Is it possible to eat chocolate time. Can you eat expired chocolate? Increases physical activity
A balanced diet is varied, but for the most part, people have to give up sweets in the first place. Is it possible to eat chocolate while losing weight and have a slim figure? If you choose this delicacy correctly and do not abuse it, you can get a weight loss effect. To begin with, consider how the use of a particular type of chocolate affects the human body.
Chocolate, which is sold in stores, bears little resemblance to a healthy product made from cocoa beans. Its harmfulness to the human body is exacerbated by various additives, sweeteners, flavor enhancers and preservatives. Natural chocolate costs decent money - therefore, if a person wants to get not only taste sensations from dessert, but also benefits, without harm to the figure, you should pay attention not only to the cost of chocolate, but also to its composition and production time.
You can eat chocolate while losing weight, but only bitter, which contains at least 58% cocoa. Such a tile will not be filled with a lot of sugar, it will give not only pleasure, but also benefit. It is better not to use white and milk chocolate, if a person wants to achieve harmony, there is many times more sugar in it. This product should be eaten only natural and in small doses. No more than 30 grams of chocolate per day is recommended.
Chocolate Ingredients:
- flavonoids
- antioxidants
- polyphenols
- vitamins
- trace elements
- beta-carotene
- phosphorus
- sodium
- potassium
- calcium
- magnesium
- Magranian
- iron
These substances have a beneficial effect on the entire body. Namely:
- promotes activity and increase in sports loads
- relaxes the nervous system
- stabilizes pressure
- reduces the risk of strokes and heart attacks
- affects the cardiovascular system
- stimulates the brain
- accelerates the processes of lipolysis
But there are factors that should also be taken into account when using this product. Such as the:
- increased allergic reactions
- high caffeine content can cause indigestion
- obesity
- caries
- diabetes
These factors pose a threat to human health, only if the person eats a lot of chocolate products. But there are diseases and indications of doctors when it is better to exclude cocoa-containing desserts from the diet altogether.
- Diabetes
- Uric acid arthritis
- bowel disease and
- Problems with the pancreas
Types of chocolate and composition
100 grams of dark chocolate contains about 650 kcal. You can eat chocolate while losing weight if you decide which type is more suitable for its content to supplement the diet.
You can eat chocolate while losing weight, but only bitter, which contains at least 50% cocoa. Such a tile will not be filled with a lot of sugar, it will give not only pleasure, but also benefit. It is better not to use white and milk chocolate, if a person wants to achieve harmony, there is many times more sugar in it. Chocolate should be eaten only natural and in small doses, no more than 30 grams per day.
When is the best time to eat chocolate?
One bar of chocolate contains a lot of caffeine, which will not only add extra pounds if you eat it at night, but can also interfere with sleep. Even small amounts can cause insomnia. But the first half of the day is the best for eating this sweet. Eat chocolate for dessert after or lunch:
- This sweet diversifies the diet
- Beneficial effect on intestinal microflora
- Due to the fact that a person will already be full, the body will not require a large amount of chocolate.
The perfect combination
Chocolate can be combined:
- with berries
- fruits
- Dried fruits
- With yogurt
- With milk
If you add 10-20 grams of dark chocolate to porridge with fruit when losing weight, then this will not only energize you for the whole day, but also cheer you up. This sweet acts as an antidepressant and will allow you to actively train in the gym. Therefore, chocolate can be eaten while losing weight. It won't hurt to pamper yourself. After all, the point is not only in the sweetness of this product, but in the effect that it produces on the general condition.
How to choose healthy chocolate
When buying a chocolate bar, pay attention to the composition of the method of its manufacture. If the label indicates that the content of cocoa beans is over 70%, there will be a lot of additives in the product. Such sweetness is best left unattended.
If the bar is very sweet, then it contains more sugar and additives than chocolate itself. Quality chocolate can be identified by appearance, texture and taste.
- Melts in your mouth
- Has a smooth texture
- Uniform color without inclusions
- bitter taste
chocolate diet
Dark chocolate for weight loss can show unexpected results. The main thing is to follow some rules:
- it can not be eaten at night and on an empty stomach
- that it does not contain trans fats
- consumption per day no more than 30 grams
- it is advisable to alternate this product with other desserts on a diet. That is, do not eat it every day.
