The famous South beach diet updated for 2008

The famous South beach diet updated for 2008


How is the South Beach Diet different from most other diets? What makes it a lifestyle?

The South Beach Diet is more than a diet — it\'s a way of life. Unlike other plans,

which emphasize calories, carbs, fats, or portion sizes, the South Beach Diet

emphasizes delicious foods. It explains how to make the best food choices so you can

improve your health and lose weight. Because this is the healthiest way to eat, and

because the diet includes a tremendous variety of delicious whole foods, people can

happily enjoy eating this way for life. In fact, people who have adopted the South

Beach Diet lifestyle often refer to it as the food lover\'s diet because the eating plan

is truly flavorful and satisfying.

Also, other diets often fail users because they feel hungry or deprived. The South

Beach Diet is based on foods that satisfy hunger. It also encourages snacking and

features approved sweet treats and desserts every day! The South Beach Diet thus

eliminates hunger and deprivation, making it an enjoyable and healthy way of eating

over the long run.

What are the main principles of the South Beach Diet?

The South Beach Diet is about loving the food you eat as you lose weight and improve

your health. It\'s about living well. Eating the South Beach Diet way means you\'ll enjoy

plenty of tasty and satisfying foods, including:

* Nutrient-dense, fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains;
* Legumes;
* Lean sources of protein;
* Low-fat dairy products;
* Good fats from foods such as nuts, omega-3-rich fish, and healthy oils (like

extra-virgin olive and canola oils).

Health care professionals now agree that such an eating plan is the cornerstone to

maintaining a healthy heart and body. That\'s why the South Beach Diet is an appropriate

lifestyle for everyone — not just those who need to lose weight. Exercise is another,

equally important component of this lifestyle.

Because it\'s a way of life, the South Beach Diet is flexible and accommodating. When

you eat this way, you won\'t feel hungry or deprived. You\'ll be deeply satisfied from

eating delicious and nutritious foods. The South Beach Diet allows for daily approved

sweet treats and desserts, making this a plan you can adopt for life.

What are the three Phases of the South Beach Diet?

The South Beach Diet is divided into three Phases:

Phase 1: Eliminate Cravings and Kick-start Weight Loss
Phase 1, the shortest Phase, lasts for two weeks and is designed to eliminate cravings

for refined starches and sugar — and to jump-start weight loss for those who have a

substantial amount of weight to lose. The purpose of Phase 1 is to stabilize blood

sugar (which minimizes cravings), making it ideal for people who are prediabetic or

diabetic — as well as for those who need to lose a lot of weight.

The focus of this two-week period is on eating plenty of healthy (and delicious!) foods

that satisfy your appetite. These foods include lean protein, such as fish and other

seafood; skinless white-meat poultry and lean cuts of beef; high-fiber veggies;

reduced-fat cheeses; eggs; low-fat dairy; and healthy, unsaturated fats, such as those

found in avocados, nuts and seeds, and extra-virgin olive and canola oils. During Phase

1, starches (including pasta, rice, and bread of any type) and sugars (including those

from fruits and fruit juices) are eliminated.

Phase 2: Lose Weight Steadily
Phase 2 is the long-term weight-loss Phase of the plan. It\'s also perfect for people

who want to lose 10 pounds or less, who don\'t have problems with cravings, who don\'t

have excess belly fat, or who simply want to improve their health.

In Phase 2, you\'ll eat everything in Phase 1 plus healthy carbs such as whole-grain

bread, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, fruits, and some nutrient-dense root vegetables

(like sweet potatoes). Phase 2 is designed for gradual weight loss because this leads

to permanent weight loss.

Phase 3: Maintain for Life
Phase 3 is the maintenance Phase of the plan — it begins once you reach a healthy

weight. Phase 3 is built on the same principles as the other Phases, but because it\'s

the lifelong stage of the plan, it allows for more frequent indulgences. In Phase 3,

you\'ll continue to follow the principles you learned in Phases 1 and 2, making smart

food choices that allow you to maintain a healthy weight for life.

What can I expect from the South Beach Diet? Will it improve my health?

The South Beach Diet was doctor-designed by leading preventive cardiologist Arthur

Agatston with the goal of helping people improve their health — and lose weight doing

it. Eating the array of foods emphasized on the South Beach Diet — whole grains,

fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, low-fat dairy products, and healthy fats — can

reduce your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, prediabetes, and diabetes.

