By following this pattern to eating, the South Beach diet ensures a long term diet that is beneficial to overall health - it keeps cholesterol, LDL (the 'bad' cholesterol) as well as triglycerides at reduced levels. The 'good' HDL cholesterol levels are maintained at increased levels.

Another thing about the South Beach diet - these three phases are not rigid, i.e. it doesn't mean that once you are in Phase III, you have to stick to it all your life. Depending on when you feel the need to shed some more weight, you can slip into either Phase I or Phase II.

Shed the weight, and then maintain the schedule, that is what the South Beach diet is all about.

Advantages of the South Beach diet

From what you have read so far, there are three things that are key when discussing the good aspects of the South Beach diet.

The first is that it asks you to eat food that is healthy, and has carbohydrates in reasonable amounts as well. This is not usually seen in the low-carb diets that people follow.

The second is that it lets you have your normal three meals a day, plus snacks, though in regulated amounts.

Thirdly, having the diet plan in three phases means that you have plenty of food products to choose from, and are not stuck with one or two low-carb items.

Disadvantages of the South Beach diet

Deprivation, or cutting out something from your day to day life has its own consequences and effects. And that is what a diet finally is all about. This is true about the South Beach diet as well.

While it is considered the best diet routine on offer right now, it has a few disadvantages as well.

One of the major causes for concern is the usage of the glycemic index as a yardstick to determine the nature of diet to be followed, especially in the case of people with diabetes.

Reliance on the glycemic index of foods

It may happen that certain foods, otherwise considered healthy, are left out in the South Beach diet just because the glycemic index for that particular food item is high. This might not seem logical to many.

The other cause of worry is the possibility of you remaining in Phase I for more time than required. This can have adverse consequences on your health, primarily manifesting as nutritional deficiencies.