- drink at least two liters of water a day
Chocolate can be replaced with marshmallow or, of course, in moderation. Losing weight with the help of intensive diets is for people who do not have health problems. You can enjoy dark chocolate with unsweetened coffee. If you look at the comments of people who included chocolate in their diet, there are few reviews that noted a significant result in losing weight.
healthy chocolate
A person can find a natural chocolate bar in any store if he studies the composition well, but as practice shows, buyers do not believe what they write on labels for a long time. Therefore, in order to be completely sure that the product will be natural and healthy, it is better to make it yourself at home. Such chocolate can be eaten with weight loss for sure.
Components:
- edible cocoa butter
- grated (not pressed) cocoa
- cinnamon
- vanilla
- dried fruits
Cooking method:
- Melt a small amount of cocoa butter in a water bath
- When the butter is completely melted, add the grated cocoa to it.
- Mixing well, add a pinch of cinnamon and vanilla
- Finely chopped dried fruits are added at the very end.
- Then pour the liquid into the molds, and let cool
If there is a desire to add nuts, then they can be pressed into the still liquid chocolate in molds with a spoon. Remember, it doesn’t matter if it’s homemade or factory-made, chocolate can be eaten in small doses when losing weight.
Desserts while on a diet
Losing weight takes time. During the period of the diet, which are most often long-term, people do not withstand the restrictions, especially if they like sweets. Infringement in food - causes stress throughout the body, which makes you want to eat even more.
To protect your body from the unpleasant consequences of a diet, allow yourself some sweets:
- bitter chocolate
- Zephyr
- Paste
- Marmalade
These sweets are best consumed for breakfast or lunch after the main meal. It is better to drink this dessert with kefir, milk or yogurt.
Summing up
- To eat chocolate during a diet and not worry that they can aggravate weight loss, eat sweets an hour before sports. A small portion of chocolate will give you a big boost of energy, and the calories it contains will be burned during
- Do not eat sweets and other high-calorie foods at night. If you have a strong desire to snack, drink a glass of kefir or eat a little with berries or dried fruits.
- Drink plenty of water, but not after the main meal
- Do not eat chocolates with fillings or with the addition of nuts, biscuits or caramel. Such a dessert will not only add extra calories to the diet, but can also harm your health with low-quality dyes that the product contains.
Post Views: 52
Chocolate will never cease to be a fantastic option for enjoyment, not only for chocolate lovers, but also for people who want more from their diet. For those who want to constantly eat healthy and right.
Of course, sweets are not a healthy diet, but it is dark chocolate on a diet that will help you feel great and it is he who sometimes helps to relax and forget about problems.
It is known from many studies that raw cocoa beans and dark chocolate made from raw cocoa powder contain a large amount of antioxidants, including epicatechin and catechin.
In addition, intestinal bacteria die in raw chocolate, as well as fermentation products. Since this chocolate contains anti-inflammatory compounds that are essential for your health.
Is it possible to eat dark chocolate on a diet
So, I found a lot of evidence of how useful it is after all. And now let's take a look at all the beneficial properties of dark chocolate from a scientific point of view ...
1. Benefits of dark chocolate for the brain
Yes, many people say, and you most likely know this, that after eating 2-3 pieces of chocolate, the brain works better, right? Perhaps this is not a secret today ...
And there is scientific evidence for this:
The scientists who conducted the latest study asked 60 people, whose average age was 73, to drink two cups of cocoa a day. One group was given cocoa rich in flavonoids, while the other was given cocoa low in flavonoids.
For the purity of the experiment, both groups were forbidden to consume chocolate.
Prior to this experiment, ultrasound scans detected circulatory disorders in the brain in 17 patients.
Regardless of the amount of flavonoids in cocoa, blood flow improved in 88% of patients. At the end of the experiment, the test subjects improved their memory performance tests. Those who had normal blood flow at the beginning of the study, the results improved by 37%.
