A chocolate a day keeps belly fat away

MANILA, Philippines - I have a confession to make. I have never been able to stick to a diet for more than three days. I’ve tried them all — Atkins, Southbeach, The Zone, etc., etc. The biggest reason I fail is because I am a certified chocoholic. I‘ve been eating chocolate for almost every single day of my life. If I don’t have chocolate for a day, I start getting listless, then dizzy and then super sungit.   My staff knows this so well, that they always have a stash of my favorite chocolates on my table so that they can ensure my being in a good mood.

The dilemna here is that as I‘ve grown older my metabolism has slowed down a lot. Studies have shown that metabolism slows down by as much as 10 percent when you hit your 30s, and then slows down another 10 percent when you hit your 40s. 

What this means is that if you eat exactly the same amount in your 20s, 30s and 40s, you gain 20 pounds a year, without adding a single calorie to your diet. Not only that, the distribution of fat gets weird as we age — a lot of the fat wants to settle around our bellies. 

God has finally answered my prayers. I’ve discovered a diet that requires me to eat chocolate at least once a day. I can even eat it thrice a day if I so choose. It’s called the “Flat Belly Diet” and was developed by Liz Vaccariello, editor in chief of Prevention magazine with nutritionist and certified “fat buster” Cynthia Sass. MPH, RD.

The magic ingredients are MUFAs (pronounced as moo fas) an acronym for monounsaturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are the “evil” ones. They clog our arteries, cause heart disease and make us gain fat around our tummies. Unfortunately, they are always present in the Filipino diet. These are the coconut and palm cooking oil. It’s the fat present in lechon, adobo and chicharon. How do you recognize an SFA? They can be semi-solid at room temperature and are solid and waxy in the fridge. Think sebo, butter or magarine. On the other hand, the good   MUFAs are liquid at room temperature and may become semi-solid in the fridge.   They don’t clog arteries, and move freely through our digestive tract. Studies have shown them to target the loss of belly fat.

The Flat Belly Diet has the following rules:

1. Eat four meals a day and stick to 400 calories per meal.

2. Eat a MUFA at every meal

3. Never go for more than four hours without eating.

 Here are the five kinds of MUFAs

• Oils  — There are many oils that fall into the MUFA category like canola and safflower oil. But I suggest you stick to extra virgin olive oil. It has so many benefits, its good for the skin and increases your body’s immunity. It is rich in polyphenols which prevent inflammation, heart disease and cancer.

• Olives — In addition to MUFAs the actual fruit contains lots of iron, vitamin E and dietary fiber which help with digestion and help stabilize blood sugar levels which decrease hunger pangs.

• Nuts and seeds — The most popular seeds available locally are butong pakwan and sunflower or squash seeds. For nuts, peanuts and kasoy are good MUFAs. Seeds and nuts are good sources of fiber, iron, zinc, magnesium copper and the vitamin B’s.

• Dark chocolate — The chocolate has to be dark with a content of at least 70 percent cacao. Chocolate has some positive benefits. They contain anti-oxidants which prevent aging. They are also mood elevators, which combat depression. They also have a calming effect. Amount eaten per meal is three fingers in width and one inch in length.

• Avocados — I used to avoid avocados because everyone said they were fattening. It turns out that the fat they have is the good kind. Avocados contain oleic acid, which can help lower cholesterol. It also has folate, carotenoids, vitamin E and potassium.

Since I started eating MUFAs in every meal I have felt more energetic and healthy. I’ m also happy because I‘m getting my required daily allowance of chocolate. An added benefit is that I‘m losing weight and belly fat. If you think this diet is interesting please get yourself a copy of the book, Flat Belly Diet. This really isn’t a diet per se but a lifestyle change where you learn to eat healthy but still have fun along the way.