What Is South Beach Diet and How It work

The South Beach Diet Book © by AlishaV

The South Beach Diet, named after the trendy area of Miami, was started by a cardiologist named Arthur Agatson. He published a popular book by  the same name, and ever since the South Beach Diet has raised controversy in the diet and nutrition world. Does the South Beach Diet work? The evidence seems to be favorable, at least for many people who have tried it, though some experts disagree with Dr. Agatson’s findings. Of course, there is no such thing as a diet that everyone agrees with.
Unlike many diets, the South Beach Diet focuses on carbohydrates that are good for you. Dr. Agatston believes that it isn’t carbohydrates per se that cause people problems, but “bad carbohydrates,” as well as bad fats. These are the refined, processed foods with a high glycemic index, such as most sweets, potatoes, cereals and fruits. Good carbs are natural, unrefined and have a low glycemic index, such as whole grains, brown rice, legumes and starchy vegetables.

The South Beach Diet also focuses on healthy vs. unhealthy fats. Unhealthy fats are saturated and, even worse, trans fats. Healthy fats are monosaturated, the kind found in fish oil, olive oil and many nuts.

While the South Beach Diet does not claim to be a “low carb” diet, this is somewhat misleading, as it discouraging eating those foods most people think of as carbohydrates. Still, the research supporting this theory appears to be sound.

The South Beach Diet, like many diets, comes in stages. In Phase l, dieters are highly restricted in what they can eat. For two weeks, there is no bread, pasta, cereals rice and even fruit. In Phase ll, which lasts for as long as it takes to achieve your goal weight, you can gradually reintroduce some of these foods into your diet. In Phase lll, which is the rest of your life, you can eat more “normally,” but keeping the basic guidelines of the diet in mind. The idea is that in Phase l we can break some bad habits and start to lose weight.

Does the South Beach Diet work? Compared with many other popular and fad diets, it is based on some sound nutritional guidelines. Research in increasingly showing that it is the “bad” fat and carbs that cause us to gain weight and have health problems. The South Beach Diet addresses this in a way that many people can follow without much suffering.

Wikipedia: The South Beach Diet is a diet plan designed by cardiologist Arthur Agatston and dietician Marie Almon as an alternative to low-fat approaches such as the Ornish Diet and the Pritikin Diet advocated by the American Heart Association in the 1980s. ?

Like coffee, green tea will induce some amount of thermogenesis in the human body through its caffeine content. No-one will drink coffee for its weight-loss possibilities, though, partially because the average coffee drinker will add sugar and/or milk and partially because it’s such an established part of many people’s day anyway. From a scientific point of view, however, there is another good reason that people favour green tea for weight loss. This is the fact that green tea contains a high level of what are known as “catechin polyphenols” – clever little antioxidants that have all manner of health benefits which go beyond weight loss. They have also been shown to lessen the signs of ageing, and have certain antibiotic properties.

Certain green teas have also been seen to have an effect on the body’s release of carbohydrates, resulting in the burning of fat and more constant blood-insulin levels. Of course just drinking green tea won’t see you losing weight at a noticeable pace. Unfortunately, you can’t just eat what you want and then drink green tea, but as part of a sensible diet it can make a real difference. Even if you don’t lose any weight for whatever reason, the other attendant health benefits of drinking green tea make the practice worthwhile.

The practice of drinking green tea for weight loss is without question gaining currency, although its effectiveness is debated. Some people say that misinformation is rife, with the idea persisting that green tea in isolation will solve people’s weight problems. However, the same is true of any scheme to lose weight. Nothing will work in isolation to make the weight just drop off. Diets such as the SlimFast plan make very clear that no simple scheme exists to drive weight loss without significant input from the dieter. Clearly it is na?ve to expect a simple, immediate result from just one thing, and the most important phrase to remember is “as part of a calorie-controlled diet”. What is certain is that, if you drink green tea and watch what you eat, the results will come, particularly alongside a decent physical exercise plan.

