Polymeal Recipes

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Can following the Polymeal Diet help you lose weight?

Yes.

Well, yes but…

The main key to losing weight is consistently taking in less than you expend each day, and that means controlling your portion sizes.

This can be done with any diet, really, but there are some advantages to the Polymeal Diet that can tip the scales in your favor.

First, the diet promotes the consumption of lots of fruits and vegetables. Just cutting back on starches and junk food and replacing them with fresh veggies and the occassional fruit will help you feel full while eating fewer calories.

The addition of dark chocolate to the diet can help with satisfying a sweet tooth. Just make sure to watch your fat intake for the rest of the day.

Fish is a fantastic source of lean protein and healthy fats when it’s not fried in oil. Bake, barbeque or steam your fish. If you find it too bland, and some herbs, spices or lemon juice to perk it up.

You can lose weight on the Polymeal Diet, but you still need to watch your portion sizes and get some exercise. It’s good for your heart and your waistline!

Not all dark chocolate is the same.

Many companies use processes that destroy or remove the heart-healthy flavonoids from dark chocolate. Dutch or alkali processed cocoa has most of the flavonoids stripped away, so try to avoid chocolate made with it.

Conversely, the Mars Corporation has developed a process called Cocoapro that retains a high level of the flavonoids in the cocoa. In fact, Dove makes a dark chocolate bar that is so high in flavonoids that it is used in research studies.

Generally, the darker the chocolate is, the better. Information on flavonoid levels in different brands of dark chocolate is hard to find. Dove is the only one that I’ve seen concrete information about, but other high-quality brands likely have decent levels of flavonoids as well.

So, to sum up, avoid Dutch or alkali processed cocoa, go as dark as possible, and look for the Cocoapro label on Mars products.

Switzerland’s Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest producer of chocolate, is developing a line of chocolates that include polyphenol-rich “good-for-you” chocolates.

Some products have already been launched in Europe. North American release dates are currently unknown.