What's The Dukan Diet All About?

The Dukan diet has been getting a lot of press lately with A-list stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Giselle Bundchen and most recently Victoria Beckham reportedly following it to lose their post pregnancy pounds. But what is it? How does it work and is it safe?

French doctor Pierre Dukan is responsible for creating the diet over 10 years ago as a treatment protocol for his obese patients.



It is essentially a four-phase, high protein, high fibre, low calorie diet and has certain similarities to the Atkins diet in its extreme nature and in the results patients expect to see. Apparently dieters can lose as much as 1-2 pounds per day during the initial “Attack” phase.

How does it work?
Phase 1, the "Attack" phase, is quite simple: Eat all you want of lean protein, along with 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran and 1.5 litres of water daily. That’s it. Dieters can choose from 72 lean or low-fat meats (excluding pork and lamb), fish, poultry, eggs, soya and non-fat dairy.

This is followed by the "Cruise" phase, which allows unlimited amounts of 28 non-starchy vegetables every other day along with a core diet of unlimited lean/low-fat protein and two tablespoons of oat bran.

Carrots, peas, sweetcorn and potatoes are not on this list of vegetables but appear in the next phase.

Phase 3, "Consolidation," allows unlimited protein (including pork and lamb) and vegetables every day, along with one piece of low-sugar fruit, two slices of granary bread, and one portion of hard cheese. Dieters can also have 1-2 servings of starchy foods and 1-2 "celebration" meals

Phase 4, "Stabilisation," is the maintenance portion of the plan. Which includes rules such as one day a week, follow an all-protein diet as in Phase 1, eat three tablespoons of oat bran a day and walk for 20 minutes daily and never take elevators or escalators.

So is this the answer and should we all just follow this to achieve great results?

Well, in short, NO!

Any diet that encourages the body to deplete its glycogen stores will have a negative affect on the body; the book warns dieters they may suffer from bad breath, constipation, dry mouth and fatigue, all indications of ketosis which is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening state that stresses the liver.

As a health and fitness professional I feel it is my responsibility to bring about lasting change, to look at creating optimal health through safe and effective exercise and nutrition.

All the evidence out there points to the fact that diets simply don’t work. Anything that is so restrictive in its nature to cause such drastic weight loss can not be good for your body.


My first issue is the difference between weight loss and fat loss. You can head to the toilet and lose a few pounds of “weight”; you can reduce your water intake for a day or two and have the same effect. The truth is you need a long term healthy approach to diet and an effective exercise programme to bring about lasting change to your body composition and fat levels.

Burning 3,500 calories will result in a 1 pound of fat weight loss. Now that is going to be a seriously tough training session for a pretty small amount of progression. That’s why any fat loss based exercise programme MUST contain a supervised nutritional element.

You can’t out-train a bad diet!

Unfortunately for us Health and Fitness Professional the glossy magazines out there absolutely love to report on the eating and exercise habits of “celebrities”. If Posh Spice is doing it then it must be amazing!



Why are women so obsessed with what she does?!

The simple fact is that she has been in good shape her whole life. It’s up for debate as to whether she has been healthy for that time!

All of the women you see in magazines have never been seriously out of shape. 90% of the photo’s you see of them have been air brushed and most of them have probably had an eating disorder or two over the years and yet we still aspire to be like them?!!

The simple truth is the quick fix approach will produce quick fix results that produce rapid “weight” loss but rarely result in long-term success as the restrictive nature is extremely difficult for dieters to adhere to.

Our advice is to work with a professional who can not only provide exact exercise and nutritional advice tailored to your individual needs but also provide the accountability to enable you to stick to this programme.

For information on our training and nutritional programmes contact us at the studio: david@aayou.co.uk

The Max Test!

When our client Kevin came to me with the idea of doing the ultimate triathlon in one year, Swim –(Hellespont - effectively crossing from Europe to Asia!) Run The Marathon and Cycle from Lands End to John O’Groats I thought he was a bit of a lunatic; now he’s been coming in to the studio for a while we all know he is!!
So how are we going to ensure that the training programmes we’re giving him are actually taking his fitness to levels he’s never been before to deal with these challenges?!!

Well, that’s where our relationship with The Centre for Health and Human Performance comes in handy. Not only can they take our clients through a VO2 max test their team of experts (http://www.76harleystreet.com/sections/team/sportperformance ) can assist us in creating excellent programmes to deliver the results clients like Kevin are looking for.

VO2 max is measured by getting the lungs to work as hard as they possibly can during an incremental exercise test. As the body works harder the lungs draw more oxygen to supply the muscles, the aim of the test is to reach the point of exhaustion where the lungs are at their maximum.
It’s VERY tough on the client!

