The South Beach Diet

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Like other diets The South Beach Diet is based on the Glycaemic Index. After you eat the carbs in food get broken down into sugars, which are absorbed into the blood causing your blood sugar to rise. Because of this insulin is released from the pancreas to remove the sugar from the blood.
Carb-rich foods with a high GI are off limits if you want to lose weight. Foods like bagels, white bread, cornflakes, and potatoes cause a sudden rise in blood sugar, which results in the release of a large amount of insulin to deal with this. Because of this blood sugar levels drop rapidly, which leaves you with very little energy, carving even more carbs, and feeling hungry again very quickly. If this pattern is repeated normally you are likely to gain weight.

Carbs with low GI like pasta, pulses, and porridge release sugar into the blood slowly, which gives you a steady supply of energy and makes you feel satisfied longer. These foods are recommended if you want to lose weight.
The South Beach Diet works in three phases. In the first phase most carbs are banned to give your body a rest from fluctuating blood sugar and insulin levels. This is also theorized to help to resolve insulin resistance. The first phase lasts 14 days. In phase two low GI carbs are reintroduced. Foods like fruits, granary bread, wholegrain cereals, and pasta should be eaten until your target weight is reached. The third phase introduces an even wider variety of foods. This phase is supposed to help keep your weight steady and the diet recommends you stay on this for life.

Most nutrition experts are not very happy with the recommended weight loss. General guidelines recommend losing no more than 2lb a week for good health. Experts are concerned that this diet promotes too large of a weight loss in the first two weeks. This is said to be very unhealthy and is only cause because of the simple fact that you are cutting out all the carbs, resulting in a severe calorie restriction.

There are a few diets out there that i would recommend over The South Beach Diet. However The South Beach Diet is a very good diet and because it also takes heart health into consideration i agree with this diet and recommend it.