What is the Dukan diet
The Dukan Diet is a protein based nutritional approach designed by Pierre Dukan, a French nutritionist and dietician.
The Dukan Diet, or Dukan method proposes a healthy eating plan which is based on how primitive man used to eat when we were hunter-gatherers.
It includes 100 foods, of which 72 are animal sourced and 28 come from plants. And you can eat as much as you like, as long as you stick to those 100 foods.
Basically, you can eat unlimited quantities of food, as long as they’re on the approved foods list, which includes very few carbs, if any.
Dukan diet menu
You'll be eating a lot of protein and oat bran.
The diet has four phases.
1. During the “Attack” phase (1-10 days), you eat all the lean protein you can handle, plus 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran and at least 6 cups of water daily.
2. In the “Cruise” phase (which can last several months), you add unlimited amounts of non-starchy veggies every other day, plus an extra half-tablespoon of oat bran.
3. When you get to the third stage, “Consolidation” (5 days for every pound you've lost), you can have veggies every day, plus one piece of fruit, 2 slices of whole-grain bread, and 1 serving of hard cheese. During this phase, you can also have 1 or 2 servings of starchy foods and 1 or 2 “celebration” meals where you can eat whatever you want.
4. The final phase, “Stabilization” (ongoing), is all about maintenance. You can eat whatever you like, except for one day a week when you follow the all-protein rules from the diet’s “Attack” phase. In this phase, you also eat 3 tablespoons of oat bran a day and walk 20 minutes every day.
Sugar-free gum, artificial sweeteners, spices, and unsweetened coffee and tea are allowed. As for alcohol, you can have a glass of wine per day during the consolidation and stabilization phases.
Dukan diet recipes
To look for recipes start on this Dukan Diet Recipes article.
Dukan diet plan
Prepping your food shouldn't be a problem, and you don't need exotic ingredients. But you will be pretty restricted in what you can eat at the start of the diet.
Level of limitations: Eating mainly protein and oat bran can get tiresome. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests that meals include fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats, which the Dukan Diet doesn’t emphasize.
Cooking and shopping: It's easy to plan, shop for, and prepare meals on this diet.
Packaged foods or meals? None required.
In-person meetings? No.
Note: A daily 30-minute walk is essential to the plan.
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Dukan Diet Phases
1. Dukan Diet Atttack phase
The aim here is to lose weight rapidly – two to three kg (4.4 to 6.6 lbs) within two to ten days. It is said to be a way of kick-starting the metabolism.
The dieters can eat nothing but lean protein, and unlimited amounts, there is no calorie counting. It is important that the protein is low in fat. Protein could be all kinds of beef, fish, chicken, eggs, soy, and cottage cheese. The dieter is told to be careful to avoid meats with added sugars.
The dieter also consumes at least 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran, the only carbohydrate source allowed in this phase.Pierre Dukan explains that oat bran is very high in fiber1, meaning that a large proportion of the carbs cannot be broken down and digested, making oat bran less carbohydrate-rich than they thought. Oat bran also helps suppress hunger because it grows to up to twenty times its size in the stomach.
Note: At least 1.5 liters of water has to be consumed each day
2. Dukan Diet Cruise phase
28 specific vegetables are added to the diet. Fruit is not allowed. The aim is to help the dieters achieve their target bodyweight more gradually. Although based on specific personal conditions, the length of the Cruise phase generally lasts 1 kg (2.2 lb) weight loss per week. So, if a person needs to lose 15 kg, this phase lasts 15 weeks. The program allows some tolerated foods. However, if there is any weight gain, some of them will be banned.
Vegetables can be consumed in unlimited amounts as long as they are not starchy – so, carrots, corn, and peas are out, and spinach, okra, lettuce and green beans are OK. The dieter can also eat unlimited amounts of low fat protein sources included during the first phase. The 1.5 liters of water and oat bran consumption continues.
In this phase the dieter alternates as far as lean protein and vegetables. E.g. on one day the individual eats just lean protein, and the next lean proteins combined with unlimited low-starch vegetables. This alternation persists throughout this stage.
