South Beach Diet

South Beach Diet: It's a diet prescribed by an experienced cardiologist and is considered heart friendly.

For years, cardiologist Arthur Agatston, M.D. urged his patients to lose weight for the sake of their hearts, but every diet was too hard to follow or its restrictions were too harsh. Some were downright dangerous. Nobody seemed to be able to stick with low-fat regimens for any length of time. And a diet is useless if you can't stick with it.

So Dr. Agaston developed his own. Simple, normal food, very doable and a diet that gets results. No magic, just solid medical know-how applied to your eating habits.

The South Beach Diet isn't complicated, and it doesn't require that you go hungry. You'll enjoy normal-size helpings of meat, poultry, and fish. You'll also eat eggs, cheese, nuts, and vegetables. Snacks are required. You'll learn to avoid the bad carbs, like white flour, white sugar, and baked potatoes. Best of all, you'll lose that stubborn belly fat first!

Dr. Agaston's diet has produced consistently dramatic results (8 to 13 pounds lost in the first 2 weeks!) and has become a media sensation in South Florida. Now you, too, can join the ranks of the fit and fabulous with The South Beach Diet.

Here you'll find also short and to the point information about the glycemic index and how important it is to know which value the carbos have that you eat, and the definition of good fat and bad fat.

Good food and bad food - The Glycemic Index

Dr. Agatston believes that excess consumption of so-called "bad carbohydrates", such as the rapidly-absorbed carbohydrates found in foods with a high glycemic index, creates an insulin resistance syndrome-an impairment of the hormone insulin's ability to properly process fat or sugar. In addition, he believes along with many physicians that excess consumption of "bad fats", such as saturated fat and trans fat, contributes to an increase in cardiovascular disease. To prevent these two conditions, Agatston's diet minimizes consumption of bad fats and bad carbs and encourages increased consumption of good fats and good carbs.

The diet has three phases. In all phases of the diet, Dr. Agatston recommends minimizing consumption of bad fats.

Olive oil is celebrated for its numerous dietary benefits.

Extracted from the fruit of the olive tree, it is high in monounsaturated fats, particularly oleic acid, which have been linked to improved heart health by reducing the risk of heart disease.

Additionally, olive oil is rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin E and polyphenols, which can protect the body against oxidative stress and inflammation. Its consumption is also associated with benefits like lower blood pressure, improved cholesterol levels, and even a reduced risk of stroke.

Incorporating olive oil into one's diet, especially as a replacement for less healthy fats, can contribute to a more balanced and nutritious eating pattern, promoting overall health and longevity.