Dark chocolate without harm to the figure
Benefits of dark chocolate
Dark chocolate contains antioxidants, vitamins A, B, C, D, E, PP, minerals – calcium, magnesium, fluorine, iron, and many other useful substances.
Moderate consumption of chocolate has a positive effect on:
- the nervous system – the “hormone of happiness” is produced – endorphins, which are responsible for the level of stress;
- brain activity and performance – dark chocolate contains a lot of vegetable proteins necessary for the development of brain cells;
- cardiovascular system – thanks to the flavonoids contained in chocolate, arteries expand, blood circulation improves and blood clots do not form.
It is worth noting that this is not all the useful properties of sweets. The rich composition of chocolate improves the health of the skin, hair, normalizes blood sugar and cholesterol, and reduces the risk of anemia, stroke and other diseases.
But, knowing all the benefits of dark chocolate, do not rush to abuse it. There must always be reasonable limits – especially since the brain is cunning and always tries to deceive you in various ways .
Chocolate is quite high in calories. There are 550 kcal per 100 g of dark chocolate.
Nutritionists recommend eating one small slice of high-quality dark chocolate, and preferably bitter, which includes at least 72% cocoa.
Lose weight with dark chocolate
For those who want to lose weight, this delicacy is just a godsend. One small slice is able to saturate for a long time, thanks to cocoa beans, which are part of chocolate and have a high energy value.
A number of studies have proven that the beneficial properties of dark chocolate, on the contrary, help in the fight against excess weight. So, people who ate 30 grams of chocolate per day during the experiment lost 3 kilograms more than those who excluded it from their diet. This happened due to caffeine, which is contained in cocoa beans. Caffeine helps speed up metabolism, absorb proteins and burn excess fat.
Therefore, if you are aiming for weight loss, you should not exceed the daily allowance of chocolate. It is no more than 25-30 grams per day. But this does not mean that having given preference to dark chocolate, you will have to give up other equally tasty desserts . Just remember to make adjustments to your diet to account for the extra calories while sticking to a healthy diet. Your diet should be healthy and balanced. How to achieve this, you can learn from our article “5 principles of a balanced diet” .
Do not forget about regular physical activity. They will help not only get rid of excess weight, but also improve health, develop strength and endurance.
You can start with light daily exercisesthat suit everyone. Just 7-10 minutes and a charge of vivacity is provided to you for the whole day. And, for example, with the “ 30 days non-stop ” program, you can practice at any time of the day. Complex exercises, collected in one program, will make your muscles and joints more mobile and elastic, and your figure will be embossed.
On the FitStars website you will find a lot of author’s programs from leading fitness trainers. Choose which one you like best and get started. And if you find it difficult to choose, be sure to read our article “ Which fitness program suits you best ”.