The entire world is waiting to watch the greatest show of the year - Prince William kissing Kate Middleton and accepting her as his wife in public! And this is certainly a big deal for Kate, who has previously managed to secure a place in several best dressed lists for her fashion sense. Marrying a prince will also require her to be the real Cinderella! She has been on a slim-down regime prior to her wedding, and this is how she has been sharing a common psychology with the other women of the world - royal, elite, rich, upper middle class and middle class women. We all get chilled with the idea of losing a few more kilos before the big day even if we are perceived as "perfect" by others around us.
A concept or anything becomes so popular if they are adapted before a big event or by influential people. Such is the case with the Dukan Diet. It is creating a buzz these days for being a "figure-guide" to Kate. This is the diet which has bestowed Kate with her new statistics. This invites us to explore the concept.
What is the Dukan Diet?
The Dukan diet was created by French physician Pierre Dukan and is commonly referred to as the French version of the Atkins diet. It mainly comprises of foods that are high in protein, low in carb and low in fat. Protein helps in reaching early satiety and this tends to curb the hunger of the dieter. There are a lot of options from the lean meats which are allowed on this diet and can be eaten in any quantity you wish. The Dukan diet promises a weight loss figure from 7 to 10 pounds (around 3 to 4.5 kg) in the first 5 days.
How does the Dukan Diet Work?
The Dukan diet has 4 phases. The first two phases are responsible for speedy weight loss while the last two phases are designed for weight maintenance, thereby allowing the dieter to avoid regaining the lost weight.
- The First Phase, Attack: This phase makes you eat protein food and no carb and fat. You can have lean meats, poultry, organ meats, fish, egg whites, non-fat dairies (no cheese), lean ham and seafood. It should be combined with at least 6 cups of water and a 20-minute walk every day. You should also take 1.5 tablespoon of oat bran daily. You can stay in this phase for up to 10 days, depending on your weight loss goal. On an average, people follow this stage for 5 days and may lose up to 7 pounds (around 3 kg).
- The Second Phase, Cruise: This phase involves addition of fiber in the diet through vegetables, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, spinach and other fibrous foods. But you need to continue avoiding starch and fat. This calls for exclusion of vegetables like potatoes, peas, corn and beans. During this phase, you need to take only protein foods one day, followed by protein foods, 1.5 tablespoon of oat bran, fibrous and non-starchy vegetables on the next day. These two patterns should be followed alternately on each day. You must walk for 30 minutes daily. This phase can be continued till you attain your weight loss goal.
- The Third Phase, Consolidation: This phase involves the introduction of one serving of non-starchy fruit (avoid banana, grapes, cherries and dried fruits) in addition to two slices of whole grain bread and 30 grams of cheese per day. You are also allowed to have two servings of starchy foods like pasta or potato in a week. You can enjoy two "celebration" meals each week - you can eat whatever you want, as long as you keep up with the "one day each week" plan of eating protein-only meals. You need to walk for 25 minutes a day at this phase. This phase is designed to prevent the bouncing back of the lost weight; the length of this phase depends on how much weight you've lost. For every pound you shed in the first phases of the Dukan Diet, you stay in the consolidation phase for five days.
- The Fourth Phase, Stabilization: This is an indefinite phase which allows you to eat whatever you want for six days. The seventh day has to be the protein only day. The oat bran intake needs to be increased to 3 tablespoons at this stage. You need to walk for 20 minutes a day. This is the ultimate maintenance phase.
How Good is the Dukan Diet?
Although the diet induces a rapid weight loss, it's mostly all water and muscle mass that you lose! If you are not drinking enough water, you may land in to dehydration, experience moodiness, fatigue, bad breath, constipation, dry mouth and other problems. You are also subjected to nutritional deficiency since this diet allows for only protein intake while neglecting the intake of other nutrients. In extreme cases, where the first two phases are followed for a prolonged period, ketosis (burning muscle for energy) can set in. Furthermore, the diet has the capacity to cause damages to the liver and the kidney.
As you can see, we definitely cannot grant a positive certification to this type of restrictive diet. It's okay, various forms of "restrictions" are expected in a royal family, but it definitely cannot go beyond the "royal" rules, etiquettes, grooming, styles and gestures! We don't think that the future Princess has to restrict herself in food choices even if it is a matter of her curves!
