Beached

Grenville is recovered from his over-blogging condition, thanks in part to the Hot Fudge treatment he received at the Island Creamery last weekend.

But there’s a new problem. Our clothes seem to have shrunk!

This week, we dusted off our South Beach Diet® recipe books and started again. And, being the helpful bloggers we are, we will be sharing many of these recipes in the coming weeks.

Speaking from our collective past experience, most of these recipes are really very good. See those yellow pieces of paper in the pile of books? Those are our recipe bookmarks from when we followed this plan, a few years ago.

For those who have never heard of this plan – are there any? The SB diet was designed by Miami cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, director of the Mount Sinai Cardiac Prevention Center in Fl.

Good News (yes, there is some) there's no counting calories or strict portion sizes. We’ve started Phase 1, the 14-day induction phase, also the most restrictive – no fruits, grains, starches and (sigh) NO bread baking (or eating). Dairy products are allowed but must be low-fat or non-fat milk, yogurt, or buttermilk. No crying in our beer or  wine, cause these are taboo in this phase. We get to choose from a restrictive, Foods to Enjoy and Foods to Avoid list. Too bad that some on the Avoid list are favorites.

The good news, YES there is some, is that once this phase ends, we go to Phase 2 and can add back from the Foods to Avoid list, our choices: bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, cereal, or fruit.  Then, it’s on to Phase 3, the final and least restrictive phase. The key is to re-introduce foods in moderation and to not eat them as often as before (that’s the BIG catch). According to Dr. Agatston “as long as you continue follow some basic guidelines, the diet has become your way of eating.”

So, we’re on our way to the beach.

Oh, we wish!