The Perfect Snack for Weight Control

Want to stay faithful to your diet or lose more weight? Eat a handful of nuts when you get the munchies.

Despite their high fat and calorie count, nuts are the perfect diet food. Research shows that people who eat nuts lose more weight and are more likely to stick to their weight loss plans than people who don't nibble on this ultrasatisfying munchy.

Perfect Helper Food
Nuts boost weight loss efforts in three ways. First, they satisfy hunger, helping people to eat less later. Second, research shows that eating nuts helps people burn more calories at rest. And finally -- because of how the body digests them -- nuts might actually deliver fewer calories than you think (in fact, fewer calories per serving than nutrition labels suggest). Yep, sounds like nuts just might be the superfood of all superfoods. (Want more help curbing hunger? Pick and choose from 12 tips to help you eat less.)

Nuts About Nuts
Of course, noshing on nuts isn't a shortcut to weight loss. To drop pounds, you still need to cut calories from your day -- either by eating less or exercising more. And you need to stick to the regimen. Still, most diets fail because nagging hunger takes over, and healthy "diet" foods tend to lose out over junk food when hunger gets out of control. But nuts can help with both of those diet pitfalls. As a snack, nuts have a delicious, crunchy, satisfying texture. And they help you feel full, so you're less likely to overeat later on. Check out more health news about nuts:

• Find out what eating nuts once a week can do for your eyes.
• Discover what nut is best for heart health.
• Pair nuts with this treat and you'll probably live longer.

Toast your own nuts! Yep, you heard right. This video shows you how -- just in time for the holidays.

RealAge Benefit

Eating only healthful fat can make your RealAge 3.4 years younger. Take the RealAge Test!

References

Actively patrolling your health can make your RealAge as much as 12 years younger. Take the RealAge Test  Copyright 2010 RealAge