Best Low Carb Diet

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Author:
Ian Mason

What is the South Beach Diet and what are its benefits and its drawbacks? The South Beach Diet is the creation of cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, director of the Mount Sinai Cardiac Prevention Center in Miami Beach, Fla. And like the Atkins Diet, Dr. Agatston’s South Beach Diet also limits the intake of carbohydrates as well as including a severely restrictive two week induction phase that is followed by a long term diet. So this means that potatoes, fruit, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, beets, carrots, and corn are no longer allowed, especially during the induction phase. So, with the aforementioned similarities, you may be wondering where Atkins and South Beach actually differ.

First of all, while Atkins promotes the obscene consumption of saturated animal fats, South Beach bans all unhealthy fats while, on the other hand, promoting the consumption of healthier unsaturated fats. The other difference can be found in their opposing views of carbohydrates. The South Beach diet doesn’t count grams of carbohydrates and low-sugar carbs are actually recommended. Therefore, South Beach is unable to be pegged as simply as “low-carb” unlike the Atkins diet, and it’s stance on fats disqualifies it from being labeled a “low-fat” diet as well. One of the more beneficial points that the South Beach Diet makes is for people to snack throughout the day so that hunger pangs are offset and their metabolism remains elevated. Actual meal portions will be just large enough to satisfy one’s hunger but no larger. Another point that many diets such as South Beach are stressing is insulin control by eating less refined carbs and more complex, fiber-rich carbs that will keep your energy levels high and your risk for diabetes low.

But what about this harsh induction phase? As mentioned above, one must begin the South Beach Diet with what they call an induction phase that lasts for 14 days. During these 14 days, one’s choices for food are limited greatly. Foods to avoid include bread, cereal, fruit, pasta, rice, potatoes, and alcohol. While one can have dairy products, only two servings of low-fat or non fat dairy are permitted during induction. Once the induction phase is over, and your carb cravings have waned, you can now begin to reincorporate some carbs back into the diet. However, most foods are still banned, but things like pasta can be had occasionally. This diet is maintained until you reach your target weight.

Now, South Beach is not as wonderful as Dr. Agatston would like for you to believe. In my opinion, any diet that includes a highly restrictive period that leaves people nutritionally unbalanced is not a good idea. Furthermore, most of the weight lost during induction turns out to be water weight, therefore disrupting the electrolyte balance and leaving you dehydrated. Lastly, the induction phase is a necessary stage, yet it is a nearly impossible challenge for many to go without grains, pasta, and fruit for two weeks. And for the uninitiated, this induction phase simply asks for too much too soon. So, Dr. Agatston’s heart appears to be in the right place, but one-size-fits-all diets like the South Beach Diet appear to be more trouble than they are worth.

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A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Popular Diet... Why You Don't Need to Count Calories On Your Low Carb Diet One major upside of many low carb diets, such as Rob Faigin's Natural Hormone Enhancement and The Atkins Diet, is that you do not need to reduce the amount of calories you eat. In fact, in many cases, you can increase or maintain the amount of calories you regularly consume and still rapidly lose weight. Carbohydrates are the only thing you will have to monitor closely. If you want to sustain regular weight loss, you will need to keep your carb consumption well within the bounds of your suggested prescription from your doctor, dietitian, or low carb diet plan. As a low carb dieter, you won't need to monitor your protein intake. If anything, you will want ensure you are consuming enough. Protein will complement your weight loss--especially if you are following some type of exercise regimen--by building muscle, which allows you to burn fat much faster. If your muscles are sore after your regular exercise regimen, you should try to boost your protein intake. Otherwise, you are probably consuming enough--and this is not something you need to worry about. Another thing you should consider is whether or not you are getting enough exercise. Building muscle can seriously expedite your weight loss, especially when you are on a low carb, high protein diet. If you haven’t started one already, you should consider adding some minor aerobic exercise--such as walking 3-5 times each week-- and weight training--such as squats and bench presses--to your dietary plan, even if it isn’t required. The last thing you need to consider is your fat intake. While most low carb diets don’t give any suggested fat-calorie caps, they will tell you to eat a "moderate" amount--and to stick mainly to good...