Studies using magnetic resonance imaging showed that in 24 cases, people with blood flow disorders were also likely to have very little brain damage.
Also, according to research by British scientists, chocolate stimulates the heart and brain more than kissing. Under the “high” from eating chocolate, the heartbeat doubles. All areas experienced prolonged and intense stimulation in the brain.
Super research that already talks about the benefits of dark chocolate on the diet…
2. Dark chocolate is good for the heart and improves cardiovascular function.
As you already know, chocolate contains polyphenols.
But, what are they and how do these polyphenols work?
Firstly, they prevent the oxidation of fat-like substances that settle on the walls of blood vessels and create a foundation for atherosclerotic plaques. The dose of polyphenols in chocolate turned out to be quite decent. In half a large chocolate bar weighing 75-100 grams, there are about the same number of them as in a glass of red wine.
Since polyphenols are a whole group of useful substances, scientists began to look at them in more detail. They tried to isolate the effect of each of them.
Back in 1999, Dutch doctors from the National Institute of Health and the Environment discovered that there are four times more catechins in chocolate (this is one of the polyphenols) than in tea.
Before that, tea was considered the champion in the content of catechins that protect us from cancer and from the same atherosclerosis. After this study, the "sweet couple" of tea with chocolate began to look very attractive in terms of healthy eating.
How do you like these facts? ...
3. Why is dark chocolate healthier than milk chocolate? It helps in the prevention of bowel cancer
This is just an incredible plus in favor of dark chocolate ...
Mehmet Oz, MD, a cardiologist, has found in a new study that eating raw chocolate can help prevent colon cancer.
The same was published back in 2009 by the Internet edition Newsru.com, when it became known about the experiments of a group of scientists from the private dermatological clinic European Dermatology London. Although the tests focused more on the effects of the sun on the skin, the results were amazing...
Observations were made on 30 healthy adults, including 22 women. The average age of the subjects was 42 years.
For three months, half of the volunteers ate 20 grams of high-flavonoid dark chocolate every day. The rest of the subjects consumed regular chocolate.
After that, the skin of the participants in the experiment was tested for exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The skin of those who ate high-flavonol chocolate was better protected from sunlight exposure.
Note that during the trials, researchers found that eating dark chocolate can improve blood flow, reduce the risk of blood clots, and even protect against bowel cancer.
It turns out bitter chocolate is just a pantry for our health ...
4. Dark Chocolate Lowers Cholesterol
As we already know, chocolate, like green tea, contains a huge amount of antioxidants that help lower bad cholesterol.
Well, a study conducted by scientists at San Diego State University and presented at Experimental Biology 2012 compared the readings of 31 people who were assigned to eat either white chocolate (0% cocoa) or dark chocolate (70% cocoa). ).
The researchers found that those who ate 50 grams of dark chocolate a day for 15 days had significantly higher levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol. Notably, they also had significantly lower blood sugar levels!
Scientists also say: Consumers should be aware that most commercial chocolate is low in polyphenols and high in sugar and saturated fat. A good way to get the health benefits of chocolate without any risk is to add dark unsweetened cocoa powder to your food.«.
5. Dark Chocolate Helps Reduce PMS Symptoms
Scientists believe that eating dark chocolate helps women relieve symptoms of PMS. The women's portal Ivona writes about this perfectly. In women, monthly, before the onset of menstruation, the level of female sex hormones: estrogen and progesterone decreases.
These hormonal changes create a domino effect, so there is a temporary decrease in the level of serotonin - the hormone of good mood, as well as other enforphins. As a result, women feel irritated, tired, and other common symptoms of PMS, which can last from three to seven days.
According to experts, there are ways to help relieve the symptoms of PMS. So, they are sure that berries, calcium, magnesium, vitamins E and B6 will help reduce the symptoms of PMS. In addition, dark chocolate will help to cope with irritation.
As you know, this product contains magnesium and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which have a positive effect on a person's mood. Besides, in dark chocolate very little sugar and no milk.
But scientists recommend excluding foods that contain sugar, salt and caffeine from your menu during PMS. Experts are sure that they can aggravate your condition: cause bloating, irritability, anxiety and depression, which are associated with PMS. So be mindful of choosing the right chocolate for your diet.
