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What is Dukan Diet and its side-effects?

This article gives pertinent information about Dukan Diet and its side-effects

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Pierre Dukan, a French doctor and nutritionist, challenged with the case of obesity started to look for alternative ways in curing the illness. After 20 years of thorough research he published in the year 2000, a book called, “Je ne sais pas maigrir” or translated as, “I don’t know how to get slimmer.” It gained the best-seller in France after a year it has been published.
It was made a hit in UK when Kate Middleton, now the duchess of Cambridge, tried the Dukan Diet before her marriage to the beloved Prince William, she reportedly claimed a loss of two dress sizes. It also allegedly claimed to help five million French. The book is also gaining fame in the US in the year 2011 when actress/singer, Jennifer Lopez, lost pounds after her pregnancy by following this diet.
Dukan Diet: What is it? How does this work?
Dukan Diet is similar to the famous Atkins diet. Atkins and Dukan are much alike in terms of non-intake of carbs initially and do not require portion control or counting calorie consumptions. In Atkins, it requires net carbohydrate intakes and unlike Dukan, it suggests a daily intake of oats, increase water consumption and 20 minutes of everyday brisk walking. Dukan Diet adopts four phases namely: Attack, Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization.
Four Phases of the Dukan Diet
Attack: In this starter phase, the dieter is only allowed take protein rich foods that are exquisitely low in fat. Dr. Dukan provided 72-item list of foods to be eaten, it excludes pork, lamb, poultry products and cheeses. Food should always be cooked but without adding any fat to it, it best to cook in grilling or roasting. It also requires you to eat 1 ½ tbsp. oat bran & 1.5 liters of water per day. This phase should be followed around 2-7 days or more. Results from this initial phase within 5 days may result in 4-7 lbs. loss. This phase promotes quick loss of weight since it is strictly based on a protein-only diet.
Cruise: Cruise, the second to the fourth phase of the Dukan diet scheme. During this phase dieters who were only allowed to eat protein-only foods can now alternate a 28-items of non-starchy vegetables. They may take attack phase diet for today and take non-starchy veggie diet for tomorrow, and so this phase must go on by alternating these two types of diet each day. This phase may last long enough as much as you want by reaching your desired weight and assuring 2 pounds per week loss.
Consolidation: As one achieves the desired weight, one has to go the next phase called Consolidation, this is the maintenance phase of this diet scheme where you have to prevent putting back excess pounds. The plan in this phase is less strict compared to the first two phases. During this phase you are permitted to eat protein-only and veggie diet along with a piece of low-sugar fruit, 2 slices of whole grain bread and a portion of hard cheese. In this phase you are allowed to have 1-2 serving of starchy foods and one celebration meal per week. The phase of consolidation does not expect to loss off pounds but rather it is steadily the maintenance process.
Stabilization: Stabilization is the final phase and a life-long phase of the diet scheme. In here maintenance of the life-changing diet may be a challenging and tempting. During this portion of the scheme, one is already permitted to allow any food intake that a person wants and by also sticking to the diet rule in the consolidation phase. As Pierre Dukan suggest, that staying on the phase 1 rule once a week and eat whatever you like for the rest of the week lowers the chances of regaining weight.
Pros and Cons of Dukan Diet
Pros: The fast results of this diet scheme is beneficially rewarding and motivating. It allows you to have protein and veggie meal plan diets and does not require you to count off your calorie intakes.
Cons: It is highly restrictive and can exclude healthy foods. Dieters can experience side-effects such as symptoms of headaches, nausea, lethargy, irritable and loss of concentration. Dieters may acquire halitosis (bad breath), metallic tasting mouth and strong smell in their urines. For those people who have problems with their kidneys and liver are not advised to follow this diet plan. It is not also recommended for pregnant and nursing mothers.

Views and Opinions by Health Experts on the Dukan Diet
There are lots of critics in this diet plan. Due to the restrictive type scheme of this diet, some fruits, grains and nuts which are healthy and have high amounts of vitamins and minerals that are vital to the nutrition of the body are eliminated. Keri Gans of American Dietetic Association, said that the lost amount of multivitamins that should be acquired from those restricted foods are not compensated in the Dukan diet. Experts have also criticized that experiencing such side-effects may not be healthy at all.

