Authored by Dr. Arthur Agatston (along with South Beach Diet Supercharged), a cardiologist at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, the South Beach Diet is a healthier version of decreased carbohydrate diets like the Atkins Diet and The Zone. It was created for the purpose of lowering cholesterol for heart patients and those with diabetes. The regimen focuses on the consumption of complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean fats and proteins. It eliminates simple carbohydrates almost entirely (sweets, pasta, most bread, etc.) and aggressively restricts carbohydrate consumption during the weight loss phase of the diet, similar to Atkins.
The South Beach Diet is simply going to lower caloric intake for those who follow it, hence weight loss. The book does focus on decreased carbohydrate consumption in a healthier manner, but the book falls into the trap of marketing itself in a similar manner as all fad diets: they clearly know what appeals to desperate, overweight people and they use the common buzzwords in this business such as, "lose weight fast", "13 Pounds in 2 weeks", "cravings were gone", "never unsatisfied." Overly optimistic claims are certainly dubious when lasting weight loss is difficult, as we all know.
If you are a diabetic or a cardiac patient you have little choice but to accept the long-term change. If one is overweight and unhealthy without life-threatening health problems, summoning the power to change your lifestyle in the long-term is more difficult. Any diet will be effective if you can stick to it, including the South Beach Diet, but that's the cruel catch-22 of nearly every diet.
Certainly any diet whose focus is lowering bad cholesterol and at the same time helping you to lose weight, will greatly benefit your health. If you can stick to the South Beach Diet, it is a decent choice, but that's the problem with any weight loss plan. Book-based programs suffer from a lack of active support structure and easy access to informational resources pertaining to nutrition, exercise, and motivation. The good news is that basic nutrition and exercise will almost always decrease your cholesterol levels.
There is no miracle in the South Beach Diet, only a market-savy manner of packaging and selling some common sense advice.
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