In addition, experts note that moderate physical activity, such as a half-hour walk, will help you improve your mood and feel more energetic.
6. Dark chocolate improves digestion
Did you know that there are healthy bacteria that live in our intestines?
Well, it turns out that dark chocolate supplies a lot of these beneficial microbes that improve digestion. There are also many studies on this topic.
British scientists have found that the antioxidants in chocolate (flavanoids or catechins) promote the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria, thereby improving digestion and strengthening the immune system.
For 4 weeks, a group of volunteers received these elements as part of a cocoa drink, either 494 mg of flavanoids per day or 23 mg/day, depending on the type of chocolate. (remember, there are quite a few of them in white and milk chocolate, so you should choose dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70%).
When eating chocolate rich in flavanoids, the population of "good" intestinal bacteria increased, while the "bad" bacteria decreased.
This says that dark chocolate on a diet is really very useful and necessary. Let's talk about this in more detail...
7. Can I eat dark chocolate on a diet?
By the way, how much has already been discussed, but not said ... Do you know what is World Chocolate Day? Yes, and it is celebrated on July 11 ...
Carbohydrates and fats provide energy to your body, and magnesium and potassium provide full performance to your muscles. All these elements are present in dark dark chocolate.
Therefore, chocolate will be an excellent source of energy during long trips and training, as well as increase your alertness.
9. Dark Chocolate Promotes Healthy Blood Flow
You can also find a lot of information about this good news ...
Recently, in 2014, it was reported that the Journal of the American Heart Association published a study on the benefits of dark chocolate for people suffering from peripheral vascular disease.
These diseases are characterized by narrowing of the vessels of the extremities, which greatly complicates the flow of blood into them. When walking, such patients experience pain, cramps and get tired quickly. In Western countries, the disease affects more than 20% of the population over 70 years of age.
The study involved 14 men and 6 women aged 60 to 78 years with peripheral arterial disease. Every morning, patients got on the treadmill and walked along it at a low speed, and the scientists measured the distance traveled, walking time and other parameters.
Two hours later, the subjects received a piece of bitter (cocoa content of at least 85%) or milk chocolate (cocoa content of less than 35%) and got back on the treadmill.
It turned out that in patients who ate dark chocolate, the ability to walk without assistance increased: the distance they covered was 11% more, and the “walk” itself lasted 15% longer compared to morning performance. In patients who ate milk chocolate, there was no improvement in performance.
Conclusion
The health benefits of raw chocolate are numerous than what has already been discovered and discussed here. Many studies show that dark chocolate on a diet can improve the quality of life now and in the future.
However, chocolate should be consumed in moderation. We all know that chocolate contains a lot of calories. And remember to choose the right chocolate.
That is, if we talked about the fact that dark chocolate is good for men or women, and also helps in losing weight, this does not mean that you can eat a lot of it. This is the first. And yet remember the minimum amount of cocoa products. They must be at least 70%. Is it better to be closer to 100?% ….
I love chocolate, which contains almost no sugar and contains 92% cocoa products.
Is it possible to eat chocolate in large quantities? This is a question that worries a fairly large number of people. And this is hardly surprising, because this dessert is preferred by the vast majority of sweet tooth. For many decades, there have been disputes about whether this product is useful for human health or not. Some scientists argue that chocolate is not only possible, but also necessary to eat. Others agree that it is better to exclude this delicacy from your diet. It should be noted that both scientists are right. The thing is that chocolate products, like any other products, have both beneficial and negative qualities. Therefore, before you run to the store for another tile of such a delicacy, you should find out what benefit or harm it can bring to human health.
What are the benefits of chocolate?
This product has a fairly rich composition, so that the benefits of it can be very large.
Some doctors call chocolate a panacea for atherosclerosis. Such a bold statement is very easily explained: this sweetness boasts a high content of essential oils, which do not allow cholesterol to be fixed on the walls of blood vessels.
Many studies have shown that even a small amount of this product can reduce pressure.
