|
|||||||||||
 |
Weightloss for Men
The South Beach DietIs it a foolproof plan for healthy weight loss or just another fad? A South Beach convertWhen Peter Farkas, 54, of Allentown was on the Atkins diet, bacon, steak and sausage were his staple foods. A blocked artery forced him to change his ways. He switched to the South Beach diet and lost 10 pounds. Today, he regularly dines on whole-wheat pasta and salad (minus the extra meat sauce and butter-soaked garlic bread). “I’m not hungry for seconds anymore,” he says. “But I do allow myself to cheat once a week, and that helps me stick with it.” How to Spot a Fad DietBeware of a diet that:
What’s it all about?Choosing carbs with care—South Beach differs in approach from other popular diets. “It promotes eating the ‘right carbs,’ high-fiber and unprocessed foods like whole-grain bread, beans, and fruits and vegetables,” says registered dietitian Kathleen Hanuschak of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.“Your body needs carbohydrates,” she says. “They feed your brain and give you energy.” However, most of us eat more than we need—and what’s more, we eat the wrong kind. The “wrong carbs,” such as sugar, white rice, and refined-flour bread and pasta, lack essential nutrients and make you feel hungry. “Your blood sugar rises and drops quickly, triggering cravings,” says Hanuschak’s colleague, registered dietitian Mildred Bentler. “You grab the chips and candy, and it becomes a vicious cycle. Eating the right carbs, on the other hand, evens out blood sugar and you don’t get as hungry.” In this respect, she says, South Beach can be a helpful approach for people with diabetes. Many are in the habit of counting carbs without realizing some are better than others. Choosing heart-healthy fats—Unlike the Atkins diet, South Beach avoids harmful fats in favor of heart-healthy ones. Whole milk, beef, butter and fast foods take a back seat to olive oil, canola oil, peanuts and fish. “You don’t eliminate any food you need,” Bentler says. “And your body isn’t forced into ketosis, a process in which muscle is burned for fuel.” Combine the right fats and the right carbs and you have a winning diet, according to the American Heart Association. “Diets low in saturated fat and high in fiber-rich foods like oatmeal, beans and citrus fruit are shown to help lower cholesterol,” says cardiologist Michael Rossi, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. How well does it work?Although South Beach seems easy (you don’t have to count calories, carbs or fat grams), the first two weeks can be challenging. You “detox” from carbohydrates by eliminating sugar, starch and fruit. Most people drop pounds quickly, since total calorie intake in this phase is less than half the normal daily recommendation.During the next two phases, you gradually introduce foods low on the glycemic index, which measures how fast and high blood sugar rises after you eat a particular food. If you want to lose more than 10 pounds and need a kick-start, “the first phase can help, and it’s safe because it isn’t forever,” Bentler says. “If you just want to drop a few pounds, consider beginning with phase two.” Long-term, programs like South Beach can be easier to stick with because they allow “casual indulgences,” Bentler says. “You can have dessert and a glass of wine occasionally; just don’t overdo.” A word of caution: the South Beach diet is not for children. Any low-carb diet can rob them of the carbohydrates they need for energy, along with other nutrients vital to healthy growth. For adults, the major concern with this diet is that it’s still so new. “No studies have examined the long-term effects of the diet and its impact on heart disease, stroke, diabetes or the ability to maintain weight loss,” Rossi says. “The proven way to lose weight and protect your heart is to exercise and eat less—but keep it balanced with whole grains, fruits, vegetables and foods low in saturated fat.”
Want to Know More about weight loss and heart health?
The Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease teaches you how to eat right, exercise and relieve stress.
Call 610-402-CARE. This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
ARTICLE TOOLS:
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
||||||
