The South Beach diet is a low glycemic index plan which focuses on heart-healthy fats, lean protein, vegetables and—in the later phases—complex carbohydrates in limited amounts.

The pros as I see them are:

• the diet includes reasonable amounts of protein, including legumes

• monitoring and limiting high glycemic index foods is helpful for blood sugar maintenance

• inflammation throughout the body decreases as grains and refined carbohydrates are limited

• focus on vegetables means you eat fairly high fiber foods which keeps bowels moving

• healthy fats are good for essential fatty acids—good for heart, brain, and burning fat

The cons are:

• this diet is rather rigid in the early phases (no carbohydrates at all and no alcohol) in a way that can be depressing

• claims to “lose belly fat first” are false

• the plan involves moving back and forth between the stages as weight increases—this amounts to yo-yo dieting and is not a recommended strategy

Stay tuned: next up—The Zone Diet