The South Beach Diet
The South Beach Diet is a relatively new diet that's become quite popular in recent years. And it's become so popular because it works so well.
The South Beach Diet is thought to be a low carb diet, but in reality it actually isn't. Part of the diet involves cutting carbs and simple sugars yes, but that's not the entire story. The South Beach Diet doesn't actually advocate eating no carbohydrates each day. Instead, it focuses on teaching you the difference between good carbs and bad carbs.
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Bad carbs are those that cause your blood sugar to rapidly spike very high, and leave you with hunger pangs and cravings within just an hour or two of eating them. Good carbs on the other hand, are more nutritious, filled with fiber, and leave you satiated for longer periods of time.
The South Beach Diet doesn't just focus on carbs alone though. It also teaches you about good fats and bad, plus good and bad protein sources too. It goes on to give you an introduction to the Glycemic Index, and explains how that simple system can play a major role in weight gain or loss.
Now, the South Beach Diet does start out as a lower carb diet plan. It is not as restrictive as some, and the entire goal of the beginning is to help you start losing weight, and to help you kill the everyday sugar cravings. Because once you've gotten rid of the worst of your sugar cravings, it's much easier to choose the foods you eat more sensibly.
So the first stage of The South Beach Diet does restrict carbohydrates. In general, you're allowed approximately 30 grams of carbs per day during this stage of the diet plan. Normal eating based on the standard United States food pyramid usually involves a daily carbohydrate intake of more like 300 grams, so this can be a major change for some people. The hardest part though, is cutting out the sweets and snacks. Some people are addicted to cakes and cookies, while others have a weakness for breads and pastries instead. And letting go of these types of foods even for a temporary period can be quite difficult.
Over time though, you're allowed to add them back into your daily meals sensibly. By the time you get to that point though, you'll know a lot more about good carbs and bad, as well as how each works within your particular body.
Contrary to popular belief, The South Beach Diet does not advocate getting rid of vegetables. In fact, that is one food type that is strongly encouraged with this eating plan right from the beginning. Some vegetables have more carbs that others of course, but it's the type of carb that's most important... not the amount.
Note: Some statements in this article may not be approved by the FDA. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional medical advice.
