Eat chocolate and lose weight! Effective chocolate unloading

General rules

Among the products used for fasting days, such a seemingly unsuitable product as chocolate is used.
However, despite its relatively high calorie content, it can also be used in a fasting nutrition system. Let's say right away that we are talking about high-quality dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 72 percent or more. It is not recommended to use white, milk, cream and other types of chocolate because they contain too much sugar and other undesirable ingredients. High-quality dark chocolate can contain only 3 ingredients: cocoa mass, cocoa butter and sugar/sweetener. The nutritional value of the product is determined by the properties and composition of cocoa beans. 100 dark chocolate contains proteins (6.5-7.8 g), fats (42.0-50.0 g), carbohydrates (45.5-52.0 g). It contains saturated/monounsaturated fatty acids, caffeine , theobromine , flavonoids , organic acids, dietary fiber, vitamins ( A , B1 , B2 , B5 , B6 , K , PP , E , lutein , beta-carotene, macro/microelements: zinc, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, calcium, iron, sodium, copper).

Calorie content, depending on the percentage of each chocolate component, varies between 460-540 kcal/100 g. Dark chocolate is a “fast” carbohydrate, but has a low glycemic index (about 30), unlike white and milk chocolate, the GI of which varies within 45-70, respectively, their use quickly increases blood sugar levels. The daily intake of dark dark chocolate is 25-30 g.

Beneficial properties of dark chocolate:

• Promotes the production of endorphin (the hormone of joy) and reduces the level of cortisol (a hormone produced under stress).
• Reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Theobromine in chocolate supports the tone of the heart muscle. Flavonoids increase the elasticity of blood vessels, improve blood circulation, prevent the formation of blood clots , lower blood pressure , and lower cholesterol levels in the blood.
• Improves cerebral blood flow, concentration and memory, activates brain function, increases performance.
• Antioxidants contained in chocolate strengthen the immune system (stimulates the production of local immunity factor - immunoglobulin A ) and slow down the aging process of cells.
• Effectively restores the body's energy potential after physical activity.

A fasting day on chocolate involves the inclusion in the diet of a bar of dark chocolate weighing 100 g, which is divided into 5 doses. There are several options for a fasting day on chocolate.

• The first, more strict option involves including only chocolate and liquid in the diet, which is recommended to drink green or herbal tea, still mineral water or purified water. The volume of fluid consumed should be at least 2.0 l/day. The liquid should be taken 30 minutes after eating chocolate. A number of authors advise drinking coffee (without sugar and milk), since coffee has a fat-burning effect. In principle, you can drink coffee, but not together with chocolate and not in the afternoon, since the risk of side effects is potentiated: allergic reactions (skin rash), irritability, insomnia , increased blood pressure. It is safer and no less effective to lose weight with green tea and chocolate, which also promotes weight loss, has a diuretic effect, is a good tonic and quenches thirst after eating sweets.
• The second option is more gentle. The diet is expanded by including low-fat kefir or yoghurt in the amount of 1.0 liters, which is washed down with 200 g of chocolate for each chocolate meal. At the same time, the amount of free liquid in the drinking ration should be at least 1.2-1.5 l/day.

It is recommended to practice a chocolate fasting day no more than once every 15 days. As already emphasized for the unloading procedure, it is important to choose the right chocolate. Let's consider the main criteria that you need to pay attention to when choosing chocolate. Don't buy chocolate if it:

• Made from genetically modified cocoa beans. It is important to choose chocolate that has a certificate of organic origin of cocoa beans.
• It contains a high percentage of cocoa powder. This ingredient is formed after squeezing the oil from cocoa beans and is cheaper and less healthy than cocoa liquor. The percentage of cocoa in high-quality dark chocolate ranges from 70 to 85%.
• If it contains other types of fat other than cocoa butter. Most often, in order to reduce the cost of chocolate, manufacturers introduce coconut, palm or soybean oil, which leads to the formation of trans fats that have a negative effect on the body.
• Contains high amounts of sugar (brown sugar), fructose, corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners such as cyclamate , sucralose , saccharin or aspartame . It is recommended to choose chocolate not only with low sugar content, but to give preference to chocolate sweetened with natural sweeteners (stevia, monk fruit), which are several times sweeter than sugar and have minimal calorie content and zero glycemic index.
• They contain flavor enhancers, dyes and preservatives: ponceau 4R (E124), maltol (E636) and others, which can cause an allergic reaction and gastrointestinal diseases. Manufacturers usually add these ingredients to low-quality chocolate in order to make it more tasty and attractive. The presence of lecithin emulsifier (E322) in chocolate is permitted by GOST and its presence should not discourage you from purchasing. But if there is an alternative in the form of natural chocolate without lecithin, choose it.
• If there is a specific or white coating on the chocolate that forms when the product is stored improperly. A high-quality dark chocolate bar should be naturally shiny and glossy. When high-quality chocolate breaks, a loud crunch is heard, and the break of the bar should remain matte. High-quality chocolate should leave dark marks on your hands, since the melting point of cocoa butter is much lower than the human body temperature, so it is impossible to avoid contamination.

