25 Easy and Effective Ways to Suppress Appetite For a Healthy Living

August 2, 2018

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How many times has it happened to you that you ended up eating more than you should have? Quiet frequently, isn’t it? Well, there’s no need to feel heartbroken over the fact because you are not alone in this reign. While uncontrollable eating sure does affect your health, there are ways in which you can suppress appetite in a healthy way without negatively affecting your well being.

In order to decrease your appetite, you need to ensure first what the primary cause is behind the overeating. If the underlying reason points towards a possible health ailment, it is necessary to reach out to a medical professional to get the problem treated.

In this article, we are going to be focusing on the natural ways to suppress appetite. Hold tight and try and scroll up to get effective remedies encircling appetite suppressants.

How to Suppress Appetite?

Suppressing appetite is not a cakewalk. If you are opting to do so for weight loss, chances are that you will end up feeling even hungrier than what you normally feel. The weight loss diet plans often tend to make you feel even hungrier, so if you are looking for ways to reduce your appetite, you need to opt for a healthy approach.

While there are a number of artificial appetite suppressants, it is always best to first give the normal and natural modes a go after which you can easily resort to the suppressants.

Natural Ways to Suppress Appetite

Now that we are here to discuss about the ways to decrease your appetite, let us start with the conventional changes that one can make in their lifestyle to achieve the desired results. In this section, we are going to be focusing on the ways to suppress appetite without food.

1. Drink More Water to Suppress Appetite

There are instances when we are thirsty but tend to feel like we are hungry even though we are not. In instances like these, we end up eating food instead of drinking water which would have been more than enough of a remedy to suppress our thirst.

Water is considered as an amazing appetite suppressant (R) because of its tendency to make you feel full even before you are done with your food. If you feel like you are overeating than what you should actually be eating, try and switch it up with drinking more water.

2. Brush Your Teeth to Suppress Appetite

If you are confused with this sub-category, don’t fret because it has more of a psychological effect than anything else. It is believed that once you end up brushing your teeth (R), the feeling of eating tends to shy away.

Nobody likes to end up eating anything after brushing their teeth with minty toothpaste – both because the aftertaste of food isn’t that pleasurable and also because many people don’t like to eat after they are done brushing their teeth for the day. It’s more like a signal that their meal consumption for the day is done with.

Try and brush your teeth after eating a meal, especially at night. It might end up preventing you from eating anything at nights, who knows?

3. Avoid Sugar and Sweeteners to Suppress Appetite

While you may think that sugar and sweeteners are a great way to curb your hunger pangs, it tends to actually have completely adverse effects on one’s body.

Sugars and any form of sweetener tend to be very easily broken down in the stomach and gets digested and absorbed at a much faster pace than any other form of carbohydrates (R) which itself is a lot speaking because it tends to make your frequency of being hungry more, which is exactly what makes you overeat.

So, if you are looking to make positive changes in your lifestyle to help reduce your appetite, start by cutting off the excess sugar intake and switch it up with something healthier.

Try these healthy natural sweeteners instead of artificial sweeteners.

4. Get Enough Sleep to Suppress Appetite

Getting enough and a sound sleep are key to maintaining your unnecessary hunger pangs throughout the day. If you are seeking easy and natural ways to suppress appetite, sleeping a minimum of 8 hours throughout the day is definitely one that tops the list.

It is not just an arrow into the void, but there are actually studies that claim that the lack of sleep tends to increase one’s hunger by a whopping 24%. Not just that, it also adversely affects the secretion of several of the satiety related hormones (R) (R) which is why you end up feeling hungrier.

Bring your sleep into a routine and ensure that you get a quality sleep to help suppress appetite effectively.

5. Eat Slowly to Suppress Appetite

When you eat slowly, it involves thorough chewing which is not just good for your overall process of digestion but for your appetite too. Thorough chewing ensures that you end up eating fewer calories which is a hefty contribution in order to lower your appetite.

Post eating, our body releases the hormone Ghrelin (R) which is what sends signals to the brain to alert it that the nutrients have been eaten and that the stomach is full. Eating slowly ensures to fill you substantially and ensures to lower your appetite effectively.

Studies also show that eating slowly tends to promote the release of anti-hunger hormones (R) (R) which helps decrease your appetite.

