The South Beach Diet
The South Beach Diet was developed by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston from Mt. Sinai Hospital in Miami. His initial goal was to improve the health of his own heart patients.
The diet worked so well that Dr. Agatston made it available to the nation. His book The South Beach Diet became a New York Times bestseller. The South Beach Diet Cookbook offered many new delicious recipes, including gourmet dishes developed by professional chefs from popular restaurants.
Go to the South Beach Diet Website Now
How Does This Program Work?
The South Beach Diet focuses on the right carbs and the right fats to help you lose weight, control insulin, and decrease your chances of heart disease and diabetes. The program is “full of great-tasting, everyday foods”. Both the book and the online program teach you to avoid the bad carbs and bad fats that not only cause weight gain but also harm your health.
The South Beach Online Program is divided into 3 phases.
- Phase 1 is designed to lower insulin levels and get your carbohydrate cravings under control. This phase only lasts 2 weeks. During this time, sweets and starches are avoided. The emphasis is on lean proteins, low fat dairy, vegetables, nuts and seeds. You are then on the right track for further weight loss. Although this phase is low-carb, it is not restrictive enough to induce ketosis and its associated symptoms.
- Phase 2 is for ongoing weight loss. Some whole grain carbohydrates are re-introduced. This phase allows you to choose the right carbs, using the glycemic index. The program educates you about eating the right fats. Healthy omega 3 fats are emphasized, while avoiding foods with trans or saturated fats.
- Phase 3 is the maintenance phase, designed for a lifetime. This phase will help you maintain your weight loss and your healthy lifestyle. If you want to prevent diabetes and heart disease, you must keep your insulin levels under control. You can do this by living the South Beach lifestyle.
Highlights
With the South Beach program, you eat 3 meals and 2 snacks daily plus dessert every night. Rather than counting calories, you follow the plan and learn to eat appropriate portions. You should not feel hungry on this diet.
Vegetarians, rejoice! The online South Beach Diet Program also provides a special plan for you. Instead of lean meats, you will use beans, legumes, and soy to meet your protein needs.
Features
- Nutrition Tool and Custom Meal Planner
- 900 Delicious Healthy Recipes
- Shopping Lists
- Weight Tracker
- Weight Loss Journal
- Community Message Board
- Beach Buddies
- Daily Guidance and Nutritional Support
Recipes are simple but delicious. Meals offer a good balance of protein, healthy fats, and low-glycemic carbohydrates.
Sample Meals (phase 2 appropriate)
- Breakfast
- Strawberries
- Oatmeal with Nonfat Milk, Cinnamon, and Walnuts
- Coffee or Tea
- Snack
- Hard-boiled Egg
- Lunch
- Mediterranean Chicken Salad
- Snack
- Pear with Laughing Cow Cheese
- Dinner
- Spinach-stuffed Salmon
- Vegetable Medley
- Tossed Salad
- Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing
- Dessert
- Chocolate-dipped Strawberries
How much does it cost?
The program currently runs $5/week, billed quarterly ($65 per quarter). All but $20 is refundable and the rest is prorated if you decide that this program is not for you.
Go to the South Beach Diet Website Now
Dr. Parsons Weighs In
I rate this diet program as “one of the best”. If you have diabetes or heart disease, then you should follow the South Beach Diet for a lifetime. However, the program works well for anyone who wants to lose weight.
When the South Beach Diet was first released, it did cause waves … and with good reason. A light bulb went off in many dieters’ heads! This program was lower in carbs, but different than the Atkin’s Diet. It didn’t cut out the good carbs, like vegetables and fruits. It just eliminated the bad carbs that cause high insulin, high cholesterol, diabetes, and weight gain.
Another difference from the previous high-fat low-carb diets … South Beach stressed the difference between good fats and bad fats. Finally, a diet that makes scientific sense!
Several years ago, I began recommending the South Beach Diet to my patients. A number of them were finally successful at losing weight, as well as lowering their cholesterol. One patient whom I will call Carol (not her real name) not only managed to lose 30 pounds. She also lowered her triglycerides and LDL cholesterol so effectively that I was able to take her off her statin drug.
Carol had been participating in regular diet and lifestyle counseling sessions with my nurse practitioner. My nurse, trained by cardiologists, had been recommending the American Heart Association diet. Carol had minimal success with this approach. Her triglycerides actually increased with the traditional guidelines.
But with the South Beach program, she rapidly achieved her goals.
Carol’s success snowballed. Carol’s daughter also lost weight. She enthusiastically told me her plan to have her whole family (kids and all) follow this program for a lifetime.
My nurse practitioner and I went on to recommend the South Beach Diet to a large majority of our patients who needed to lower cholesterol, wanted to lose weight, had diabetes, or heart disease.
Another success story … I have a relative who is a surgeon and stands on his feet all day in the OR. Unfortunately, he had gained about 50 pounds of extra weight over the years. He began to suffer from hip pain due to arthritis. This pain really began to interfere with his ability to keep up with the rigorous demands of his job. He was beginning to think he might need hip replacement surgery.
Enter the South Beach Diet. He easily lost the weight, and with it, the hip pain. Now he continues to work long hours, pain-free, and is back to golfing when he gets a chance. His wife joined him in the program and regained her youthful slimness.
So you can see what I think about the South Beach Diet. I have personally witnessed the effectiveness of this program.
What I like about this program:
- The South Beach Diet emphasizes low-glycemic carbohydrates, allowing for lower insulin levels. This diet is tailor-made for those with diabetes, heart disease, or cholesterol issues.
- This is a lifestyle diet. Maintain this for life to stay slim and healthy!
- No calorie counting and no hunger!
- Recipes are delicious and easily prepared.
- Teaches you new skills of meal planning, portion control.
- Features lean proteins rather than the typical high fat fare found in other low-carb diets like Atkin’s
- Features a plan for vegetarians.
The diet tenets are clear and doable. The online program is easy to follow. And the recipes are delicious and imaginative. No deprivation here! The program even features dessert, for those of us who just need a little something to finish off dinner!
Any negatives? My one complaint is that there is not enough emphasis on exercise. You will need to plan out your own exercise program, or follow of our exercise recommendations.