What is Dukan diet and how can it help?

The Dukan diet is a high-protein, very low-carbohydrate eating plan that promises to help you lose weight. It is a fad diet that celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and princess Kate Middleton have tried.

How sustainable is the Dukan diet?

Introduced in 2000 by French doctor and nutritionist Pierre Dukan, the diet has four steps to cut carbohydrates and fat. It helps you boost protein to promote long-term weight loss.

The four phases are as follows:

• Attack phase

• Cruise phase

• Consolidation phase

• Stabilisation phase

In the first phases, you're allowed to stick to a 100 food items, but you can eat as much of them as you'd like.

In the cruise phase, you alternate between pure protein days and protein days with no starchy vegetables. How much protein and vegetables you have depends on your weight loss goals.

In the consolidation phase, the goal is to maintain the weight loss while slowly reintroducing some of the foods you cut. You are expected to stay in this phase 10 days for every kg lost.

You can start including either one fruit (except bananas, raisins and cherries) or try 2 slices of bread / toast per day or 40g of non fat dairy. Those are the alternatives you pick from initially.

Phase four aims to keep the weight off long-term with a generally healthy diet that includes one all-protein day each week.

The Dukan diet also includes exercise and activities, such as walking and stair climbing.

Pros and cons of Dukan diet

The benefits include rapid weight loss without loss of muscles mass. You can expect to keep off the "skinny fat" look. You also do not feel bloated as much.

One benefit of the Dukan diet is that you can eat as much as you want, as long as you only eat approved foods. You shouldn't feel hungry because of all the protein in the diet, and lean proteins and vegetables may help improve heart health, blood sugar and reduce inflammation.

But for some, cutting out sugar and carbs can feel very restrictive. If you cut out certain food groups from your meal plan entirely, especially for weeks, you may be unable to keep off the weight because you end up binging on your indulgences.

Putting your body into ketosis can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, tiredness, and diarrhea. But after a while, your body gets used to the diet.

However, too much protein can put a strain on your kidneys. Your kidneys have to filter out the extra protein, which could overload and damage them. Moreover, this diet isn't safe for those with diabetes as it can make blood sugar levels harder to control.

Since the first stage is all protein, it can be tough for vegetarians and vegans to stick to it. The attack phase food list includes lean meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, fat-free dairy and eggs. Seitan, tempeh and tofu are among vegetarian options.

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