The South Beach Diet Wake-Up Call: 7 Real-Life Strategies for Living Your Healthiest Life Ever

by Arthur Agatston

From Arthur Agatston, M.D. the creator of the South Beach Diet comes a call to change the fast-food, sedentary way of life that's aging us quickly and killing us slowly.
Both a galvanizing call to action and an easy-to-follow plan for reversing and healing a toxic lifestyle, The South Beach Wake-Up Call is the urgent message that no reader can afford to ignore. It - 7 simple sustainable strategies for age-reversing, lifesaving weight loss
- The South Beach Gluten Solution to improve symptoms in sensitive individuals
- The Wake Up and Move 2-Week Quick-Start exercise plan
- 32 all-new recipes from breakfasts to desserts using megafoods

Genres: Health, Self Help, Cooking, Nonfiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Arthur Agatston is an American cardiologist and celebrity doctor best known as the developer of the South Beach Diet, but also as the author of many published scholarly papers in the field of noninvasive cardiac diagnostics. His scientific research led to the Agatston score for measuring coronary artery calcium.

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of my annual "let's give this another go" and get motivated to eat healthy. Some good general nutritional information that I've seen substantiated by a number of other nutritional sources that I respect. Reading information on what is good for me and why and what is bad for me and why helps motivate me to do what I need to do. This one also has recipes in the back as well as general workout suggestions. The general information here is worthwhile and the South Beach approach to nutrition certainly has a good track record. The 7 simple strategies are pretty basic, standard recommendations for good, healthy living. I found nothing earth shattering or life changing here but it is good solid information. Recommended.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book literally jumped out at me at the library. I’ve been looking (needed?) inspiration and this book supplied it. It’s not easy when you think you know everything when it comes to losing weight. I’m serious. I had become jaded, cynical and felt hopeless. I eat right (or think I do), exercise, sleep well. What more does the universe want from me? Maybe humility?

What this book provided (and I read 90% of it, rather than just skipping to the plan and recipes), was to remind me how much healthier it is to replace white bread, flour, etc... with whole grain AND to cut back on sugar. Those granola bars I would have after the gym might only be 150 calories, but they were pretty poor nutritionally. Not to mention, they only left me wanting more. Cutting out the white stuff has left me feeling fuller, while consuming less. Plus, what seemed normal bloating has gone away too. Feeling better, less hungry, makes it easier to make better food choices. I don’t have to be 100% to see improvement and feel better. Covid pounds be gone! LOL

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, I should know these things by now - and should act in accordance with that knowledge.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am in the process of self-educating about nutrition and wellness. I have never needed to diet and have therefore always been haughtily against them. Well, now I am on the side of "need to lose weight," and I still think that diets are the wrong way to go. But I know that the South Beach Diet has been very effective for people so when I saw this new edition I bought it on a whim. It was a great read. It is not the actual diet. It is principles to change the way you eat and exercise. This is exactly the kind knowledge I have been trying to gain. Agatston is down-to-earth and gentle in his explanations of how to change. He understands realities of family, time, budget, etc. but he argues that even with overwhelming situations you can still modify the way you eat. In fact, your situation will most likely improve: better health so less illness and doctor's bills, more quality family time so you know where your children are and what they are doing, more energy and happiness, etc. And he puts a big emphasis on the fact that if you are spending money on healthy food, your grocery bill doesn't change that much if you are cutting out the eating out, especially fast food, and the junk you normally would pick up at the store. For me the most useful parts of the book are the recipes in the back, and the first part of the book where Agatston explains what is so wrong about the foods we grew up on, are addicted to, and are marketed to us. For me, understanding why refined flour is empty calories set off a revolution in me. I have not been completely successful, and I don't think I will ever be a vegetarian, but I am doing my best to eat less refined carbs. I have been eating more vegetables since I started this book then I have in my entire life. Shameful as that is. And it is not easy. My big problems have always been soda and pasta. But I have been drinking club soda for the carbonation and tonight I had quinoa pasta. No refined wheat flour, no gluten. And, I feel so much fuller than I normally do after a large plate of regular pasta! I appreciate this book and it has opened the door for my husband and me to take our health seriously. If we don't, no one else well until we are in the hospital.

[Desiree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably should have known better than to pick up this book, but since I've read other South Beach books and know it's not THE craziest plan, I wondered what the update was.

This is probably a terrific resource for people who have never cared too much about healthy eating. It is probably an excellent primer for many Americans. I found it outdated (he's still all on board with the USDA Dietary Guidelines, which as we know from Taubes are grossly flawed), with occasional distracting editing mistakes (like "breaks" for how you stop a car), and slightly disturbing recipes. (I'm not a sweet with savory person, so keep your blueberries away from my steak!)

Still, it's better than a lot of what's out there, and he's right about one thing: if we don't change our unhealthy habits and start eating real food and moving, we will continue to get fatter and sicker.

[InYourFaceNewYorker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far from being a "fad diet," South Beach Diet is merely a name that Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist in Florida, bestowed upon his weight loss and lifestyle change program. It's not just about losing weight but getting into shape and just leading a healthier life in general. This book includes sample workout routines as well as recipes with nutrient dense foods. Other good advice includes stuff that should be common sense that isn't, such as using the stairs instead of taking the elevator and getting enough sleep at night. Even if somebody does not need to lose weight but is looking to get into a healthier lifestyle, this is a very valuable book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Common sense- yes, but it was well put together and just talked about how families can have healthy lifestyles. While it was written by the author of the South Beach Diet I didn't feel as if every page was an add for the diet. It was a laid back approach to getting people healthy and I found it quite motivating. I feel empowered after reading it unlike some diet books which just make you feel like a flat plop of a person. Quite good indeed.

[Diane Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content of the book is great. I also have it in ebook format, and Dr Agatston's passion comes through more clearly in print than this reader's voice can convey. He has a repetitive cadence that I find distracting. I wish Dr A had read it himself.

I definitely recommend getting the print or ebook version.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

My doc suggested the South Beach Diet as corrective action for some blood work. In my normal compulsive fashion, I am reading every book in the series. This one is not my favorite, but does go over other non-diet and exercise factors such as sleep and nutrient density of food choices.

[Sari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that The South Beach Wake-Up Call was a excellent overall guide to better nutrition and health for people of all ages. It provided sound information for lifestyle changes. One of my favorite books in the South Beach Diet series. I recommend it highly.

[Diane Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. With each new book Dr. Agatston expands the information. This time the South Beach Diet concepts are expanded to really address total lifestyle. Great, practical information.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of commonsense diet info, if you have been paying attention you probably know most of this. Doesn't hurt to be reminded though.

[Du · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic info presented in a readable way. Straight forward common sense health and nutrition that we can all use. Three stars because there was nothing new here.

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice review of information as you expect, on diet, nutrition, health, sleep, exercise, etc. Nothing really jumped out from this one.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think I may prefer this version to super-charged. Plan to review super-charged and wake up call when I read the new gluten solution and see if I can't create a lifestyle plan.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad.. But I've heard 95% of it all before.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great reminders and insight to eating better and LESS! :)

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly rehash of previous info

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

More good advice from the expert on heart health and diet.

[Nancy]

Had some really useful information that we do not practice often enough because we get busy and make excuses not to complete the tasks. I like that Arthur mentions how to help and include our children in being healthier household, he did not focus on just the adults health.

Things my family needs to work on:
Cooking more at home, do not eat out much but buy family sized freezer meals that we could make from semi-scratch.
Include our child in the cooking process and introduce new foods even if they don't get eaten.
Control the clutter!!! enough said there :)
Move more. We like out lazy days but have to make sure we provide activity for us and our son on those days too.