- Weight loss mechanism
- Benefits and risks
- Contraindications
- How to choose?
- Recommendations
- Options
Many people are surprised that dietary science suggests a chocolate fasting day for rapid and tasty weight loss. Can such a calorie-laden and sugary product actually reduce weight? Turns out, there are such miracles, and we still do not know much about our bodies. If you are afraid of hunger pangs, this option will be areal discovery for you.
Weight loss mechanism
Dietary specialists have long developed a chocolate fasting day, and its effects on the body have been extensively studied. Weight loss is possible due to cocoa beans, which:
- prevent the development of insulin resistance (the most common cause of obesity) and improve regulation of glucose consumption;
- maintain healthy microflora in the intestines, resulting in faster digestion;
- eliminate sources of inflammation in the body, which can trigger weight gain;
- reduce depression, which often leads to stress-induced eating;
- accelerate metabolism;
- effectively break down fats and remove them from the body (admittedly, this is a rather protracted process that cannot be completed within a single day, but you will at least have started it).
So it turns out that, despite its high calorie content (more than 500 kcal per 100 g), chocolate is just as beneficial for weight loss as many other diet foods. The results of such fasting days are proof of this. If done correctly, you can lose up to 1.5 kg.
Where does the name come from? The word “chocolate” comes from the Mayan language, where “xocolatl” means “bitter water”.
Benefits and risks
When choosing a weight loss program based on this treat, you need to know what benefits it may have and where to expect a catch.
Benefits:
- prevents cardiovascular disease;
- reduces the risk of strokes and heart attacks by preventing blood clots;
- acts as a prophylactic against diabetes, as it monitors the process of glucose absorption by the body;
- normalizes blood pressure;
- improves vascular elasticity;
- eases autoimmune diseases;
- stimulates intellectual activity, improves memory, and activates thought processes;
- antioxidant substances prevent the development of tumors;
- polyunsaturated fatty acids remove harmful cholesterol.
Risks:
- damages tooth enamel;
- causes food addiction;
- high calorie content;
- small daily portion leads to bouts of hunger, which can be very difficult to endure;
- diet monotony;
- nausea and dizziness are common side effects;
- may cause fainting;
- often causes gastrointestinal upset;
- may cause skin rashes.
Severe harm from such fasting days can only occur in extreme cases: when contraindications were ignored or the recommended dosage was increased.
Additional information: Chocolate improves heart function, strengthens, and cleanses blood vessels of cholesterol plaques.
Contraindications
Chocolate fasting days should not be considered in the presence of the following contraindications:
- allergy to cocoa beans;
- pregnancy;
- diabetes;
- obesity;
- hypotension;
- gout;
- urinary stone disease;
- joint diseases;
- insomnia;
- metabolic disorders.
Of course, one 100-gram chocolate bar eaten per day will not cause an exacerbation of gout or osteoarthritis, but unpleasant side effects are entirely possible.
Did you know? Chocolate contains “theobromine”, a substance that makes this product poisonous to animals.
How to choose?
The assortment of chocolate on the market today is so varied that it can be hard to choose. Porous, dessert, vegan, diabetic, powdered, liquid… Which type will be the most conducive to weight loss during a fasting day? After all, if you make a mistake with this choice, you could end up gaining weight instead of losing it.
- Dark/bitter
The best option that dietary specialists recommend is to lose weight with dark chocolate. It has the highest percentage of cocoa beans, which are responsible for weight loss: above 55%. It is better to choose chocolate with a cocoa content of 75% or higher, as it will have more benefits. This type of product will be labeled “bitter”. If the percentage is lower, the packaging will say “dark” or “black”.
- Milk
Losing weight with milk chocolate is undoubtedly more pleasant, as it has a very soft and delicate taste and literally melts in your mouth. However, it contains very few cocoa beans, which means all the hardships of a fasting day may go completely unnoticed. Moreover, dry milk or cream with 2.5% fat content is far from a diet food, and it is practically useless. This is why dieticians do not recommend this type of chocolate.
- White
You can find anything on the internet, even such a paradox as a fasting day menu based on white chocolate. However, this delicacy contains absolutely no cocoa beans, which are responsible for launching all of the processes in the body that lead to weight loss. So, you will not find anything more useless for fighting those extra pounds.
Other types of chocolate are also worthless when it comes to weight loss, so you can safely ignore them.
Fun fact: The most expensive chocolate is “Chocopologie by Knipschildt”. 453 g of this treat costs $2,600.
Recommendations
To achieve results, learn how to properly conduct a fasting day and how to come out of it without harming your health.
Preparation
A chocolate fast is a real stress for the body, and it may not react the way you want it to. That is why it is important to prepare it for this event in advance. To do this, take the following steps 2-3 days before the fast.
- Start drinking plenty of water.
- Gradually eliminate alcohol, sodas, fried foods, pickled, smoked, fatty, salty foods, and fast food from your diet.
- Switch to eating 5 meals a day.
- Eat 20-30 g of a bitter chocolate bar daily.
- Get enough sleep.
- Exercise.
- On the eve of the fast, dinner should be as light as possible, and it is best to drink a glass of skim milk before going to bed.
Fasting
- Recommended daily intake: 100 g of dark chocolate.
- Consumption schedule: divide into 5 equal portions, eaten at equal intervals.
- You can wash down this treat with drinks such as green tea (possibly with various fat-burning additives such as cinnamon or lemon) and herbal teas. Kefir and milk do not quite fit into the plan, but if you really must, you can have them if they are skimmed. All of the above should be unsweetened.
- It is essential to follow the drinking regimen: no less than 2 liters of pure water.
- Physical activity is contraindicated on this day. Only a short walk and 10 minutes of morning exercises are allowed.
- As soon as you feel dizzy or nauseous, it is recommended to drink sweet tea and lie down. Eat a full meal half an hour later. These side effects are warning signs that this method of weight loss is contraindicated for you.
Exit
The morning after your chocolate day, you will