3. Dukan Diet Consolidation phase
The aim here is to prevent the person from putting lots of weigh back on. The individual can consume unlimited quantities of protein and vegetables daily, as well as one piece of low-sugar fruit, one portion of cheese, and 2 slices of whole-grain bread. The dieter is allowed to have one or two servings of starchy food and one or two celebration meals each week. In a celebration meal, people can eat whatever they want.
During the Consolidation phase, the dieter starts eating the core diet of pure protein one day each week, preferably on the same day of each week.
4. Dukan Diet Stabilization phase
This is, in effect, the long-term maintenance part of the plan. People can eat whatever they want, as long as they follow some simple rules:
1. One day each week they must have an all-protein day, as in the Attack phase.
2. Eat three tablespoons of oat bran each day.
3. Go for a 20 minute walk each day.
4. Never take escalators or elevators.
In order to succeed long-term the dieters need to follow this Dukan stabilization phase for the rest of their lives. It must become part of their lifestyle.
Dieters are allowed to consume artificial sweeteners, vinegars, sugar-free gum, and spices; they are also advised to take multivitamins with minerals.
Various celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Gisele Bundchen and Kate Middleton say they have used the Dukan Diet successfully. Lopez and Bundchen to recover their normal bodyweight after giving birth, and Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, before marrying Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.
Dukan diet review
The Dukan diet is a low-carbohydrate (carb), high-protein diet. There’s no limit to how much you can eat during the plan’s four phases, providing you stick to the rules of the plan. During phase one, you’re on a strict lean protein diet. This is based on a list of 72 reasonably low-fat protein-rich foods, such as chicken, turkey, eggs, fish and fat-free dairy. This is for an average of five days to achieve quick weight loss. Carbs are off limits except for a small amount of oat bran. Unlike the Atkins diet, Dukan’s phase one bans vegetables and seriously restricts fat. The next three phases of the plan see the gradual introduction of some fruit, veg and carbs, and eventually all foods. The aim is gradual weight loss of up to 2lb a week and to promote long-term weight management. There’s no time limit to the final phase, which involves having a protein-only day once a week and taking regular exercise.
What Makes Dukan diet As The Best Dietary Plan
You can lose weight very quickly, which can be motivating. It’s a very strict and prescriptive diet, and some people like that. It’s easy to follow. You don’t need to weigh food or count calories. Apart from keeping to low-fat, low-salt and high-protein foods, there’s no restriction on how much you can eat during your first two weeks.
Dukan diet side effects
At the start of the diet, you may experience side effects such as bad breath, a dry mouth, tiredness, dizziness, insomnia and nausea from cutting out carbs. The lack of wholegrains, fruit and veg in the early stages of the diet could cause problems such as constipation.
BDA verdict of Dukan diet
Rapid weight loss can be motivating, but it is unsustainable and unhealthy. The Dukan diet isn’t nutritionally balanced, which is acknowledged by the fact that you need a vitamin supplement and a fibre top-up in the form of oat bran. There’s a danger that this type of diet could increase your risk of long-term health problems if you don’t stick to the rules. The diet lacks variety in the initial phases, so there’s a risk you’ll get bored quickly and give up.
Dukan diet foods
Vegetarian or vegan: This diet is based on eating a lot of lean meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, fat-free dairy, and eggs. Seitan, tempeh, and tofu are the veggie protein options available — beans, nuts, and lentils aren't on the diet's list of allowed foods. On days when all you eat is protein (no fruits or veggies allowed), things can get boring quickly if you don’t eat meat.
Low-fat diet: If you’re already following a low-fat regimen or have a heart condition that requires eating ultra-low-fat foods, this diet might fit like a glove, since the allowed foods — mainly protein, veggies, and fruit — are lean, low-fat, or no-fat.
Gluten-free: The earlier phases of the diet may work for a gluten-free diet, but as the rules relax, it's not strictly gluten-free. If you're trying to avoid gluten completely, make it a habit to read food labels carefully.
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Dukan Diet: The Best Ever Weight Loss & Diet Plan
