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Top How to Choose the Right Diet Resources
by Eden Thompson

Knowing how to choose the right diet can be a daunting task. Everywhere you look there is a new fad diet or someone is gushing about how much weight they lost doing this and that. But how to choose the right diet for you? An individual’s body type and personality may require a specific diet that is suited especially for you. However, most of America is on a weight loss craze. We are willing to try anything and everything to lose that extra weight. The South Beach Diet is one of the more popular diets that many are using for their weight loss efforts. In this article, we will examine the basics of the South Beach Diet.

The South Beach Diet was created by the cardiologist, Dr. Agatston. He originally created the South Beach Diet for his heart patients. His goal? To improve the patient’s heart health while helping the patient to effectively lose significant amounts of weight. Dr. Agatston states the South Beach Diet is not a low fat or low carb diet but focuses more on the right kinds of fats and carbs. The South Beach Diet is based on the Glycemic Index. It also encourages the addition of “good” fats from monounsaturated sources like olive oil.

So what exactly is the Glycemic Index? Every carbohydrate is scaled between 0-100 on the Glycemic Index. Carbohydrates with a higher value on the Glycemic Index create a rapid rise in blood sugar. Glucose is used as a reference point on the Glycemic Index scale, with a value of 100. What does this mean? Well when your blood sugar level spikes your body starts storing food as fat. So when you eat those high fat foods with the high amounts of sugar it is almost completely turning to fat inside your body.

Now how exactly does the South Beach Diet work? It is divided into three phases. Phase I involves the restriction of most carbohydrates. In theory, Phase I allows the body time to equalize the insulin levels. This phase lasts about two weeks. During this time you’ll have to eliminate sweets, cake, biscuits, ice cream, sugar, alcohol, pasta, fruit, milk, rice, bread, and potatoes from your diet. You are allowed low GI (Glycemic Index) vegetables like cabbage and broccoli, but your focus will be on eating meats that are lean (chicken, fish), eggs, low-fat cheese, olive oil, and certain kinds of nuts.

Phase II requires the reintroduction of low GI foods like granary bread, wholegrain cereals, pasta, low fat milk, and most fruits. You continue in Phase II until you reach your weight goal. Phase III allows the reintroduction of a wide variety of foods aimed at keeping your weight maintained and changing your life style.

If you would like to know more about the South Beach Diet, check out the guides section of Diet Concepts. Knowing how to choose the right diet is a big key to success.