The Chocolate diet is a weight-loss plan that
includes the daily consumption of limited amounts of
chocolate. The phrase ‘‘chocolate diet’’ also signifies
the consumption of chocolate because of claims of
health benefits such as lowering cholesterol.
The once forbidden food for dieters was incorporated
into some weight-loss plans by the end of the
20th Century. Furthermore, people concerned about
health issues like high cholesterol could turn to chocolate
as a potential preventive measure.
The Pasta-Popcorn-Chocolate Diet
Details about Neimark’s diet on the Internet were
limited to what foods were allowed and what were
excluded. There was no information about how long
the diet lasted or how much weight a dieter could
expect to lose. There were limited recommendations
for serving sizes. The specified portions included 1
ounce (28.3 grams) of chocolate. This is the equivalent
of one baking chocolate square.
The online versions of the diet showed a menu
plan for one day, with several meal selections for the
dieter to choose from. Other variety in the diet came
from choosing different fruits, vegetables, and low-fat
pasta sauces. Popcorn could be topped with nonfat
butter substitutes or a bit of parmesan cheese. Salt was
not permitted.
The diet of three meals and three snacks consists of:
-Breakfast of fresh fruit, fruit salad, or shredded
wheat with non-fat milk and strawberries.
-A morning snack of air-popped popcorn or fruit.
-Lunch of salad, pasta salad, or spaghetti. Pasta sauces
should be meatless, low fat, and low sodium. Lowcalorie
salad dressing is allowed
-An afternoon snack of popcorn or a fruit smoothie
made with 1 cup (236.6 milliliters) non-fat skim milk.
-Dinner of fettuccini with garlic tomato sauce, wholewheat
pasta primavera salad, or steamed vegetables.
-Evening snack of popcorn or 1 ounce (28.3 grams) of
chocolate.
The dieter should drink 2 quarts (2 liters) of water
but could not consume
-Coffee or other caffeinated beverages or carbonated
soft drinks.
-Sugars, raisins and dates because of the high sugar
content, and snack foods like cakes and pie.
-Oils, fried foods, and oily foods like avocados, olives,
and coconut.
-Oils, fried foods, and oily foods like avocados,
olives, and coconut.
-Red meats and dairy products.
-Nuts, seeds, and snack foods like chips.
Sally Ann Voak’s chocolate diets
The front cover of The Chocolate Diet promised
that the reader could eat chocolate and lose seven
pounds in two weeks. Voak’s book contains quizzes
to determine whether a person is a chocoholic and
which of the six diets a person should follow. Each
weight loss plan includes selections that fit within the
calorie count for meals, strategies for a person to follow,
and recommendations for exercises and other
activities. The book also includes recipes and a calorie
guide for chocolate candies that fit within the diet plan.
British and American brands of chocolate are listed.
Each of the diets starts with a week of withdrawal
from chocolate. During this time, Voak wrote, people
start to control their cravings for chocolate. All
weight-loss plans include unlimited amounts of vegetables
from a list of 28 low-calorie selections. The free
vegetables include asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms,
red and green peppers, spinach, tomatoes, and watercress.
The six diets include items from all of the food
groups. The diets were designed for women; men consume
300 more calories each day.
Voak’s diet plans are for:
-Secret Bingers, people who hide chocolate and don’t
want others to know they eat it. The plan consists of
a 250-calorie breakfast, two light meals of 350 calories
each, a 400-calore main meal, and a 100-calorie
treat. In the second week and in following weeks,
there is a daily chocolate allowance of 150 calories.
Dieters may also have a 200-calorie dessert or beverage,
with choices selected from recipes in the book.
-Romantics are often single and use chocolate as a
substitute for love. Their menu plan is a 250-calorie
breakfast, 350-calorie light meal, 400-calore main
meal, and a 100-calorie treat. After the second week,
they may spend 300 calories on a chocolate treat three
times a week.
-Comfort eaters consume chocolate when tired or
faced with a problem. Their plan consists of a 250-
calorie breakfast, 350-calorie light meal, 400-calore
main meal, and two 50-calorie treats. In the second
week, there is a daily chocolate allowance of 200
calories. In following weeks, the allowance is 50
calories.
-Weekend Indulgers associate chocolate with celebrations.
Their daily calorie allowance is 1,350 during
the week and 1,600 on the weekend. The menu plan is
a 250-calorie breakfast, 350-calorie light meal, 400-
calore main meal, and two 100-calorie treats. After
the second week, 300 calories in chocolate is allowed
on each weekend day.
-Sugar addicts often get most of their calories from
carbohydrates and may use chocolate as a fix when
tired. Their plan consists of a 250-calorie breakfast,
two light meals of 250 calories each, a 400-calore
main meal, and a 100-calorie treat. In the second
week and in following weeks, there is a daily chocolate
allowance of 200 calories.
-Premenstrual cravers overindulge in chocolate during
some days of the month. Their plan is followed as
needed one to two weeks before or during a menstrual
period. The diet consists of a five 250-calorie
meals and a 100-calorie treat. In the second week,
and in following weeks, the daily chocolate allowance
is 100 calories.
Cocoa Via plan
Consumers are advised to eat two CocoaVia Heart
Healthy Chocolate Snacks bars each day to achieve
health benefits. The chocolate should be consumed as
part of a lifestyle that includes a healthy diet and
exercise. Mars’ line of CocoaVia products included
dark chocolate bars, milk chocolate candy, and the
Rich Chocolate Indulgence beverage, as of the spring
of 2007. Calorie amounts and fat content varied by
product.
According to the nutritional label, the 22-gram
(0.78-ounce) Original Chocolate bar contained 100
milligram of cocoa flavanols and 1.1 gram of natural
plant extract (sterol). Each bar had 100 calories with
60 calories from fat. There were 6 grams of total fat,
3.5 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of fiber, 9 grams of
sugars, 12 grams of carbohydrates, and 1 gram of
protein.
A 5.65-ounce (.167-liter) bottle of the chocolate
beverage contained 100 milligram of flavanols, 150
calories, 25 fat calories, 3 fat grams, 1 gram of saturated
fat, 3 grams of fibers, and 6 grams of protein.
Neiman and Voak’s diets are used to satisfy dieters’
cravings by allowing limited amounts of chocolate.
The dark chocolate plan also permits limited
amounts of chocolate because consuming it may provide
health benefits.
For people trying to lose weight, the Pasta-
Popcorn-Chocolate Diet’s chocolate restriction and
the emphasis on complex carbohydrates should produce
a weight loss. Complex carbohydrates come from
plants. They are low in calories and provide fiber in the
diet. The carbohydrates take longer to digest, so a
person experiences a sense of fullness for a longer
time. As a result, the person eats less.
Voaks’ Chocolate Diet plans are designed for dieters
to break their addictions to chocolate and then
learn to eat it in moderation. People undergo this
behavior change while following one of six nutritionally
balanced low-calorie diets. The unlimited allowance
of vegetables permits dieters to fill up on complex
carbohydrates. The plans call for physical exercise and
feature strategies to help dieters cope with issues that
could lead to eating too much chocolate.
People eat CocoaVia snacks because of research
indicating that regular consumption of the products
could benefit cardiovascular health and cholesterol
levels. Flavanols in the snacks may improve the flexibility
of blood vessels, resulting in healthy blood circulation.
According to Mars, clinical research shows
that the regular consumption of plant sterols can
reduce LDL and total cholesterol levels in the normal
range for most people.
