New Delhi: Hot chocolate is one of the most famous winter delights that most people cannot get enough of. This soothing beverage is made with milk, cocoa powder, some chocolate and sometimes a pinch of cinnamon and coffee and even marshmallows. However, accoridng to some health coaches, this drink could also be used to your benefit, for weight loss purposes, but only if consumed correctly. According to Health coach Steve Bennett, this cup of cocoa with unsweetened powder, can help boost the fibre intake and keep calorie consumption low.
How to use hot chocolate for weight loss?
Fibre, as per the author of Fibre First, is a slow-digesting nutrient which makes one feel full for long hours and stops sugar cravings as well, which is one of the key contributors to weight gain. As per the expert, eating more fibre can make one control calorie intake thereby allowing one to achieve a calorie deficit. Cocoa powder is one of the best sources of the nutrient.
How to make hot chocolate healthily?
But the problem in most cases is that people end up adding sugar in some form or the other to hot chocolate. This takes the glycemic index high and makes it pro-weight gain. However, there is an easy way to prepare the beverage healthily:
Boil 200ml of milk
Add two tablespoons of plain cocoa powder to it
Use two teaspoons of stevia – it is a safer sweetener
Simply by incorporating this drink in the diet, one can safely increase the fibre intake and speed up weight loss overtime. According to experts, one ideally needs 30 grams of fibre in day to be healthy. However, most people only manage to get 20 grams of the same. Cocoa powder is 28% fibre which is good enough to meet the daily requirements. In a 2015 study involving 240 people, it was found that people who aimed to hit 30 grams of fibre per day target, can lose approxidately 5 pounds in a year.
Best dietary sources of fibre
Some of the best dietary sources of fibre are:
Avocados
Whole grains
Apples
Nuts
Corn
Broccoli
Berries
Fibre, as per the author of Fibre First, is a slow-digesting nutrient which makes one feel full for long hours and stops sugar cravings as well, which is one of the key contributors to weight gain. As per the expert, eating more fibre can make one control calorie intake thereby allowing one to achieve a calorie deficit. Health News Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
