Every chocoholic dreads being told they can't eat chocolate. For years, "health gurus" have been telling people that chocolate is part of the problem and is ruining their weight loss plans. They might be right if they're talking about sitting down in front of the TV with a candy dish; but, as a general rule, the studies are finding "no chocolate" to be bad advice. The results are in and eating chocolate has now been connected to lower weight. So, how can I lose weight eating chocolate?
The simple answer is to eat chocolate (darker is better) in moderation throughout the day and instead of higher calorie snack choices. If you're looking for more of a "why it works" answer, here are a few theories.
Give Me Something Sweet
The hardest part of most diets is feeling like you can't eat any sweets. They're on the "bad" list. You crave sugar, but once you give in, you crave it more. More sugar, more calories and more cravings spin you around while the pounds pile on. The theory is that chocolate can meet the craving for something sweet and stop the cycle. Once you stop chasing sugar, your body doesn't have as many extra calories and might even let you use up some of that stored energy.
Give Me Something Healthy
Just because you've had enough to eat, doesn't mean your body got what it needed. Our bodies eat for energy (calories) and nutrients (vitamins and minerals). They don't care about the calorie counter that came with the diet plan. If you don't get the right nutrients in your diet, your body will tell you to keep eating and store the extra calories as fat. Chocolate isn't as nutritionally void as many believe. It actually contains many trace minerals that we need. If chocolate happens to supply the nutrients lacking in your diet, the urge to keep eating should stop.
Give Me a Magic Pill
Chocolate isn't a magic pill, but it might have an effect that sounds too good to be true. A study in Japan gave rats a high-fat diet with cocoa and other rats a high-fat diet without cocoa. They observed that the rats eating cocoa had lower weight and body fat. The rats eating cocoa had genes that help the body process and store fat suppressed (turned off) and genes that help the body burn fat activated (turned on). If chocolate has the same effect in humans, you would expect the same results.
It's possible to get fat eating chocolate. You can eat too much. But, dark chocolate that is eaten in small quantities may help get rid of cravings, reduce calorie consumption or change how your metabolism works. Like most of life, it's about balance.
Beth Olivier is a chocolate fanatic, especially focused on the health benefits related to eating chocolate. She invites you to go to http://paidforbychocolate.com to find more information on the research findings related to chocolate and her preferred brand.
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