South beach diet was developed by cardiologist Arthur Agatston to help his patients lose weight and maintain a healthy diet for a lifetime. Take note, the target of his diet program was for a lifetime. South Beach Diet has three phases, Phase I id to Adjust your Metabolism, Phase II is Weight Loss and Phase III is Lifetime Maintenance.

The eating plan gives emphasis on low carbohydrate foods, processed starches, restriction of sweets, white sugar and “unhealthy fats”, and all the protein you want. It specifies minimum amounts of low carb vegetables to be eaten daily that are remarkably close to the recommendations made by the American Diabetes Association and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This diet program does not allow the following during Phase I of the South Beach Diet: candy, cake, cookies potatoes, pasta, bread, rice, baked goods, fruit, ice cream, sugar or alcohol. The focus of this diet should be on foods low on the Glycemic Index level, such as yogurt, cucumbers, broccoli and the likes.