It's no secret that chocolate is considered an excellent antidepressant. The thing is that this dessert contains magnesium, which is involved in the production of serotonin. And serotonin is known to improve mood. Just a few pieces of chocolate products can cheer you up for the whole day. An interesting fact is that this product excites the same processes in the human brain as marijuana, but at the same time it does not bring such harm to health. That is why chocolate is recommended for teenagers who are struggling with the habit of using drugs.
This product prevents the formation of blood clots. It promotes better digestion of food and stimulation of intestinal motility.
What harm can chocolate do?
This product, like any other, has not only positive, but also negative characteristics.
If you eat too much chocolate, you may experience such an unpleasant symptom as constipation. The thing is that the flavonoids contained in sweets remove fluid from the body.
The harm of chocolate products lies in the high content of fats and carbohydrates in them. If you eat too much of this delicacy, then it is unlikely that you will be able to protect yourself from extra pounds.
Such a product can harm the body in the presence of a disease such as uric acid arthritis. Substances of the purine group contained in chocolates can aggravate the course of the disease.
It should also be noted that it is advisable to avoid such a dessert for people with diabetes. It's all about the large amount of sugar, which, as you know, should not be consumed by diabetics.
Can any chocolate be eaten?
Among all the variety, doctors still recommend using only dark chocolate. And this is not surprising, because it is in such sweetness that the greater amount of iron is contained. Also, dark chocolate contains a lot of antioxidants that successfully cope with free radicals. All this has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and helps to better and faster cope with nervous tension and heavy mental stress.
And this is not all the advantages of such a delicacy. It should be noted that it contains a minimum amount of sugar compared to other types of tiles. Only 50 g of this sweetness per day prevents the development of cancer and stomach ulcers.
White chocolate isn't nearly as healthy. This product is made from cocoa butter, milk and sugar. It does not contain cocoa powder, so when it is consumed, the bitterness inherent in dark tiles is not felt. Nutritionists warn that it is better not to get carried away with a white dessert: one small piece in the morning will be enough. It's all about the large amount of fats and carbohydrates, which are very quickly deposited on the hips and tummy in the form of fat. For people who are overweight, it is better to turn their attention to darker types of chocolate.
Another disadvantage of white chocolate is that, due to the high content of cocoa butter, it often causes the development of unpleasant allergic reactions. In addition, many experts believe that white types of this sweetness can be addictive.
Milk chocolate is considered the most high-calorie. There are 545 kcal per 100 g of this product. The same can be said about porous chocolate products. It is because of the high calorie content that doctors do not recommend abusing the dairy type of this dessert. You can eat no more than 25 g of the product per day. Overweight people should avoid milk chocolate altogether.
It is not recommended to use these sweets with any additives. If chocolate contains nuts or raisins, then its calorie content increases several times. In addition, in many people, these additives cause allergic reactions.
Can you lose weight on chocolate?
Many sweet teeth are concerned about the question of whether it is possible to eat chocolate without harm to the figure. Nutritionists say that in the right amount, this product will not only not harm the figure, but will even help get rid of a couple of extra pounds.
However, those who want to lose weight should immediately understand that the chocolate diet is quite strict and is only suitable for people with a strong will. According to the diet, you can eat no more than 100 g of dark chocolate during the day. It is possible to drink sweetness with a liquid only 3 hours after a meal. Eat preferably with breaks of 4 hours. There should be 3 meals per day. Naturally, except for chocolate, nothing can be eaten during the diet.
Chocolate nutrition is designed for 5 - 7 days. In this rather short period of time, you can lose up to 8 kg of extra pounds. Experts warn that you should not stick to such a diet more than once every six months. Otherwise, there is a great risk of exhaustion of the body and the appearance of big problems with the stomach.
How to choose good chocolate?
Whatever the type of chocolate product, the main thing is that it be of high quality.
When buying this sweet, first of all, you should pay attention to its composition.
Cocoa mass is a very important component, without which it is impossible to imagine a truly high-quality chocolate. Manufacturers often try to save money and replace this component with cocoa powder, which, of course, will not bring harm to the body, but there will not be much benefit from it either. A good dessert should melt not only in your mouth, but also in your hands. If you still want to eat a piece of milk bar, then you should make sure that it contains cocoa butter, and not vegetable fats.
