South Beach Diet – Good carbs vs. Bad carbs

South beach is a kind of low carb diet plan which stresses upon the intake of good carbohydrates and total shunning of bad carbohydrates. As is well known, the famous cardiologist and founder of this plan Arthur Agatston had devised this healthy diet plan for his patients who suffered due to high cholesterol and insulin levels.

The current South Beach Diet plan that is doing the rounds among the people is a much varied version of the original plan designed by Dr. Agatston and is counted amongst the best diet plans to lose weight. This is so because the current plan emphasizes more upon the need to lose weight as a result of decrease in the level of carbohydrates and insulin. People who have followed this low carb diet have reported astounding results when it comes to weight loss. Hence, it is little surprising that the South Beach Diet is preferred by several contemporary dietitians.

One thing that confuses a lot of people is the distinction between bad carbohydrates and low carbohydrates. Dr. Agatston insists upon the consumption of good carbohydrates. It is the basis of this healthy diet plan. Now what exactly are good carbohydrates and how do they differ from bad carbohydrates?

The idea is simple and reasonable to understand: good carbohydrates, as they apply to this South Beach low carb diet plan, are those which are consumed in their most natural form with no or minimal amount of processing and modification. For example, fresh fruits are the simplest carbohydrates that can be easily broken up by the body to liberate sufficient amount of energy that lasts for a longer period of time.

Diet plans to lose weight define bad carbohydrates as those that are derived from processed and refined foods. Refined sugar and packaged foods are examples of bad carbohydrates and these are very complex in nature. They are not easily broken up by the insulin in the blood to covert to glucose for the liberation of energy. These are an absolute no for those following a healthy diet plan such as South Beach Diet plan. These bad carbohydrates lead to an increase in the blood sugar level and at the same time the body feels the need to consume more carbohydrates so as to meet its energy requirements.

A low carb diet plan is essentially envisaged to help the body break free of this vicious circle.