Get The Figure You Want
Continuing with our countdown to a credit crunch Christmas, this week we are focusing on diets, starting with The South Beach Diet. Everybody wants to loose a few pounds to make sure they fit into that new party dress so we've decided to look at a few of the different eating plans out there to see which ones are worth doing and which are best avoiding.
The South Beach diet was started by Miami cardiologist Arthur Agatston, a graduate of New York University. It emphasizes the consumption of "good carbohydrates" and "good fats". Dr. Agatston first developed this diet for his cardiac patients based upon his study of scientific dieting research.
"Good carbohydrates" are high in fibre or high in good fats, and have a low glycemic index, that is, they are digested and absorbed slowly. When eating any carbohydrates, Dr. Agatston recommends also eating fibre or fat to slow digestion of the carbohydrates. "Good fats" are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, especially those with omega-3 fatty acids. Saturated and trans fats are bad fats.
The diet has three phases. Phase 1 lasts two weeks and in this time you avoid high or moderately high-glycemic carbohydrates foods such as dairy, sugar, rice, bread, potatoes, fruit, cereals, pasta and grains. Dr. Agatston claims the body will lose its insulin resistance, and begin to use excess body fat in this time, causing many dieters to lose between 8 and 13 pounds.
The theory behind Phase 1 is that there is a switch inside us that affects the way our bodies react to the food we eat and makes us gain weight. When the switch is on, we crave foods that cause us to store fat. According to Dr. Agatston, at the end of the first two weeks the switch has gone from the on to off position. By the time you begin to add some of the forbidden foods back into your diet, your body has had a chance to adjust.
For the first two weeks, dieters eat three normal-size meals, plus snacks in between meals, including meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, cheese, and nuts but no alcohol is allowed. This phase includes three meals a day, plus snacks, encouraging the dieter to eat until their hunger is satisfied.
In phase two some of the forbidden foods are gradually returned to the diet but in small amounts. You can pick which foods to reintroduce but followers should however put more emphasis on foods with a low glycemic index. Red wine is now allowed, but in moderate amounts.
Once you have achieved your target weight you move onto phase 3, the maintenance phase. The diet now expands to include three servings of whole grains and three servings of fruit a day. Providing you stick with phase three you should be able to maintain your desired weight as your cravings for bad food will have subsided.
The good thing about the South Beach Diet is that it does not require counting calories or limiting servings; Agatston suggests dieters eat until they are satisfied.
This diet looks like one worth sticking with, it allows you to still eat but makes users think about changing their habits to become healthier. Of course it is advisable to speak to you doctor before starting a diet and get them to tell you a realistic, healthy target weight.
FemaleFirst - Jessica Watson