Dukan Diet: We tell you what it consists of, what phases it has, what its menus are like, and what dangers it entails doing it to the letter.
Celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Gisele Bundchen have confessed to having done the Dukan diet. However, celebrities are always doing “nutritional pirouettes,” as JLo demonstrated with her challenge of not consuming neither sugar nor carbohydrates for 10 days.
But the famous ones are not the most indicated when it comes to evaluating a diet to lose weight, and in the case of the Dukan diet, the positions are found, with staunch defenders and bitter detractors.
The Biggest Criticisms of the This Diet
The reality is that its creator, Pierre Dukan, was expelled from the French College of Physicians for commercially promoting his method has put it on its list of non-recommended diets. Even so, it residue one of the most sought after weight loss regimens on the networks.
Is This Diet Dangerous for Health?
Although it has been demonized, one of the best-known nutrition disseminators in our country, Luis Jimenez, assures in his El Centinel blog that “there is little scientific evidence that shows that following this diet for a limited time will cause a problem of health in healthy people. ”
However, he does not believe that it is a panacea either because “the principles on which it is based are not sustainable in the long term.” Jiménez is radical in stating that the diet does not work.
Table of Contents
1. What is the Dukan Diet?
The Dukan diet is a diet that prioritizes the consumption of proteins (meat, fish, seafood, eggs ) ahead of other food groups such as carbohydrates and fats. Simultaneously, it has phases in which the consumption of fruit and vegetables is reduced or eliminated.
If you are a peer for a healthy protein diet, here is one to follow for two weeks and lose weight. The Dukan diet restricts the foods that can be eaten but not in free quantities. What happens is that this is a bit tricky because you can eat hamburgers without limit.
But when doing it without being able to accompany them with bread, French fries, or even vegetables, how many hamburgers will you eat?. It is divided into 4 phases, the duration of which depends on the weight to be lost. We present them to you one by one.
2. Phase 1: Pure Protein Phase (Pp) or Attack Phase
Only protein foods (meat, fish, shellfish, egg, tofu, and seitan) are eaten at will. Proteins are of animal origin, except tofu and seitan. Also, Dukan says that you should take 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran a day, such as making a pancake. Dukan’sDukan’s oatmeal pancake is one of his most famous recipes.
Dukan is radical when it comes to fats. In fact, among the foods authorized in this phase are neither olive oil nor any other type: only vinegar, lemon juice, aromatic herbs, and spices. And the authorized dairy products are always skimmed or 0%. Of course, it cannot be fried.
Avoid pulling on red and processed meat. For many people, Dukan is synonymous with eating meat at will, but this is anything but healthy. Red meat is the least recommended, so it is better not to abuse it in any case. The World Health Organization does not endorse taking it more than once a week.
Prioritize the consumption of fish and eggs. It is a complete protein but leaner. Also, don’t forget molluscs and crustaceans. Include tofu and seitan in your menus. To avoid within what fits the excess of animal protein, resort to them.
How Long Does This Phase Last?
It depends on the weight you need to lose, but if it’s less than 5 kilos, it’s only one day. And if they are more than 5 kilos, we recommend that you do it with a doctor or nutritionist’s supervision.
Pure protein phase menu example (which is the same as for the purified protein day)
- Breakfast: Dukan oatmeal pancake + egg scramble + yoghurt + tea, coffee or infusion
- Lunch: Steamed mussels + baked hake or roast beef + fresh cheese
- Dinner: Smoked salmon + smoked tofu + skimmed yoghurt
3. Phase 2: Cruise Phase
Pure protein days alternate with other protein + vegetables (PV). It lasts until you reach the desired weight. The alternation of each phase depends on each person, on the value to be lost, whether they suffer from constipation Dukan used to recommend five of PP and another five of PV. Still, he preferred the alternation of 1 day of PP and another of PV because it is easier to follow.
What vegetables are allowed? All except avocado, peas, beans, potatoes, or corn. Carrots or beets are authorized but not abused, and only in one meal a day.
Cooking. The griddle is prioritized in non-stick pans not to use oil, the oven, or steam. Does not recommend frying.
Oil is still prohibited. Dukan only recommends paraffin oil, but it wouldn’t be our option. To dress the vegetables, just vinegar, lemon, or yoghurt sauce (yoghurt beaten with mustard or aromatic herbs and a few lemons) drops.
How Long Does This Phase Last?
Until you have reached the weight you want. Cruise phase menu example
- Breakfast: Oatmeal cake + York or turkey ham + a tub of 0% fresh cheese + tea, coffee or infusion
- Lunch: Roasted vegetables + beef burger + skimmed yogurt
- Dinner: Vegetable soup + baked sea bass + skimmed yoghurt
4. Phase 3: Consolidation Phase
In this phase, you can eat foods that, until now, were prohibited but with limitations.
- You can eat fruit, but only 1 piece (fewer grapes and nuts)
- You can eat 2 slices of whole wheat bread.
- You can also eat 40 g of hard cheese a day.
- Once a week, you can have 1 serving of pasta, rice, or lentils.
It has been making a pure protein (PP) for 1 day. And there is a weekly free meal. Be careful; it ‘sits a meal, not a day. You can eat the first, second, and dessert you want in this meal without repeating. You can accompany it with a glass of wine.