Anyone that comes in to the studio knows when Kevin is in the building! So it was great for all of us to have a rest from his grunting and groaning as the mask quietened his screams!




VO2 max is the gold standard of fitness testing, it measures the maximum amount of oxygen in millilitres, one can use in one minute per kilogram of body weight. It is not dependant on the size of your lungs. Olympic champion rower Matthew Pinsent has a lung capacity of eight-and-a-half litres, but when it comes to a VO2 max test, he and fellow rower James Cracknell fall behind little Paula Radcliffe!

Although it is possible to train this in order to increase these levels genetics plays a major role in a person’s VO2 max and it is believed that heredity factors can account for up to 25-50% of the variance seen between individuals.

The highest ever recorded VO2 max is 94 ml/kg/min in men and 77 ml/kg/min in women, - Both were cross-country skiers.

Whatever your goals may be, whether its training for that endurance challenge, or recovery from major surgery, your health and human performance is vital and our relationship with 76 Harley Street allows this to happen.

For more information on this contact us at the studio – david@aayou.co.uk

Are you SAD?

At last we’ve started seeing some sunshine! The clocks go forwards at the end of the month and it will officially be British Summer time and we can hopefully start to enjoy some better weather and being outside a bit more!

Over the last few weeks it’s amazing how many people have commented that at last they’re starting to feel better, just in the last few days at the studio’s we have noticed that clients cold and flu symptoms have cleared up, energy levels have increased and a few more smiles have started appearing! Do the cold dark days really have such a huge impact on us?

Its incredible how many people do actually suffer from Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues.

SAD is a mood disorder which affects people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year but experience depressive symptoms in the winter. Although SAD was once regarded skeptically by the experts, it is now well established as a serious medical condition.

Symptoms vary from sleeping too much, having decreased energy levels, to feeling depressed. Though symptoms can be severe, they are usually not long term.
Typically sufferers experience difficulty waking up in the morning, morning sickness, oversleeping, over-eating, with particular cravings for carbohydrates and consequent weight gain.

Other symptoms include a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating on completing tasks, and withdrawal from friends, family, and social activities.

There are many different treatments for seasonal affective disorder, including light therapy with sunlight or bright lights, cognitive-behavioral therapy, supplementation of the hormone melatonin and the cure for everything – EXERCISE!
Whether you actually suffer from SAD or not, inevitably during the winter months we experience lower energy levels and the miserable weather is often reflected in our moods. The good news is as with most illnesses the power to improve it is in your hands...




The blue feeling can usually be dampened or extinguished by exercise and increased outdoor activity, particularly on sunny days. The positive effects of exercise are endless: Increased energy levels, improved circulation, increased fitness, fat loss and enhanced mood as exercise stimulated the release of endorphins.

The natural feel good chemicals which decrease the stress hormones such as cortisol and increase feelings of euphoria and a general state of wellbeing are released during exercise. Just exercising for a short period of time will improve your mood. Ten minutes of moderate exercise is enough to improve your mood, your vigour and also decrease fatigue.

So if everyone around you is sick of seeing your miserable face you can now look forward to the great British summertime as an opportunity to get back into that exercise routine to not only feel great mentally but get in great shape physically too!

Happy Days!

Look after your heart this Valentine’s Day.

It seems that every high street shop has their special promotions planned and heart shaped decorations in the window’s directed at cashing in on us clueless guys in our attempts to show our love for our partners!

The beauticians are promoting their pampering products, the flower shop is stocking up on red roses, the confectionary store is crammed full of heart shaped sweet delights and the local restaurant has created a special Valentines menu.
What do you do?

Well here’s a novel suggestion. Instead of just giving a simple gift that will end up being thrown away, used up or eaten why not give something a lot more lasting….. If you really want to give your heart to that special someone then why not give them a very healthy heart?!

Did you know that heart disease still kills more people in the United Kingdom than any other condition? National statistics showed one in five men and around one in six women died from heart disease, including heart attacks, in 2005, and around 2.7 million People are estimated to be living with coronary heart disease in the UK and this number is rising each year.




The majority of us lead a lifestyle which encourages an unhealthy diet, excess alcohol consumption, lack of sleep, a stressful working environment and a serious lack of physical activity. I can almost guarantee that you will have at least one of these factors in your life at the moment.

Obviously hereditary conditions account for a number of cases but a huge number of cases are self inflicted through poor choices on the individual’s part. Most heart disease is avoidable if we take simple measures to improve our lifestyle. Too many people in the UK are exercising too little, eating diets too high in fat, salt and sugar, and consequently, becoming overweight or obese.


