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 The focus remains on the royal couple, but there’s speculation about Kate and her mum following the Dukan diet before the wedding, and whether such a dramatic weight loss is a good thing. I must admit I am somewhat surprised that Kate thinks she needed to lose weight. I always thought she looked fabulous and in great shape.
I recently reviewed The Dukan Diet – the one developed by Dr Pierre Dukan, French neurologist turned nutritionist. If you are interested in seeing what the new royal may have been eating in the lead up to her big day, read on.
What is it?
Dr Dukan’s diet regime is a four-phase program, combining two phases to lose your unwanted weight and two phases to keep it off for good:
Phase 1: Attack. For 1 to 10 days eat as much as you want of protein-rich foods, with the exception of lamb and pork and no more than 2 eggs a day. The only other food allowed is oat bran - Dr Dukan’s hero ingredient. This phase results in rapid weight loss to help with motivation.
Phase 2: Cruising. This is the main phase of the program which you stay on till you reach your goal weight. Continue eating the protein-rich foods with the addition of vegetables every second day. Carrots, pumpkin and beetroot are allowed but steer clear of other starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, peas, beans, lentils
Phase3: Consolidation. This phase is the transition between hard-core dieting and normal eating. Add fruit, bread, cheese and starchy foods, and two celebration meals a week, allowing 10 days for every kilogram lost.
Phase 4: Stabilisation. Eat what you like without regaining weight by following three simple rules: stick to a protein only day for the rest of your life, walk for 20 minutes every day and increase your daily oat bran intake to 3 tablespoons for life!!
How does it work?
Dukan believes eating protein is the key to achieving weight loss along with virtually no carbs (except a small amount of oat bran) and very low fat. The body has to work hard to break down protein and convert it to energy and protein foods take longer to digest than carbs. This means the stomach empties more slowly, helping to keep us fuller for longer which is good for dieters. He prescribes restricting carbohydrate-rich foods during the main dieting phase to limit the secretion of insulin which controls blood sugar levels and increases fat storage. This of course will induce a rapid weight loss due to a depletion of muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrate) and fluid losses. Unlike many other high-protein, low-carb diets, Dukan also restricts fat because of its high kilojoule value.
Who is it good for?
It’s good for people needing fast weight loss either as a motivational tool or prior to surgery. It is very restrictive for a vegetarian and would not be suitable for children or adolescents or pregnant and lactating women, or those prone to constipation. Anyone playing sport, engaging in strenuous exercise or who is in a very physically active job would really be fighting the fatigue factor sticking to such a low-carb diet.
Upsides/Pros
You can lose weight very quickly which most people would find motivating. It’s extremely prescriptive and some people love being told exactly what to eat when: they don’t have to think about it, just stick to it. You don’t have to weigh foods or count kilojoules. Dukan encourages drinking plenty of water and pushes physical activity as a major success factor. There is a support website with recipes.
Downsides/Cons
 This is an extremely inflexible diet, very prescriptive and could be considered monotonous. Not a lot to munch and crunch initially. There are side effects. In the short term following any low-carb diet will result in the production of ketones which can cause bad breath, a dry mouth, headaches, irritability, tiredness, weakness, dizziness, insomnia and nausea. Constipation may also occur as a result of the low fibre content of the diet and there is a limit to how much oat bran you can eat. Some people may give up at this point.
In the longer term, people who have a lot of weight to lose may find that they suffer from nutritional deficiencies such as vitamins A, C, folate and other B vitamins as well as many of the powerful antioxidant compounds due to the lack of wholegrains, fruit and certain vegetables in the first two phases of the program. Even though Dukan recommends taking a vitamin/mineral supplement, we know it is far better to obtain the myriad of phytonutrients from food. There are some negative consequences for kidney function and bone health from consuming too much protein.
Rating
The Dukan diet is unbalanced nutritionally. It eliminates major food groups from the diet in the main dieting phases and for some people who have a lot of weight to lose this may mean months. Restricting major food groups from the diet especially common foods like bread, pasta, rice and other grain foods as well as fruit and many vegetables can make things boring and limit your enjoyment in social situations. It can also make it difficult to enjoy meals with the family. I also have some concerns about rapid weight loss.
While there have been studies showing that losing weight quickly in the early stages of a weight loss program increase motivation and thereby compliance, nevertheless it may also result in faster regain of weight, particularly if the diet is unsustainable. A safe rate of weight loss is between 0.5 to 1kg per week or 1% of your body weight if you weigh more than 100kg.
Eating protein-rich foods is an important part of a healthy diet with the emphasis on part. We need protein but we don’t need unlimited amounts and from a satiety point of view, work by Dr Barbara Rolls of Volumetrics fame has shown that foods high in water and fibre content are also very filling and very low in kilojoules.
What about the magic of oat bran? While oat bran has been shown to be effective in lowering the LDL cholesterol, it can also interfere with the absorption of certain minerals in our diet such as iron and zinc. Dukan advises to add wheat bran to the oat bran if you are constipated: this could result in even greater nutritional deficiencies in the long term.
Another concern is the ’go back to eating whatever you like‘ rule in the stabilization phase. This could mean plenty of foie gras, croissants, crème fraiche, and champagne for some French gourmets. There is not enough guidance in terms of healthy eating; it’s all about weight loss.
As far as success goes, I am still to be convinced that following such a high-protein, low-carb diet over a 12 month period will result in greater weight loss and maintenance than any other low kilojoule diet.
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