You won't go hungry. The South Beach diet promotes strategic
snacking. You're not doing it right if you don't snack.
There's no counting calories or strict portion sizes. But there's
no gorging, either. The idea is to eat normal portions. To many
of us, normal portions will seem small at first. They are enough
to satisfy hunger, but no more.
Sugar-rich carbs are off the menu. These include rice and potatoes,
and vegetables -- such as beets and corn -- with high sugar content.
Also, there are no pastries or other sugar-filled desserts. And
alcohol is forbidden in the induction phase and limited in the
long-term diet.
Most importantly, it doesn't leave out any major food groups.
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Highly processed carbohydrates cause a cycle of overeating, says
Agatston. White bread, for example, is digested quickly, resulting
in a spike in insulin levels. Once the carbohydrates are used
up, he says, you're left with too much circulating insulin, which
causes your body to crave more food. Eating simple carbohydrates
makes you want to eat more simple carbohydrates, and in the process,
you gain weight, disrupt your lipid levels, and expose your cardiovascular
system to unnecessary stress. "The food we eat has often
already been digested in the factory," says Agatston. "Eating
white bread is like eating table sugar."
A typical South Beach diet breakfast is two eggs and lean bacon.
Lunch is salad greens with grilled chicken. A small amount of
dry-roasted nuts makes up an afternoon snack. Dinner is lean meat
again with fiber-rich vegetables. Cheese and low-fat yogurt are
allowed, as is sugar-free gelatin for dessert.
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