Cabbage Soup Diet

Food Pyramid - Veggies © by Logan Brumm Photography and Design

The Cabbage Soup Diet is a radical and controversial diet that claims you can lose ten pounds in a week by eating mostly cabbage soup. Like most crash diets, this diet works on the principle that you can lose weight fast by consuming very few calories. Critics of this diet say that this is not safe and that any weight lost will be quickly regained.

The 7 Day Diet Plan

For the benefit of anyone who wants to know what the Cabbage Soup Diet recommends, or who wants to try it, this is the 7 day plan.

Day 1 – Cabbage soup and fruit (no bananas).

Day 2 – Cabbage soup, vegetables and 1 potato with butter.

Day 3 – Cabbage soup,  fruit and vegetables (no potatoes or bananas).

Day 4 – Cabbage soup and up to eight bananas and skim milk.

Day 5 – Cabbage soup,  20 ounces of beef and up to six tomatoes.

Day 6 – Cabbage soup,  beef and vegetables (no potatoes).

Day 7 – Cabbage soup, brown rice, vegetables (excluding potatoes) and unsweetened fruit juice.

Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Work?

You can lose weight by following this diet. The problem is that you are eating a diet with very few calories, and hardly any protein, except for the beef on two of the days. You will most likely be very hungry at the end of the diet, which will make it tempting to eat a lot of the foods you were missing for the last week. This can cause you to gain back even more weight than you lost.

This kind of diet can be effective for losing weight quickly, but it is probably not a good long term solution to weight loss.

Modified Cabbage Soup Diets

With some modification, the Cabbage Soup Diet might be a healthy and practical way to lose weight. This is because cabbage is actually a very healthy and nutritious food that is good for digestion and your metabolism. Most of the other foods recommended are also good, such as vegetables, brown rice and bananas.
However, your body also needs protein.

You could eat some cabbage soup every day and eat sensible portions of proteins and carbohydrates and get better long term, if less dramatic results. is an extreme diet that has some good points but is less than perfect when followed in its pure form.

As obesity becomes a problem for more children and teenager, fast solutions are often looked for. Fad diets and teenagers have become a common mix, as teens seek to find ways to quickly shed unwanted fat. This can be dangerous, as fad and crash diets are often unhealthy.

Problems With Fad Diets

Fad diets are diets that are not based on sound scientific, medical or nutritional facts. They are often gimmicks, advertising easy weight loss by eating one food in particular. For example, there are diets claiming you can lose weight by eating a particular brand of cereal, a particular fruit or even chocolate. Sometimes fad diets can become popular in certain teen peer groups. In this age of the internet, cell phones and text messaging, bad as well as useful information can be spread quickly from one person to another.

The problem with fad diets is that they are usually based on eating one or two “gimmick” foods and little else. They are most often very low calorie diets, so that there is the danger of not getting necessary nutrition. For teenagers who are still growing and require a balanced diet, this can be especially dangerous.

Finally, even when fad diets do work, it’s usually temporary. Weight is usually gained back as soon as the diet is abandoned. Sometimes more weight is gained than was lost, as the body tries to recuperate.

The Solution to Fad Diets and Teenagers

The reason so many teenagers are overweight is fairly straightforward –too much food, the wrong kind of food and not enough exercise. There is no healthy way to get around these facts by going on crash or fad diets. Teenagers should be encouraged to lay off the junk food and to get more exercise.

It is important for parents, teachers and others who work with teens to make the effort to educate them on the basic principles of health and nutrition. Being healthy and finding your ideal body weight is not simply a matter of eating fewer calories.
While someone who overeats does need to cut back on calories, they also have to be sure they are getting the proper nutrition. For teenagers, this is especially true.

Without the proper guidance, teenagers can try unhealthy and unproven diets. It’s essential to make them realize that there is no substitute for a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise.