You can successfully complete The Dukan Diet if you enjoy protein foods, and don't have any major dietary restrictions.
Dukan Diet Phases
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The first phase of the diet, is called the Attack phase. During this phase, you can eat nothing but protein for a few days. Meat proteins are acceptable proteins, and so is tofu. But most vegetable sources of protein are not acceptable during this diet phase.
The second phase is called the Cruise phase. When you're in this phase, you are allowed to have veggies every other day.
Phase 3 is the Consolidation phase. During this phase, you can enjoy starches like breads, fruits and pastas. You can have also two free meals for each week. During these "free meals," you can have any food that you like, but you shouldn't go crazy, and eat excessively. Just have normally sized meals, that are something that you truly enjoy.
The final stage is called the Stabilization phase. This phase will last throughout your entire life. During Stabilization you should eat moderately -- minding the Dukan Diet principles you have learned, and maintaining at least one all protein day each week.
Keep in mind that during your initial phases, you can't use any fancy sauces with your proteins that contain sugars and vegetables and naturally occurring starches. You have to essentially eat protein seasoned with salt and pepper alone -- cooked in just a small bit of oil, drink water, and eat 1 tablespoon of oat bran. During the Cruise phase, you can have up to 3 tablespoons of oat bran.
Menu Ideas
As you can see, if you enjoy eating proteins, you will find that this diet will work out well for you, and finding meal ideas will also be quite simple for you. When you prepare meats for this diet, there is no need to add excess oils and sugars during your preparation. Roasted chicken is ideal, as well as roasted or pan fried steak, eggs, pork chops, lean beef, veal, ostrich, fish and seafood (without breading).
If you are truly one of those people that has to have carbs, then you will not enjoy this diet very much; but honestly, you will find that it really is not that hard to go several days without carbs. Proteins are really quite satisfying, and you can have a little oat bran during your initial phase as well. You can actually have oat bran during all phases of the diet; but during the Attack phase, you can only have 1 tablespoon; and during the Cruise phases, you can only have 3 tablespoons or less. During the Consolidation phase and beyond, you can have oat bran when you like.
Vegetarian Considerations and Menu Ideas
As a vegetarian, you can eat tofu steaks, and any other form of soy protein. You can also eat lentils and eggs. When it comes to eggs, you should favor whites over yolks whenever possible.
As a vegetarian or vegan, you might be getting protein from sources that include kale, and many different types of beans. Though these sources of protein are generally recognized as healthy, they are not ideal for The Dukan Diet. The Dukan Diet only recommends that vegetarians eat eggs (favoring whites, with one yolk per meal), lentils and tofu during the first 3 phases of the diet.
As a vegan, your first diet days can be quite rough, so you should prepare yourself for handling such limited menu options. Because of these limits, many vegans feel that The Dukan Diet is not suitable for them. A vegan cannot eat eggs or egg products. But if you pan fry the tofu in a little bit of oil with salt and pepper, it might really not be so bad, since you only have to do it for just a few days -- and then later for one day a week during your stabilization period.
Dukan Diet Meal Ideas
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