The Dukan Diet has taken France by storm and there are many success stories of significant weight loss. The theory behind this high-protein diet is "eat as much as you want, as often as you want" as long as it is made of protein. The Dukan Diet promises fast, effective weight loss through an eating plan allowing dieters to enjoy unlimited quantities of delicious food and snacks.
How the Dukan Protein Diet Works
Sugary and starchy foods raise blood sugar levels which then drop rapidly, causing hunger, cravings and snacking between meals. The Dukan Protein Diet allows dieters to snack between meals and to eat as much as they like which is psychologically reassuring for people who dread calorie-counting.
Most diets work for the period of time they are followed and are then abandoned for bad habits causing the yo-yo effect of continual weight loss and weight gain. Protein foods and snacks reduce the sensation of hunger and the body uses stored fats for energy causing significant weight loss.
The Dukan Diet has a four-phase weight-loss programme helping dieters to reach their target weight and keep the pounds off forever through certain protein-based eating habits. The Stabilization phase of the diet is the life-long stage of how to eat without regaining lost weight by eating only protein for one day every week for the rest of the dieter's life. Protein snacks play an impotant role in maintaining a target weight.
Healthy High Protein Snacks
It is easy for someone to choose a high-carbohydrate, high-fat, low protein convenience store snack food because they are easy to find, require no preparation and are not expensive. However, one of the most important steps to maintaining a healthy weight is by replacing junk-food snacks with healthy alternatives that will provide energy and fight off food cravings. The choice of healthy snacks is non-exhaustive and simply requires some creative thinking and good ideas.
- Beef jerky is very low in fat and high in protein content. Beef jerky sticks are practical to carry around in a bag but tend to be expensive.
- Hard-boiled egg whites are delicious with salt and pepper and an easy snack to make.
- Cottage cheese, although quite tasteless, is a good source of protein. It is not expensive and can be found easily at grocery stores.
- Tuna can come in very small tins making it the perfect, portable snack. Salmon almost tastes too good to be healthy, but makes a nice change from tuna and is very high in protein.
- Chicken breast cooked beforehand and kept in Tupperware is great for a snack on the run.
- Low fat cheese cubes are a good source of protein and a great comfort food.
- Low fat yoghurt is a refreshing snack any time of the day.
How to Make a Protein Shake
Commercial protein bars, protein shakes and protein powders may seem an easy solution to healthy protein snacking but they can be high in carbohydrates, hard on the budget and boring after a while. Homemade protein shakes are easy to make and can be whipped up in a few minutes.
One serving of fruit per day is allowed during the Consolidation phase of the Dukan Diet. All fruits are authorized except for bananas, grapes, cherries. Nuts are not allowed. A simple fruit and protein shake recipe can be made of one cup of strawberries, a half a cup of orange juice, one cup of plain low fat yoghurt, one and a half cups of skim milk and two scoops of whey protein powder. Ingredients can be blended until smooth or left a bit chunky. Apples, apricots and pineapples can be used in the place of strawberries.
High protein snacks can provide lasting energy without a sudden spike in blood sugar. The Dukan Diet provides dieters with a healthy life-long eating programme based on changing eating habits by substituting refined carbohydrate snacks like white bread, desserts and chocolate with delicious protein alternatives in unlimited quantities.
Reference:
Dukan, Pierre. Je Ne Sais Pas Maigrir, France, J'ai Lu, 2010 edition.
Louanne Piccolo - Louanne Piccolo has been writing professionally for 13 years, focusing on family, health, teaching, education, translation and travel. ...
