Dukan Diet or Protal Diet
 Founder,
Dr Pierre Dukan, is a French nutritionist with over 30 years experience,
and he is reported to have celebrities, such as Jennifer
Lopez (J-Lo), model Gisele Bundchen and
opera singer Katherine Jenkins, claiming to lose
weight following his highly successful Dukan Diet, as well as 5
million French women.
This is a high protein plan with an initial no-carb, non-fat diet
period, before gradually re-introducing other food groups back into
the diet.
There is no calorie counting or food weighing involved.
The 4 stages in the Dukan diet plan
Protein-rich foods for the initial 2-7 days - only lean meat,
fish, eggs and non-fat dairy foods are suggested. There is a suggested
list of 72 protein foods in the diet. This kick-start phase is for
rapid weight loss. Drinking plenty of water is also important. A
tbsp of oat bran helps combat constipation and hunger pangs (Attack
stage)
Add unlimited vegetables (there is a list of 28) every other day.
This 'on and off' diet continues until you reach your target weight.
This phase encourages a slower weight loss rate - usually an average
weight loss of 2lb a week. (Cruise stage)
Now at your ideal weight you can re-introduce foods such as bread,
pasta, rice, butter and vegetable oils. Even the odd glass of wine
and a celebration meal is allowed. You are expected to remain in
this phase for 5 days for every pound of weight you lost in the
last 2 stages of the diet. During this stage you are not expected
to lose weight, but maintain your target weight.(Consolidation
stage)
Eventually, you are allowed to eat what you like for six days
a week. However, you are expected to maintain a protein-only day
once a week. Thursday is recommended as the ideal week day. In France
the Dukan diet has become so popular that Thursday has become the
'protein day', and restaurants now offer special menus on this day.
This 'protein-only' day is supposed to help you maintain your ideal
weight, by covering any overeating - you can apparently lose 1.5lb
to 2lb instantly. (Stabilisation stage).
More info: www.thedukandiet.org
How does the Dukan Diet Work?
The initial kick-start stage, when you eat high protein foods,
requires more energy from the body during digestion, and so burns
off more calories. During the first 2 stages you lose weight, first
rapidly then at a slower rate. The next two stages help you sustain
your target weight, as you gradually reintroduce food groups back
into your eating plan. By keeping one day a week to eating only
high-protein foods (for the rest of your life) you are able to keep
your weight under control.
What foods does the Dukan Diet suggest?
Attack Stage 1: Meat (beef and veal), poultry
(skinless), ham, fish, seafood, fat-free dairy products, tea, coffee
and lots of water.
Cruise Stage 2: All vegetables can be added every
other day to the high-protein and non-fat foods, apart from the
following veg :
potatoes, green beans, sweetcorn, peas, avocados and lentils.
Consolidation Stage 3: other food groups are gradually
reintroduced , like bread, rice, pasta, vegetable oils and even
butter.
Stabilisation Stage 4: back to your normal
eating, apart from a protein-only day once a week. Also keep up
with the oat bran.
A day of eating on the initial Attack stage of the Dukan diet could
look like this:
Breakfast
- A 0% fat yoghurt or fromage frais, and a boiled egg with 1
slice of turkey or lean ham or
- Scrambled egg with salmon with a cup of unsweetened tea or coffee
Lunch
- Oat bran pancake (1.5 tbsp daily oat bran is allowed) with salmon
or fat-free cottage cheese or
- mixed seafood or tinned sardines(in brine)
Dinner
- Grilled fish or
- Chicken breast cooked with lemon juice and paprika
Dukan Diet Recipe
Oat Bran Pancake
1.5 tbsp oat bran
1 egg
2 tbsp fat free fromage frais
Mix ingredients together, adding a splash of skimmed milk if too thick,
heat gently in a non-stick frying pan, until golden on both sides.
Pros of the Dukan diet
The four stages of the Dukan diet make it easy to follow and some
users have reported significant weight loss in the two week induction
phase, making it a good option if you need to lose weight fast.
Up to 7 lb can be lost in the first 5 days.
The diet moves to a healthier, slower weight-loss stage in phase
2, which is more sustainable.
Treats are allowed, such as two celebration dinners per week during
stage 3 ( Consolidation phase), which takes into account real life
occasions - like birthdays, xmas, etc. Again this makes the diet
more sustainable and more likely to succeed.
Cons of the Dukan diet
The 'protein only' day once a week, in the final Stabilisation
stage, is recommended for life!
Rapid weight-loss (as in the initial 2 weeks) is generally not recommended
by health experts - the optimum weight-loss is considered to be
2 lb a week.
The initial Attack stage is low in fibre, so there is a risk of
constipation. Drinking plenty of water can help.
A protein diet high in meat and eggs, as in the initial 2 weeks,
can raise your cholesterol.
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