Another huge factor that we allow into our lives to cause damage to our heart is stress. Stress is the way we all react to change. It includes our mental, emotional and physical responses to the pressures of everyday life.




The pace of our lives in the 21st century is getting faster and faster. Consequently it seems to be harder to find the time to exercise or cook well-balanced, healthy meals. We rev our engines with stimulants like caffeine, sugar and nicotine but then need depressants like alcohol to slow us down again.

Stress is also associated with depression and anxiety disorders and can reduce the amount of pleasure you get out of life. Chronic stress can numb you to feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment. Eventually, this numbness could have a negative impact on your work and your relationships.

How do we change and create long term health benefits?

The simple answer to long term health is long term practice. Unfortunately as stated earlier we live in a world that runs at 100 miles per hour and we want everything now. Therefore we look for the quickest possible way to achieve our desired results.
These usually include prescription medication. What they don’t tell you is that these medications only mask the underlying problems and that every drug has a side effect and a negative impact on the human body, and are you really taking control of your own health by taking a pill?

There are other ways to look after your heart that are much more effective, long lasting and enjoyable.

1. Exercise

Even a brief amount of exercise each day will enable your metabolism to start functioning more effectively. It will reduce excess body fat, stabilise blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, strengthen the heart an it is a fantastic way to alleviate stress.

2. Take control of your diet

People talk a lot about reducing the amount of fat in your diet and to an extent this advice has been taken a bit too far. Saturated fats WILL increase the clogging of the arteries but Omega 3 oils and essential fatty acids are crucial for the body to survive a healthy existence.

The big change that needs to be made in the majority of diets is a reduction in the amount of refined carbohydrates. Consuming these types of foods not only causes bloating and poor digestion, they also raise blood sugar levels, which stimulates the production of insulin.

Unfortunately we are extremely misinformed about what we eat. Food companies are allowed to exploit our naivety and as a result consumers are unaware of what foods are actually good for them and those that are actually causing more harm. The key is to eat real foods preferably organic as often as possible.

3. Relax

We need to slow down our body’s adrenal system, turn off the fight or flight response and learn to relax, replenish and recharge. Simple processes such as cutting out the amount of stimulants we consume and learning to breath properly get a higher quality a quantity of sleep and take time to switch off each day.

So this Valentine’s make plans to look after your health and give your loved one a healthy heart for years to come, - but probably go with the flowers as well to avoid ending up in the doghouse!

We’ve got a great article on stress management coming up in the next few weeks...

Creating a new habit.

The first month of 2011 has already passed us by! How has it gone for you?

If you wanted to change your diet have you succeeded with that and lost a few pounds? Have you been following a regular exercise programme? Have you managed your time more effectively? Or even changed your job?

Whatever changes you’ve wanted to make to your life it’s never easy to maintain the effort required to make it happen...

We are all creatures of habit and even with the best intentions often fall back into the old routine

“Old Habits Die Hard”

Often the biggest problem is that we aim to make drastic changes to our lives that simply are one step too far...

• 40-a-day smokers decide to quit all together
• Junk food addicts start to follow a 1000 calorie a day diet
• Those that haven’t exercised in years decide their going to run the marathon!

Drastic changes like these will usually fail because the new habits needed to deal with these changes are too extreme from the behaviour the person has previously been used to.

It then becomes such a negative experience that often people fall back into previous habits and in some cases are worse for the experience!

How do we stop this from happening and guarantee a positive experience?

The 7 steps to creating a new habit:

1. Write down your plan and keep it somewhere you will see it every day.

2. State specifically what your goal will be each day. E.G. “I will exercise for a minimum of 10 minutes today.”

3. State what your trigger will be. E.G. “I will exercise every morning after brushing my teeth.”

4. State who you will report to. E.G. “I will comment on the All About You Facebook page about my workout each day”

5. Post your goal publicly. – Use your social media for positive use.

6. Tell as many people as possible about your goal.

7. Celebrate your new habit at the end of 30 days.

It really is that simple!

The key is to not set your goals too big.

Creating a complete lifestyle change is going to require incredible determination and willpower and will increase your chances of failure.

If you haven’t exercised in years then face it... Training for the marathon is going to be pretty tough!!

But, doing 10 minutes of exercise per day is very do-able.

Set yourself up for success, not failure!

This exercise is about forming a new habit and taking small steps to achieve a big goal.

Plan an achievable goal, tell the world, do it and report on it EVERY DAY and you WILL succeed!

With one goal achieved you will then have the confidence to set bigger and better goals in the future with this simple method of establishing a new habit.

Ready to go with your first one?

Then head over to our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/All-About-You-Performance-Wellbeing/159779797381162?v=app_4949752878&ref=ts

And join us for a 10 minute training challenge!