- Weight loss mechanism
- Benefits and harms
- Contraindications
- How to select
- Recommendations
- Options
Many people are surprised that nutritionists offer chocolate fasting days for quick and tasty weight loss. Can such a high-calorie and sweet product reduce weight? As it turns out, such miracles are indeed possible, and we still do not know much about our body. If you are afraid of tasteless diets, this option is the perfect solution for you.
Weight loss mechanism
Nutritionists long ago developed a chocolate fasting day, and its effect on the body has been thoroughly studied. Weight loss becomes possible due to cocoa beans, which:
- prevent the development of insulin resistance (the most common cause of obesity) and improve the regulation of glucose use;
- support beneficial microflora in the intestines, which allows food to be digested more quickly;
- eliminate hotbeds of inflammation in the body that can provoke excess weight;
- reduce depression, making it unnecessary to “seize” stress;
- accelerate metabolism;
- effectively break down fats and remove them from the body (however, this is a rather lengthy process that cannot be completed within one day, but at least you will start it).
It turns out that chocolate, despite its high calorie content (more than 500 kcal per 100 g), is just as useful for weight loss as many other diet products. The results of such fasting days are evidence of this. With the correct approach, you can lose up to 1.5 kg.
Origin of the name. The word “chocolate” comes from the Mayan language, where “xocolatl” meant “bitter water”.
Benefits and harms
When choosing to lose weight using this confection, you need to understand what benefits it can bring and where to expect a catch.
Benefits:
- prevents cardiovascular diseases;
- reduces the risk of strokes and heart attacks by preventing thrombosis;
- prevents diabetes by controlling the body’s absorption of glucose;
- normalizes blood pressure;
- improves vascular elasticity;
- facilitates the course of autoimmune diseases;
- stimulates intellectual activity, improves memory, and activates thought processes;
- antioxidants prevent the formation of tumors;
- polyunsaturated acids remove harmful cholesterol.
Harms:
- damages tooth enamel;
- causes food dependence;
- high calorie content;
- low daily intake can make you feel hungry, which can be difficult to endure;
- monotony of the diet;
- side effects include nausea and dizziness;
- possible fainting;
- often provokes gastrointestinal disorders;
- contributes to skin rashes.
You should only experience serious harm from chocolate fasting days in extreme cases: when you ignore contraindications or increase the recommended dosage.
Additional information. Chocolate improves heart function, strengthens and cleanses blood vessels by removing cholesterol plaques.
Contraindications
Do not engage in chocolate fasting days if you have the following contraindications:
- allergy to cocoa beans;
- pregnancy;
- diabetes;
- obesity;
- hypotension;
- gout;
- urolithiasis disease;
- joint diseases;
- insomnia;
- metabolic disorders.
Of course, eating 100 g of chocolate per day is unlikely to exacerbate gout or osteochondrosis, but unpleasant side effects are quite possible.
Did you know that… chocolate contains “theobromine”, a substance that makes this product toxic to animals?
How to select
Today, the assortment of chocolate is so diverse that the problem of choosing inevitably arises. Porous, dessert, vegan, diabetic, powder, liquid… Which variety will best contribute to weight loss as part of a fasting day? After all, making a mistake in this matter is easy – and instead of losing extra weight, you can, on the contrary, gain it.
- Black / dark / bitter
The most optimal option recommended by nutritionists is to lose weight on dark chocolate. It contains the highest percentage of cocoa beans (above 55%), which are responsible for weight loss. It is better to choose those with an indicator of 75% or higher – they will be the most beneficial. This is the product that is marked as “bitter”. If the numbers are lower, the packaging will say “dark” or “black”.
- Milk chocolate
Undoubtedly, it is much more pleasant to lose weight with milk chocolate, as it has a very delicate and soft taste, literally melting in your mouth. However, it contains minimal cocoa beans, meaning that all the hardships of the fasting day may go completely unnoticed. In addition, the dry milk or cream in its composition contains a fat content of 2.5%, which is far from being a dietary product and provides practically no benefit. Therefore, nutritionists do not recommend this type.
- White chocolate
You can find everything on the internet. Even such a paradox as a menu for a white chocolate fasting day. Although this delicacy does not contain a gram of cocoa beans, which are what start all the processes in the body that lead to weight loss. So there is nothing more useless for fighting extra pounds.
Other varieties also have no value for weight loss, so you can safely ignore them.
Interesting fact. The most expensive chocolate is “Chocopologie by Knipschildt”. 453 grams of this delicacy cost $2,600.
Recommendations
To achieve results, learn how to properly conduct a fasting day and exit it without harming your health.
Preparation
Chocolate starvation is real stress for the body, to which it may not react at all as you would like. That is why it is so important to prepare it in advance for this event. To do this, take the following steps 2-3 days before the fasting day.
- Start drinking plenty of water.
- Gradually exclude alcohol, carbonated drinks, fried foods, pickled foods, smoked foods, fatty foods, salty foods, and fast foods from your diet.
- Switch to five meals a day.
- Eat 20-30 grams of dark chocolate daily.
- Get enough sleep.
- Do sports.
- On the eve of the fasting day, have the lightest possible dinner and drink a glass of nonfat kefir before going to bed.
Hunger
- Recommended daily amount: 100 g of dark chocolate.
