Dark chocolate diet: which one to choose and how much to eat to lose weight
Are you about to go on a diet and already miss your beloved sweets? Don't worry, you can always count on chocolate, or rather, on the dark variant. Sure, it won't be as sweet as milk, but the benefits you can get will be enough to satisfy you. Furthermore, this food even helps us lose weight faster. Do not you believe it? We are not inventing anything, it is science that supports it, as we will see later in this article. So, we can say that losing weight has never been so pleasant and ... tasty. Let's find out how!
If you are addicted to chocolate and want to make a mistake on your diet, watch this video and discover the recipe for the chocolate cake with a soft heart. A delicacy!
The best chocolate for the diet
Chocolate is good, and this is well known, but it must be specified what type of chocolate. Not everyone, in fact, can be included in a weight loss diet. It is necessary to make a selection and, without a doubt, exclude those with milk, or worse, white, that is the most caloric and with the highest content of saturated fats. On the other hand, dark chocolate or, even better, extra dark chocolate, low in calories but equally greedy, should be preferred.
Before buying a bar, read the ingredients and make sure that the percentage of cocoa contained within it never falls below 80%. In addition, check that there are no traces of preservatives, additives or flavorings of any kind.
But why dark chocolate? No, this is not a punishment. The results of a research conducted by the Institute of Dietetics and Health of Meinz have shown that within a low-calorie diet it is possible to include only this variant of chocolate as the only true "ally of diet and well-being". Furthermore, it should be specified that dark chocolate, unlike milk or white chocolate, contains important flavonoid antioxidants and epicatechin, a compound that improves both concentration and memory and reduces episodes of nervous hunger, offering a sense of satiety. immediate.
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The health benefits
Great news: Eating dark chocolate is good for your health. No, this is not a self-convincing operation. Two studies conducted respectively by the National Research Institute for Food and Nutrition (Inran) and Brown University of Providence (United States), have shown that the daily consumption of this food can bring significant benefits to the cardiovascular system, eliminating cholesterol. bad present in the blood (LDL) and loosening blood pressure. In fact, dark chocolate has antioxidant properties that can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.
Furthermore, thanks to some research conducted in Switzerland, it emerged that the daily intake of about 40 grams of dark or extra-dark chocolate within a low-calorie diet avoids the danger of cerebrovascular diseases.
Finally, perhaps not everyone is aware of the fact that bitter chocolate is also indicated for the treatment of coughs. The discovery was made thanks to the contribution of Alyn Morice, a professor at Hull University. The scholar has highlighted how the theobromine content within cocoa beans is able to dissolve phlegm and relieve cough even more efficiently than traditional remedies, such as honey and lemon.
Dark chocolate is good for the mood
In addition to being renowned for its aphrodisiac properties, dark chocolate is good for a good mood.Bad day? Heavy quarrel? Do not worry: eating a square of chocolate will be like receiving a caress on the heart. This food, in fact, contains tryptophen, a substance that stimulates the production of serotonin, the hormone of happiness, ensuring immediate well-being. In short, among the countless benefits linked to the consumption of dark chocolate we can also include its natural anti-stress action.
Does dark chocolate make you lose weight?
And now we come to the data for many more relevant. The results that emerged from the aforementioned study by the Institute of Dietetics and Health of Meinz revealed, in fact, that the consumption of dark chocolate, included in a diet low in fat and sugar, helps us to lose up to 10% of extra weight. So yes, now we can say with certainty that eating dark chocolate - always without exaggerating - helps you lose weight faster and more pleasantly.
When to eat it?
Having established that dark chocolate is good for health, it is of fundamental importance to know some rules regarding its consumption. First of all, the moment of the day when it would be preferable to take it: this is either mid-morning or mid-afternoon, when the metabolism, still busy digesting the last meal, will be faster and more inclined to burn the calories consumed. to ingest it on its own or on an empty stomach as it could raise blood sugar levels.
How much to eat?
And if it is true that dark chocolate helps to lose weight, it is good not to overdo it but to consume it regularly and in a balanced way. The recommended amount varies between 40 and 45 grams per day. A higher dose, in fact, could frustrate the efforts of the diet, introducing an excessive amount of calories.
In short, as always, it makes no sense to demonize certain foods: it is the quantities that make the difference!