Chocolate is made from dried, roasted, and crushed cocoa beans, which are then mixed with various ingredients such as sugar, milk, vanilla, soy lecithin, and the like. The cocoa content of the chocolate you buy (for example, 85%) corresponds to the percentage of cocoa solids.
Dark chocolate contains no milk, while milk chocolate contains a lot of sugar, quite a lot of milk, and a small amount of real cocoa. White chocolate, on the other hand, contains cocoa butter, milk, and sugar, but is stripped of the other fat-free cocoa solids and the benefits they provide.
Can you eat chocolate while on keto?
In general, you can, but there are a few things to consider:
1. Always choose dark chocolate with a high cocoa content
The darker the chocolate, the better, since the higher the percentage of cocoa, the less net carbohydrates the chocolate will contain, and the more benefits your body will receive. Choose at least 70%, or if you prefer, go for 85% or higher.
2. Always read the label
Expert opinion
Alena Kovaleva
Former "carbohydrate addict", happy mom and editor-in-chief of KetoDieto.
Ask an expertMake sure your chocolate is free of soy, artificial sweeteners, or sugar. If you buy sweetened chocolate, make sure it's sweetened with stevia, erythritol, or any other keto-friendly .
3. Avoid Milk or White Chocolate
- Note: the amount of net carbohydrates per 100 g is indicated
4. Remember that even dark chocolate is still a high-calorie candy.
This means that you should consume it in moderation. Most types of chocolate contain between 500 and 600 calories per 100 grams, sometimes even more. Also, the carb content makes it perfectly acceptable for a small bite, but less than ideal if you want to eat half a bar.
5. If you find it hard to limit yourself, it is better to remove chocolate from the diet.
6. Chocolate contains caffeine
The darker the chocolate, the more it will contain - usually between 17.5 and 70 mg of caffeine per 100 g, which is a negligible amount compared to real coffee (which contains 65 to 150 mg of caffeine per cup), but if you are especially sensitive to it, eat chocolate at the beginning of the day .
health benefits of chocolate
Now let's look at the benefits of chocolate.
Chocolate contains a lot of good fats - monounsaturated and saturated. But, in fact, saturated fat has not been directly linked to heart disease, so there is no need to fear it. The type found in chocolate is stearic acid, which does not adversely affect LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels.
In general, chocolate consumption is even associated with improved cardiovascular health. This is mainly due to its high flavonoid content, which makes it an anti-inflammatory food that helps the body manage oxidative stress.
Do you love chocolate?
Adore)Not
Dark chocolate, rich in flavanols, has another important benefit – it protects against harmful UV radiation.
Pretty amazing, right?
Plus, chocolate is high in fiber, which is great news for your digestion. The fiber content will vary from brand to brand, but in most cases it will be between 10 and 20 grams per 100 grams.
Chocolate also contains large amounts of magnesium, iron, copper, potassium, selenium, etc.
Recipe for homemade chocolate bars
You can easily make keto chocolate bars at home using simple ingredients such as:
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 28 g cocoa (100%)
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- 2 tbsp powdered erythritol (or a mixture of monk fruit)
- 1/4 tbsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 pinch of sea salt
Cooking: just melt the butter, coconut oil, and cocoa, and mix well. Add heavy cream, sweetener and vanilla extract and stir again. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, then pour the chocolate mixture into your desired mold and sprinkle sea salt on top. Place in the freezer and freeze for an hour.
Outcome
There is no doubt that dark chocolate (85% or higher) is a much better alternative to traditional high carb desserts. If you crave something sweet from time to time, there is nothing wrong with consuming it in small amounts. Just remember the key word: moderation.
If you are on a diet (which is no longer fashionable) or adhere to proper nutrition (but this is a trend!), then the New Year holidays with their corporate parties, family feasts and Christmas markets with mulled wine and pastries can greatly set you back in weight loss. After all, New Year's traditions go against the main commandments of those who lose weight: do not eat after six, chocolate is harmful ... But nutritionist Natalia Zubareva, author of the book "Waltz of Hormones", dispels the myths about proper nutrition that prevent us from enjoying delicious food at the festive table. And he allows for the New Year to eat everything - but to know when to stop.
