The Dukan diet (1) is one of the most popular diets of the French , despite this, it too has certain risks that you must take into account.
This diet was developed by Dr. Pierre Dukan. An experienced nutritionist, he is a specialist in food behavioral psychology and practices in his Paris office, on the Champs-Elysées. His book “I don’t know how to lose weight” details the stages of a diet that claims to make you lose weight quickly, without frustration.
The Dukan diet is high in protein . The reason for this is that protein, in sufficient quantity, quickly suppresses the feeling of satiety (hunger). This diet helps to avoid cravings and snacking needs. Without fat and without sugars the body automatically draws on its fat reserves to have the energy necessary for its functioning. This reaction causes weight loss.
THE PRINCIPLES OF THE DIET
sugars/carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates corresponding to fast sugars such as pure sugar, sweets, cakes, and fruits are prohibited in the Dukan diet. Complex carbohydrates or slow sugars include pasta and starches (potatoes, rice, cereals, bread, etc.). By depriving the diet of these nutrients , the body will draw the energy it needs from the fat intake (but since there is no fat intake in this diet, the body draws directly from the fat reserves, therefore in the tissues). This is how weight loss happens quickly.
fats/lipids
Butter, oils, cheeses and dairy products are naturally rich in lipids. By depriving the body of these fats in the diet, we force it to attack the fatty tissues of the body. However, a lipid deficiency can cause dry skin and stiffen blood vessels (risk of changes in blood pressure, more commonly known as tension).
Phase 1: Attack Phase
It consists in eating only proteins, at will: no feeling of hunger. It lasts 5 to 7 days, during which are allowed:
- Lean meats (no pork or duck), offal (liver, kidney), poultry (white, skinless), turkey or chicken ham.
- Fish (seafood, crustaceans, shellfish, sole, ray)
- Eggs
- 0% dairy products (no fruit)
Phase 2: Cruising phase
Foods low in sugar and fat, as well as raw or cooked vegetables, are reintroduced into the diet. All vegetables are allowed, except legumes (lentils, peas, white beans, etc.). Starches are always prohibited.
If the person wants to lose less than 10 kilos, they alternate 3 days of pure protein with 3 days of protein + vegetables. If she is considering a loss of more than 10 kilos, it’s 5 days one then 5 days the other. This phase delights the followers of the Dukan method because it allows 2 gala meals per week (possible deviations): the frustration is less. In general, 4 kilos per month are lost. We go to the next step when we have reached the target weight.
Phase 3: Consolidation phase
Its duration is calculated according to the number of pounds lost: 1 kilogram is equivalent to 10 days of consolidation. So for a loss of ten kilograms, it will take a hundred days of consolidation. The reintroduction of previously avoided foods should be done gradually, until the end of the third phase.
Feeding is done in the same way as in the second phase, adding either one fruit per day (no bananas, grapes or cherries), or a starchy food. Nevertheless, one day per week must be reserved for pure proteins, and this in a definitive way (ie for life). The two exceptional meals exempt from deprivation are still relevant (and will remain so).
Phase 4: Stabilization phase
Attention this phase is “eternal”
This phase is eternal and can therefore make the Dukan diet harmful: too much protein in the body generates excess toxins, which the kidneys are no longer able to eliminate. The risk of renal insufficiency is non-negligible. During the rest of his life, the patient will have to respect one day a week of pure protein.
The rest of the meals should be balanced to ensure a stable weight . This is why we recommend (as for all other diets) to start this diet with the approval of your doctor. The popularity of this diet should not take you away from the fact that starting a diet is not a trivial act . Monitoring should be maintained if this diet is followed indefinitely.
Those who wish to undertake this diet can go to the official website: http://www.regimedukan.com
ADVANTAGES
You can practice the Dukan diet everywhere: work, friends, restaurant, vacation, etc. Two gala meals, ie with authorized deviations , can be considered each week from the second phase. An interesting concept, which should be emphasized: the diet respects the pleasure of eating.
People who follow this diet generally agree that weight loss is rapid, especially during the first phases.
Weight loss is rapid, which is encouraging for the future: the first week can promote the loss of 4 to 5 kilos on average, and the first month of 5 to 8 kilos. No substitute or treatment is recommended in this diet: the menus are purely food, without potentially harmful chemical additives
The menus are not very frustrating because, if you take the time to cook with pleasure, the dishes are appetizing and consistent . Containing a consolidation phase and another stabilization phase, the Dukan diet is designed to avoid the yoyo effect and the phenomenal weight regain it causes.
DISADVANTAGES
Consisting of eliminating many foods, apart from proteins, the Dukan diet is at risk of nutritional deficiencies: lack of vitamins causing fatigue, low in fiber (risk of constipation), and the intense protein intake can be a risk of kidney failure. Especially since the stabilization phase lasts for life, with one day of pure protein per week. General practitioners have noted frequent problems among followers of this diet: significant fatigue (asthenia), vision problems (vitamin A deficiency), constipation (little or no fiber).
The main faults: too much protein, too much salt, too much calcium, not enough carbohydrates, not enough fibre.
For more information on the various deficiencies, see the ANSES opinion at the end of the file .
According to an article published in May 2011 in the online newspaper Liberation (3) , 80% of those who had practiced the Dukan diet had regained their initial weight 4 years after stopping the diet. A number that challenges.
ORIGINS OF THE REGIME
It was in 1978 that Doctor Pierre Dukan wrote his first book, entitled “ Weight loss, the absolute weapon ”. However, it is really in his book ” I don’t know how to lose weight ” (published in March 2000), that the Dukan diet was really born and began to become more and more popular.
The diet is now available in two versions: the original version (the one we present to you in this file) as well as a softer version (less difficult and more user-friendly).
ANSES’S OPINION
The opinion of ANSES is the opinion of the French health security agency. This notice should be read with caution and is important. Beyond 20% difference compared to ANSES recommendations, the difference is on a red background, otherwise it is on a green background.
| Dukan diet (average of phases) | ANC – Reference values (women / men) | Difference (woman / man) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANSES’s opinion is taken from Request No. 2009-SA-0099 (2) | |||
| Energy (kcal/d) | 1983.3 | ~2000 if sedentary. ~3000 if very active. | -1% / -34% |
| Lipids (%AET) | 37.7% | 35 to 40% of caloric intake (CA) | +1% / +1% |
| Fibers (g/d) | 5.3 | 25 / 25 | -79% / -79% |
| Iron (mg/d) | 16.6 | 16 / 9 | +4% / +84% |
| Calcium (mg/d) | 1827.7 | 900 / 900 | +103% / +103% |
| Magnesium (mg/d) | 374 | 360 / 420 | +4% / -11% |
| Sodium (mg/d) – Salt | 4070.7 | 2522 / 3447 (INCA2) | +61% / +18% |
| Vitamin B9 (µg/d) | 557 | 300 / 330 | +86% / +69% |
| Vitamin C (mg/d) | 48.7 | 110 / 110 | -56% / -56% |
| Vitamin D (µg/d) | 17.3 | 5 / 5 | +246% / +246% |
REVIEW OF CALCULERSONIMC.FR
| We prefer to remain mixed in our recommendations regarding this diet. Indeed, although the Dukan diet is surely one of the most popular in France, it must be kept in mind that the nutritional balance is not there. However, the diet has many positive aspects: to be discussed with your doctor or dietician. Explanation of the attribution of the mark: |
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