He discovered, quite by accident, that the same foods that lead to a healthy heart (and the same foods that help prevent the highs and lows so prevalent in hypo- or hyper- insulinism) are synonymous with foods that balance a person's weight. He was pleased when his patients not only lost weight, but were healthier, more energetic and had developed a life-long association with foods that provide the body with what it wants and needs.

A visitor to the South Beach Diet website will quickly learn exactly what will occur should they chose to participate in this diet plan. This doctor is not about keeping his methods secret, instead, he is about educating any who want to know, what healthy eating consists of. Thus, in an easy-to-understand format, he explains what the parameters for Phase I, Phase II and Phase III will consist of.

Dr. Agaston has been prescribing this life-changing diet to his patients long enough to know that if they were to gently try to wean themselves from their previous eating habits, they would fight for control for an extended period of time. Thus, he restricts certain foods for two weeks. After that, he allows the patient/client to reintroduce foods, including a required two snacks per day. He insists that hungry people should most definitely eat, but for the first two weeks, the following foods are restricted: Any white-grain products, sugary foods and alcohol. But, only for two weeks!

When the body comes to recognize that it is actually seeking nutritious foods instead of foods that mimic fullness, it will quickly begin to crave the foods that truthfully provide what it needs, and will ignore the "substitute." Sugar is the final product of metabolism, and signals your body that you have both consumed and digested an entire meal full of nutrients.

Thus, on The South Beach diet, the carbohydrates that you will introduce will be those which contain whole grains. The vegetables that you will re-acquaint yourself with will be those that complement your digestion and provide much-needed vitamins. The oils that you will consume will be those that contain no triglycerides. Finally, the protein that you ingest will provide a full array of omega-3 fatty acids, which will help deliver vitamins A, D, E and K throughout your body, keep cholesterol levels in check and help fight free-radicals.

Following the South Beach Diet, eventually your body will request healthy vegetables, fruits, grains and proteins. Even so, there is no need to worry that special treats will not have their place. Instead, they are not only allowed, but encouraged! For some, chocolate is a "must have." Not a problem with South Beach. In fact, participants are required to eat between-meal-snacks. This is not the kind of diet that you have to feel hungry on. This is the kind of diet that provides your body with foods that help it function at its maximum potential.