An Introduction to the South Beach Diet

An Introduction to the South Beach Diet by Frank Owen

The South Beach Diet was founded by Dr. Arthur Agatston and is similar to the Atkins diet in some ways, such as the rule on following a low carbohydrate diet and avoiding foods like rich, potatoes and pasta.

Members of the South Beach Diet claim that the diet is friendly on the heart and body unlike other low carbohydrate diets currently enjoying popular acclaim, and this is the reason hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world are turning to the South Beach Diet as they are genuinely concerned about their health and heart and don't wish to jeopardise it for the sake of losing a few lbs or stone.

The South Beach Diet is set out in stages, the first being more restrictive as most induction stages to diets are. The first South Beach diet stage which is a 14 day period eliminates the following foods:

- Bread
- Potatoes
- Baked Foods
- Pasta
- Fruit
- Alcohol of any kind

You are however allowed small servings of dairy such as low fat yoghurt and low fat milk.

South Beach diet Stage 2 is where some foods which were eliminated in stage 1 are allowed back in to your diet, but in limited amounts. The foods that you can re-introduce back in to your diet in stage 2 are as follows:

- Tomatoes
- Fruit
- Onions

The last and final stage is simply a maintenance stage and this should last the entire course of your life - that's correct, this diet is for life. If you follow the South Beach diet as it is laid out in the books and materials there is no reason anyone cannot lose weight - you don't even have to do any exercise. It is all about your body burning up more than it uses initially for the weight loss, and then maintaining a moderate diet for life so you don't put any of that extra weight back on.