A Comparison of Differences and Similarities

The diet culture has gone through an obvious change over the last few decades. Wholesome wheat and homemade breads have been replaced by machine-made refined white flour breads. Our lean red meats have been replaced by greasy burgers. And the toll has been taken on overweight bodies, resulting in disorders and diseases.

Diabetes and heart disease have arisen to plague unhealthy individuals who have neglected a good healthy diet, and thrown caution to the wind in their eating habits. If people want to improve their lives today, they’re going to have to start with changing their diets. Doctors are well aware of the problems and are speaking out to turn this situation around.

Two Cardiologists have contributed greatly by coming up with their solutions in the form of new diets. Dr. Arthur Agatston came up with the ‘South Beach Diet’, and Dr. Robert Atkins brought us the ‘Atkins’ diet.

These two diets have some things in common, and some things that are very different.

Both are aimed in their starting phases at a rapid weight loss. The second phase then eases them into a tapering off to a more gradual descent in weight, while adjusting the diet to foods that aid in keeping the weight from coming back. Then in the third, an overall diet for maintaining their progress over the long haul is implemented.

It’s true that they appear very similar at first glance, but a little closer look with reveal that they are ‘not so much’. These differences occur in the way they treat dealing with their carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

The South Beach Diet affirms that carbohydrates can be either good or bad. Therefore they emphasize avoiding the bad ones, and consuming only the good carbohydrates.

The Atkins diet prefers to do away with carbohydrates all together. This theory believes that when there’s no carbs coming in, the body will then burn the fat already there for its energy, and as a result weight loss will occur.

The Atkins diet doesn’t concern itself with fat consumptions whatsoever. Dr. Atkins doesn’t believe it affects weight at all.

Now the South Beach diet DOES make a distinction in fat consumption.

It stresses limits on taking in saturated fats, and taking in mono-saturated fats like you would find in Olive Oil and canola oil.

This diet holds that saturated fats have a negative impact on health, while the mono-saturated fats are positive by improving metabolism and insulin levels. This is a factor in preventing heart attacks and strokes.

The two diets do agree that wholesome foods are conducive to good health, and even though both diets were created by cardiologists, they do have their differences.