The south beach diet is a relatively new diet that depends on the same concept of many diets like the keto diet and the Atkins diet which is mainly carbohydrate restriction to help you lose weight but without depending greatly upon fats or proteins which means that in some point you will reintroduce carbs back into your diet but the main difference between it and other types of low carbos diets is that its main goal isn’t about the low carb, low fat food instead it is about learning the right types of fats and the right types of carbs to choose so it basically encourages you to steer away from saturated and processed fats and choose the better unsaturated types and avoid foods that contain carbohydrates with high glycemic index that satisfy you for short periods of time, supply you with brisk energy,leave you wanting more and makes you addicted to this type of food but to choose instead the right type of carbs that takes a while to process, makes you feel fuller for longer, supplies you with energy slowly over time and controls your cravings.
History of the south beach diet:
the south beach diet was first developed by the American cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston who developed the Agatston Score for measuring the amount of calcium in the coronary artery this diet became well known to the public after publishing his famous book the south beach diet cookbook in 2003 so it has been popular for about 2 decades now.
Some people consider this diet to be a fad diet that promises you rapid weight loss, if you follow it for a short period of time, without getting hungry but these diets are seldom well researched and don’t have a lot of supporting data about its efficacy. this diet was developed to help overweight people, diabetics, pre-diabetics, cardiac patients to lose weight and lower the cardiovascular risk that comes with diets that are very low on carbs and recommend too much fat consumption like the Atkins diet.
The Keto friendly south beach diet:
there are different variations to the south beach diet with the most recent twist being the combination of the keto diet regimen and the south beach diet in making a keto-friendly south beach diet to make you lose weight faster and enhance your metabolism and fat-burning ability.
Throughout this diet, you don’t count calories or restrict them you only have to focus on mindfully picking the right ingredients, right fats, and the right carbs to add to your diet, mainly whole foods that make you feel full, help you lose weight and also reduce your risk of obesity-related diseases and complications.
The south beach diet phases
» Phase 1 :
This initial phase starts out with full restriction of carbohydrates mainly fruits, grains, and any sugary or starchy foods for 2 whole weeks with relying more on proteins and fat content. you are supposed to have three big meals every day with 2 mandatory snacks and all the meals and snacks should constitute of lean meat, poultry, fish, nonstarchy vegetables, healthy fats, legumes… this phase aims mainly at reducing glucose levels in the blood, stabilizing insulin levels, controlling your hunger, and reducing your cravings. most people lose about 8:13 pounds of weight during this short period of time if they follow the rules strictly along with a simple exercise routine.
Types of food you can eat in phase 1:
- Lean proteins: beef, pork, lamb, veal…
- Poultry: skinless chicken breast, turkey, pigeons…
- Seafood: fatty fish, shellfish, shrimp…
- Eggs
- Dairy: low-fat milk, plain or Greek yogurt
- Low-fat cheese: ricotta, cottage cheese…
- Nonstarchy vegetables: all vegetables except potatoes, yams, peas, squashes, corn, beets, carrots, turnips…
- Legumes: black beans, pinto beans, split peas, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, lentils, edamame, soybeans
- Nuts: almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, pistachio…
- Seeds: chia seeds, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds…
- Healthy oils and fats: monounsaturated fat like olive oil, canola oil, avocado oil
- Vegetable oil: corn oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, sesame oil, soybean oil…
- Sweets: sugar-free cocoa, sugar-free jams, jellies, sugar-free gum, candy, sugar substitutes
- Condiments: herbs, spices, vinegar, soy sauce, light sour cream, light whipped cream
- Beverages: coffee, herbal tea, sugar-free sodas and juices, vegetable juices.
types of Food you should avoid in phase 1 :
- Foods with added refined sugar in them like cakes, cookies, brownies…
- Honey, maple syrup, agave…
- All types of fruits
- Fatty cuts of meat and poultry like the thighs
- Butter and coconut oil
- Fruits juices, alcohol, and sweet beverages
- Whole fat milk and cream
- All grains rice, pasta, bread, cereals…
- Starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, squashes, peas, corn, carrot, beets…
