This article gives pertinent information about Dukan Diet and its side-effects

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Pierre Dukan, a French doctor and nutritionist, challenged with the case of obesity started to look for alternative ways in curing the illness. After 20 years of thorough research he published in the year 2000, a book called, “Je ne sais pas maigrir” or translated as, “I don’t know how to get slimmer.” It gained the best-seller in France after a year it has been published.
It was made a hit in UK when Kate Middleton, now the duchess of Cambridge, tried the Dukan Diet before her marriage to the beloved Prince William, she reportedly claimed a loss of two dress sizes. It also allegedly claimed to help five million French. The book is also gaining fame in the US in the year 2011 when actress/singer, Jennifer Lopez, lost pounds after her pregnancy by following this diet.
Dukan Diet: What is it? How does this work?
Dukan Diet is similar to the famous Atkins diet. Atkins and Dukan are much alike in terms of non-intake of carbs initially and do not require portion control or counting calorie consumptions. In Atkins, it requires net carbohydrate intakes and unlike Dukan, it suggests a daily intake of oats, increase water consumption and 20 minutes of everyday brisk walking. Dukan Diet adopts four phases namely: Attack, Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization.
Four Phases of the Dukan Diet
Attack: In this starter phase, the dieter is only allowed take protein rich foods that are exquisitely low in fat. Dr. Dukan provided 72-item list of foods to be eaten, it excludes pork, lamb, poultry products and cheeses. Food should always be cooked but without adding any fat to it, it best to cook in grilling or roasting. It also requires you to eat 1 ½ tbsp. oat bran & 1.5 liters of water per day. This phase should be followed around 2-7 days or more. Results from this initial phase within 5 days may result in 4-7 lbs. loss. This phase promotes quick loss of weight since it is strictly based on a protein-only diet.
Cruise: Cruise, the second to the fourth phase of the Dukan diet scheme. During this phase dieters who were only allowed to eat protein-only foods can now alternate a 28-items of non-starchy vegetables. They may take attack phase diet for today and take non-starchy veggie diet for tomorrow, and so this phase must go on by alternating these two types of diet each day. This phase may last long enough as much as you want by reaching your desired weight and assuring 2 pounds per week loss.
Consolidation: As one achieves the desired weight, one has to go the next phase called Consolidation, this is the maintenance phase of this diet scheme where you have to prevent putting back excess pounds. The plan in this phase is less strict compared to the first two phases. During this phase you are permitted to eat protein-only and veggie diet along with a piece of low-sugar fruit, 2 slices of whole grain bread and a portion of hard cheese. In this phase you are allowed to have 1-2 serving of starchy foods and one celebration meal per week. The phase of consolidation does not expect to loss off pounds but rather it is steadily the maintenance process.
Stabilization: Stabilization is the final phase and a life-long phase of the diet scheme. In here maintenance of the life-changing diet may be a challenging and tempting. During this portion of the scheme, one is already permitted to allow any food intake that a person wants and by also sticking to the diet rule in the consolidation phase. As Pierre Dukan suggest, that staying on the phase 1 rule once a week and eat whatever you like for the rest of the week lowers the chances of regaining weight.
Pros and Cons of Dukan Diet
Pros: The fast results of this diet scheme is beneficially rewarding and motivating. It allows you to have protein and veggie meal plan diets and does not require you to count off your calorie intakes.
Cons: It is highly restrictive and can exclude healthy foods. Dieters can experience side-effects such as symptoms of headaches, nausea, lethargy, irritable and loss of concentration. Dieters may acquire halitosis (bad breath), metallic tasting mouth and strong smell in their urines. For those people who have problems with their kidneys and liver are not advised to follow this diet plan. It is not also recommended for pregnant and nursing mothers.

Views and Opinions by Health Experts on the Dukan Diet
There are lots of critics in this diet plan. Due to the restrictive type scheme of this diet, some fruits, grains and nuts which are healthy and have high amounts of vitamins and minerals that are vital to the nutrition of the body are eliminated. Keri Gans of American Dietetic Association, said that the lost amount of multivitamins that should be acquired from those restricted foods are not compensated in the Dukan diet. Experts have also criticized that experiencing such side-effects may not be healthy at all.

What is a bland diet? It is a diet specially set to treat certain gastrointestinal or stomach problems such as heartburns, ulcers and gas.

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An answer to a question, what is a bland diet, is that it is a simple treatment for people suffering from any one or more gastrointestinal disorders such as chronic gastritis, ulcer, esophagitis and dyspepsia.

Bland diet is a dietary regimen for people suffering from stomach disorders. Hence, it is quite understood that ingredients of a bland diet are soft food items, which are easy to digest with a capacity to keep the acidity to low levels. Questions about diet may be asked to your physicians and he/she can suggest the diet or recommend a dietician to do it.

Diet medical questions may include the queries about the food stuffs to eat and food stuffs to avoid during the time while a person experien ces any gastrointestinal disorders. However, before a dietician could decide the bland diet for a person, he/she needs to seek answers to several medical questions related to the person such as any food allergies or irritations associated with any food items and emotions medical questions of people.

