The Relationship of South Beach Diet and Diabetes

According to statistics, around 127 million of Americans are obese or overweight and around 21 million suffer from diabetes. Health authorities were scared of these alarming figures and that is why they have spun into action. For many years, researchers were trying to find out the major causes of obesity and diabetes and recently they found out that the diet is a major cause. A diet that is full of oil, fats, refined flour, processed foods, etc. can make anyone more prone to obesity and diabetes.

So what is the possible solution? The answer is quite simple – change your diet. Dietary habits are hard to change but if you’re determined to prevent obesity and diabetes, you’d better start now.

In order to maintain your overall health, medical fraternities came up with different diet charts. One of the very famous diets ever created is the very popular South Beach Diet. The South Beach Diet was invented by a cardiologist named Doctor Arthur Agatston.

Different communities were taken by storm by the South beach Diet. This diet follows several principles including:

1. Carbohydrates are of two kinds – good and the bad 2. Try to avoid the bad carbohydrates; foods that have GI or glycemic index are high in bad calories so better stay away from them 3. Don’t eat foods high in saturated fats because these types of food can cause cardiovascular complications and arteriosclerosis.

The diet is also divided into three phases wherein most dieters find the first phase very difficult as it is the strictest. The diet is very strict on eating processed foods. Each body is different and the diet can or cannot work for you. It is therefore recommended by the South Beach Diet to have a trial & error method. You have to experiment on different food combinations until such time that you find what is suitable for you.

The last two phases are less strict and the dieter can now gradually eat grains, fruits, and milk products that are low in fat. Processed foods are still discouraged. Only the most nutritious foods that contain good carbohydrates are recommended by the South Beach Diet.

South Beach Diet can reverse the manifestations of type 2 and pre-diabetes. By decreasing the consumption of bad carbohydrates, insulin release is controlled and you will feel less hungry. As you can see, weight gain can lead to diabetes so if you can decrease your chances of gaining weight, you will be less prone to diabetes.

According to American Diabetes Association, the South Beach Diet can’t control diabetes because they don’t believe or approve of GI or glycemic index. They claim that carbohydrates are primarily responsible for increasing weight rather than the glycemic index.

Other doctors also don’t approve of the South Beach Diet for controlling diabetes. They claim that the diet consisting of fruits and grain breads are not sources of good carbs. Insulin levels are affected by intake of grains and fruits. Not only that, Dr. Agatston recommends the intake of artificial sweeteners which is criticized by other doctors because they believe that it will make people more prone to cancer and diabetes.

The South Beach Diet has its share of pros as well as cons. It is therefore up to you whether you will try the diet or not. If you’re a diabetic person, decide whether you need the diet or not.