This phase, in turn, has a second part (it is not very clear what is different from the first part of the consolidation phase and the second), in which 2 pieces of fruit can be eaten instead of one; 2 servings of pasta, rice or lentils a week; and 2 gala meals.
How Long Does This Phase Last?
They are 10 days of consolidation for each kilo lost in the two previous phases. Therefore, if you have lost 4 kilos, it is 40 days following the third phase. As we told you, we do not know very well if 20 are from the first part of step 3 and 20 from the second part of phase 3 of the subdivision is a function of other factors.
Sample Consolidation Phase Menu
- Breakfast: 1 slice of entire wheat bread + 1 tub of 0% fresh cheese + tea, coffee, or infusion
- Food: Roasted asparagus + roast chicken + 1 slice of whole wheat bread + 1 fruit
- Dinner: Pumpkin cream (without cream) + smoked salmon + oat bran pancake + skimmed yoghurt
5. Phase 4: Stabilization Phase
Dukan considers that it is the return to nutritional “freedom” without any prohibition, and it will be possible not to gain weight again just by taking into account these 3 rules:
- Rule 1. Make 1 day of pure protein (PP) weekly
- Rule 2. Every day eat 3 tablespoons of oat bran
- Rule 3. Walk 30 minutes
How Long Does This Phase Last?
This will be your way of eating forever.
If You Are Going to Do the Diet, Keep in Mind
How many meals to eat: Dukan advises having three main meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But it authorizes one or two snacks that can be skimmed yoghurt, hard-boiled egg, jerky, York ham, or turkey (100% meat, without starch or other additives ). These foods can be accompanied by tea, coffee, or infusions.
Take oat bran every day: Dukan advises taking 1 to 2 tablespoons a day in the early phases and not reaching 3 tablespoons until the stabilization phase. Also, it recommends that it be coarse bran and that it does not contain the germ.
You can drink Dukan “forces” to drink 1.5 litres of liquid a day and authorize drinking water, infusions, teas, coffees, and sweetened drinks with or without bubbles. We disagree with the “abuse” of the sweeteners in the method, so we have not incorporated typical Dukan desserts such as custard, cakes, etc. Only when you are entitled to gala meals can you have a glass of wine.
Salt shaker, at bay. Dukan does not advise salting foods too much – and since he does not use precooked or ultra-processed foods – his diet is low in salt. You prefer that the flavour of your food is enhanced with Aromatic Herbs or Spices.
You have to exercise every day. In the attack phase, the French doctor recommends walking at least 20 minutes a day; in the following, 30 minutes; And if you get stuck, move on to an hour a day for at least 3 days in a row.
Of course, if you want to add additional activities to walking, you are free to do so, and Dukan encourages you to do so, but without ever neglecting your daily walk.
6. What We Like About the Dukan Diet
It makes you cook. One of the best things about the Dukan method is that it “forces” to cook, which gives importance to homemade food, thus avoiding precooked and processed foods. They are famous recipes such as bread or Dukan pancake.
“Forces” to exert weight loss considers walking “a weight-loss drug” and recommends walking 30 minutes a day and forgetting about elevators. Anyway, a little more sports activity does not hurt.
You can enjoy “free meals.” Even if it is in the third phase, it is essential to fit in the diet and lead a social life.
Avoid sugar. Sugar does not contribute anything, and by producing highs and lows in glucose, it leads us to have “attacks” of hunger.
Have You Done Our Test on Added Sugar in Food?
We like their “superfoods.” We like oat bran, which is satisfying, has a mild laxative effect and helps control cholesterol; agar-agar, algae used to make jellies, and that regulates intestinal transit and limits fat absorption; their konjac paste, a tuber with very few calories; or defatted cocoa, all the virtues of chocolate, without any fat.
7. What Do We Criticize About the Dukan Diet?
We lack vegetable protein. The WHO says that 75% of protein should be of plant origin (legumes, cereals, nuts, and seeds) and only 25% of animal origin, but Dukan only considers the latter, with a small concession to tofu and seitan.
It has a rebound effect. The last phase of the method only proposes to eat again “normally” following the 3 precepts that we have explained at the beginning. As the previous steps are very restrictive, upon reaching this, the body compensates for the earlier deprivations, and instead of stabilizing the weight, it shoots up. And let’s face it, you can eat your whole life like you were in the consolidation phase.
It ends up boring. As much as you like meat, always eating a hamburger alone without bread or accompanied by ham or tuna does not make the diet attractive.
Sweetener abuse. Many Dukan dessert recipes use sweeteners, and these have not been found to help you lose weight either, as they affect the microbiota. Better to eat fresh fruit instead.
The Healthy Version of the Dukan Diet
We must increase the consumption of vegetables and fruit and not exaggerate with proteins (go from 120 g per serving to 150 g, for example), balancing animals and vegetables. And moderate the consumption of cereals – always whole grains – or fats.
What to Eat
In the early stages: If you want to do the early stages of Dukan, our advice is to keep them short. Do not do more than 1-2 days the first and no more than 1-2 weeks the second.
In the third phase: You can follow it until you reach the desired weight, whether or not you do the pure protein day. But instead of 1, take 2 pieces of fruit and consume bread, pasta, rice, or potato in the main meals inside portions.
And 2 or 3 times fix a week, have a handful of nuts. Following our advice for stage three, add 1 or 2 free meals per week in the maintenance phase.
