Diet like Atkins, minus the extremism

BY RHODA FUKUSHIMA Pioneer Press

Posted on Sun, May. 11, 2003

link to article

To test his new diet, Miami cardiologist Arthur Agatston became his own guinea pig.

In a week, he had lost nearly 8 pounds eating "good carbs and good fats." He thought he was onto something that could help his heart patients. Eventually, that became the basis for his new book, "The South Beach Diet," which debuted at No. 3 on the New York Times bestseller list.

The idea behind the diet is to eat combinations of proteins, fats and healthy carbohydrates that don't send your blood sugar to the moon. The diet is broken up into three phases. Phase I, the strictest, prohibits bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, baked goods, dairy, fruit and alcohol. After two weeks, you move to phase II and reintroduce fruit, dairy and whole-grain carbs. Eventually, you'll reach phase III, which is the most liberal of the three. Pass the potatoes, please.

Agatston's already being mentioned in the same breath as Robert C. Atkins, the late doctor who championed a diet heavy on protein and fat and few carbs. Think of him as Atkins without that extremism, says Minneapolis psychotherapist Margaret Churchill, who counsels overweight and obese clients. She's planning on recommending "The South Beach Diet" to her most frustrated and determined clients.

"If people are stuck, they should try it," says Churchill, who was down 5 pounds by day five. "Treat it like another experiment."

Rhoda Fukushima can be reached at rgfukushima~pioneerpress.com or (651) 228-5444.

Atkins induction prohibits the same things, with one exception: dairy other than cheese.



Atkins reintroduces fruit in Phase 2. Dairy, other than milk is always allowed. Whole grains can be added back in OWL. But, he highly suggests waiting until Pre-Maintnance.



Potatoes are allowed on Phase 3 (Pre-Maintnance) of Atkins also.



Atkins without the Extremism ??? This plan sounds not that much different than Atkins...The only differences I note are it forbids Dairy entirely during Phase I, something Atkins allows with the exception of milk. This diet allows milk during OWL, which Atkins never really goes over in his book...leaving some to wonder when it can be added back.

Since, his Phase 2 sounds like an amalgamation of OWL and Pre-Maintnance...his suggestions for Whole Grains are not very different from Atkins. Both allow the addition of Whole Grains in OWL/Pre-Maintnance. Atkins suggests waiting for the latter to add them back. The only other differences I note are that nuts are not listed as restricted in Phase I for this diet.

All in all, it sounds like Atkins without portion control. I noticed it never mentions, it allows this much potatoes, etc...in this phase. Knowing journalists...it could be an ommission, which they do quite often. But, if this diet doesn't emphasize limits on Hi-carb foods once you reach Phase 2/Phase 3, many will gain their weight back. Atkins may sound restrictive limiting certain foods for life, but this limit insures that you keep the weight off.