South Beach Diet Author Turns To Low-Carb Solution For Heart Disease Prevention

Dr. Agatston says livin' la vida low-carb can help make people heart healthy

There's a new book in the successful bestselling South Beach diet series from Rodale (who hired the former vice-president at Atkins to join their team in July this year!) that came out on Tuesday called The South Beach Heart Program: The 4-Step Plan that Can Save Your Life. Written by Dr. Arthur Agatston, creator of the low-carb South Beach diet program, this book tackles the most lethal health problem in America today--HEART DISEASE!

With the release of a Harvard Medical School report on the heart health benefits of a low-carb, high-protein diet this week, the timing for Dr. Agatston's book could not have been fortuitious. But it's something most of us who have been livin' la vida low-carb for a while have known already.

As a cardiologist, Dr. Agatston has a deep-seeded passion for sharing with his patients what they can do to prevent having a stroke or heart attack. In fact, he states in 2007 alone that over 600,000 Americans will suffer from a stroke while more than 1 million more will have a heart attack! YIKES!!! And these numbers are not coming down because the strategies for confronting heart disease have clearly been ineffective at best with their focus on making money on expensive surgery rather than natural prevention methods.

That's why Dr. Agatston and advocates for livin' la vida low-carb are attempting to get the word out about preventing these health calamities BEFORE they hit by using the latest medical knowledge and research to educate the public on the steps they can take in their own life to protect themselves. Millions of people have already experienced the lifechanging impact of the South Beach diet approach on their weight and health, so The South Beach Heart Program is merely an extension of that.

There are four specific areas that Dr. Agatston recommends:

1. Heart-healthy low-carb eating
2. Regular aerobic and core-strengthening exercises
3. The latest diagnostic testing (like the VAP test)
4. Heart medications when necessary

Other than that last one, which Dr. Agatston is a proponent of popular cholesterol-lowering drugs like the joint-jarring Lipitor (UGH!), I think he makes some valid points that unfortunately are being ignored by most doctors these days. It's not totally the fault of the members of the medical community, but there needs to be a better way to deciminate information to the physicians on the frontlines treating patients.

We see examples of how low-carb is indeed improving heart disease all the time despite warnings from the media and so-called health experts about saturated fat and meat consumption. But the research is in: heart health problems are NOT an issue with low-carb diets. PERIOD!

In fact, just the OPPOSITE is true! If you want to do something GOOD for your heart, then try livin' la vida low-carb. That's what Dr. Agatston is promoting in his new book and it's high time people start paying attention to this. What we are doing currently is the definition of INSANITY--doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result! Nothing is going to change until WE change our mindset about what to do.

I was pleased to see an essay by Dr. Agatston entitled "What Size Is Your Cholesterol?" on Amazon.com. The whole idea that your total cholesterol number is all that matters is already considered a stone age way of looking at heart health. Additionally, when you are on the low-carb lifestyle, your cholesterol numbers are looked at differently than when you are on a high-carb, low-fat diet. Dr. Agatston discusses this more in his engaging essay.



There's a pretty neat little deal going on right now at Amazon.com when you buy this book. Place an order for The South Beach Heart Program and you will receive a FREE immediate one-month trial membership to The South Beach Diet online as well as The South Beach Diet Fitness Club online (both are a $32.00 value). Cool!

Slowly we are moving the mainstream towards the low-carb solution to the ever-growing obesity, diabetes, and heart disease epidemics that plague the health of literally tens of millions of people in the United States each year. While I wish the learning curve was quicker, I am encouraged to at least see it moving in the right direction with this book from Dr. Agatston. Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

Party On With Your Low-Carb South Beach Diet

Healthy low-carb party planning has never been made easier

Holidays. What a frightening moment for anyone who is livin' la vida low-carb! These special occasions are the one time that most people let their low-carb plan flail in the wind like a freshly plucked feather. Casting all your cares about your weight aside, you stuff your face with all the wrong kinds of food and then later regret that decision when you attempt to get back on track again.

Sound familiar anybody?

Well, enough already with the games we play around parties and holidays when we should be celebrating. How about an all-in-one low-carb resource guide to offer up some healthy low-carb recipes that are oh-so-yummy and delicious while packing a powerful nutritional punch as well? I think I've found it for you with The South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook: Healthy Recipes for Entertaining Family and Friends.

Don't let the bright red color of this sixth book in The South Beach Diet series fool you into thinking it's just for Christmas! While it certainly provides recipes that are perfect for Christmas Day, including a unique Wake-Up Breakfast menu as well as Christmas Dinner, all of the other major holidays feature low-carb recipes as well, including New Year's Day, Valentines Day Dinner For 2, Passover Seder, Easter Gathering, Cinco de Mayo Celebration, Mother's Day Luncheon, Fourth of July Revel, Thanksgiving, Hannukkah, and Christmas Eve Dinner.

As for parties, The South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook has so many recipes for virtually every party you can think of, such as a South Beach Phase 1 Kickoff Party (good to think about come January when people make New Year's resolutions), a Family Buffet, Baby Shower, Weekend Brunch, Super Bowl Bash, Tuscan Feast, French Bistro Party, Backyard Grill Fest, Hors d'Oeuvres for a Crowd, and a Rite of Passage Party.

Above everything, South Beach diet creator Dr. Arthur Agatson encourages low-carbers to get back on their weight loss plan if they do decide to indulge at parties. Resist the urge to stay off the diet and get yourself back on track. He gives some very practical advice to help you combat the urge to splurge during the holiday season that every low-carber won't want to miss.

If you are the host or hostess for your party or special dining event, then Dr. Agatston helps you think about the ambiance you want to convey. How many guests and what do they like? What style of serving do you want? Will this be format or informal? Do you want to present a theme? Additionally, don't forget to take care of yourself despite the stress these events can place on you. You'll want to use the convenient "Checklist For Success" provided to help you plan many weeks ahead of the party to make it as perfect as it can possibly be.

In fact, each holiday and party featured in this book includes a full menu listing with a "Party Game Plan" about how to best prepare for the big day, including pre-planned preparation to make sure the special attention you have given pays dividends on the day of the event. As for the recipes themselves, you get all the "Nutrition At A Glance" as usual for The South Beach Diet books as well as pertinent tips from Dr. Agatston.

As we have come to expect from The South Beach Diet books, there are some absolutely stunning pictures of many of the recipes in The South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook that will make your mouth water and get you in the kitchen to whip up any of these 150 recipes right away! Who needs a holiday or party to start eating healthy right now?! Cooking low-carb recipes that will keep you and your guests happy is all you can ask for and this book delivers on that in the most delightful way!

Party anyone?