Also, it should be emphasized that since chocolate increases the level of serotonin and endorphins , it is possible to develop a craving for chocolate (addiction), especially during periods of exposure to stressful circumstances, so try to control the dose of chocolate consumption.

Contraindications

A chocolate diet can harm the body. Unloading with treats is contraindicated in some cases:

• diabetes;
• diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular systems;
• fungal infections;
• gastrointestinal pathologies;
• increased blood sugar levels;
• allergy to chocolate;
• children under 18 years of age;
• problems with the endocrine system, kidneys or liver;
• joint diseases;
• pregnancy and lactation period.

Chocolate should be consumed with caution if you have diabetes

In old age after 50 years, it is better to give up the chocolate diet and start a fasting diet using other healthy foods.

Authorized Products

A fasting day on chocolate includes in the diet:

• Bitter chocolate, Babaevsky bitter chocolate, ritter sport bitter chocolate.
• Green tea, black coffee, still mineral water or filtered water.
• Non-fat/low-fat kefir, natural yogurt.

Table of permitted products

Menu (Power Mode)

The chocolate diet menu, even in a gentle version, is extremely simple due to the inclusion of only a few products in the diet:

Italian diet with chocolate

This diet was developed by nutritionists in Italy. It allows you to lose about 6 kg of excess weight in a week. This is a gentle nutrition system because it contains various foods, not just chocolate. Allowed products can be combined to suit your taste and in any proportions. The daily intake of chocolate should not exceed 30 g, because in the Italian diet this product is not the main one, but helps stimulate brain activity and physical activity. You need to drink at least 2 liters of water per day.

Menu for 1 day:

• Breakfast - fresh fruit salad, wheat flakes with skim milk, a few strawberries.
• Second breakfast - fruit or 150 g of popcorn.
• Lunch – pasta, without salt, and vegetable salad.
• Afternoon snack – fruit cocktail or assorted fresh vegetables, popcorn.
• Dinner – pasta or fettuccine with tomato-garlic sauce, boiled vegetables or salad.
• Snack in the evening - popcorn or 30 g of chocolate.

Reviews of a fasting day on chocolate and results

Reviews from people who regularly practice fasting on dark chocolate are mostly positive.

• “... I regularly give myself a chocolate fasting day. I have long been looking for some non-standard product for a fasting day. And since I have a terrible sweet tooth, I chose a chocolate fasting day for myself. I use chocolate in combination with green tea, since I practically don’t eat coffee. The feeling of hunger is almost absent or very insignificant. I can easily tolerate it and recommend it to anyone with a sweet tooth. But look for quality dark chocolate.”
• “... To be honest, when a friend offered me a chocolate fasting day, I told her that she was crazy. But after searching for information on the Internet, I was convinced that chocolate can also be used to relieve the body. We decided to try it. It turned out that everything was fine, but I still decided for myself that in the future I would use more suitable products for unloading - sour milk, cottage cheese or vegetables.”

Advantages and disadvantages

Chocolate with a high cocoa content is good for the body. The advantage of the diet is that chocolate, without additional additives, improves the functioning of the entire body. You can use it throughout the day and still get rid of extra pounds.

A diet using confectionery products is safe, enjoyable and effective. The health benefits are that chocolate stimulates mental activity and relieves stress. The express diet is well tolerated by the body. The cost of chocolate is low, so unloading on chocolate is accessible to everyone.

Not everyone will benefit from a one-day fast. There are several disadvantages of the chocolate diet:

• stomach pain, intestinal disorders, skin rashes may appear;
• if chocolate contains less than 65–70% cocoa, then the benefits to the body are reduced;
• you can quickly gain back the lost pounds if you don’t have proper nutrition in the future;
• it is often not possible to lose weight due to exceeding the recommended amount;
• the risk of allergies to chocolate and pathologies of the digestive tract increases;
• Diet interferes with the development of healthy eating habits.

In the presence of chronic diseases or after suffering serious illnesses, the risk of developing vitamin deficiency increases. Chocolate does not contain many nutrients that the body needs daily to function properly. In rare cases, dizziness, headaches or exhaustion may occur.