By Maris Callahan for DietsInReview.com

The South Beach Diet was created by cardiologist Arthur Agatston and dietitian Marie Almon Arthur as an alternative to once-popular low-fat diets. It’s based on the glycemic index, which is a way of measuring how quickly certain foods raise blood sugar levels. On the South Beach Diet, you will consume foods that are low on the glycemic index and avoid foods that are higher in processed carbohydrates.

Like the notable Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet is considered a low-carb diet and comprised of three phases. “Phase 1″ lasts for the first two weeks of the diet and requires dieters to eliminate all sugar, processed carbohydrates, fruits, and some high-starch vegetables. Its purpose is to eliminate the hunger cycle and help jump start weight loss. “Phase 2”reintroduces most fruits and vegetables and limited portions of whole grains. This is the phase that dieters will follow for the majority of the diet. Once you have reached your goal weight, you enter “Phase 3,” which is known as the maintenance phase and lasts for life.

On the South Beach Diet, you will eat a lot of vegetables, healthy fats and lean protein such as chicken, fish and legumes. Once you hit Phase 3, dieters can resume normal eating but are expected to follow the basic principles of the diet to maintain lifetime weight loss.

The following menu is for Phase One of the South Beach Diet to help kick your weight loss plan into gear.

Monday:

Breakfast – Asparagus and Cheese Strata

Lunch – Low-Carb Waldorf Chicken Salad over a bed of lettuce with tomato slices.

Dinner – Greek Swordfish, Braised Collard Greens with Red Wine, Popcorn Roasted Cauliflower

Snacks – Soy Steamer, 1-cup sugar snap peas, ¼ cup mixed nuts

Tuesday:

Breakfast – Puffy Omelet with Cheese Sauce, two slices turkey bacon

Lunch – Cobb Salad

Dinner – 4 ounces grilled sirloin, BBQ Vegetable Pockets, Better than Mashed Potatoes

Snacks – 6 ounces low-fat Greek yogurt, celery with 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Wednesday:

Breakfast – Southwest Quiche

Lunch – Black and Bleu Salad

Dinner – Seared scallops, Asian Broccoli Salad, Asian Cole Slaw

Snacks – Celery with 2 Tablespoons Ranch dip, ¼ cup mixed nuts, Peanut Butter Mousse

Thursday:

Breakfast – Egg White Veggie Omelet

Lunch – Barbecued Chicken Salad

Dinner – Turkey Burger, Dijon Mustard Green Beans, Hearts of Romaine with Raspberry Dressing

Snacks – Low-fat string cheese, 1 small tomato with flavored salt, sliced bell peppers with ¼ cup guacamole.

Friday:

Breakfast – Southwest Quiche

Lunch – Baby Spinach and Orange Salad topped with grilled chicken

Dinner – Spinach with Chicken and Apricots, Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms, Parmesan and Balsamic from Kalyn’s Kitchen.

Snacks – Celery sticks with 2 tablespoons peanut butter, chicken crackers with 1-ounce low-fat cheese, strawberry smoothie

Saturday:

Breakfast – Mexican Baked Eggs from Kalyn’s Kitchen

Lunch – Low Carb Clam Chowder, Broccoli Walnut Salad

Dinner – Easy Salmon Salad, 1 cup White Bean Veggie Soup

Snacks – Celery with ¼ cup Tuscan Bean Dip, Italian Cream Soda

Sunday:

Breakfast – Breakfast Casserole with Mushrooms, Bell Peppers and Feta from Kalyn’s Kitchen

Lunch – Asian Chicken Vegetable Salad

Dinner – White Bean Chicken Chili, Aromatic Roasted Vegetables

Snacks – Low Carb Blondies, Sliced Bell Peppers with Blue Cheese Dip

Ever wonder what the best all-around workout activities burn the most fat? Well here’s your answer!

1. Skiing or snowboarding – While this might not work for those who don’t live near any mountains and it can get a little on the pricey side, skiing or snowboarding can burn 600 to 700 calories per hour, depending on your weight.
2. Running – Tried and tested, this old favorite is the absolute best fat-burner and a great cardio workout. Though running can be hard on your joints, you can potentially burn up to 1,000 calories per hour, depending on distance and speed.
3. Swimming – Who doesn’t enjoy swimming? It’s a great all-over body workout and it’s fun for everyone (as long as you have access to a pool). You can burn up to 700 calories an hour in the water!
4. Boxing – Boxing provides a workout for your whole body and burns up to 900 calories per hour (plus it makes you tough!).
5. Stairs – They’re easy to come by and what a workout they provide! Per hour, you can burn up to 700 calories with an excellent cardio-challenging run up and down the stairs.

You hear it all the time and see “0 grams of trans fat” displayed proudly on grocery store items but what exactly does trans fat mean? Trans fat is actually another name for a type of unsaturated fat with trans-isomer fatty acids. Unlike other kids of dietary fats, trans fats are not essential to your daily nutrition and don’t promote good health.  In fact, the consumption of trans fats can lead to coronary heart disease by lowering levels of good cholesterol and raising levels of bad cholesterol.  Nutritionists and doctors recommend limiting the amount of trans fat intake to trace amounts.  Trans fats are found naturally in milk and body fat of cattle and sheep.  While that used to be the only type of trans fat, it now can be found in many processed foods, particularly snack foods, fast food, fried food and baked goods.  So step away from that Krispy Kreme – for your heart’s sake!