If you identify yourself as a "chocoholic" then the book "The Chocolate Diet" was written with you in mind. The book purports to give you a plan to consume chocolate, which may have some health-boosting benefits, while staying slim. Always consult a health care provider before you try a new dieting plan.
History
"The Chocolate Diet" book was written by Sally Ann Voak, who has written 28 slimming books and is one of Britain's most prolific slimming authors. She's a past editor at "Harpers & Queen" and "Vanity Fair" magazines and "The Sun" newspaper. The book is out of print, but can be found secondhand over the Internet.
Identification
The Chocolate Diet is basically a reduced-calorie diet that allots for chocolate to be included. The plan calls for consuming about 1,100 calories daily. The minimum daily caloric need for a woman typically is about 1,200 calories, though this can vary depending on your level of physical activity, according to Dr. Ray Sahelian of Los Angeles. The minimum for a man is about 1,800 calories, Sahelian says.
Features
Voak's twist on the basic low-calorie plan is to divide chocolate lovers into six categories. You will avoid chocolate for the first portion of this diet, then depending on which category you fall into, follow a stringent diet plan. In some segments of the diet your snacks are replaced by a special chocolate-based shake that you can make yourself. Dieters generally are allowed 150 calories worth of daily chocolate after the first weeks of this plan. You also need to exercise most days of the week, meditate and get massages when following this diet plan. If you follow this diet, you will supposedly lose 7 lbs in the first 10 days.
Expert Insight
Chocolate does have some health benefits -- at least if you eat the right kind. The research that points to benefits, however, is done with cocoa and dark chocolate that has high levels of flavonoids as opposed to the milk chocolate most often eaten by Americans, according to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The flavonoids in cocoa beans are plant-based antioxidants known as polyphenols that have proven heart-protective properties that benefit your circulatory and cardiovascular systems, according to the university. Plain, dark chocolate is 43 percent cocoa compared to plain milk chocolate, which is 30 percent cocoa. A typical candy bar from the grocer has just 15 percent cocoa. In addition, health benefits are offset because chocolate is high in saturated fat, and milk may interfere with your body's ability to absorb flavonoids. This type of fat contributes to weight gain and has detrimental effects on heart health, like raising risk for coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis, according to the university. However, replacing a small portion of regular candy with the darkest chocolate you are able to find likely won't hurt you and may convey a few health benefits, say the experts at the university.
Considerations
Voak says that 60 percent of the people who have followed her slimming plans regain the weight they shed. Voak says choosing fast food and processed convenience foods and the trend of "supersize" portions all contribute to weight regain when dieters go off of a slimming plan. That "bigger" has become a societal norm makes people feel more comfortable with extra weight as well, Voak writes in the September 2007 "The Daily Mail" newspaper article, "Why Do Slimmers Always Get Fat Again?" The Diet Channel calls this eating plan a "fad" diet.
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