The South Beach Diet – Supercharged – Does It Work?
It’s Supercharged – Rev Up Your Metabolism
The South Beach Diet has had a makeover, or rather a make-under. Cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agaston creator of the South Beach Diet, has revisited his program adding a “supercharged fitness program” created by physiologist Dr. Joseph Signorile of Miami university. This fitness program is broken down into three phases similar to the phases in the original diet to help you ramp up your level of fitness.
The Diet Revisited
Despite its stricter Phase 1, the South Beach Diet encourages a healthy balanced diet. It provides phased meal-plans and recipes and now includes increased activity through interval training. The new book also includes more vegetarian recipes and 40 new recipes over and above the original book.
The diet itself has not changed much. The new book provides more food selections to choose from in Phases 1 and 2 and includes a new 2-week meal-plan for both Phases as well. Readers are encourage to eat three meals a day with small snacks with an emphasis on lean proteins, low-starch vegetables and low fat dairy products.
The three phases have also remained unchanged with the 2-week stricter Phase 1 limiting intake to low glycemic foods including low starch vegetables, lean protein and low fat dairy. Phase 2 adds some whole grains, fruit and portion controlled sweets and alcohol. Phase 3 increases portions and teaches weight maintenance.
Supercharged Promises
South Beach continues with its infamous promises. The first book promised the reader up to 13 pound weight loss in the first 2 weeks and further promised the weight loss will focus on the tummy region. Experts agree that we can not target weight loss to a particular part of the body so adding the promise of faster weight loss due to twenty minutes of interval training continues the list of unsubstantiated claims.
How it Does Work!
Forget all the claims for super fast targeted tummy weight loss and focus on the diet itself. Experts agree and advocate that low glycemic diets are very good, however they do not advocate the elimination of certain foods namely carbohydrates from a diet. But South Beach’s Phase 2 is something to take a closer look at. The focus on cutting out processed carbohydrates and decreasing sugar is a winning weight loss tip. Most unhealthy eaters eat mainly processed foods, with very little fruits and vegetables. Cutting out processed carbohydrates in Phase 1 of this program can leave many people shaking their heads saying “then what can I eat!” Following the program through its phases may help many readers work towards a healthy balanced diet while increasing their physical fitness.