1. Why did you start your blog? What were your aims?

In April of 2005 I started Kalyn's Kitchen  as a way to deal with all the requests for recipes I was getting after I had lost a lot of weight on the South Beach Diet. Up until then, I had an e-mail list that I used to share recipes. Quite honestly, I didn't even know what a blog really was when my brother suggested I start one and I certainly had no idea of the success my blog might achieve. Since then I've retired from my teaching job to be a full-time blogger and spend many hours each day working on the blog.

2. What is the 'lower glycemic eating' process?

The South Beach Diet is based on eating foods that are low on the glycemic index. Basically, the glycemic index is a measure of how quickly foods turn to glucose in the bloodstream. Foods that quickly turn to sugar are "high glycemic" foods. This includes things like starchy potatoes, white rice, white flour, pasta, and white sugar.  Low glycemic foods include lean protein, eggs, vegetables, soy products, and seafood.

3. How did you discover this new way of preparing and eating healthy and tasty food?

I actually just learned about the South Beach Diet from reading the book. I read the entire book before I started eating this way, and was convinced it would be a good healthy eating plan for me.

4. What is the South Beach Diet?

South Beach focuses on eating "good carbs" and "good fats."  It's not a low carb diet or a low fat diet, but the emphasis is on whole grains and other healthy carbs like those found in vegetables. The diet doesn't restrict fat in the way that some diets do, but saturated fats are avoided.

5. What types of dishes does the South Beach Diet include?

Menus for the South Beach Diet include plenty of lean protein from meat, chicken, seafood, and eggs, plus vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The diet restricts starchy foods for the first two weeks, but after that there are a variety of healthy dishes that can be enjoyed.

6. How can desserts be included as part of the lower glycemic process?

I'm not someone who eats a lot of desserts, but they can be included in the South Beach Diet by using artificial sweeteners, or natural low-glycemic sweeteners such as agave nectar or stevia. Desserts that are naturally sweetened with fruit are also very appropriate for this way of eating. I've been making more desserts in recent years for the blog, and they're very popular.

7. What are your future plans for the South Beach Diet?

Basically, this is a lifetime eating commitment for me. Not only does eating the South Beach Diet way help me maintain my weight (for more than five years now) but I feel better when I'm eating this way. I am planning to eat this way for the rest of my life.