South Beach

Question 1

What are the two outcomes targeted by the South Beach Diet

Answer 1

1) Better cardiovascular health

2) Losing weight

Question 2

What is the most likely cause of too much belly fat?

Answer 2

Too much insulin

Question 3

How do you fight insulin resistance?

Answer 3

Mainly, remove the BAD carbs from your diet.

Also exercise (in particular weight training) has been shown to help

Question 4

What are considered “good carbs’?”

Answer 4

1) Vegeatbles
2) Fruits
3) Whole Grains

Question 5

What is the first principle of the South Beach diet?

Answer 5

Permit good carbs and restrict the bad ones (highly processed where fiber has been removed)

Question 6

How might you summarize the diet big picture? (South Beach)

Answer 6

Our major concern is that dieters eat good carbs and good fats.

Once that’s all under control, portions and percentages take care of themselves.

Question 7

What impact do refined carbs have on hunger levels?

Answer 7

Refined carbs cause rapid changes in blood sugar levels, stimulate further hunger, thereby encouraging overeating and obesity.

With the subsequent blood sugar crash, hunger levels spike.

Question 8

What types of carbs are allowed in the 1st 2 weeks? (South Beach)

Answer 8

To accomplish this, we must cut off all carbs but the healthiest ones. This means we’ll allow those highest in fiber and nutrients and lowest in sugars and starches—vegetables and salads only, in other words, at least for these 2 weeks.

Question 9

What is the South Beach view of portion control?

Answer 9

In general, don’t focus on portion sizes, but rather on eating the right foods. Good carbs and good fats.

No portion control or calorie counting needed.

Question 10

Should I be worried about eating fish too often?

Answer 10

Several diet studies have shown that eating fish a few times a week prevents heart attacks and strokes.

Question 11

What’s the short list of foods you can eat on Phase 1? (5 - South Beach)

Answer 11

1) Vegetables - lots of them
2) Fish
3) Lean proteins (eggs, chicken, beef, pork, etc)
4) Low to no fat dairy
5) Nuts (limited)

Question 12

What can you add on Phase 2? (South Beach)

Answer 12

Fruit and high fiber carbs

Question 13

Which foods make you gain weight the fastest?

Answer 13

As we’ve seen, the equation behind most obesity is simple:

The faster the sugars and starches you eat are processed and absorbed into your bloodstream, the fatter you get.

This is crucial to understanding how your body operates: The more food is preprocessed, the more fattening it will be.

Question 14

How can eating make you hungry?

Answer 14

Eating does put an immediate end to hunger.

But some foods also create new cravings by making you hungrier than you would be if you hadn’t eaten them.

Specifically I want to emphasize what all the studies show: Eating bad carbohydrates—especially highly processed ones—creates cravings for more bad carbs,

Question 15

Since quickly absorbed carbs make you fat, what can slow down their absorption? (4)

Answer 15

1) Fiber
2) Fat
3) Protein
4) Acid (like lemon or vinegar)

Question 16

How does the speed of carb absorption relate to hunger levels?

Answer 16

Slower digestion of carbs, less insulin.

Less insulin, less dramatic drop in blood sugar.

Less of a sugar rise and fall now, less hunger later.

Question 17

What are 2 strategies to help fight overeating?

Answer 17

Therefore, we can most easily stop ourselves from overeating by two strategies:

1. We can eat the foods (and combinations of foods) that cause gradual rather than sharp increases and decreases in blood sugar.
2. We can learn to anticipate hypoglycemia and avert it with the timely consumption of snacks. This one is crucial: It takes much less food to prevent hypoglycemia than it does to resolve it.

Question 18

What causes the body to store fat in the midsection?

Answer 18

Excess insulin

Question 19

What is a good indicator of insulin resistance?

Answer 19

Belly fat. It’s a strong indicator of prediabetes

Question 20

What does Dr Agatson say about a beer belly?

Answer 20

People usually refer to central obesity by some cute euphemism—it’s a paunch, a beer gut, a potbelly.

But to me it’s a serious warning of unhealthy blood chemistry today and cardiac trouble ahead.

Question 21

What is the cause of strong food cravings?

Answer 21

It’s the high level of sugar in the bloodstream and then the rapid plunge (when you finally produce enough insulin) that causes your sharp food cravings.

Question 22

How can you help prevent overeating while at a restaurant?

Answer 22

Eat a protein filled snack about 15 minutes before you go.

That will give your mind enough time to register that you aren’t starving, and help you avoid loading up on carbs before the meal arrives.

Question 23

How long does it take your brain to recognize that you’re full?

Answer 23

Approx. 20 minutes

Question 24

When should you eat your snacks? (Phase 1)

Answer 24

You’ll be urged to have snacks in the midmorning and midafternoon, whether you need to or not. You’ll have dessert after dinner.

Question 25

Where would you expect to see visible loss of fat during phase 1? (South Beach)

Answer 25

Most of that weight will come off your midsection, aka “belly fat”

Question 26

Why does the South Beach Diet work?

Answer 26

The weight loss doesn’t happen because you’re trying to eat less. Rather, you’ll be eating fewer of the foods that created those bad old urges, fewer of the foods that caused your body to store excessive fat.

The losses happen as a result of THAT change.

Question 27

What is insulin resistance?

Answer 27

An impairment of the hormone insulin’s ability to properly process fuel, or fats and sugars.

As a result, the body stores more fat than it should, especially in the midsection.

Question 28

How do you fight insulin resistance?

Answer 28

Decrease the consumption of those “bad” carbs, studies showed, and the insulin resistance starts clearing up on its own.

Question 29

Why do carbs make you fatter than fat?

Answer 29

When we eat fats, we become satiated. As a result, we know when to stop eating. Refined carbs cause rapid changes in blood sugar levels, stimulate further hunger, thereby encouraging overeating and obesity.

Question 30

Why does South Beach recommend unsaturated fats?

Answer 30

The known adverse effects of saturated fats do not occur when UNsaturated fats are consumed.

Question 31

How does the diet aim to keep the blood levels at a clean slate?

Answer 31

We will accomplish that simply by not introducing any bad carbs into your system.

Question 32

What is the condition at the heart of most weight problems?

Answer 32

The inability of your body to process sugars and starches properly.

Early insulin resistance

Question 33

Why is skipping breakfast a bad idea?

Answer 33

The problem is that this allows blood sugar to drop and therefore hunger to increase over the course of the morning, resulting in powerful cravings for a lunch that includes carbs of questionable value—the very kind guaranteed to keep you overweight. So, skipping breakfast is a bad idea, especially if you’re trying to fight off obesity.