Beat Sugar Addiction for Better Weight Loss Results

(Family Features) If your weight loss goals keep falling flat despite your best intentions, it may be due to an addiction you don’t even know you have. An addiction to sugar doesn’t mean that you can’t resist a slice of chocolate cake; it’s a true physiological addiction.

World-renowned cardiologist and creator of the original South Beach Diet, Dr. Arthur Agatston, believes the secret is cutting out sugar and embracing a keto-friendly lifestyle. 

“Sugar addiction, resulting in insulin resistance, is a big contributor to obesity, diabetes and heart disease,” Agatston said. “‘The New Keto-Friendly South Beach Diet’ follows the proven principles of the low-carb South Beach Diet, includes the keto diet’s higher fat and increases lean protein to combat sugar addiction and improve health.”

Agatston’s book is unique in that it follows the proven principles of a low-carb, good-carb, good-fat, healthy-protein approach, layers in science-backed elements of a higher fat diet and modifies it to increase protein.

Consider these insights from Agatson to help a achieve a healthier lifestyle by blending the keto and low-carb approaches into one eating plan:

More carbs and protein than keto: A keto-friendly, low-carb diet does not require a person to be in strict ketosis to put his or her body into fat burning mode, lose weight and reap the health benefits. The heart-healthy eating plan is both low carb and high fat but allows for higher levels of carbohydrates and provide more protein than strict keto.

A different approach to burning fat: A keto and low-carb eating plan switches your body from “fat storage” to “fat burning” by decreasing blood insulin levels without going into ketosis, achieving essentially the same results with a more flexible diet that is low in carbs and high in fat and protein.

Clarity on good vs. bad fats: Research shows saturated fats are generally healthy, and the relationship between omega-6 vegetable oils and omega-3 fish oils has been better characterized. Omega-6 vegetable oils are now classified as bad fats while there is more evidence omega-3 fats are good for you.

Increased metabolism: Metabolism has been shown to increase with lower insulin levels.
When a person eats too much sugar or quickly digestible carbs, their insulin levels increase. If this happens over time, the body responds by going into fat storage mode. Low-carb diets reduce insulin levels, helping unlock that fat so the body can metabolize it at a higher rate.

Conscious timing of meals: Someone who adopts a keto or low-carb diet may also find benefits from intermittent fasting, or extending the time between meals, as an effective strategy to jumpstart weight loss or to get back on track after a plateau. The notion is not that one must fast, but that longer stretches between eating, specifically eating low carb, helps with insulin reduction. An example of this would be to eat breakfast as added food for lunch or eat breakfast for lunch and have lunch as a midday snack.

For more advice to help attain your weight loss goals, visit SouthBeachDiet.com.

Kickstart a Healthier Lifestyle

Consider a high-protein, low-carb and low-sugar option

(Family Features) This time of year, millions of Americans are making resolutions to lose weight. When it comes to adopting a healthy eating plan, it can seem like the options are endless. With new diet plans popping up seemingly every day, the process of choosing a plan that works for you and fits your lifestyle can be an intimidating one. 

Many experts agree, however, that a diet high in protein and low in sugar and carbohydrates offers significant benefits. This was the foundation for the South Beach Diet, introduced 15 years ago by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston. Since its introduction, it has helped millions of people successfully lose weight, while its books became best-sellers with more than 23 million copies sold in print.

Now in its second year as a structured weight-loss meal delivery program, South Beach introduced an enhanced three-phase approach designed to burn fat, transform metabolism and boost energy, including a 7-Day Body Reboot to help break the sugar habit and South Beach Complete Shakes. According to the company, users can expect to lose up to 9 pounds and 3 inches overall in their first two weeks on the program.

Over-consumption of sugar, which can lead to diabetes and heart disease, is one of the biggest problems in many Americans’ diets, according to Agatston. 

“Sugar, be it simple sugar or from refined carbs, should be avoided,” Agatston said. “In fact, I would say fats aren’t making us gain weight, sugar is. It’s not about eliminating fats and carbs, it’s about the quality of the fats and carbs you’re eating.”

To help break the harmful sugar habit, foods on the South Beach Diet provide 1 percent of calories from added sugars – significantly lower than the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendation, which suggests that no more than 10 percent of calories come from added sugars.

So what’s the easiest way to live a high-protein, low-sugar, low-carb lifestyle? The answer could be a weight loss meal delivery program, like South Beach. For many, meal prep is equally as intimidating as sticking to a New Year’s resolution. The time required for food shopping and meal preparation often prevents a person from sticking to his or her healthy lifestyle. A weight-loss meal delivery plan allows one to make smarter meal choices and eliminates nearly all prep time. According to South Beach, its program delivers fully prepared, delicious meals that make sticking to a healthy lifestyle simpler and more convenient.

For added convenience, the South Beach Diet Tracker App provides access to meal plans and recipes as well as support and counseling from trained weight-loss coaches and registered dietitians.

Find more tips and tools to begin the weight loss journey at SouthBeachDiet.com.