6. Exercise to Suppress Appetite

If you are wondering whether or not exercise plays a crucial role to decrease your appetite (R), the answer is a definite yes. The two primary hormones related to our appetite include Ghrelin and Peptide YY (R).

Exercising has positive effects on suppressing the excessive secretion of these hormones in the body which prevents from inducing short-term hunger that often times end up making you overeat. It helps lower the levels of ghrelin all the while increasing the levels of peptide YY which is related to suppressing appetite (R).

7. Mindful Eating to Suppress Appetite

It is often times the coordinated functioning of the brain functions and our cognitive functions that align to make sure that you are full and you don’t overeat.

That being said, there are often instances when we end up being distracted while we are eating, be it with mobiles or even just a conversation. When we are not eating mindfully (R), it becomes hard for the brain to decipher how much one has consumed which is exactly why we often end up eating more than we intended.

It is thus important that we draw our complete focus on the food and not let anything divert us from it. Focusing solely on the food ends up helping us decrease our hunger and promote eating just as much as we need.

Foods That Suppress Appetite

After going through the common natural ways to suppress appetite by tweaking a few lifestyle processes, let us focus on the common foods that act as appetite suppressants.

8. Apple Cider Vinegar to Suppress Appetite

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) has mild effects in lowering your appetite. It doesn’t necessarily and completely make you lose your appetite all of a sudden but studies show that there might be some effects in the same.

It is believed that the consumption of ACV often tends to help in the process of fat metabolism in the body which heavily correlates to appetite and the amount of food we eat. Even the smell of the vinegar is believed to create an aversion in a person’s mind regarding the food which also contributes to reducing your appetite.

Consumption of apple cider vinegar (R) should always be done in moderation or after consulting a doctor.

9. Almonds to Suppress Appetite

Yes, even the consumption of almonds is considered as one of the most amazing ways to suppress appetite. It is loaded with healthy and unsaturated fats along with the fibers help curb your appetite and keeps it in check.

It is not like that just the consumption of just almonds is effectively going to act as a natural appetite suppressant (R) but snacking on this instead of something unhealthy is definitely one of the best ways to keep your hunger, appetite, and weight in check (R).

Snack on almonds (raw and the natural ones) whenever you feel hungry. Don’t go overboard with the consumption and stick to eating 4-5 almonds at a go.

10. Beans to Suppress Appetite

Beans and lentils have amazing impacts on your appetite. Because of their high concentration of fibers in them along with the slow-to-digest proteins in them, it often contributes to making you feel full for a longer period of time.

It also contains a considerably low Glycemic Index, which further contributes to keep your sugar and carb cravings in check. A study (R) even reveals, for a fact that the people who consume legumes or lentils in a day have shown to be 31% fuller in comparison to people who don’t.

Not just that, another study (R) also claims that being on a beat diet helped people lose their extra pounds which is more than self-explanatory as to why beans are definitely an ideal appetite suppressant.

Start including more beans and legumes in your everyday diet for effective results.

11. Coffee to Suppress Appetite

Coffee is not just an energy booster but appetite suppressant as well. You might not believe but they actually do end up helping lower your appetite. But, how?

Study shows that drinking coffee triggers the release of the hormone Peptide YY (R) which has beneficial effects in suppressing and regulating our appetite. It induces a feeling of fullness in a person which is exactly what contributes to stopping you from overeating.

If coffee is not something you are good with, try decaffeinated coffee (R) which is believed to have even more and better appetite suppressant abilities in an individual.

12. Chia Seeds to Suppress Appetite

Even though there are not many studies to back up the claims about the appetite suppressant properties of Chia seeds, it is believed that it is the rich fiber content in these seeds that make people feel full for a longer stretch of time.

Just two tablespoons of chia seeds are believed to contain around 10 grams of dietary fibers which is more than enough to make you understand why this superfood is often considered effective to reduce your appetite.

Chia seeds also increase one’s satiety (R) and helps curb the short-term hunger pangs that often end up contributing to overeating.

Mix one or two tablespoons of chia seeds to a bottle of water and drink this water throughout the day.

