The Dukan Diet

The Dukan diet is a high protein, low carb diet developed by Dr Pierre Dukan. 

Dukan (2010) developed the diet based on four phases: two phases for weight loss and two for weight maintenance (pp. 7-13). The diet becomes more relaxed and imprecise as individuals’ proceed through the phases.

 1: Attack Phase

This phase entails individuals consuming a strict protein diet of meat, poultry, eggs, fish, seafood and non-fat dairy products. Limiting the individual to a pure protein (PP) diet where they can consume a number of 68 high-protein foods to produce rapid and noticeable weight loss (DukanDiet.com, n.a.) is the goal. It usually proceeds for 2 -5 days, however is dependent on factors such as the individual’s age and weight loss plan. Gradual exercise, specifically brisk walking, is encouraged in this phase and throughout to aid weight loss.

 2: Cruise Phase

At this phase 32 non-starchy vegetables are added into the individual’s diet, giving them a total of 100 natural foods to select from. Alternating pure protein (PP) and protein and vegetable (PV) days allows for gradual and steady weight loss to occur (DukanDiet.com, n.a.). The average duration is based on a 3-day schedule for each pound of weight the individual looses. The desired weight should be achieved during this phase.

 3: Consolidation Phase

This involves the individual consuming necessary foods, including bread, fruit, cheese and some starches and two ‘celebration meals’ each week while avoiding the body’s tendency to quickly regain weight.  While no weight is intended to be lost during this phase, it is intended to maintain the individuals weight reached during phase two. The average duration is about 5 days for every pound lost and correlates with the body’s vulnerability to regain weight.

 4: Stabilisation Phase

This phase is perpetuating. The individual has now gained the knowledge of healthy eating and prosperous patterns to follow. It involves three simple and non-negotiable guidelines that must also be followed if the individual wishes to maintain their weight;

-       Consuming 3 tablespoons of oat bran per day

-       Walking a minimum of 20 minutes every day

-       Incorporating a ‘PP Thursday’; where the individual returns to the strict ‘attack phase’ pure-protein diet for one day each week. 

(Sourced DukanDiet.com, n.a)
Although there are limitations, the Dukan diet meets the Australian Dietary Guidelines (Eat for Health, 2013) reasonably well. The guideline for people ‘to achieve and maintain a healthy weight’ and ‘be physically active’ is met as individuals loose weight immediately by following the food consumption and physical activity recommendations. Those overweight and obese can benefit significantly from the diet as they become a healthy weight during the phases 1-2 and are then empowered to maintain the achieved true weight during phase 3-4.

Individuals can ‘choose the amounts of nutritious foods and drink to meet their energy needs’ however can only choose from 100 natural foods listed after phase 1. 

During phase 1, individuals are limited to eat high protein foods, lacking nutrients from carbohydrate and lipid food groups, thus not meeting the guideline of ‘enjoying a wide variety of foods from five groups every day’. As fruits, vegetables, and grain foods are forbidden during this time, nutrients such as fibre are lacked resulting in side effects such as constipation for the individual. Even after recommendations of more vegetables, incorporating one day a week to a PP diet does not meet the guideline requirement of ‘every day’.

By limiting the individual’s food consumption to 100 natural foods, the guideline to ‘limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and alcohol’ are meet by the Dukan diet

This diet has proved to show effective and immediate results for many persons since its release. I recommend the diet to those motivated to loose weight for better health and committed to long-term weight management. The immediate and noticeable results keep people motivated  (Teixeira, Silva, Mata, Palmeira, & Markland, 2012) and increase their health status by lowering bodyweight.

I believe the phases of PP consumption are only short and the positive effects (i.e. reaching healthy body weight) outweigh the negative effects (i.e. lack of nutrients) therefore I recommend it. However, I believe once fat has been lost and individuals can stabilize a healthy weight, the diet should be adapted so individuals are maintaining their weight with a balanced, nutritious diet and adequate level of physical activity. 

REFERENCES:

Teixeira, P. J., Silva, M. N., Mata, J., Palmeira, A. L., & Markland, D. (2012). Motivation, self-determination, and long-term weight control. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 9, 22. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-9-22

Eat for Health. (2013).  Australian Dietary Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/australian-dietary-guidelines-1-5

DukanDiet.com. (n.a.). Phases for Low Carb Diet Plan Explained- Dukan Diet 4 Phases. Retrieved from http://www.citationmachine.net/apa/cite-a-website/edit

Dukan, P. (2010) The Dukan diet. London: Hodder & Stoughton.