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The Right Way To Lose Weight Every Time

You’ve hit a familiar roadblock. It’s all over television sitcoms, books and even, movies. Carrying excess weight is a problem for many people, and can be difficult to shed without guidance. Your search for information is a great first step to building better lifestyle choices, though. This article will outline some great, simple ways for you to implement small changes to make big changes.

A vital part of any weight loss plan is including exercise as part of your daily routine. Even fifteen or twenty minutes of exercise a day will burn some calories and make it easier for you to lose weight and keep it off. Exercise also builds muscle that can burn more calories at rest than fat cells.

To be more effective at losing weight, try adding more spicy foods to your diet. This will result in an increased metabolism, which in turn burns fat at a faster rate. It isn’t necessary to make foods as spicy as you can bear – just a touch of spice can make a positive difference. Be sure to not start off too strong, as you may quickly burn out.

Whether your goals are just to lose weight or to bulk up, you need to include strength training in your workouts. Just doing cardio workouts like running, walking, or swimming aren’t enough. Strength training helps you build up more muscle and burn more calories at a resting rate as well as burning more calories during the workout.

One of the best ways to lose weight is to try to avoid processed foods as much as possible. Even the most beneficial processed foods have fats, salt, sugars (or artificial sugars), preservatives, and other ingredients your body doesn’t need. The more whole and unprocessed your foods are, the more naturally filling and satisfying they will be for you, with a lower caloric intake.

Do not try diet fads, like weight-loss pills or extreme diet plans. Many of these methods might be harmful to your overall health in the long run. In addition, the pounds lost tend to be temporary. Most people cannot stick to a rigid diet and will, most likely, gain back more than the weight they lost.

When the weather is nice outside, try taking a quick, brisk walk before you eat lunch or dinner. You will benefit by burning a few extra calories, and chances are after some exercise you will be less likely to eat foods that are unhealthy. You will also feel really good, and will have a lower chance of overeating.

Don’t forget to commit yourself to a long-term outcome. Do the kinds of activities and exercises that you enjoy so that you will continue to do them for a long time. Shortcuts and easy fixes will only get in the way of what should be a lifelong commitment to your health.

You may not see results immediately when you try to lose weight, but follow these tips and you are sure to see results in a short period of time. Results will excite you and keep you moving to your ultimate weight loss goals. Use these tips and keep yourself motivated so that the weight continues to come off.

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Healthy Recipes for Weight Loss to Consider

You have to be very keen on the choices you make because it can be confusing at times. One thing you must recognize is that shedding off that extra pound from your body is not an easy thing. It will demand a lot including having healthy recipes. You can think of the following to set a good foundation for your considerations.
Broccoli & feta omelet with toast- this will be a good way to start your breakfast on a healthy note. It is very easy to prepare and will make you get satisfaction as well as energized to begin your day on a high. This recipe will give your body filling fiber which can amount to about 30 calories in every serving.
Spiced green tea- if you are looking for a food to help burn fat in your body very fast then green tea will suit your consideration. It is one of the healthy recipes for weight loss that does not require a lot of your effort to deliver right results. It has a compound that helps to boost metabolism rate in the body which in turn accelerates the rate of fat burning.
Chocolate-dipped banana bites- having this in your healthy recipes will be a good way to fill your stomach as well as encourage weight loss. It is a good dessert that you can take after lunch or dinner. The bites have healthy carbohydrates that are very good at burning fat and making you have the feeling of eating less. You should consider them among your healthy recipes for weight loss.
Banana & almond butter toast- this tasty breakfast brings together key foods that any mealtime will be good with. In combination, they will release to your body resistant starch that improves metabolism rate as well as proteins that suppress hunger. There is no other better way of cutting extra weight than using these as one of your healthy recipes.
Grilled chicken cutlets with summer- many people consider grilled chicken to be a key contributor to obesity. However, you will be in a position of cutting down weight once you are able to use the right chicken quantities and with summer. Obesity comes from eating grilled chicken in the wrong way that is unhealthy but having it in your healthy recipes; you have nothing to worry about.
Honey grapefruit with banana- this is the best recipe to help you slim down if you have weight problems. You can have it for your breakfast or side dish during lunch or dinner.
Your weight loss percentage will depend on the type of recipe you have chosen to use for your meals. Healthy recipes for weight loss are very many and come with diverse benefits which you should have in mind when making choices. You don’t have to struggle in losing weight with the food you eat.

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