Lively Women

South Beach Diet … For the Family?

by Heather on August 6th, 2006

A friend wrote me recently and said I’ve inspired her to get back into the South Beach Diet. She and her husband tried it for a while, then stopped. (YEA! A friend who reads my blog is a true friend indeed!) She wanted to know how I do this while feeding a family. Good question.

I asked my Mom 2 Mom Connection readers how in the world a mom can get started improving children’s eating habits. My big concern is sugar substitutes — are they OK for kids? If I eat sugar-free yogurt and jello, is that all right for them? My instinct tells me no. In fact, my instinct tells me I should stay clear of those as well. So I’m still on a mission to find what’s natural and best.

After reading the South Beach Diet, I’m convinced that I have a problem with my insulin levels responding too fast to high-glycemic carbs. This affects my moods, my energy levels, my WEIGHT around my middle, and my long-term health. So I just have to stay clear of pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, and baked goods. But my family can still eat them. For example, I can prepare regular tacos for them, while I eat the meat, cheese, and salsa on a huge bed of lettuce.

I can cook everyone a spaghetti dinner and eat my spaghetti sauce on slender green beans instead of noodles. And eat nuts instead of bread. They can have chicken and rice, while I have chicken on salad. They can eat black beans and rice, while I eat black beans and salsa.

It’s a slow transition for me, but I’m hoping to cook more healthy all around. What mom can give up cooking mac & cheese? Not me! I can cook it, but I just can’t eat it.

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POSTED IN: Diet/Nutrition, Weight Loss