South Beach is the latest diet craze to come out of the States, this time from the sun-kissed bays of Florida rather than the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. So far, more than five million copies of the book have been sold and, with a place in the New York Times bestseller list for more than a year, it's popularity seems set to stay.
So just what is all the buzz about?
Quite simply, this diet is top of the popularity stakes because it promises great things. As well as claiming you can lose up to a staggering 13lb in just two weeks, it suggests you can also expect to lose most of that weight from your tummy. And who could resist a promise like that?
What sort of diet is it?
Dr Agatston, a leading American cardiologist, originally created the South Beach diet for his heart patients. While his main aim was to improve their heart health, he discovered that as a side effect of the diet they also lost significant amounts of weight. He claims this isn't a low-carb or low-fat diet - instead it focuses on eating the 'right' carbs and the 'right' fats. In fact, the South Beach Diet is based on the GI Diet. In practice, the diet severely restricts carbohydrates in the first two weeks, before gradually re-introducing those with a low glycaemic index. Plus it recommends swapping saturates for unsaturates.
What's the theory?
The South Beach Diet follows the same principles of other diets based on the Glycaemic Index. When we've eaten, the carbohydrates in food get broken down into sugars, which are then absorbed into the blood causing a rise in blood sugar. In response, the hormone insulin is released from the pancreas to remove the sugar from the blood.
Carbohydrate-rich foods with a high glycaemic index, like bagels, cornflakes, white bread and jacket potatoes cause a rapid rise in blood sugar, resulting in the release of a large amount of insulin to deal with this. This causes blood sugar levels to drop rapidly, leaving you lacking in energy, craving more carbs and quickly feeling hungry so that you eat again. If this pattern is frequently repeated, you're likely to gain weight as a result a constantly overeating. But on top of this, over time the body becomes resistant to the action of insulin and when this happens, the body becomes more effective at storing fat - especially around our middle! No surprises then that to lose weight, foods with a high GI are out!
In contrast, carbs with low glycaemic index such as pasta, pulses and porridge slowly release sugar into the blood, providing a steady supply of energy and leaving you feeling satisfied for longer. This means you get fewer carb cravings, don't constantly feel hungry and so are less likely to overeat. Plus there's less chance that your body will become resistant to the effects of insulin with the result that it continues to burn fat efficiently. Foods with a low GI are therefore recommended if you want to lose weight. |
