What is South Beach Diet?

The South Beach diet was designed by Dr. Arthur Agatston initially as a way to reduce cholesterol and insulin levels in heart disease patients. The basis of the South Beach Diet focus’ on a balance between good fats and good carbohydrate foods while reducing highly processed ‘bad’ carbohydrates and saturated fats. The strict reduction in ‘bad’ carbohydrates such as white breads, pasta, cakes, cookies, pastries and simple sugars is designed to help regulate blood sugar and insulin levels in the body. These ‘bad’ carbs are foods that rank high on the glycemic index and more importantly, high on glycemic load. The glycemic index measures the amount of carbohydrates in a specific food while the glycemic load is a ratio of the carbohydrate and fiber content of foods. Glycemic load is ultimately...