Manage Your Cravings

These six foods can help make your cravings more manageable and help you eat less:

1. Apples -- High-fiber foods like apples usually need more time to chew, giving your body extra time to recognize that you're no longer hungry. Therefore, you're less likely to overeat.

2. Pine Nuts -- Pine nuts contain the highest amount of protein of any nut or seed. And they contain a poly-unsaturated fat that stimulates two powerful hunger-suppressing hormones, which then signal your brain that you're no longer hungry.

3. Flaxseeds -- Raw flaxseeds are great for controlling appetite. One ounce also provides the added benefit of 8 grams of fiber. The more fiber you eat an any meal or snack, the slower the rise in your blood sugar, helping to keep hunger at bay. You can toss flaxseeds onto salads, throw them into smoothies, or sprinkle them on veggies. They also lower cholesterol and have cancer-preventing properties.

4. Oatmeal -- Real oatmeal is one of the healthiest carbs. It enters your bloodstream slowly and keeps you full for a long time. Eating one bowl a day can reduce cholesterol up to 23%. For breakfast or as a snack, a small bowl makes an excellent hunger reducer. Add a handful of pine nuts or sprinkle on some ground flaxseed for longer-lasting fullness. You can even mix in a little peanut butter.

5. Salad -- If you want to avoid overeating, eat a small salad before a meal. The fiber helps slow the entrance of sugar into your bloodstream, making you feel fuller. Be sure to make it a small salad and avoid using a lot of creamy dressing or adding fattening toppings like croutons and cheese.

6. Soup -- Soup is one of the best things you can eat for appetite control and weight loss. The secret is the combination of high water and low calories. Just make sure to choose broths or vegetable soups, not the creamy ones. People who eat 2 servings of low-cal soup a day usually lose 50% more weight than those who eat the same amount of calories in snack foods.