All about the Dukan diet: the food pattern, the benefits and contraindications

What is the Dukan Diet? Let's find out what are the benefits, contraindications and the food pattern to follow.

The Dukan diet has become very famous in recent years, because it is followed by famous people with an enviable physique, such as Kate Middleton and Jennifer Lopez.
Very similar to a high protein diet, Dukan promises rapid weight loss through a 4-phase system and without affecting muscle mass. But does it really work? Let's see what are the benefits, contraindications and the food pattern to follow.

Dukan diet: food scheme

The Dukan diet is based on a strict dietary pattern , divided into four distinct phases. In all stages it is necessary to consume oat bran and drink plenty of water. Let's see, therefore, how the 4 phases are articulated:

– The first phase of the Dukan Diet is the strictest of all and known as the attack phase . It is based on pure proteins, during which only white and red meat, light dairy products, fish, seafood and tofu are eaten. It can have a variable duration from 3 to 10 days, based on the objective to be achieved. At this juncture it is important to carry out at least 20 minutes of physical activity a day.

– The second phase, the so -called cruise phase , during which vegetables are added to the proteins, with the exception of flour products (potatoes, corn, peas, legumes, etc.). Here, the workout should be increased to 30 minutes a day.

– The third stage is called the consolidation phase , during which all foods are gradually reintroduced. To avoid the yo-yo effect, the length of this period should be adapted to the kilos lost (10 days for every kilo lost). Training should remain around half an hour or even increase when following, for example, the so-called gala days. In these it is possible to have a free meal with the sole imposition of never having an encore.

– Finally we come to the maintenance phase , or the final one, during which we start eating normally again, but with some rules to be respected for life. Once a week, for example, you should only eat protein and continue to eat oat bran. Here, training, even walking every day , must be constant and last at least 20 minutes.

The Dukan diet menu: recipes and foods

As we have seen, there are some foods that are highly recommended, others that are allowed and still others that, on the other hand, must be absolutely avoided . The fourth phase, theoretically, is the most permissive since it is a return to normality, albeit with some indications. So let's see what to eat during this diet:

• In the first phase, specifically, we recommend meat with a preference for white meat, lean fish, tofu and not too fatty dairy products. Dukan also suggests the consumption of shirataki in order to fill up and fill the plate. It is a tuber (konjac) which is found in the form of pasta or flour and which has no carbohydrates, boasts very few calories and is highly satiating. Tea and coffee are also allowed, while other types of drinks (especially alcohol) are strictly prohibited. This is certainly the most complicated phase , and the advice is therefore to create a menu that often alternates meat with fish. Seafood can also be eaten, albeit in small quantities.

• In the second phase, the foods listed above continue to be taken, but vegetables are added to these. However, potatoes, legumes, cereals, rice , peas and lentils are prohibited. In this case the best thing is to create unique dishes by varying the side dish and the dish. Grilled steak with spinach, fish with carrots and so on.

• With the third phase it is possible to introduce bread, fruit and aged cheese. Pasta, legumes, potatoes and rice are also allowed, although they are to be eaten only twice a week. At this point, the menu becomes more varied and you can therefore alternate first courses with main courses and unique dishes. Also not to be underestimated is the possibility of eating bread, which allows you to create tasty sandwiches to break the routine. What matters is not to exaggerate in the quantities which, unless it is the gala day, should always be respected and not exceeded. All preferring, of course, wholemeal bread.

Dukan diet: contraindications and benefits

Now that we've seen how the Dukan diet works, it's important to understand how it works.
Surely it is a diet that has several advantages, but the contraindications should not be underestimated. The main upside is the rapid weight loss . Another advantage is that the lost kilos are hardly regained if the rules of the maintenance phase are respected.

The contraindications , on the other hand, are the deficiencies that a protein diet can entail. To prevent this from happening, it is good to take a multivitamin supplement, at least in the early stages. Also, the absence of fiber can cause constipation. For this reason, Dukan has become more "permissive" in recent years, allowing the introduction of a few grams of olive oil.

Ultimately, the advice we give you is to consult a nutritionist or dietician to learn more and carefully evaluate your situation to understand which diet is best suited for you. Furthermore, it is always good to remember that for prolonged periods it would always be good to insert the various foods. In this way you will not run the risk of running into shortages or imbalances. Which is especially true if you have several kilos to lose.