Did you know that dark chocolate is packed tight with nutrients that can positively affect your overall health?
Made from the seed of the cocoa tree, it is one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet, surpassing even acai berries. Along with great health benefits, chocolate can assist in your journey to lose weight.
Chocolate has long been a food used in the diets of the people native to South American countries like Brazil, Peru, and Chile. It comes from the seed of a native plant to this region known as the cocoa plant. Once harvested, this plant can be used for all kinds of things, from health remedies to bases for medicine, and many other benefits to humans. In most cases, cocoa plants are mostly harvested to make chocolate.
There is a very distinct group of minerals in chocolate that have been shown to help in the journey to losing weight. The reasons chocolate works so well is really a two-pronged approach.
First, chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is loaded with minerals that aid in the process of fat burning. When minerals in the body are at optimum levels, the body feels “safe” burning its precious stored fat for fuel. When fat is being burned for fuel and used for energy throughout your day, you will notice right away. You will have clear thinking, you won’t crash after meals, and you will be able to make it throughout the day without needing a nap or some type of caffeine beverage. Some of these minerals that aid in the body’s ability to gear stored fat for energy are magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, and a more structurally sound part called fiber. Along with these nutrients and minerals, fiber plays a big role in the weight loss.
Because chocolate is usually bitter, sugar is added to make it more palatable. While this is fine in small doses, beware of chocolate with more than 30% of it’s calories coming from sugar. This will destroy any chance of you losing weight as sugar promotes fat storage, not fat burning, for energy. This is why it is important to look at the label before you buy any chocolate. Make sure, as well, that you buy from a source that cares about its ingredients. Many chocolates have additives and fillers to make the chocolate taste better regardless of health.
Fiber aids in weight loss in a rather ingenious way. Fiber helps signal the brain when it is full, telling you that you can stop eating. This signal is very strong, but many people have lost the sensitivity to it because of the overconsumption of processed food.
While no one mineral or nutrient is directly responsible for the ability to lose weight faster, a combination of these vital parts of food help reenergize the body for fat burning instead of burning only carbohydrates. This is why chocolate is one of best foods for losing weight. It combines many of the essential minerals and nutrients, along with having a high fiber content, that help you lose weight without having to eat a plate full of vegetables, starve yourself, or eat bland and boring food.
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