The Dukan Diet by Pierre Dukan

women.
    Vinegar, spices, herbs, thyme, garlic, parsley, onion, and shallots are not only allowed but highly recommended. Using them brings out the flavor of foods and heightens their sensory value. These oral sensations trigger our nervous system, which is responsible for whether we feel full or not, contributing to our feeling of being satisfied. To be clear, I amsaying quite simply that spices are not just taste enhancers, which in itself is no small achievement, but that they are foods that encourage weight loss.
    What certain spices such as vanilla or cinnamon do is offer their warm and reassuring taste in exchange for sugary flavors. Others such as coriander, curry powder, and cloves can cut down the need for salt, especially for women who suffer from water retention and want to add salt to everything even before they have even tasted it.
    Pickles (made without sugar), as well as pickled onions, are allowed, as long as they are condiments. If eaten in too large a quantity, they become a vegetable and outside the Attack phase’s pure protein requirement.
    Lemons can be used to flavor fish or seafood but cannot be consumed as lemon juice or lemonade, even without sugar, because although sour, lemons are still a source of sugar and are therefore incompatible with the program’s first two phases, the Attack and Cruise phases.
    Mustard and salt are acceptable but must be used in moderation. There are salt-free mustards and low-sodium diet salts if you want to use them liberally.
    Ordinary ketchup is not allowed because it is both very salty and very sweet, but there are sugar-free natural ketchups that can be used in moderation and high-quality tomato purées and pastes that turn into a real treat with just a little flavoring and spicing up—without any of that sweet aftertaste that does not go well with meats.
    Sugar-free chewing gum deserves better than this single entry in the extras category. To my mind, it is extremely useful in the fight against weight problems and especially so during my program’s first two weight loss phases, the Attack and Cruise phases. I do not usually chew gum myself, as chewing is inelegant, but if I am overstressed, I do have some.
    “Bruxism” is what dentists call the nighttime habit of grinding your teeth until the enamel is worn down. And as many overweight people often eat under stress, chewing gum can slow down this mechanical swing toward eating whenever you feel under pressure. What is more, a mouth that is busy chewing gum cannot take in or chew anything else,so this is a technique for keeping your mouth full. Many scientific studies have also proved at regular intervals how useful chewing sugar-free gum is when battling weight problems, diabetes, and even tooth decay.
    Of course we are only talking here about so-called sugar-free gum. Select your sugar-free chewing gum according to taste but go for the ones whose flavor lasts longest in your mouth.
    All oil is forbidden, except in the smallest quantities for greasing a frying pan. Even though olive oil justifiably has a reputation for protecting the heart and arteries, it is still oil, and pure fats have no place in a pure protein diet.
    Apart from the allowable extras listed here and the food categories just described, you may eat
nothing else
. All other foods and drinks—anything that is not explicitly mentioned on this list—are forbidden during the Attack diet’s relatively brief kick-start period.
    Concentrate on what you are allowed to eat and forget the rest. Make sure you get enough variety and pick ingredients for your meals in any order you want so as to keep things interesting. And do not ever forget that all the foods allowed and on this list are for you, really and truly for you.
Some General Advice
Eat As Often As You Like
    Do not forget that the secret of this diet is to eat a lot and to eat before hunger strikes so that you avoid succumbing to a tempting food not on the list.
Never Skip Meals
    Skipping meals