How can eating soup help me lose weight?

Want to be slimmer? Start slurping soup. Okay, slurping is optional, but if you need to lose weight and melt body fat, eating soup shouldn't be. 

Here's the simple soup science: The more often you eat soup, the more likely you are to shrink your waist, lose weight, and lower your total body fat (your body mass index, or BMI). That's all according to recent research confirming previous soup-slimming studies. You'll also cut your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and health hazards that come with belly fat and excess weight -- all because soup makes you feel fuller on fewer calories.

You don't have to know a thing about cooking to make great soup. Here's our 3-step soup-for-dummies secret:

• Fill a pot with water and turn on the heat. How ya' doing so far?
• Throw in lots of colorful, chopped vegetables: carrots, celery, red peppers, onions, garlic, and any other firm ones first. Then add tomatoes, dark greens, zucchini, whatever. All are chock-full of nutrients, with almost zero calories and fat. Enrich the flavor and up the protein with beans (fiber plus favor), chicken, or fish.
• Be bold with spices. Cayenne and hot peppers, rich in capsaicin, not only rev up the flavor but even help you burn fat a little faster, too.      

So, no more stewing over your weight gain. Start shrinking your waistline with low-sodium soups.                                                       

When done right, soups can provide real help in your efforts to lose weight. In this video, "Hungry Girl" author Lisa Lillien reveals to Dr. Oz some of her favorite tricks for making delicious, filling, low-calorie soups.