The South Beach Diet

There are so many diets that Americans can choose from. A diet includes certain

rules and regulations which make it unique or more or less complicated than another diet.

In the end, they all promise the same results – a healthier lifestyle or a weight loss. In this

paper, I will discuss the history, outline, and positive and negative aspects of the South

Beach Diet.

History of the South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is a book called The South Beach Diet: The Delicious,

Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss. It was written by

Doctor Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist and professor at the University of Miami Medical

School, during the 1990’s in South Florida. Doctor Arthur Agatston was inspired to write

his South Beach Diet book after believing that the low fat diet in which the American

Heart Association recommended, didn’t work effectively, and after seeing results in his

patients who had used some of his advice. Dr. Agatston promises that one can lose

between eight and thirteen pounds within the first two weeks of following his South

Beach Diet.

How the South Beach Diet Works

The South Beach diet is broken up into three phases. Phase one is the strictest part

of the diet. It lasts two weeks. In this phase one eats three balanced meals per day (and

also mid-morning, mid-afternoon snacks and a dessert) consisting of vegetables, eggs,

nuts, reduced-fat cheese and lean meats like turkey, chicken and fish. However, in this

phase, one cannot consume yogurt, pasta, potatoes, sugar, fruits (and fruit juices), baked

goods, alcohol, ice cream, sugar, or any starchy foods like bread. According to Dr.

Agatston, phase one helps us to put an end to cravings for foods that cause us to store fat.

Phase two is similar to phase one but not as strict. One is able to eat certain foods

that were banned in phase one. One is in control and can bring back cereal, fruits, pasta

and bread but with moderation and not eat them all at once or as often. Phase two lasts

until one reaches his or her weight loss goal.

Phase three, the final stage, is also called the maintenance stage. One tries to

maintain that weight loss goal. It is the least restrictive phase and only requires that one

continues to eat healthy, continues to follow some of the basic guidelines of Phase two,

and makes good eating choices. Phase three makes the South Beach Diet seem more like

a lifestyle than a diet.

A typical day of meals on the South Beach Diet

In Phase two, a typical day on the South Beach Diet would consist of a breakfast,

a mid-morning snack, lunch, a mid-afternoon snack, dinner, and finally a dessert. For

breakfast, one can have eggs Florentine, two slices of turkey bacon, vegetable juice

cocktail and tea with non-fat milk and no sugar (sugar substitute). As a midmorning

snack one can have a turkey roll-up. For lunch, one can have turkey salad, chicken salad

or tomato soup. As a midafternoon snack, one can have diced tomatoes and low fat

cottage cheese. For dinner, one can have skinless chicken, baked potatoes, and steamed

snow peas. Finally for dessert or snack, one can have peanuts or pistachios and fruits like

grapes or strawberries.

The Good Points about the South Beach Diet

One good thing about the South Beach Diet is that phase one helps people to

loose the urge for certain foods that cause us to store fat. Then after phase one, you have

more options to choose from to eat. Another good point in the South Beach diet is that

you can’t be hungry because of the five different times to eat. The South Beach diet does

not neglect any major food group. Finally, people who have participated in the diet can

continue to loose weight they reached the last phase.

The Bad Points about the South Beach Diet

One bad point about the South Beach Diet is that as Dr. Agatston said, “One must

buy the book to see the results”. Another bad point is, according to Dr. Mercola, that in

the South Beach Diet book, Dr. Agatston claims that French fries and potato chips are

healthier than baked potatoes because of the different fats that they are cooked in. Dr.

Mercola finds Dr. Agatston’s claims outrageous and calls it a ‘dangerous

misinformation’. Another bad point about the South Beach Diet book is that Dr. Agatston

says that while following the diet, one only needs twenty minutes of excerise a day.

However, everyone’s body is different. Some people may need more than twenty minutes

a day. Finally, Dr. Agatston does not include in his book an answer to the emotional

challenges that people may face while following his South Beach Diet.

My Opinion

I think the South Beach Diet book contains some errors and Dr. Agatston does not keep

in mind that everyone’s biochemistry is different. This diet seems like a one-size-fits-all

diet. It is definitely not intended for someone who wants to loose a lot of weight. I think

the diet also requires a lot of self-motivation and perseverance-something that many

people do not have. I would recommend this diet for people who want to loose a few

pounds for an occasion like a reunion or wedding.

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