Liz, thanks so much! Yes, I totally agree that "the most important part of SBD is the reduction in grains and sugars". I just totally agree. So I'm ignoring the ban on saturated fats.

One of the things I really like about South Beach though is its structure. I think there is genius in the simplicity of the three phases. Because I have blood sugar issues, I know I have to restrict fruits along with grains, and Phase 2 adds them back slowly and in still much smaller amounts that I was used to eating.

So although I'll basically ignore the saturated fat thing, I will definitely be following the basic structure of the three phases. I really like what Kalyn Denny (she has a wonderful South Beach recipe blog) said in an interview. She said she follows the spirit of the diet, not the letter of the law, meaning she'll use some butter in recipes, etc. That really stuck with me.

Thanks for the tip on the salt. I love salty broth!