Dr. Arthur Agatston, developer of the wildly successful South Beach Diet, says he became a diet doctor by accident. By training, he's a cardiologist who spent 20 years doing research and treating patients. Dr. Agatston says he wrote The South Beach Diet in 2003 to help his heart patients, and now he's helping to change the way America eats. In his new book, The South Beach Heart Program, Dr. Agatston reveals how to detect, prevent and even reverse heart disease.
Dr. Agatston talks with Dr. Oz about some of the health benefits of the South Beach Diet:
Rather than limiting fats, the South Beach Diet allows you to enjoy the right fats, such as extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, flaxseed oils and fats from nuts, fish and avocados.
The South Beach Diet is an eating plan that you can enjoy for the rest of your life since you're allowed generous portions of delicious foods. "The diet was never designed to be a 'diet'—it was designed to be a lifestyle," he says.
You lose weight on the South Beach Diet, which Dr. Agatston says is one of the primary reasons it helps your cardiovascular health.
The South Beach Diet allows you to eat the right carbohydrates, like high-fiber, high-nutrient colorful fruits and vegetables, whole-grains and beans.
The diet encourages people to be more active. A 30-minutes-a-day brisk walk is the hallmark of the diet's workout plan.
The South Beach Diet is great for your heart's health, Dr. Agatston says. You eat good fats, good carbs and lean protein (eggs, low-fat dairy, nuts, white meat poultry, fish and shellfish), while limiting processed and refined foods.
