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CNN Live At Daybreak
Breakfast With Daybreak: 'South Beach Diet' Lowdown
Aired June 25, 2003 - 06:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Just in the nick of time, the South Beach diet is sizzling hot this summer. You must have heard about it by now. The question now: Does it work?
Lisa Drayer of dietwatch.com live from New York with the lowdown.
Actually, it sounds like -- it sounds like a rip-off of the Atkins Diet.
LISA DRAYER, DIETWATCH.COM: You know, as a matter of fact, you could make that argument. This is "The South Beach Diet." It's a very glitzy-looking book, which matches the glitzy image of South Beach.
But if we look closely, we do notice some striking similarities. Both diets were developed by cardiologists, who were looking to lose weight. Both were not satisfied with the results seen on low-fat diets, and both diets follow a very strict phase in the beginning of limiting carbohydrates, and then they're gradually added back in. So, you certainly could make that argument.
COSTELLO: Well, tell us...
DRAYER: There are...
COSTELLO: Oh, go ahead.
DRAYER: I was going to say, there are some pros to this diet and some cautions. So, should I tell you the good news first?
COSTELLO: Yes, go ahead.
DRAYER: OK, well, in fact, there has been some positive research on the diet -- again, another similarity to Atkins. The study had followed 40 overweight individuals for 12 weeks and found that those following the South Beach Diet lost about 13-and-a-half pounds. That's almost double the amount that was lost on an American Heart Association diet.
Also, it includes the good fats and limits those saturated fats, the fats that raise cholesterol levels. This is where he claims to be different than Atkins. Also, it includes the good carbohydrates, such as the whole grain breads and cereals. It limits those white refined starchy foods, such as white bread. Also, in addition, it includes lean protein sources, so a focus on the fish and the chicken and the turkey instead of the fatty red meats. And also, it encourages six mini meals, so you have three meals, two snacks and even desert, which is really important to help maintain stable blood sugar levels when the carbohydrates are reduced.
COSTELLO: That's so tough to do when you're a busy person, though, six mini meals.
DRAYER: It is.
COSTELLO: OK, tell us the bad news.
DRAYER: Well, it does induce ketosis -- again, another similarity to the Atkins Diet. This is that altered metabolic state when carbohydrates are strictly limited. It causes a lot of water loss, which helps to explain why you can lose anywhere from 8 to 14 pounds in two weeks on this diet. But you may feel dizzy, nauseous, and you may even have bad breath as a result. That's a side effect of being in this state.
Also, be careful if you have a kidney problem. Too much protein can be taxing on the kidneys, especially if you already have existing kidney disease. So, be careful.
Also, Carol, this diet doesn't have any calorie levels, so you're encouraged to eat normal-sized portions and you should never be hungry. Now, granted, Agatston says, you know, limit yourself to 15 nuts, but if you're consuming a cup, that can take you anywhere from 600 to 800 calories that you're adding into your diet. It's certainly not smart if you're looking to lose weight.
Also, it relies on the Glycemic Index. Remember, we talked about this in the past. It's where foods are measured by their response in the blood; that is the blood sugar. And so, based on this theory, you would be limiting foods such as bananas, carrot, beets, even watermelon.
And also, it can be addicting when you lose weight so quickly in the beginning. You want to go back. But then this can cause things to backfire and you could end up gaining the weight and then some.
COSTELLO: Gotcha. Lisa Drayer, thanks for explaining the South Beach diet for us this morning. Many thanks.
DRAYER: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired June 25, 2003 - 06:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Just in the nick of time, the South Beach diet is sizzling hot this summer. You must have heard about it by now. The question now: Does it work?
Lisa Drayer of dietwatch.com live from New York with the lowdown.
Actually, it sounds like -- it sounds like a rip-off of the Atkins Diet.
LISA DRAYER, DIETWATCH.COM: You know, as a matter of fact, you could make that argument. This is "The South Beach Diet." It's a very glitzy-looking book, which matches the glitzy image of South Beach.
But if we look closely, we do notice some striking similarities. Both diets were developed by cardiologists, who were looking to lose weight. Both were not satisfied with the results seen on low-fat diets, and both diets follow a very strict phase in the beginning of limiting carbohydrates, and then they're gradually added back in. So, you certainly could make that argument.
COSTELLO: Well, tell us...
DRAYER: There are...
COSTELLO: Oh, go ahead.
DRAYER: I was going to say, there are some pros to this diet and some cautions. So, should I tell you the good news first?
COSTELLO: Yes, go ahead.
DRAYER: OK, well, in fact, there has been some positive research on the diet -- again, another similarity to Atkins. The study had followed 40 overweight individuals for 12 weeks and found that those following the South Beach Diet lost about 13-and-a-half pounds. That's almost double the amount that was lost on an American Heart Association diet.
Also, it includes the good fats and limits those saturated fats, the fats that raise cholesterol levels. This is where he claims to be different than Atkins. Also, it includes the good carbohydrates, such as the whole grain breads and cereals. It limits those white refined starchy foods, such as white bread. Also, in addition, it includes lean protein sources, so a focus on the fish and the chicken and the turkey instead of the fatty red meats. And also, it encourages six mini meals, so you have three meals, two snacks and even desert, which is really important to help maintain stable blood sugar levels when the carbohydrates are reduced.
COSTELLO: That's so tough to do when you're a busy person, though, six mini meals.
DRAYER: It is.
COSTELLO: OK, tell us the bad news.
DRAYER: Well, it does induce ketosis -- again, another similarity to the Atkins Diet. This is that altered metabolic state when carbohydrates are strictly limited. It causes a lot of water loss, which helps to explain why you can lose anywhere from 8 to 14 pounds in two weeks on this diet. But you may feel dizzy, nauseous, and you may even have bad breath as a result. That's a side effect of being in this state.
Also, be careful if you have a kidney problem. Too much protein can be taxing on the kidneys, especially if you already have existing kidney disease. So, be careful.
Also, Carol, this diet doesn't have any calorie levels, so you're encouraged to eat normal-sized portions and you should never be hungry. Now, granted, Agatston says, you know, limit yourself to 15 nuts, but if you're consuming a cup, that can take you anywhere from 600 to 800 calories that you're adding into your diet. It's certainly not smart if you're looking to lose weight.
Also, it relies on the Glycemic Index. Remember, we talked about this in the past. It's where foods are measured by their response in the blood; that is the blood sugar. And so, based on this theory, you would be limiting foods such as bananas, carrot, beets, even watermelon.
And also, it can be addicting when you lose weight so quickly in the beginning. You want to go back. But then this can cause things to backfire and you could end up gaining the weight and then some.
COSTELLO: Gotcha. Lisa Drayer, thanks for explaining the South Beach diet for us this morning. Many thanks.
DRAYER: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
