Agatston's own patients, in the early 2000s, word of the diet spread and quickly gained popularity as a means to lose weight Agatston, The South Beach Diet , St Martins Press, ISBN 0-312-31521-X, 2003. pp 7ff.
Complex, fiber-rich carbohydrate sources such as brown rice and 100% whole grain bread are permitted after phase 2. Agatston has tried to distance the South Beach Diet from "low carb" approaches: "It is my purpose to teach neither low-fat nor low-carb. I want you to learn to choose the right fats and the right carbs." Agatston pp 22-23 In fact, there is a vegetarian variation of the South Beach Diet which is relatively high in carbohydrates http://www.south-beach-diet-101.com/learn/south-beach-diet-vegetarian.html.
Source: Wikipedia > South Beach Diet
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