Our hectic lives, stress level, eating habits and social lives have a great impact on our body and health. So many of us struggle with weight issues and despite being aware of the long-term impacts of high weight, more often than not for most of us it’s actually a mammoth task to lose weight. While working out is a luxury not all of us enjoy, given our lifestyles and situations, don’t be surprised if I tell you losing weight is still possible with just a tad bit of discipline and relying on ingredients and food items that are all too common in our Indian households. These good-for-you foods contain powerful nutrients and antioxidants that have been shown to help your body lose weight, feel full for longer periods of time, and have more energy. As a bonus, many have added benefits, too, such as preventing various diseases or reversing the signs of aging.

1. Water

No surprises there I believe. Taking ample amount of water (2 liters a day is what’s commonly recommended) will not only rid you of toxins and thus cleanse your body, it also fastens your metabolism and helps you feel full thus increasing your chances of losing weight. Since symptoms of hunger are similar to those of dehydration, our body often mistakes thirst for hunger, tricking us into eating more than we actually need to. Thus stay hydrated and in the process stay away from the not needed extra calories.

2. Almonds

While Almonds are best known to be a great source of mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which can help lower cholesterol, they can also effectively keep you slim. A little known fact is that almonds contain fewer calories than most other varieties of nuts and have plenty of fiber and vitamin E.

3. Apples

Apple is a natural appetite suppressant, which can help you consume fewer overall calories by making you feel full fast. It contains pectin, an ingredient that naturally slows digestion and encourages feelings of fullness. Apples additionally are a good source of antioxidants, vitamin C, and fiber.

4. Bananas

Bananas are not only rich in potassium, but are also a great source of resistant starch, which is important for weight loss. Your body digests resistant starch slowly—helping you feel full for longer—while simultaneously encouraging your liver to switch to fat-burning mode. Not only are bananas beneficial at their peaks but even their greener variants work wonders as these little green ones contain more of the calorie-torching ingredient than the ripe ones.

Bananas can additionally help regulate blood pressure, ease digestive problems, and replenish nutrients after a workout.

5. Brown Rice

Brown rice is packed with fiber, containing high amount of fat-burning resistant starch, and is a low-energy-density food, which means it makes you full fast and doesn’t even add much to your calorie count. Other reasons you should include this healthy grain to your meal plans include it being a great source of phytonutrients, which have been linked to decreased risks of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

6. Carrots

While for centuries carrots have been known to aid good eyesight and help maintain a strong immunity system, they have been less credited for their low-energy-density food quality. Well…better late than never. Carrots actually have high water and fiber content, as a result they can increase feeling of fullness as you eat. No points for guessing that you cannot add extra calories on a full stomach.

7. Lemons

Often the age old myths as we call them are more than just myths. A slice of lemon in a glass of warm-hot water on an empty stomach is a traditional recipe for weight loss that our grandmothers vouch for and it surely has some credit. Lemons are further known to contain pectin fiber that can help fill you up and fight off hunger cravings.

8. Eggs

While not particularly known as a weight-loss food, eggs are packed with protein, which helps curb appetite as body takes longer to digest protein and thus you feel full for a longer duration. Adding egg whites is even more beneficial as it is a good source of branched-chain amino acids, which help keep your metabolism running smoothly.

9. Chickpeas

Not only are chickpeas a terrific source of filling fiber, protein, and healthy fats, they also contain high amount of slimming resistant starch. Adding them to your meals in more ways than one—in salad, pasta, or homemade hummus—can surely benefit your weight loss regime.

10. Kidney Beans

Kidney beans are similar to chickpeas in the sense that they also are a rich source of slimming resistant starch and contain ample amount of satisfying fiber per serving. They are further rich in omega-3s and calcium and therefore are great for your heart.

11. Potatoes

Truly the most misunderstood food item which for ages now has been braving blames for all the wrong ways we treat this otherwise healthy food. We have been treating potatoes wrong all this time that hurts our health. We fry them, turn them into chips, load them with sour cream, and by the way these are just a fraction of our total wrong doings. However, potatoes on a standalone basis are a great source of resistant starch thus helping you keep full and saving you from hogging. Eating potatoes in moderation can help your body burn fat. Other worth mentioning food items include cabbage, cauliflower, chia seeds, coffee, dark chocolate, green tea, oatmeal, oranges, pears, peanut butter, pumpkin, spinach and whole grains.