The South Beach Diet lowers LDL (\"bad\") cholesterol, triglycerides (fats that circulate

in the blood), blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. It also raises HDL (\"good\")

cholesterol and reduces inflammation. Chronic inflammation, the revved-up response of

the body\'s natural infection-fighting mechanism, is a key factor in the development of

atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which underlies heart attacks. Chronic

inflammation is also thought to play a role in certain forms of cancer, arthritis,

Alzheimer\'s disease, and depression, so reducing it helps lower your risk for these and

other illnesses associated with inflammation.

The South Beach Diet lifestyle also emphasizes physical activity, which goes hand in

hand with eating a healthy diet. People who eat well feel better and exercise better —

and vice versa. In addition to the health benefits listed above, people following the

South Beach Diet report that they have more energy, boosted confidence, and a new

outlook on life!

How does the South Beach Diet control cravings?

The South Beach Diet emphasizes eating the right carbs, the right fats, and lean

proteins. Eating this way helps keep your blood sugar level steady — you avoid highly

processed, refined carbs that cause drastic swings in blood sugar. Once you stabilize

your blood sugar, cravings are virtually eliminated.

Does the South Beach Diet require you to count calories, carbs, fat grams, and so

forth?

No, the South Beach Diet teaches you how to make the right food choices by emphasizing

the most nutritious foods throughout the three-Phase plan. People following the South

Beach Diet learn how to eat so they don\'t need to count calories, carbs, fat grams —

anything. And because the South Beach Diet recommends eating nutrient-dense and fiber-

rich foods, people meet all their nutritional needs — without counting. Dr. Agatston

believes that while calories count, counting calories doesn\'t work if you\'re making the

wrong food choices. So when you eat this way, the calories take care of themselves.

Arthur Agatston, M.D., is a cardiologist and an associate professor of medicine at the

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He has served on committees of the

American Society of Echocardiography, the American College of Cardiology, and the

Society of Atherosclerosis Imaging, where he is a founding member of the board of

directors. He was recently elected to serve on the board of directors of The American

Dietetic Association Foundation.

Dr. Agatston has authored over 100 articles and abstracts for scientific journals,

including the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the American Journal of

Cardiology, and the Annals of Internal Medicine. He has served as an expert consultant

to the Clinical Trials Committee of the National Institutes of Health, and he has

participated as a speaker, faculty member, and organizer of numerous academic

cardiology meetings and symposia. Along with his renown as a researcher, lecturer, and

pioneer in clinical and preventive cardiology, Dr. Agatston is best known publicly as

the author of the best-selling The South Beach Diet.
Where It All Began

Raised on the north shore of Long Island, Dr. Agatston\'s father and grandfather were

doctors, and Arthur Agatston knew from an early age that he also desired a career in

medicine. After graduating from New York University School of Medicine and completing

his cardiology fellowship at NYU, Dr. Agatston elected to combine academics with

clinical practice. He accepted a position at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach,

which was associated with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Where It\'s Led

Over the years, Dr. Agatston\'s pioneering work in noninvasive cardiac imaging has

resulted in computerized tomography scanning methods and measures that bear his name:

the Agatston Score and the Agatston Method, which are used for screening coronary

calcium — and are recognized worldwide.

As a practicing cardiologist, Dr. Agatston did not set out to develop a weight-loss

plan. But he did create what became known as the South Beach Diet in the mid-1990s to

help his patients whose weight and blood chemistries were not improving on the

standard, low-fat American Heart Association diet. His balanced approach became the

basis for The South Beach Diet, his first nonacademic book, which became an

international best seller. Subsequent books published under The South Beach Diet®

franchise also became best sellers, including: The South Beach Diet Cookbook (2004);

The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide (2004); The South Beach Diet Quick &

Easy Cookbook (2005); and The South Beach Diet Dining Guide (2005). His latest books

are The South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook (2006), The South Beach Diet Taste

of Summer Cookbook (2007), and the recently re-released South Beach Heart Health

Revolution.
Where It\'s Going

In 2004, Dr. Agatston founded The Agatston Research Foundation for the purpose of

conducting and funding original research on diet, cardiac, and disease prevention. The

Foundation is dedicated to improving the heart health and wellness of the nation

through research, education, and prevention. His goal is to educate and empower both

his patients and the public about healthy lifestyle choices and disease prevention,

encouraging the practice of such prevention in America and throughout the world. In

creating The Agatston Research Foundation, Dr. Agatston is fulfilling a personal dream

as he continues to \"change the way America eats.\"

Dr. Agatston lectures extensively on prevention both nationally and internationally and

has served as a reviewer for major medical cardiology journals. In addition to his work

with his wife, Sari, on the South Beach Diet and The Agatston Research Foundation, Dr.

Agatston maintains a cardiology practice in Miami Beach, where they reside. The

Agatstons have two sons.


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