Let's Dish on Dukan I am regularly asked about the Dukkan diet and whether or not its a good thing to do. Its almost a badge of honour? 'How many weeks have you done it', or 'I managed 3 weeks, 2 to go'.
I have seen a lot of people lose weight on Dukan, and a lot of people put it straight back on as soon as they stop.
It's not really my place to tell you to do, or not to do the Dukan. But some basic facts about what it does for your body is probably a good thing for you to know. Then you can make your own mind up what you want to do....ain't choice a wonderful thing?
How Does it Work?
Phase 1
This lasts 5 days and you can eat only low-fat protein. This puts your body in weight loss mode (ketosis) because it uses energy created from its own fat, so you need to make sure that you eliminate any and all types of carbs during this stage.
Phases 2, 3, 4
Add in some carbs but they recommend you always mix them with protein. In order to maintain your weight, you will need to keep 'protein only' days going forward.
Consequences
There are always going to be consequences from cutting out fruit and vegetables from your diet for days at a time.The biggest problem is that although we need protein, it takes a lot of energy for your body to break down. While it's working at that, your body isn't getting a lot else done at all.
The second biggest problem is that you miss out on all the essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs and gets from the fruit and veg you would normally eat.
So look forward to .......constipation (what is happening to all your toxins if you aren't dumping them? Eugghh!)
Nausea - See above and also having all that animal protein is really hard for the body to break down and you will create a very acidic environment in your body.
Dizziness - restricted calorie intake will have this effect.
Lack of Energy - well your body is working so hard at breaking down protein, it's not got a lot of energy spare for everyday life. Energy produced from fat cells isn't enough to get you through a day, it's why you need carbs.
Best Weight Loss Technique - Ever .......is to give your body a chance to sort itself out. Your body is a machine that balances itself, cleanses itself, reboots itself. All it needs is the opportunity to rest and cleanse and detox itself. You will automatically lose weight.
Go on a fast, give your body a break from food and drink, pump yourself full of vitamins and minerals and watch the weight drop off you. Click Here to find out more.
Some info on Protein - What's it really for?
Some of the amino acids present in proteins are essential nutrients the body needs and ca ot make itself. So they can only be provided by your diet.
General Sources
Animal sources: tend to be meat, fish, diary and dairy products. We often overeat from these sources. Vegetable sources: come from beans, legumes, nuts and grains.
The Difference?
Vegetable Proteins are less concentrated so you need to eat more, in a better mix to get the same amount of protein. There is a myth that you can't get protein from vegetarian sources. You can - but mix legumes, grains, vegetables in order to achieve that.
