One of the most well-known diets in the history is the South Beach Diet. The reason behind is because people who are under this type of diet program do not feel deprived as far as their food choices go. This diet is also amazingly effective because it doesn’t totally eliminate the presence of carbs in its meals; instead it differentiates a good carb from the bad one. A south beach diet, unlike other low-carb diets, has a vast selection of foods that a dieter can eat, which is why a lot of people find it easy to adhere to this diet program, thus resulting to a successful weight loss.
The basic principle of a low-carb diet program is that if our body runs low of our primary energy source, which is carbohydrates, it will tap into our fats as its alternative source of energy, thus burning it in the process. This South Beach diet was put together by Dr. Arthur Agatston. He was motivated to create this type of diet program after seeing many of his patients gaining little success with an ordinary low-carb diet plan. As a cardiologist, his primary concern was to create a diet that can help a person develop a healthy heart, and since he couldn’t find such a diet during that time, he decided to create one, hence the South Beach diet was born.
When you go for a South Beach diet, you reduce your weight in a healthier way, and you’ll see amazing results around your thighs,
hips and tummy. What’s best is that you’ll also be able to gain control over your food cravings because you’re just like losing weight while still being able to eat great-tasting foods. This type of diet program won’t ask so much of your time counting calories or weighing your food servings. You will be eating normally and I mean normal-sized meals and two snacks per day. Your meal plans are even flexible because there’s a wide variety to choose from. You just decide what sounds appealing to you any day.
The South Beach diet has three phases. Phase 1 is the strictest phase of all and will last for 2 weeks. You get to eat normal portions in every meal but you are not allowed to eat any types of carbohydrates. Lean meats such as turkey, chicken, shellfish and fish are emphasized. Low-fat cheese, eggs and nuts are also allowed as wells as veggies with low-glycemic-index. If followed religiously, the dieter can expect a weight loss of approximately eight to twelve pounds. Once you reach Phase 2, you will be gradually allowed to eat the foods that were restricted on Phase 1. Your expected weight loss while on the second phase of the diet is around one to two pounds per week. You will remain on this phase until you reach your desired weight goal. It then goes without saying that Phase 3 will be for maintenance purposes and should be your diet for life. Phase 3’s goal is to maintain your desired weight through following a healthy balanced diet. If and when your weight begins to climb, you’ll need to return to Phase 1.
Many people start their diets with a groan and it is not because they are groaning about the prospect of being healthy! Far too many people believe that eating healthily equals eating in a dull and uninteresting fashion, but when you are on the South Beach Diet, nothing could be further from the truth.
One of the main benefits when it comes to trying this popular diet is that the South Beach Diet recipes are quite easy but still extremely varied when it comes to the dishes that you prepare. Because the South Beach Diet is more focused on getting you to think about your nutritional choices rather than having you simply cut foods that you like out entirely, you’ll find that preparing food on the South Beach Diet plan is never a chore. The ample variety of recipes can often make one wonder “Does the South Beach Diet Work?” since it’s unlike most diets.
One thing that you will realize is that the South Beach Diet does encourage you to learn to cook a lot of seafood. Whether you have always been a fan of fish, or you have never really eaten it before, you’ll find that many South Beach recipes that involve seafood are both easy and delicious. For instance, you’ll find that shrimp that has been sauted with zucchini is a great way to enjoy large and tasty Gulf shrimp, and that grilled salmon that has been prepared with rosemary can be an excellent main course to any dinner.
When you are learning to cook South Beach Diet recipes, you might be a little alarmed at the lack of grains (This leads to the popular question “Is the South Beach Diet Safe?”. While keeping in mind that grains will be returned after the South Beach Diet Phase 1, you’ll find that your craving for grains can be amply replaced through eggs, salads and roasted vegetables (grains return in the South Beach Diet Phase 2).
When you are looking to add a little bit of savor to your vegetable dishes, cover them lightly and toss with olive oil. Not only is olive oil permissible through all phase of the South Beach Diet (see what’s on the South Beach Diet menu), you’ll also find that it imparts a wonderfully delicate taste to your veggies.
When you are looking for South Beach Diet recipes, you will also notice that you have many options when it comes to soup. You’ll find that there are many different options for you to take advantage of, including egg drop soup, which can be made easily through using eggs or egg whites, and and tomato bisque, which is thick and satisfying and can be used for a light lunch or as an excellent side to a meat dish at dinner.
When you are thinking “What Can I Eat on the South Beach Diet?”, you can bet that you’ll never run out of options. Take some time to really think about what is available to you, and you’ll soon see that you have literally hundreds of South Beach recipes to explore.
