The Dukan diet for pregnant women possible provided that she takes suitable precautions for each 3 months. The ” nutritional staircase method” fortunately, is developed method of dukan diet which is more balanced as it can have less risks for the pregnant woman and her baby.
How to follow the dukan diet during pregnancy?
While the “old version” of the Dukan diet imposed (frustrating) “protein days”, the nutritional staircase method works differently: each day, one food is added in order to keep the frustration in check.
Example: Monday = 100% protein, Tuesday = protein + vegetables, Wednesday = protein + vegetables + fruit. This is the nutritional staircase method of the Dukan diet which helps to limit the risks from the old restrictive version. Let’s first understand dukan diet basics.
The main principles of the Dukan diet
- A high-protein diet
- Carries three phases
- The first phase is very strict and induces symptoms similar to those of fasting.
- Its duration depends on the number of kilos to be lost: 2lbs for one week
- That is to say if you want to lose 33 lbs, you need 15 weeks, that’s to say 4 months.
- Very low fiber and nutrient diet
- 72 sources of protein are to be consumed at will!
Any Risks for the Pregnant Woman?
Yes, the Dukan diet carries certain health risks that must be understood and taken into account before starting this diet:
Yo-yo effect
For those who don’t know, the yoyo effect is the fact of regaining weight after having lost it by a very restrictive diet.
The Dukan diet in fact is one of the diets that helps to lose weight quickly because it’s too restrictive, in addition it is not a diet that can be applied for a very long time or for life, because of the risks it can induce to our health, so once we stop the diet the revenge system of our body will be activated and we recover either the lost weight or more of the lost weight!
Dietary deficiencies
Considering that the dukan diet is very restrictive and the choice of food is very limited especially during the first and the second phase, we risk having food deficiencies, the problem is that a food deficiency can affect both the psychological state of the pregnant woman and the physical state!
1- Iron deficiency
An iron deficiency can have several consequences: Premature births during pregnancy. Cognitive disorders (growth retardation, developmental delay, poor concentration skills that can lead to poor learning abilities).
2- Vitamin B9 deficiency
A deficiency in this vitamin can indeed be the cause of serious malformations of the nervous system of the fetus such as spina bifida.
Health professionals should: Encourage women of childbearing age to eat foods rich in folic acid or vitamin B9: green leafy vegetables, pulses, citrus fruits.
Foods rich in folic acid ( vit B9)
Broccoli, spinach, peas, Brussels sprouts, corn, beans, lentils and oranges. Note that corn, peas, lentils and beans are starchy foods.
3- Dietary fiber deficiency
Dietary fiber regulates intestinal transit. As they are not degraded, they also have the power to capture sugars and fats whose absorption speed in the blood is reduced.
They thus help regulate blood sugar levels and reduce insulin peaks that play a formidable role in overweight. Some fibers contribute to feed the intestinal flora, which participates in the production of vitamins (which is very essential!) and helps fight against infections.
4- Low calcium intake
Focus on calcium cause It promotes the formation of bones and teeth of the baby, which prevents the risk of high blood pressure and postpartum depression (after delivery) of the mother.
– Foods rich in calcium
dairy products (milk, cheese, cottage cheese…), fruits, pulses (lentils, peas, beans), green vegetables (spinach, cabbage) but in general the body uses calcium from plants less well than calcium from dairy products.
– Low sodium intake
- This will induce kidney weakness and orthostatic hypotension.
- Night cramps
Unpleasant side effects
- Menstrual cycle disturbance
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Muscle weakness
Also, because of the absence of carbohydrates in the first phase, there is a production of ketone bodies that can cause bad breath, dry mouth, dizziness and insomnia!
What is the nutritional staircase method of the dukan diet?
It’s a method suitable for pregnant women, because it limits the risks of nutritional deficiencies that I mentioned above. It is a system of alternation between vegetables and proteins.
The pregnant woman can continue with the dukan diet using this method without being afraid. Here are the steps to follow this method:
First 3 months of pregnancy
- You must start the second phase (cruise) directly.
- You eat in alternation: One day proteins, one day proteins + vegetables.
- You give up dairy products with 0% fat, but you use milk and dairy products with 20% fat.
- Then you must consult a doctor who will know if you need multivitamins at the beginning or not.
First Month
From the first month, a pregnant woman should make sure to eat light lunches and dinners. Above all, she should choose foods rich in folic acid (or vitamin B9). This element contributes to the growth of the fetus. It is found in broccoli, spinach, peas, Brussels sprouts, lentils and oranges.
Second month
In the second month, focus on calcium, which is useful for the baby’s bones. In addition, it prevents high blood pressure in the mother and postpartum depression. Take dairy products with 20% fat, not 0%.
Also consume dried veggies and fruits to avoid guts transit disorders that arrive in the first months of pregnancy.
The third month
The third month should include fats in the diet, but without excess. Remember to include fatty fish in your menus: salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines.
From the third month
The baby is already bigger, it needs iron, as well as its mother to avoid anemia and the risk of premature delivery. In the logic of the Dukan diet, one can favor animal proteins with menus including liver or red meat.
- You use wholemeal bread (3 slices per day)
- A portion of 150g of cooked starchy food 1 day / 2 days (what you want; rice, pasta, potato).
- One tablespoon of oil per day :
As a pregnant woman you take a tablespoon of oil every day until the end of the pregnancy, for the development of the brain cells of your child.
Iron-rich foods are suitable for the Dukan diet, because protein foods contain a lot of iron, but don’t forget to add a little lemon juice to the meat or fish you eat (meat and fish are the richest in iron), then there are legumes.
Foods are rich in iron : Red meats, fish and shellfish clams, oysters, liver, kidneys, cold cuts, black pudding.
