Use This Spice to Curb Holiday Snack Attacks

Has the end-of-year parade of goodies started at your home or office? Make them easier to resist by cooking with this flavorful herb: saffron.

In a recent study, a compound in saffron appeared to help overweight women snack about 50 percent less. What better time than now to start nixing the munchies?

Snack Attack
In the study, some of the overweight women got their saffron from capsules. The others took placebos. And after 8 weeks, the women in the saffron group were snacking half as much as they did at the start of the study. They also felt less hungry before meals. Some even lost a couple of pounds. (Saffron will only get you so far. Here are four ways to make truly lasting changes in your eating habits.)

Soothing Saffron
What's the secret behind saffron's snack-snuffing powers? Researchers suspect that compounds in the herb may alter levels of stress-boosting brain chemicals and help decrease anxiety and depression. And that's good news for your waistline because anxiety, stress, and depression are all common triggers for unhealthy eating. Stress triggers cravings for not-so-good-for-you foods, like treats that are high in fat and sugar. And many people calm anxiety or assuage depression with munching, too -- seeking that temporary sense of "Ahhhhh." (Find out more about the psychology behind most people's weight problems.)

Looking for more easy ways to control your hunger and cut calories? Try these on for size:

• Sip this beverage to save yourself 200 calories a day.
• Sniff this fresh scent to curb your appetite.
• Bolster your antisnacking willpower with this exercise.

Got two tomatoes and a little saffron? Then make this EatingWell recipe: Fresh Tomato Sauce with Saffron.