How To Plan A Meal For Phase 1 Of The South Beach Diet

In 2003, Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist based in Florida, had grown increasingly concerned that the Atkins diet, a program based on the restriction of carbohydrates, encouraged dieters to consume far more saturated fats than was healthy. While it was clear that the diet could produce results, Dr. Agatston believed there was there was a better way to lose weight without increasing a person's risk of diabetes or heart disease. With years of hands-on medical experience to draw upon, Dr. Agatston went to his computer and created a program all his own. With that, the South Beach Diet was born. Both the Atkins and South Beach diet are structurally identical. The main differences between the two diets are that the South Beach diet has less saturated fat and doesn't limit non-starchy vegetables. It also introduces fruits, whole grains, and starchy vegetables into the diet far earlier, during Phase 2, when Atkin's allows only a small amount of fruit. With the South Beach diet, the goal of Phase 1 is to stop the highs and lows in your blood sugar caused by the consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates.

Phase 1 is considered the most difficult of all phases and requires you to give up things like pasta, bread, fruit, and refined sugar. In their place, you would be given high-protein foods like meats, poultry, pork, seafood, and some dairy. You would also be encouraged to eat lots of vegetables and to replace bad fats with healthy ones. While it may seem daunting at first to have to give up bread, fruits, and other foods you love, you won't be starved. Rather, you would be encouraged to eat heartily from a list of low-glycemic foods that are just as filling but far less likely to affect your blood sugar. You may be surprised at how long the list of approved foods is. During Phase 1, you would eat three meals and two snacks per day, alongside an optional sweet. By eating six times a day, the intake of nutrition would essentially be continual and you would be less prone to fluctuations in blood sugar.

With the exception of dairy, there is no restriction on the types of approved foods you can eat. While Dr. Agatston does offer suggested serving sizes, he encourages you to eat a little more if you are hungry rather than feeling deprived. While the serving size of the protein is not limited, you should make every effort not to overeat to where you feel stuffed. To keep satisfied, Dr. Agatston encourages dieters to switch things up as much as possible by finding low-carb recipes that deliver a variety of flavors, such as Italian, Asian, or Mexican. The South Beach diet requires you to eat two snacks per day. The ideal snack would have both a vegetable and protein component. For example, you could stuff celery with tuna salad, dip raw vegetables into a bean dip, or make a lettuce, tomato, and lunch meat roll-up. Nuts are also excellent as they are a great source of protein, fiber, and monounsaturated fat. While dessert is not required on the South Beach diet, it is something that many people enjoy. By and large, many of the approved desserts involve flavored ricotta cheese. There are also a number of tasty sugar-free sweets that weigh in at a mere 75 calories. In the end, any acceptable snack would be fine in the evening if you are hungry. The main goals are to avoid eating out of control and to consume enough to leave you satiated and not stuffed.

Phase one of the Atkins diet plan is also known as the Induction Phase. This phase is the most restrictive, at lasts for at least two weeks. Atkins Diet recipes for phase one or Induction, make it easier to enjoy variety while you lose those first 10 to 15 pounds. This recipe offers spice with a creamy texture that satisfies the taste buds and helps you drop those unwanted pounds. 1. Wash peppers, and cut in half. Strip the seeds and membranes out of the peppers. Be careful not to touch your eyes. If you would like an especially hot pepper, leave a bit of the membrane in, as that is the spiciest part of the pepper. 2. Stuff peppers with cream cheese. 3. Slice bacon in half, and wrap each half pepper with half of a slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick. 4. Grill for 20 to 30 minutes over medium heat.