13. Dark Chocolate to Suppress Appetite

The taste of dark chocolate is often times very much an acquired taste because of the fact that the bitterness of the cocoa is often very overwhelming on one’s palate.

That being said, it is definitely one of the best ways to suppress appetite if you are looking for one. Studies showcase that the antioxidants in the pure dark chocolate is loaded with amazing antioxidants which have beneficial effects on regulating hunger and thus acts as an appetite suppressant, thereby keeping one’s weight in check.

The concentration of stearic acid (R) in the dark chocolate helps slow down the process of digestion, thereby making you feel full for a longer period of time.

Eat 2-3 cubes of dark chocolate every day to help experience these kinds of impacts.

14. Green Tea to Suppress Appetite

The basic principle behind not just green tea but any other form of tea as natural appetite suppressants is the fact that they make one feel full and bloated which is good if you are worried about overeating all the time (R).

Not just that, even the catechins present in the green tea aids in dissolving the accumulated fats (R) in the body, thereby further contributing to weight loss.

Instead of gorging down unhealthy foods when you are hungry, try and switch it up with something healthy like that of green tea. It will not just help decrease your appetite but also control uncontrollable weight gain.

15. Hot Sauce to Suppress Appetite

Studies do suggest that the higher the spice level in your food, the lesser you are going to consume it. This is primarily possible because of the fact that the capsaicin in hot peppers and even the compound capsiate in the sweet peppers act as natural appetite suppressants.

These compounds contribute to reducing your hunger levels and appetite (R) and also helps burn down the excess calories from the body at the same time.

Spice up your food to bearable levels and never go overboard with this because of the fact that it can often inflict negative effects in your digestive system because of the intensity of the hotness.

16. Saffron Extract to Suppress Appetite

Saffron extract might not seem like something that would be considered as one of the effective natural ways to suppress appetite but it actually does work and the same has been scientifically proven as well.

In a study conducted (R), it was stated that the consumption of saffron or saffron extract reduced the frequent desire of snacking on something and helps boost one’s satiety and prevents them from eating more than they should.

You can add saffron threads to milk and drink the same.

17. Grapefruit Essential Oil to Suppress Appetite

Grapefruit in itself has amazing health benefits but it is believed that the grapefruit essential oil has amazing benefits in suppressing the excessive hunger cravings and appetite (R) too. Not just that, the consumption of this essential oil helps relieve signs of bloating and excessive water retention in the body.

It is also a great remedy for detoxification of the body which is definitely an added bonus apart from its amazing effects in terms of fat burning and weight loss (R).

Mix two drops of grapefruit essential oil in a glass of water and drink it first thing in the morning before breakfast. The combination of both the grapefruit oil along with water helps you feel full faster, thereby suppressing your hunger.

18. Skim Milk to Suppress Appetite

Skim milk has had an amazing effect in the suppressing appetite (R). It is believed that consuming skim milk before lunch can help prevent you from eating extra calories that you could have averted easily.

Apart from this, skimmed milk also consists of proteins, whey, and casein which also contributes to satiating one’s hunger and decrease their appetite. It can also be the content of lactose in the milk that could further act as one of the effective natural appetite suppressants.

Drink a glass of milk before lunch to curb overeating.

19. Ginger to Suppress Appetite

The tale of ginger and health benefits doesn’t require much of an introduction. While the list prolongs from the common uses in cold and cough to treating the common signs of inflammation, it has beneficial effects in the hunger reduction as well.

In a study conducted (R) to test the claims, it was found that the consumption of 2 gms if ginger powder mixed in a glass of water right before breakfast helped tone down the hunger drills after the meals.

Even though the above stated study wasn’t large scale and can’t portray ginger’s cementing effects, it definitely is something that provides a framework for further researches.

20. Oat Bran to Suppress Appetite

Oat bran is yet another food component that has positive effects in suppressing appetite. It is believed that it is the presence of the high concentration of fiber in it that does the trick.

Apart from that, oats also contain a compound known as beta-glucan (R) which delays the process of emptying of the stomach and even regulates the blood sugar levels in the body which further adds to the regulation of the appetite (R).

21. Mint to Suppress Appetite

While till now we have been talking about consumption and simple eating of various kinds of food and its effect on the hunger and satiety of an individual.

