They are healthy, they are delicious and they are here to save your waistline!! That might well be the motto of these super food ‘super heroes’! A right balance of diet and exercise can help you loose weight and maintain it too. So here is a list of the all the goodies that you can include in your day to day diet and keep the flab at bay.

•    Eggs – Contrary to popular beliefs and misconceptions eggs are actually good for the health. Eggs do not harm your heart and they can help you shed those extra inches. The protein in egg is filling and thus when you have an egg for breakfast along with a rich wheat bread toast, you crave less for food or snacks till at least before lunch. It keeps your hunger in check.

•    Oats – It is a known fact that refined carbs are not healthy. So why not try oats. They are filling, great as breakfast with milk and has the highest satiety ranking of any food, i.e. it keeps you full. Unlike many other carbohydrates, oats (including instant oats) are digested slowly, thus being easy on your blood sugar and digestive system and stays in your tummy for a long time.

•    Lentils – Lentils are great for a healthy and stable diet. They are high in natural protein and soluble fiber, both of which stabilize blood sugar levels. It helps prevent insulin spikes that cause your body to create excess fat, especially in the abdominal area.

•    Apples - An apple a day helps combat weight gain. Apples are high in fiber and filling. Eat one for breakfast or after lunch and you will be warding off all snacking urges. The antioxidants in apples also helps prevent metabolic syndrome, a condition marked by excess belly fat.

•    Chilies – Chilies help you increase your metabolism. A compound called ‘capsaicin’ found in chilies has a thermogenic effect, i.e. causing the body to burn extra calories for 20 minutes after you eat them. The upside to spicy food with chilies is that one cant gulp it down so, it gives you time to realize when you are actually full while eating, thus preventing overeating.

•    Yogurt – Yogurt has a great balance of carbs, protein and fat, and it can stave off hunger by keeping blood sugar levels steady. In a study from the University of Tennessee, people on a low-calorie diet that included yogurt lost 61% more fat overall and 81% more belly fat than those on a similar plan but without yogurt. It has a cooling effect on your digestive system too and it sure is delicious!

•    Parmesan - Whole dairy cheese contains conjugated linoleic acid, which research suggests might help your body burn fat. People consuming whole dairy cheese along with an otherwise healthy diet were observed to have maintained a stable and healthy weight over a long period of time.

•    Avocado – Avocado fat is healthy. It is a heart-friendly monounsaturated fat that increases satiety. Three cheers guacamole!!

•    Olive oil – Similar to avocados, olive oil has healthy fat that increases satiety, thus keeping your appetite in check. Olive oil also has anti-inflammatory properties which makes it good for the body overall.

So there you go! 9 Delicious, enjoyable and ‘gotta have some’ super foods that you can count upon to rescue the ‘waistline’ in distress. Enjoy!

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