Diet Comparison: The Atkins Diet vs. South Beach Diet
The Atkins Diet is a low carbohydrate diet that comes with an attractive guarantee. Not only will its followers shed the weight without the torturous feeling of hunger, but also be on the path to better health (Atkins claims better heart health and memory function as two of its many wellness benefits). The Center for Complementary Medicine in New York agrees that most Atkins followers have chosen this diet plan not only for weight maintenance but also for disease prevention and good health.
While on the Atkins Diet, one can indulge in delicious omelets, rich meats, cheese and cheese spreads, fish, mayo, and many more foods other dieters only dream of! The idea is not to set many limits on the amount of food you eat, but instead set restrictions on the types of foods you eat. Restricted items include milk, white rice, refined sugar, white flour, etc. The diet does allow fruits and vegetables, but only after the two week induction period. So, on this plan, you are not counting calories. On the contrary, you may actually be eating more calories than you were before the diet.
The South Beach Diet is similar to The Atkins Diet in that they are both the creation of medical doctors. Both The South Beach and Atkins Diets feature best-selling diet books and are both have become household names. Both South Beach and Atkins Diets are low carbohydrates diets that focus on similar food restrictions. Finally both diets are based on the theory that the intake of too many carbohydrates is to blame for weight gain.
The main differences between the two diets are that The South Beach Diet advises minimizing saturated fats. Atkins Diet advises eating a variety of fats, such as butter and others restricted by The South Beach Diet. The two diets also differ in the way carbs are accounted for. Atkins Diet requires counting of all carbohydrate that is not fiber. The South Beach Diet does not have a limit on some non-fibrous foods such as vegetables containing little starch. Since the South Beach Diet doesn't count grams of carbs, it appeals to more people as the simpler method. An attractive feature of the Atkins Diet is that it does not even suggest moderation with the diet's allowed foods, while the South Beach Diet suggests staying between the 1200 and 1500 calorie mark.
Regardless of their differences, it is widely agreed that both diets will put you on the road to establishing smart eating habits and this may be the answer to why these two are so popular.