fruit, and confectionery. Therefore, if you are a great fan of sweets, this phase will really be extremely difficult and tiring for you. It is said that in the first phase you can lose 8 up to 13 pounds. In addition, do not forget to drink plenty of water and tea.
Phase two
The duration of the second phase depends on you. During this phase, you can consume all the products allowed in the first two weeks. You are also allowed to supplement your diet with fruit and black chocolate, of course with moderation. You can have some bread, rice, and other whole grains. This phase will take up to the desired weight. Although you need to realize that weight loss in the second phase of the South Beach diet will be slower, you can lose up to 2 pounds a week.
Phase three
At this stage, the diet should become a lifestyle, so you will have to follow it for the rest of your life so that those lost pounds do not come back. You can consume all products from the first phase of the diet. It is also recommended to sip all fruits and unprocessed cereal products.
Of course, it’s all right to eat some sweets and alcohol from time to time. It’s important not to lose control, and on the day after “party” to resume the usual diet.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of the South Beach Diet
Like any other diet, it also has positive and negative parts. Advantages of this diet are that some people found it to be effective, healthy, easy to follow, and helps them to lose weight. Disadvantages of this diet include the fact that most of the people find it difficult to adhere to it strictly and may not see rapid weight loss unless they change completely and permanently their lifestyle.
Disadvantages:
- Lost pounds will come back full if you dropped this diet in the first few months.
- A strict diet can become a stress factor for people who work and are busy because they do not always have the time or the opportunity to eat healthily.
- After the first two phases, you may become allergic to some products.
- Finally, the diet is not cheap.
Advantages:
- You can forget about the dull calorie count.
- The South Beach Diet has an extensive menu, so you will not get bored with food and you will not lose the pleasure of eating.
- The diet can be adapted.
- The risk of diabetes and heart disease decreases significantly.
So, if you’ve studied all of the above and decided to change your eating habits fundamentally, I can only wish you success in fighting against extra pounds.
Stay Healthy!
