By Admin 
In the 1990s, the Miami-based cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, set out to change the way his patients ate by creating his own healthy diet to protect against serious medical conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The diet took its name from Dr. Agatston’s area of practice, according to the South Beach Diet website, and the approach quickly became popular in the Miami area.
Dr. Agatston’s weight-loss plan was published in 2003 as The South Beach Diet, which has since sold millions of copies.
What Is the South Beach Diet, and What Is Its Purpose?
The South Beach Diet eliminates refined carbohydrates — white flour and sugar are the top culprits. People on the plan are urged to curb carbs and focus on lean protein, low-fat dairy, and healthy carbs — including whole grains, vegetables, and fruit — as a way to lose weight, improve their health, and reduce the cravings that put you in the typical hunger-overeat-gain-weight cycle.
The South Beach Diet is a little different from other low-carb diets like the Atkins diet. For instance, the Atkins diet may require consuming 16.7 percent of calories from saturated fat, according to the Atkins diet website. (2) Meanwhile, the South Beach Diet recommends consuming only 10 to 15 percent of calories from saturated fat in lieu of ramping up consumption of healthy fats.
In addition, the South Beach Diet doesn’t shy away from some types of carbs: “South Beach in the long run encourages a diet that includes complex carbs — whole grains, beans, lentils, etc. — and fruits,” says Natalie Stephens, RD, at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. “If followed as originally recommended, the South Beach Diet ends up looking similar to the DASH diet: lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, lean meats, plant-based oils (not coconut oil), and low-fat dairy. That’s actually a very science-based diet.” Stephens notes that such diets have shown health benefits like lowering cholesterol levels and lowering high blood pressure.
How Does the South Beach Diet Work?
An important emphasis of the South Beach Diet is controlling hunger by eating before it strikes. To that end, the South Beach Diet includes three different phases: Phase 1 is two weeks long and aims to “reset your body” to help burn fat and increase your metabolism, as well as reduce sugar and starch cravings. Phase 2 is for steady weight loss, where you add in good carbs to your diet. Phase 3 is the weight-maintenance phase, where you learn to maintain your new weight without deprivation or hunger. (3)
“The phases help ‘jump-start’ some weight loss,” Stephens explains. “It’s a mental thing: When patients see early success, they’re more likely to stick to the plan.” She notes that the different phases also help acclimate people to a new lifestyle, since phase three is essentially a lifelong choice rather than a “diet.”
Here’s a look at the three-phase program.
A Detailed Look at Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet
Like all the phases of the South Beach Diet, phase 1 allows you to eat three meals, one dessert, and two snacks every day. However, phase 1 of the program is the most limited in terms of food choices: You can eat only lean sources of protein, high-fiber vegetables and legumes, nuts, low-fat dairy including certain cheeses, and good-for-you unsaturated oils like olive oil.
Phase 1 lasts two weeks.
The goals of this phase are to wean you off all the junk food you’ve been eating, limit choices so you don’t have to overthink your diet, and stop cravings by getting your blood sugar under control.
“The way to control overeating is to control blood sugar and your insulin response by eating every three to four hours, and eating a high-fiber diet with whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and heart-healthy fats,” says Barbara Schmidt, RDN, who is in private practice in New Canaan, Connecticut.
Refined carbs affect blood sugar control. Have too many refined carbs at any one time — a big bagel, for instance — and you’ll be hungry again sooner, and more apt to eat something you shouldn’t be eating, explains Schmidt, adding that, on the whole, the South Beach Diet restricts those troublesome carbs better than other diets.
A Sample Menu of Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet
Here is a suggested menu for phase 1 from the South Beach Diet website: (4)
Breakfast South Beach Complete shake
Snack Plain Greek yogurt with fresh dill and lemon juice, along with celery sticks and cherry tomatoes
Lunch Grilled chicken, ½ an avocado, and cooked broccoli
Snack South Beach Diet Peanut Chocolate Bar
Dinner Baked salmon, white beans, sautéed cabbage and garlic
Evening Snack Almonds
What Phase 2 of the South Beach Diet Looks Like
In phase 2 of the South Beach Diet, you’ll add whole grains and fruits to your diet, and you will stay on this phase of the weight-loss plan until you reach your goal. “These carbohydrate-rich foods are high in fiber and [are low on the] glycemic index — these good-carb choices have more staying power, take a long period to be processed and absorbed by the body, and prevent the purported fluctuations in blood glucose and quick secretions of insulin,” explains Susan Kraus, RD, a clinical dietitian based in New Jersey.
According to the South Beach Diet website, in phase 2, you can have: (5)
1 serving per day of fruit, such as a small banana, 2 medium plums, or a cup of mixed berries (such as strawberries and blueberries)
1–2 servings per day of starchy vegetables such as ½ cup of winter squash or sweet potato
Some good carbohydrates, such as 3 cups of air-popped popcorn, 1 small tortilla, etc.
You will still want to avoid foods like:
Refined carbs, including white bread, white pasta, and rice cakes
White potatoes
Fruit juices
Dried fruits with added sugar
Sweets like ice cream, honey, and jam
A Sample Menu of Phase 2 of the South Beach Diet
Breakfast Breakfast pita with spinach, eggs, and feta cheese, vegetable juice, and tea or coffee
Snack Assorted vegetables with a cilantro and pesto dip
Lunch Curried turkey and greens salad
Snack Apple and peanut butter sandwiches
Dinner Edamame appetizer, Louisiana-style shrimp and rice, baked tomatoes topped with Parmesan cheese
Dessert South Beach Diet–style tiramisu