So much, it would seem, has been written on this issue, but, communicating with patients and reading the comments of subscribers on Instagram, I came to the conclusion that there is still not enough information on this topic.
If you eat in general much more than you spend, then it does not matter in principle whether you eat after 18:00 or not. You can barely get up from the table at 17:40, overeating with fat and varnishing with sweets, so you just don’t want to have dinner. There can be no talk of any weight loss in this situation. By the way, this is a rather rare case, but usually everything happens according to the following scheme.
A person gets up early, quickly rushes off to work, having breakfast at best in a hurry or not having breakfast at all, then he has a good and hearty dinner, having time to thoroughly get hungry by noon. He eats with the expectation that for dinner he will limit himself to something weightless, like the wing of a butterfly, or even "not eat after six" at all and forget himself with a hungry dream in dreams of a thin waist. But no! At home, a hot dinner, snacks in the refrigerator and fatigue.
Often the best intentions to get by with something dietary and right are shattered into smithereens by the habit of seizing the stresses received during the day. "What am I, not a man or what?" - our losing weight character asks and decides to please himself with at least something. He sits down at the table ... And then, as if in a fog. Not only does he eat the most delicious, fatty and high-calorie food at night, but also the body in a panic increases the work of storing fat - you never know when the next time you feed?
But there are also stories that are downright anecdotal, when after 18 a girl does not eat, but at 22 she opens the refrigerator ...
The recommendation to give dinner to the enemy is one of the oldest nutritional myths. No need to be afraid to eat after six in the evening, rather, you need to be afraid to skip dinner. Even if you are not exercising, an evening meal a few hours before bedtime is essential. Well, in the case of evening physical activity, depriving the body of a balanced and appropriate meal is simply criminal.
Ideal Nutrition Formula:
- Breakfast - 30–35% of the diet.
- Lunch - 40–45%.
- Dinner - 25%.
The forbidden fruit, known since the time of Adam and Eve, is sweet. Moreover, the tougher the ban, the stronger the desire to break it. This works with children and adults, and, believe me, it is sometimes easier for children to explain why it is impossible. And big uncles and aunts sometimes behave very irresponsibly and spinelessly, not finding the strength to refuse what will harm them. That is why my approach to proper nutrition is non-standard - excluding prohibitions.
Almost everything is possible for my patients, except for food waste, which turns our body into a dump. Now I mean fast food, snacks, "chemical" sweets... But not chocolate, around which there are no less myths than about some respected family of ancient Greek gods.
I want to make a reservation right away that we are not talking about "milk" chocolate and not about bars, stalking in orderly rows of a careless sweet lover near the cash registers in the supermarket. I swear, don't eat this!
Real chocolate is at least 80% cocoa, without additives. In the composition - cocoa butter, cocoa mass or beans, sweetener.
The biggest myth is that chocolate makes you fat. We read what is written above, and choose a real product. Again, don't eat sugary junk that's loaded with preservatives, even if the ads are promoting it to kids with its health and growth benefits.
The recipe for milk chocolate, for example, includes dry fat milk or cream, while white chocolate varieties do not contain cocoa at all, but there is a maximum amount of powdered sugar and synthetic vanillin. All this really makes them fat and they get more health problems, and good quality dark chocolate will only benefit you. Three or four slices daily is possible even with active weight loss.
The higher the percentage of cocoa beans in a chocolate bar, the more valuable it is. This is due to the fact that their chemical composition includes flavonoids - organic compounds that have a direct impact on the production of nitric oxide by the body, which significantly improves blood flow. In addition, the beneficial substances contained in cocoa beans increase immunity, have a positive effect on memory and help fight depression and chronic fatigue, especially in the winter-spring period, when a lack of sunlight, vitamins and trace elements makes our body vulnerable to viruses and bacteria.
Due to the fact that real dark chocolate is also rich in antioxidants, it only benefits beauty and health. But acne and rash along with caries can just be provoked by various components included in milk and white chocolate. When you eat a bitter black, cocoa-rich product, on the contrary, you protect the beauty of your smile - after all, tannins and other antibacterial components do an excellent job with various oral bacteria, thereby reducing plaque on the teeth.