Bland Diet:

The diet prescribed as a bland diet will include food items that are easy to digest and low in fiber and acid contents. Even giving up alcohol and smoking is advised while patient is on bland diet. Also a patient is advised to have 4 to 6 light meals after regular interval to avoid heavy and large meals.

Chewing food properly and eating slowly helps in the digestion of the food. Adequate sleep, avoiding smoking and controlling anxiety are supportive treatments for the standard treatment of the problem.

Allowed Food Items:

• Dairy Products
Milk, cheese, yogurt with low-fats and other dairy products are easily digested and hence, can be included as a part of bland diet. However, there is no restriction on ice-creams and one may consume even ice creams during bland diet, but it should not have any product such as nuts that are not allowed in bland diet.

• Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh vegetables and fruits are allowed to a bland dieter. However, while carrot, squash, green peas are good to eat in a bland diet, broccoli, onions and green peeper should be avoided as it forms gas. In fruits, oranges, grapefruits, and bananas are allowed.

• Proteins
Protein requirement of the body, while on a bland diet should be met with soy products and meat. Fried chicken and greasy hamburgers are not allowed to be consumed, while grilled and baked chicken is allowed.
Low-fat peanut butter and eggs are also efficient to meet the body’s protein requirement in a bland diet.

• Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are contained in whole grain breads, pasta, oatmeal, corn flakes, white rice and sweet potatoes. All these food items are allowed.

Bland diet is designed for treating certain medical circumstances such as gastrointestinal problems. Hence, to answer what is a bland diet, we can say that this is a diet that aims at improving the digestion with the help of a timed-routine diet and soft to digest food items. Once the problem is controlled patients can return to their normal diet.

This revolutionary and simple weight-loss program is based on many studies which have found a link to television viewing and obesity in both men and women. The American Journal of Public Health, for example, has found that people who watched three or more hours of television per day are almost twice as likely to be obese than people who watched less than one hour per day.

Almost any activity will burn more calories than TV

If you want to lose weight, the first program you should try is this simple, revolutionary, push-button program. Push that power button to OFF and automatically you will start burning more calories. Why? Because almost any other activity burns more calories than watching TV. Specific weight loss results will naturally be determined by which activities you do instead of watching TV. That is why we suggest going outside for an hour. We naturally encourage you to check with your doctor if you need to slough off many “couch potato” pounds.

Watching TV burns only a few more calories than sleeping. Almost any other activity burns more calories. Talking on the phone, reading a book, doing the dishes—all burn more calories than watching television. With the national average of four hours per day, the extra calories burned just by turning off the TV will add up quickly. Plus, there are many benefits to this simple program that you will not find in any other weight-loss program.

Since the average American watches four hours of TV per day, spending one of those hours outdoors will be a easy. And one of the easiest, simplest ways to burn more calories is to go outside and play. Take a walk. Play with your kids. Toss a football. Kick a soccer ball. Shoot hoops with your buddies. Enjoy life. You will be having so much fun that you won’t even notice that you are burning calories.

Get some fresh air. Bask in the sunshine. Revel in the moonlight. There is no law that says everyone needs to stay indoors after the sun goes down and stare at a piece of furniture. But, if the weather is too cold or wet, simply play indoors. Dance, have a family pillow fight, ticklefest, or just act silly.

EXTRA time and NO special diets, pills, or books to buy

Unlike other weight-loss programs you will not have to rearrange your schedule to squeeze in a workout. Even with the hour spent outdoors playing, you will most likely have extra time to pursue your other interests, like playing with your children, talking with your spouse, or meeting with the neighbors. Instead, you will be faced with the delightful challenge of filling in all this extra time with meaningful activities.

Another benefit is that there are no special diets to follow, although we encourage people to eat a healthy, balanced diet. There is no fretting over “low carb” vs. “low fat” diets. You do not need to know what diet is best for your blood type, your personality, or your zodiac sign. You do not need to make any special diet lists, or special recipes. These are unnecessary, unless, of course, you choose to follow a special regimen.

There are no books to buy. There are no pills to swallow, no liquid meals to drink, no funny-looking bars to consume, no videos to buy, and no special equipment to purchase. In fact, you may have more time and money than when you started, if you give up your cable or satellite TV plans. What other weight loss program can offer that?

You will not need to discuss this decision with your doctor.* There are no medical risks whatsoever to this basic plan. Even young children can participate. It may, in fact, be one of the best plans to follow for young children, because it is a basic, permanent, life change.

You and your family will also not have to suffer the crankiness that accompanies most strict diet regimens. The only possible negative effect will be having too much time for fun and excitement.

Program enhances any other weight loss program or diet

Best of all, this program will work with any other diet or exercise program to make it more effective. If you do choose to exercise, you will easily have the time to do it. You will not have to compromise your sleep schedule, work schedule, or family time to fulfill your exercise routine.

Your diet will not be sabotaged by those nefarious junk food commercials. No more mouthwatering hamburgers, candy bars, or luscious deserts begging you to consume them. What diet could stand a chance against a multitude (40,000 per year on average) of those malicious commercials?