MIAMI -- CMount Sinai's South Beach Diet gained nationwide acclaim when cardiologists from all over the country met in Orlando in April 2001 to talk about their latest findings. The diet was a hot topic at the convention, and the news was all good.

Kristi Krueger first introduced the diet, developed by a local physician, about two years ago. Now doctors are applauding the diet for being the only one that has been clinically proven to reduce the harmful effects of bad cholesterol while helping you to lose weight.

Burt Leibowitz says that he feels better than he has for years. He lost 52 pounds on Mount Sinai's South Beach Diet after he and his wife heard about the diet on Local 10.

"We were watching Channel 10 news and saw Kristi Krueger talk about the South Beach Diet," Leibowitz said.

Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist at Mt. Sinai Medical Center developed the diet. It replaces processed carbohydrates like white bread, rice and pasta with lean proteins like meat, fish and green leafy vegetables. New research shows the diet not only promotes weight loss, but also takes away the harmful effects of bad cholesterol.

"For the first time we've shown a diet can increase the size of the LDL particle, the bad cholesterol particle, so it doesn't get into the vessel wall," Dr. Agatston said.

In a recent study, Mount Sinai's South Beach Diet was compared to the American Heart Association's recommended diet. The results show dieters lost double the weight on Mount Sinai's South Beach Diet and reduced the risk of heart disease by making the LDL particle bigger.

Bert Leibowitz says the diet is easy to follow. After the first week, he and his wife never felt hungry, because they changed their eating habits, filling up on protein and vegetables instead of processed carbohydrates that raise your blood sugar levels and leave you feeling hungry later.

"We'll eat one roll, and instead of cake or pie we'll have fresh fruit. It's satisfying, and we're full. We don't need to eat all that stuff," Leibowitz said.