The South Beach Diet: Pros and Cons

Similar to Atkins, the South Beach Diet restricts the number of carbs you can eat. Also, similar to the Zone Diet, South Beach recommends eating carbs that have a low glycemic index. Foods with a high glycemic index tend to increase your blood sugar faster, higher and longer than do foods with a lower index, leading to overeating and possibly weight gain. Dieters are cautioned to restrict starchy carbs such as potatoes, fruit, bread, rice, and pasta.

As far as fats are concerned, another pro of the South Beach Diet is that it promotes eating “good" polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat. Unlike Atkins, South Beach restricts eating unhealthy saturated and trans fats as well.

The South Beach Diet has three phases. Like the Sonoma Diet, South Beach begins with an preliminary “Induction Phase” that lasts 2 weeks and prohibits all alcohol, rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, and fruit. In the first phase, you focus on eating lean proteins like fish, chicken, turkey, and lean beef. You're also encouraged to eat high-fiber vegetables, low-fat dairy, and healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, and seeds.

In the second phase 2, you start to add back some of the previously banned foods, such as whole-grain breads and pasta, brown rice, fruits, and vegetables. You're encouraged to stay in the second phase until you reach your desired weight loss goal. You stay in this phase until you reach your goal weight.

The third phase is known as the "maintenance" phase, where you maintain your diet for as long as you want to. You're encouraged to eat the same foods you ate in the first two phases, with the occasional indulgence.

The diet has its share of pros and cons that are listed below.

-Promotes healthy fats and discourages saturated and trans fats
-Smaller portion sizes resulting in 5-6 smaller meals per day
-Initial weight loss
-You eat less refined carbohydrates, due to the emphasis on low glycemic index foods

Cons

-Much of the weight lost during the Induction Phase is water weight
-Eating foods such as fruit, whole grain carbohydrates, and potatoes in moderation provide essential nutrients that you may not be getting because of these food restrictions
-Many of the recipes associated with South Beach are expensive and time consuming
-There are no long-term studies that prove the health benefits
-There is not a lot of emphasis on exercise, a key component in losing weight
-The South Beach Diet is a commercial weight-loss diet, not a medical diet prescribed by a doctor

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