second look

when i first heard of the South Beach diet, i never got interested. i was curious, yes, but not too curious to really research on it or read on about it. i frowned upon the concept when i heard only snippets about the whole thing like there's this phase when you can't eat fruits and some vegetables. i was thinking, what kind of a diet is that when we were taught that fruits and vegetables are good for our health! little or no knowledge indeed, is dangerous.

on october 15, 2009, Therese gave me the book 'The South Beach Heart Program' by the same author as the South Beach Diet. she wrote and i quote: "be fit, be healthy, be happy. here's cheering you on to your wonderful journey towards fabulousity. that time, i had chest pains and was feeling really heavy that i decided it was really time for a lifestyle change. 5 days after, my father had a tragic accident and died. since then, i never took the effort to slowly start living healthy until three weeks ago when i found this motivation which, i hope, will never fade away. i also didn't open the book given to me until only last week and yesterday when i really took a second look at what all these people are raving about to be effective in losing weight and getting healthy.

i like it! and i am curious and interested to try the South Beach Heart Program. while reading every page, i kept hoping that it's not yet too late for me to start to take steps towards a healthy heart (and life). now i understand why fruits and some vegetables (and even cereals) are not allowed on Phase 1.

"Phase 1 is the shortest phase of the diet lasting only 2 weeks. Phase 1 is for people who have significant cravings for refined starches and sugar or who have a substantial amount of weight to lose. It's also for those who are prediabetic or diabetic, which puts them at higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke. The purpose of this phase is to stabilize blood sugar levels and minimize those cravings."


one of the things i love most about this South Beach concept is that it "does not require us to measure what we eat in ounces, calories or anything else. weighing, measuring and counting are certainly not conducive to a pleasant lifestyle and it is an approach one is unlikely to sustain. it is also unnecessary."  Dr. Agatston says "generally, if you are making the right food choices, portion control takes care of itself. " 


let me share with you the 3 key principles of the South Beach Diet:


1. eat good fats. choose good fats from olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, flaxseed oil, walnut oil, avocados, nuts and fish. omega-3 supplements are also fine.


2. eat good carbs. good carbs include high-fiber, nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables and legumes, and whole grains.


3. eat lean protein. eat eggs, low-fat dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes, white meat poultry, fish, shellfish and lean cuts of meat.

my first 21-day goal will end in two days and i'm thinking of trying out Phase 1 of the South Beach but will have a modified version. :) you see, my uric acid is so high there are a lot of supposedly healthy food i can't eat.  i didn't even know that the heart-healthy oatmeal is very rich in uric acid.

* photo from Amazon.com