Dukan recipe for pregnant women ( rich in iron)
It’s a recipe rich in omega3, iron, proteins, calcium and vitamins, based on salmon, it is a recipe that I appreciate a lot:
Here is what you need:
- 150g of salmon (about two fillets)
- Vegetables of your choice (I choose leeks and broccoli)
- Lemon juice (the vitamin C helps to absorb the iron from the salmon)
- Spices of your choice
- Salt (only a pinch, pregnant women should always reduce their salt intake)
- Pepper.
How to prepare it ?
- Prepare the broccoli and cut the leek into fillets.
- Place each fish fillet on a square of baking paper.
- Place a leek fillet on each salmon thread.
- Sprinkle each salmon fillet with lemon juice + spices + salt + pepper.
- Close the paper and put in the oven (on cold oven) 20 mn th 7 or in the microwave 10 minutes max.
Enjoy!
The 5th month
Here it is still necessary to intervene complex carbs, it’s very important, to avoid hypoglycemia, on the other hand eliminate everything that is high glycemic index and fast sugar and privilege the dietary fiber!
Month 6
Split your diet, always three meals and 2 snacks one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It is important to split your meals to avoid weakening. Just avoid eating in the evening (to avoid gastroesophageal reflux).
What’s the difference between this method for pregnant women and the old dukan diet method?
With the nutritional staircase method, the weight loss is – 700 grams per week for 15 weeks. Not very fast, certainly, but balanced. Because with the old version of the Dukan diet, the weight loss during the attack phase was – 11 lbs in the space of 3 days plus the yo-yo effect guaranteed.
With one “free” meal per week (on Sundays) and authorized food categories rather than imposed foods, the nutritional staircase method tolerates small pleasures, sweet or salty. Because we know that a frustrating diet has no chance of working in the long term!
Last 2 months of pregnancy
If you have a sustained weight and that doesn’t want to decrease, it’s not a problem, it’s due to the growth of your child, the increase in the volume of the uterus (it’s a muscle that weighs), and the amniotic fluid. don’t worry!
The main thing is that your baby is in good health, and don’t forget to inform your midwife or doctor that you’re on the Dukan diet to take their precaution (regarding the quantities of your supplements).
Some Precautions for the Pregnant Woman during the Dukan diet
- 35 min of walking every day or at least 5 times / Week.
- Split your meals: 3 main meals + 2 snacks in the morning and after midday at 4pm.
- With the growth of your baby, your stomach and your bowels are more compressed and you may find it harder to eat. So split your meals, eat slowly and take a walk to digest.
- With a balanced diet, the fetus has been able to build up its reserves and renew its cells. This is largely due to proteins, otherwise known as the “building blocks”, given their importance in the baby’s development. Animal proteins provide the eight so-called essential amino acids because the body isn’t able to produce them.
Healthy sample menu of Dukan diet for pregnant women
Breakfast:
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- grilled potatoes
- Wholemeal bread + spreadable cheese (20% MG).
- 1 slice of turkey breast.
A snack at 10 am
- 2 slices of buttered bread (fresh butter).
Lunch
- Broccoli salad seasoned with a light vinaigrette or a green vegetable soup ( a folic acid intake is always important!).
- Roast pork with spices and potatoes.
- Cheese + Dukan bread (optional)
- A fresh fruit
Snack
- Mint tea
- or a bowl of semi-skimmed milk
- A fresh fruit
note: the snack is not compulsory, but if you did not eat well at lunch because you were nauseous or if you are hungry at the time of the snack you take the essential not to nibble!
Dinner
- 2 organic poultry sausages with Lentils
- A fresh fruit
- note: avoid citrus fruits especially during the first 3 months.
The dukan diet with hormonal treatment?
There is no contraindication of the Dukan diet for the pregnant woman who takes a hormonal treatment! It is enough just to inform your midwife or your doctor that you are under diet dukan because it’s very important to take it into consideration.
Does The Pregnant Woman on the Dukan Diet Need Supplements?
Yes, usually iron and folic acid, but if the woman is on the Dukan diet, she must take a multivitamin.
For more details ask your gynecologist.
The Dukan diet & Pregnancy: a Dietitian Guidlines
The Dukan diet is a diet that isn’t balanced for everyone who wants to lose weight, it is a diet very rich in proteins, which can affect your kidneys, and very low in carbohydrates. What is good to note is that this diet carries very little food variety; the choice is limited so the recommended nutritional intake is also limited and some may be absent.
Fortunately, there is a new version of the Dukan diet that is a little more balanced, and that pregnant women can follow during pregnancy, and that is the method: one day protein, one day protein + vegetables.
At the beginning of pregnancy it’s good, but from the 5th month, the baby is big and needs multiple nutrients, minerals and vitamins daily and that can be provided only by a balanced diet while respecting the recommended daily intake.
My advice to pregnant women is to follow a healthy balanced diet during pregnancy and to start the Dukan diet after pregnancy. The health of your baby is above all.
Reminder about The Dukan Diet
It’s a diet that is composed of three phases, the first one is the attack phase that encourages consuming only proteins to manage to lose more weight.
The first phase is very low in vitamins and dietary fiber, which is not recommended for pregnant women because during the first quarter, they need a lot more vitamins and minerals.
The attack phase which is the first phase is very strict where you have to eat only animal proteins and no veggies or fruits! To learn more about the Dukan diet: What makes the Dukan diet unbalanced.
Bottom Line
Finally, if you are pregnant the dukan diet of its new version which is more balanced will help you to stabilize and make you lose fat, however you can find from the first trimester that you have gained about 3 pounds or more,don’t panic! it’s quite normal, you have not gained fat, it is just the volume of the uterus and the amniotic fluid that are increased!