Mint tends to have a slightly different mode of action, primarily because it is the smell of the mint that helps lower your appetite (R) and not the direct consumption. It is believed that inhaling of the smell of the mint triggers the olfactory lobe to send signals to the hypothalamus to secrete satiety related hormones which is what curbs your hunger.

Sniff on a few peppermint leaves after crushing it between your palms.

22. Chewing Gum to Suppress Appetite

Chewing gum is often something we have in our bags or pockets, don’t we? It is believed that the consumption of chewing gums can often time end up being one of the most effective ways to suppress appetite.

When we chew on a gum, it stimulates the release of the gastric juices, which end up increasing the secretion of saliva as well. When we swallow the saliva, our stomach feels like there’s food coming, thus ending up suppressing our appetite (R), when in reality, there’s actually no food in the stomach.

This is not considered as an ideal methods to suppress appetite, primarily because there’s lack of nutrition involved and the heightened levels of stomach juices in an empty stomach often tends to negatively affect our stomach linings.

23. Green Leafy Vegetables to Suppress Appetite

Green leafy vegetables like that of kale and spinach often have an amazing boosting effect on curbing overeating. It is often believed that it is because of the presence of fiber which contributes to the same.

Leafy vegetables like that of spinach are loaded with thylakoids (R) (R) which have natural appetite suppressant properties in it. If you didn’t know any better, the consumption of these green leafy veggies can effectively help you eat less and avoid overeating.

It is also concluded from a study (R) that the consumption of thylakoid through these vegetables often aid in decreasing the levels of ghrelin and increases the secretion of CCK and leptin as well.

You can eat these vegetables either in a salad or even blend them into a smoothie and drink it to help curb your hunger pangs.

24. Drink Yerba Mate to Suppress Appetite

Yerba Mate is one of those rare herbs that is making its ways through the list as one of the most sought after natural appetite suppressants. It is considered as an amazing remedy for effective weight loss and it does the same by lowering one’s appetite and preventing any form of overeating.

It is loaded with thermogenesis and dieresis properties which cumulatively ensures to burn down the excess deposition of fat and also promotes the feeling of fullness and satiety (R) which prevents one from eating more than what they would normally have.

If it comes down to supplements or even the consumption of yerba mate tea, consult a professional to get a clear idea about the dosage and permissible quantities for consumption.

25. Omega-3 Fats to Suppress Appetite

Omega-3 fatty acids and their positive impacts on one’s body and health is not something that needs a separate introduction. That being said, the constituent presence of Omega-3 fats (R) that is effectively derived from foods like fish and even algae oils have amazing benefits on increasing the salient increase of the satiety inducing hormone, leptin in the body after their consumption.

Majority of the experiments conducted have been on obese people which is why it is necessary to extend the same to lean people to check whether or not the same has similar kind of effects on them as well.

If you consume a diet that’s filled with Omega-3 foods (R) chances are that you are going to feel full for an extended period of time, even after the consumption of the meal.

Food For Thought With Some FAQs

1. Does Reducing Appetite Help you Lose Weight?

A: The answer is an obvious YES. One of the primary reasons behind obesity or rapid weight gain is because of the overeating. So, once you bring that in check and regulate your appetite to eat as much as your body requires for a healthy lifestyle, it is bound to positively affect your body weight too and promote effective weight loss.

2. Is it Okay to Lose Your Appetite in Early Pregnancy?

A: It is a normal happenstance for a pregnant woman to lose their appetite in the early stages of her pregnancy. As morning sickness is one of the biggest parts of the early stages of pregnancy, persistent nausea and vomiting often end up making the would-be mother shy away from food, thereby contributing to a loss in their appetite as well.

3. Is it Normal to Lose Your Appetite As You Get Older?

A: The loss of appetite or the decline in the food consumption with age is definitely one of the most common occurrences that people witness with time. As ageing brings about a turmoil in the hormonal balance in the body, it often ends up affecting one’s appetite (R) as well, thereby reducing it.

In order to suppress appetite, it is necessary to understand your own body’s physiology. While you may be doing it to lose your weight, the same can adversely affect your body’s homeostasis. Opt for healthier and effective options amidst the ones mentioned her for the best kind of effects.