The South Beach diet has been conceived from the beginning as something more than a slimming diet. American cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston developed it to help his patients suffering from diabetes and heart disease lose weight, but also to protect them from stroke and heart attack. For an epidemic of obesity, Dr. Agatston blamed the sedentary lifestyle and eating processed sugared foods simple and fat, but low in fiber and complex sugars. He proved that such food causes excessive fluctuation in blood glucose levels and causes hunger attacks or an irresistible desire for „something sweet”. If we succumb to temptation, then again we will increase the concentration of glucose in our blood, and after a short time our body will ask for another portion of food. We will eat more than we should and certainly get fat, and by the way we will fall into a difficult scheme. How to get out of it and start eating healthy?
According to Agatston, Phase 1 is to serve this. It lasts only two weeks and it is to eliminate hunger pangs and normalize blood sugar levels. Usually, we also apparently lose weight. To achieve this, we exclude from the diet all simple sugars, even those contained in fruits or sweet vegetables, and starch contained in rice, pasta and bread. We do not drink alcohol under any substation as well as fruit and sweetened drinks juices. It is recommended to eliminate or limit up to 1 cup a day of coffee and black tea. We reach for lean protein (fish, chicken, turkey, lean red meat and soy), we eat vegetables in any amount, beans, cheeses with a reduced fat content, nuts, eggs and so-called. „Good” fats, for example, olive oil or rapeseed oil. It is recommended to eat 3 normal meals and 2 smaller so-called snacks. It is important not to prolong Phase 1 and after 2 weeks go to the next or 2.
At this stage, we are introducing whole fruits, whole-grain pasta al dente, brown rice and some root vegetables into the diet. We can drink a glass of white or red wine from time to time. And let’s continue to lose weight, although not as fast as in phase 1. Phase 2 lasts differently until reaching the assumed body mass. Then we can start phase 3, that is, live and eat healthy until the end of a long life! In phase 2, we usually learn to recognize healthy products and we already know how to take good care of our body. Now you just have to use it. Of course, nothing is forbidden, we can be tempted by an unhealthy dessert, but because we already know that it is not good for our health – we quickly return to healthy eating habits.
It should be remembered, however, that by choosing a slimming diet, we should consider its impact on our health. The more prohibited products, the harder it is to get all the necessary ingredients. Using the schematic diets of South Beach diets based on the same dishes can lead to a deficiency of minerals and vitamins in our body. We need a lot of knowledge to develop a full-value menu based on authorized products.
It is also important not to prolong phase I of the diet – it is very strict and prohibits eating many valuable foods and the food we need, and thus may disturb our metabolism. Taking large amounts of protein for a long time affects the functioning of the kidneys and liver, acidifies our body and affects the calcium economy.
According to me, South Beach diet is an interesting slimming diet divided into phases of varying degrees of difficulty, but also having different assumptions and goals. It is important that the last phase is simply a recommendation for healthy, rational nutrition for the rest of your life.
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