The South Beach Diet was created by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatson as a result of his frustration with the failure of other diets to be effective at helping his patients lose weight and improve their blood chemistry.

Dr. Agatson noticed that the low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets recommended by the American Heart Association ultimately led people to over-consumption of processed simple carbohydates. Devoid of their natural fiber and nutriets, simple carbohydrates are digested quickly and lead to a rapid rise in blood sugar. The accompanying insulin response rapidly removes this excess sugar and triggers more hunger cravings.

How does it work?

The South Beach Diet recommends significant reductions in the amount of dietary carbohydrates, especially those that have been processed. The South Beach Plan is similar to the older Atkins plan, except Agatson believes that its focus on proteins and fat tend to negatively affect blodo chemistry. While adherents tend to lose weight on the Atkins plan, they also may be doing so at the expense of their heart health.

The South Beach Diet is broken up into three phrases. The first phase has the strictest dietary requirements and is designed to rapidly change the blood chemistry and stop the cravings that go along with rapid changes in insulin levels. Participants each five to six times a day from a list of ingredients high in proteins and healthy fats and low in overall carbohydates.

The second phase of the South Beach Diet is the weight loss phase and continues until the participant has reached their desired weight. This phase is less restrictive than the first, with some carbohydrates (e.g. fruits, whole grain breads) being added back into the mix.

The third phase is for maintaining weight and is the least restrictive.

Like most diets, the South Beach Diet achieves its weight loss through caloric restriction. Participants consume fewer calories than they burn and weight loss is the inevitable result. However, South Beach improves on older diets by pointing participants to foods that are likely to satisfy their immediate hunger without prematurely triggering future hungers. By managing insulin induced hunger, the diet aims to allow people to eat until full and still loose weight. As an important secondary effect, the diet promises to improve blood chemistry and reduce the risk of future cardiovascular disease.

What are the pros?

• Simple to follow - no complex rules or counting required
• Inexpensive - uses standard ingredients - no special supplements or meals are required.
• Hundreds of recipes available
• Fairly broad food selection - especially after the first phase
• Popular diet - large support community on the net
• Scientifically sound

What are the cons?

• Phase one is very limiting compared to most people pre-South Beach diets. Some find it difficult to find enough food variety.
• Like most low-carbohydrate diets, a large initial burst of water weight is lost. When some carbohydrates are added back in phase two, some dieters experience a discouraging plateau.
• For many people, the first few days of phase I involve flu-like symptoms as their body adjusts to their new dietary intake.

Who should use this diet?

South Beach is a sensible, scientifically sound diet that attempts to overcome some of the major complaints of previous low-carbohydrate diets. With no expensive ingredients or supplements required it can fit into any budget.

Visit the South Beach Diet website.