Different diets

Lose weight in the long term with the Dukan diet

What’s so special about the diet?

We all know them: food cravings. They’re the mean little thoughts that often come up when we’re eating the wrong foods or when we’re in the middle of a diet. After all, those who eat a balanced diet often don’t have food cravings. The important thing with long-term diets is, of course, to persevere, and you can only do this if you also eat enough and don’t have to fight a battle with yourself. So if you don’t want to starve yourself and go to sleep with a full stomach, the “Dukan Diet” is just right for you. Basically, you can say that the high protein intake is the key of this diet. Few carbohydrates and hardly any fats may sound typical of a diet again at first. However, the great thing is that you can eat as much of the protein-rich foods as you want and don’t have to watch a certain number of calories. It’s precisely from this high protein intake that your body doesn’t see the need to send you those pesky cravings. In addition, your muscles are preserved, because protein is essential for our muscles – keyword protein powder.

How exactly does the Dukan diet work?

In total, there are four phases to the diet. Each of the phases contributes to the fact that in the long run no “Jojo effect” will occur. Because that would be ultimately also total waste of time and we all do not want.

Phase 1: “Attack Phase” (1-10 days)

In this phase you eat exclusively protein-rich, low-fat food such as meat, fish, tofu, etc.. To have a clear overview, you can choose your favorites from a list of about 70 products and eat as much of them as you want. In order not to neglect your digestion, one tablespoon of oat bran per day is provided. Relax and plan 20 minutes per day to go for a walk and et voila… the first phase is already done and without stress.

Phase 2: “Build-up Phase” (until you reach your desired weight)

If you have now mastered the first phase, your body has usually already become accustomed to the change in diet and it will be even easier for you to master the other phases. Now the vegetable and protein phases alternate. Every two days there should be a pure protein day if possible. The other days vegetables are allowed in moderation. In addition, the oat bran ration increases to three tablespoons per day. Furthermore, a 30-minute walk per day is now on the schedule.

Phase 3: “Stabilization phase” (10 days per kilo already lost)

As already mentioned before, the “yoyo effect” is to be excluded as completely as possible in this diet. It is virtually the ultimate goal that this effect does not appear under any circumstances. Therefore now two “pleasure meals” per week are introduced. There you can eat what you want. Even French fries mayo or a large portion of pasta. As long as it stays with these two meals, you can even eat them in a relaxed way and without feeling guilty. In addition, a portion of fruit is allowed. These were not allowed before, because fruit naturally contains a lot of fructose. Nevertheless, one strict protein day per week remains, because we don’t want to fall behind completely, but want to have success in the long run.

Phase 4: “Maintenance Phase

Now you have probably already reached your desired weight. Now there are only three rules you need to stick to in order to maintain your weight permanently: balanced diet, one protein day per week and daily walking and climbing stairs instead of elevators.

The “Stone Age Diet”-Paleo

Unlike the “Dukan diet”, you can gradually integrate the Paleo diet into your life. The core idea here is that only foods that were already accessible to our ancestors in the Stone Age are allowed. This may sound strange at first – why should we eat like our ancestors, when we now have many more options? Quite simply, there is often hidden sugar in many of the foods we eat. In addition, we now often consume too many unhealthy carbohydrates such as toast or products with white flour. Often unconsciously and quickly in between.

How does the diet work?

The “Paleo diet” is quite easy to carry out. There is no quantity description and likewise no annoying calorie counting. It should only be ensured that, if possible, no milk and no cereal products are consumed. Taboos are naturally industrially manufactured products such as alcohol, ready meals or generally sugar. Instead, you can eat your fill of fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, nuts and herbs. As mentioned before, you don’t have to change your diet from one moment to the next. For example, you can start relaxed with the most important three steps:

Step 1: No sugar

Sugar is digested quickly in your body because it is a short-chain carbohydrate. This leads to increased insulin levels. Now, if you have elevated insulin levels over the long term, this can lead to various heart diseases as well as dementia, Alzheimer’s or diabetes.

Step 2: No cereal products

Just like sugar, consuming grain products quickly triggers fluctuations in blood sugar levels. In addition, grain products contain, among other things, substances that can damage our intestinal walls and thus cause autoimmune diseases such as various allergies and multiple sclerosis in the long run.

Step 3: No vegetable fat

Vegetable fats contain mostly unsaturated fatty acids and trans fats. Since nowadays many use exclusively margarine and vegetable fats, there is a strong surplus of unhealthy fatty acids. Therefore, it is better to use animal fats. If you have already successfully incorporated these three steps into your daily routine, you have already implemented 80% of this diet and greatly reduced the risk of numerous diseases.

The Detox Diet

The “Detox Diet” is clearly not a diet to lose, say, 10kg in the long run. Rather, it is a diet to cleanse your body of all the toxins. Everyday toxins for your body are for example alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, too little sleep, stress or unhealthy nutrition. The “detox diet” is designed to boost your own body’s self-cleansing powers and bring your body into optimal balance. Organs such as the liver, gall bladder, kidneys, intestines, skin and lymphatic system will particularly benefit from the detox diet. At the same time, the metabolism is boosted and blood sugar and cholesterol levels are lowered. In addition, you will lose a few pounds.

How does the diet work?

1. Drink enough:

The most important thing – even on a detox juice diet, where your poor juicer is probably constantly running at full speed – is that you drink enough fluids. 2-3 liters of water are ideal for you and your body. Since water becomes relatively monotonous after a while and you will certainly get a craving for something sweet, we recommend drinking unsweetened tea. This not only calms you down, but also quenches your cravings for a sweet drink.

2. Listen to your body:

When you first start a detox, it’s best to start with a 3-day diet phase. In this phase your daily calorie intake should not exceed 800 calories. You must be aware that this strong calorie deficit will be a big challenge for your body and you might be a bit weak and tired at the beginning. However, this is normal, because your body is virtually on “energy saving mode”. However, this will settle down again relatively quickly.

3. Eliminate everything unhealthy:

Alcohol, nicotine and sweets are of course taboo during the cure, as they are pure toxins for your body and that’s exactly why we do a detox cure, to free our body from exactly that.

What can I eat?

What should I not eat?