Why is the South Beach Diet So Popular?

The South Beach Diet is often lumped together with various other low-carb diet plans, but in fact it takes a very different and much healthier approach to protein and fat. Developed by Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist, weight loss is really just one of the priorities of the diet.

Are you ready for a great low-carb diet that doesn't have all that fat? The South Beach Diet is becoming one of the most popular carb-controlled regimens. The plan is meant to help dieters lose weight, while keeping tabs on saturated fats.

• Eat lots of great lean meats and proteins.
• Expect your cholesterol levels to decrease.
• Cut out carbs in first phase, gradually adding back some carbs in phase two.

It may be one of the newest regimens on the block, but the South Beach diet has quickly captured the hearts and stomachs of dieters. Around the water cooler and at parties it's fast becoming one of the most popular carb-control plans. Developed by Miami cardiologist Arthur Agatston, M.D., director of the Mount Sinai Cardiac Prevention Center, the diet is meant to promote weight loss but not at the expense of heart health. Unlike other wildly popular low-carb plans, South Beach calls for keeping tabs on saturated fats and favors lean meats and proteins over bacon, cheeseburgers, and steak. Recently, Agatston came out with a South Beach Diet cookbook.

The plan consists of three phases. In the first, carbs are curtailed dramatically in order to stop cravings. Next, dieters keep blood sugar on an even keel by adding back small amounts of slow-to-digest "good" carbs like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Without getting too complicated, foods are categorized based on a ranking system called the glycemic index (GI), which measures their ability to raise blood sugar. Foods with a low GI are favored because they are digested and absorbed slowly and release sugar into the blood gradually; colas, sugar, and refined grains are downplayed since they have a high GI. Simply put, "the faster the sugars and starches you eat are processed and absorbed intro your bloodstream, the fatter you get," Agatston says.

What you can eat varies depending on the phase: in phase one, dieters pick low-GI carbs from Agatston's list and pair them with modest portions of proteins including lean meats and seafood. Dairy, except for low-fat cheese, is taboo in this phase. By phase two, you start mixing in higher-GI foods in small amounts. Sweet treats, such as hard candy, frozen fudge bars, and Popsicles, are limited to 75 calories' worth per day.

There's no calorie counting. In fact, there's no actual diet plan per se. Agatston uses sample menus to outline what you need to eat. Lists of "foods to enjoy" and "foods to avoid" round out the plan. Basically, it adds up to three meals a day and three small snacks or six "eating occasions." Agatston doesn't like to call his diet low-carb; nevertheless, carbohydrates are indeed limited.

_{This page was last updated on Tuesday, August 22, 2006}