The Dukan diet plan has now become very popular in the US, even more than its native land, France. This has brought a lot of changes in the health industry because it has made people to have new ideas concerning dieting and how to diet. It is very popular in France with more than 2 million people using it, and they have always claimed that it really works. Some people also consider it to be the European version of the Atkins diet of the US. The French nutritionist, Pierre Dukan introduced the system, and it is gaining popularity in many other places, with the guide translated to many languages.
dukan diet ingredients
The Dukan diet plan can be divided into 4 phases as follows:
- In this phase, you’re only allowed to take protein foods (without limitation), spices, herbs, and 2 liters of carbonated water per day. This is unlike what you have in the Atkins diet where you need to take heavy fats, butter and cream. You also need to consider things like lean meats, chicken, fish, shrimp, lobster, lean ham and lean beef, and if you choose, you may include herbs to generously season your food. There is really no problem with eating eggs, but if you are always concerned about your cholesterol level, you may not eat egg yolks.
- This is the second phase where you should alternate your protein days with proteins and non-starchy vegetables in large quantities. You need to continue in this phase until you have been able to shed some pounds to the level desired.
- In this third phase, you may add foods like potatoes, rice, and pasta (twice a week), meat, two slices of bread, 40 grams cheese, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and one fruit (except grapes, bananas and cherries) per day. This is a very important phase and the period you spend in it depends on the number of pounds you have been able to lose in the previous phase. It is important to pass to the stage because it will enable you to live a healthy life, enabling you to add your favorite foods with the goal of having a slim body.
- This is the last phase, and you are allowed to eat the way you like, but it needs to be in moderation, doing that for about six days a week, while the seventh day is for eating only lean protein.
The main principle behind the Dukan diet is to always eat protein-rich foods to handle your body fat. What many people face is that they find it difficult to follow those steps with all diligence because they consider it to be boring. However, it should not be seen in that way because many of the stages enable you to eat as much food as you like. This is where some people consider it to be a very good option, and it is no longer restricted to France.