They like to blame chocolate for the accumulation of cholesterol, which is partly true: the fact is that cholesterol can be harmful and beneficial. Chocolate just fights with the first, contributing to its reduction, and the content of the second, "good", increases.
In addition, British scientists (not those from jokes, but real ones) found that the phytonutrients of chocolate are no worse than potent pharmaceutical drugs in coping with coughs. In addition, the systematic use of this delicacy strengthens blood vessels and capillaries, increases their elasticity and permeability, improves the performance of the cardiovascular system and prevents the formation of blood clots.
Phytonutrients (or photochemical compounds, FCS) are biologically active substances that are found in plants and give fruits and vegetables their color, taste, smell and natural resistance to diseases, pests and other external threats.
Unlike vitamins and minerals, phytonutrients do not play a key role in maintaining human life as a whole, however, many of them are natural antioxidants and precursors of vitamins in the body. Therefore, the theory is popular that a person should eat at least 500 g of vegetables and fruits of different colors per day.
To date, more than a hundred thousand phytonutrients have been isolated and described. The most famous include:
- red - lycopene (contained, for example, in tomatoes);
- orange - beta-carotene (carrot, pumpkin);
- green or yellow - lutein (persimmon, corn, green vegetables);
- anthocyanidins - all shades of blue (blueberries, currants, eggplants);
- phytoestrogens.
Well, who will argue with the fact that chocolate is a symbol of good mood, an easy way to effectively stimulate mental activity, and its aroma is an excellent aphrodisiac that increases attractiveness in the eyes of the opposite sex.
In general, eat chocolate, I allowed you! Just a little and very, very good.
Myth #3: Healthy baking helps you lose weight
Well, this is really funny! A lot of fans of proper nutrition, especially those who have recently begun to be interested in the topic, for some reason believe that dietary baking is completely safe for the figure, so you can enjoy it whenever your heart desires and in almost any quantity.
There is some truth here: indeed, home-made diet baking (and not even very dietary, just - shh!) Is much more useful than store-bought, where it is not clear what is made of what and what is conserved to be stored for a hundred years.
In the case of proper nutrition, we remove sugar and yeast, change white flour to whole grain, butter to vegetable, cream to yogurt or cottage cheese, milk chocolate to bitter black - and as a result we get a much more healthy product for the body. But still, there are plenty of calories in it, because whole grain flour is not inferior in calories to white flour, and vegetable oil is even more caloric than butter.
So, my dear lovers of sweets, do not flatter yourself by taking on the “right” cookie or cake with the hope that for your waist, busting with desserts will pass without a trace. It will not pass if you do not remember once and for all: even the "right" sweets are not a holiday for every day.
Myth #4: You Can't Eat Potatoes on a Diet
I have to admit, I'm a very, very strange nutritionist. I allow patients to eat chocolate, bread, and now also potatoes. That's horror! How then to lose weight? Now I'll tell you.
Of course, potatoes are not the most dietary product, but if you love it very much, if you are used to it, or for some other reason want to eat it, eat it for health. A couple of times a week, for lunch as a side dish, boiled - it will not hurt the figure. But there will definitely not be a temptation to gobble up some randomly encountered french fries, cooked in "machine" oil and definitely not useful for our noble weight loss goals.
What do I recommend to patients? Boil young potatoes in slightly salted water in their skins, thereby reducing their glycemic index. You can also peel, thinly slice, sprinkle with spices and bake in the oven, at the very end lightly brushing with olive oil. But you will have to forget about the appetizingly sizzling slices in a pan, heavily fried in sunflower oil, or even lard, as well as about overcooked mashed potatoes with butter.
If you really want mashed potatoes, boil the potatoes in their skins to a state that, in the case of pasta, we would call "al dente", then roughly crush it straight with the peel (of course, the tubers must be pre-washed), keeping the lumps. Salt, add a little olive oil and ... Bon appetit! So, by the way, they eat mashed potatoes in the USA.