Have you heard of the Dukan Diet? This high protein, low fat, low cholesterol weight loss program was created by Dr Pierre Dukan─a general practitioner in Paris─in his efforts to help overweight patients achieve healthy, lasting weight loss. What sets this diet apart from countless other slim down plans?
For starters, Dukan starts with the end in mind. This doctor realized that while anyone can lose weight in the short term, keeping it off permanently is the real challenge. So, he devised a system that helps prevent dieters from regaining that deleted fat.
Dukan Diet Phases
The Dukan Diet is essentially a 4-phase approach:
• Phase 1 – Attack Phase
• Phase 2 – Cruise Phase
• Phase 3 – Consolidation Phase
• Phase 4 – Stabilization Phase
Rather than requiring you to count calories, the Dukan plan offers 100 foods that can be consumed in whatever quantities you like, though naturally, reasonable portion control will benefit anyone trying to improve their eating habits for good. Examples of these 100 foods include lean meats, seafood, chicken, fish, non-fat dairy products, and vegetables like tomatoes, leafy greens, cucumbers, mushrooms, etc. Check out the “100” foods here:
The only significant omission on the list is whey protein powder, which is one of the most important foods available for anyone wishing to reach and maintain permanent weight loss. Starting your day with a low-calorie, filling, nutrient-packed whey protein shake will dramatically boost your chances of eating lean and healthy all day.
Protein-dense foods form the foundation of this highly successful weight loss program. As long as the item is on the “100” list─which again, should include whey protein─you can eat it whenever you like, consume enough to be satisfied, and still lose weight. How can that be?
The trick is in the satiety factor. High-protein foods fill you up and keep you satisfied over time. Many other Dukan “100” foods are low calorie but high volume, meaning they’re fiber-packed and water-dense. This makes them both refreshing and filling for a scant number of calories. All these foods help keep hunger at bay so effectively that mindless eating, boredom snacking, and emotional nibbling are all less likely.
Another benefit is that after the first few days on the diet, many people find their cravings for sweets and treats greatly diminished, which is largely due to breaking free from the vicious blood sugar spike/crash cycle so many Americans are enslaved by through an excessive consumption of refined carbs/sugar.
That alone is reason to pursue the Dukan system─weight loss being icing on the cake. Why? Because that dangerous, pancreas-damaging cycle does more than fatten your waist. It also promotes metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and chronic inflammation─all of which lead to and/or complicate cardiovascular disease.
Another key to the success of the Dukan Diet is that during the first few weeks, people lose weight safely but rapidly. This is key, since many dieters who would otherwise give up quickly are more likely to stay committed to their weight loss goals if they see results quickly.
What else should you know? Well, any major change in how you eat is bound to have some physical effects. After all, cutting out refined sugar and processed/junk foods is a mild shock to your body─like any detox─and you may experience slight headaches as a result.
Hang in there, this will pass within days, and you’ll feel so much better once your blood sugar levels stabilize and natural energy returns, you’ll wonder why you waited so long to take positive action.
-Image courtesy: foods-recipes.com
