Cocoa for weight loss?

Cocoa powder is often confused with chocolate, but the two products are very different. Cocoa powder is made by grinding cocoa beans and contains no fat or sugar. Meanwhile, chocolate contains cocoa butter, cocoa and sugar among other ingredients. The percentage of cocoa in chocolate determines how healthy or unhealthy the product is. This is why dark chocolate is considered one of the healthiest snacks out there. This is because it has the highest percentage of cocoa in it. Meanwhile, white chocolate is not really a chocolate as it’s made from milk solids, cocoa butter and sugar. Consuming cocoa powder on its own is the healthiest way to consume cocoa in its purest way.

Losing weight is no cake walk, but coco powder which is regularly used in making cakes might just hold the answer to your weight woes. You might be feeling confused, relating cocoa powder with shedding extra pounds, but it is true – this delicious food may help you achieve your body goals, if consumed in the right manner and in the right amount. This obviously means that you can’t go around eating all the chocolate goodies with cocoa in them because these food items contain one of the unhealthiest ingredients out there – sugar. If consumed in a healthy way, cocoa powder will not just help you lose weight, but will also help you regulate blood pressure and improve your overall well-being. Follow Spotlife Asia for the latest Health and Fitness news.

Cocoa powder may improve digestion, due to its anti-inflammatory action on the gut. A healthy gut has been directly linked with weight loss, it has been known to boost metabolism and help the body metabolize fat better. Due to the presence of antioxidants, cocoa powder is great for detoxification of the body. Cocoa powder is also rich in fiber, which is good for regulating blood sugar and removing waste content from the body.

Cocoa powder has also been known to fight blood cholesterol and high blood pressure, as well as fight build-up of plaque in the arteries. This results in a reduced risk of heart stroke and other heart diseases.

If you wish to use cocoa powder to burn fat, then make sure you buy a good quality, organic brand, which has no sugar in it. You can add the cocoa powder in small amounts to your warm glass of milk or your bowl of oats in the morning. Adding cocoa powder to your breakfast smoothies may give it an extra kick of taste and nutrition. As mentioned earlier, adding cocoa powder to your protein shake, before working out may also help you burn fat faster. However, it’s advisable to contact your nutritionist or a certified dietitian, in order to know exactly how much of cocoa powder should you be consuming every day.