Yes, today is my first day for South Beach Diet as I previously blogged.  Nothing fancy, just plain healthy eating.  No sweets, no carbs, no fatty foods.  Will eat food that are low in glycemic index to stop me from craving.  I weighed this morning, let’s see what happens after the 14 days. Hoping a healthier me after this.

According to Wikipedia, here’s what’s written about it…

The South Beach Diet is relatively simple in principle. It replaces “bad carbs” and “bad fats” with “good carbs” and “good fats.”

“Good carbs” vs “bad carbs”

According to Agatston, hunger cycles are triggered not by carbohydrates in general, but by carbohydrate-rich foods that the body digests quickly, creating a spike in blood sugar. Such foods include the heavily refined sugars and grains that make up a large part of the typical Western diet. The South Beach Diet eliminates these carbohydrate sources in favor of relatively unprocessed foods such as vegetables, beans, and whole grains. Carbohydrate sources are considered “good” only if they have a low glycemic index.

“Good fats” vs “bad fats”

Given that South Beach Diet was designed by a cardiologist, it should be no surprise that it eliminates trans-fats and discourages saturated fats. Although foods rich in these “bad fats” do not contribute to the hunger cycle, they do contribute to LDL cholesterol and heart disease. The South Beach Diet replaces them with foods rich in unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acid which contribute to HDL cholesterol and provide other health benefits. Specifically, the diet excludes the fatty portions of red meat and poultry, replacing them with lean meats, nuts, and oily fish.

Phases

Agatston divides the South Beach Diet into three phases, each progressively becoming more liberal. “Phase 1″ lasts for the first two weeks of the diet. It eliminates all sugars, processed carbohydrates, fruits, and some higher-glycemic vegetables as well. Its purpose is to eliminate the hunger cycle and is expected to result in significant weight loss. “Phase 2″ continues as long as the dieter wishes to lose weight. It re-introduces most fruits and vegetables and some whole grains as well. “Phase 3″ is the maintenance phase and lasts for life. There is no specific list of permitted and prohibited foods. Instead, the dieter is expected to understand the basic principles of the diet and live by the principles.