Have you thought about controlling your appetite with appetite suppressant pills?
Appetite suppressant pills are food, supplements, or other methods that stop a person from feeling hungry, often with serious side effects.
Instead of relying on pills with unknown effects, you can use natural methods to reduce or lose appetite in a healthy, risk-free way.
In this article, we give you a list of ways anyone can use to suppress appetite without needing diet pills.
First: More protein and balanced healthy fats
Compared to carbs, proteins and some fats are better at satisfying hunger and keeping you full longer.
Anyone can swap some carb sources with protein and healthy fats to help keep their appetite in check.
Diet guidelines recommend these protein-rich foods:
Lean meats
Eggs
Beans and peas
Soy products
Greek yogurt
Guidelines also suggest getting healthy fats from natural sources like nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil.
Second: Drink water before every meal
Drinking a big glass of water right before eating makes you feel full and satisfied and reduces hunger after the meal.
Another study that looked at appetite in 50 overweight women showed that drinking 1.5 liters of water daily for 8 weeks lowered appetite and weight and also increased fat loss.
Third: Eat more fiber-rich foods
Fiber doesn't digest as fast as other foods, so it stays in your body longer. This slows digestion and keeps you feeling full all day.
Research shows fiber can effectively suppress appetite. Diets high in fiber are also linked to lower obesity rates.
Best fiber sources to curb appetite:
All grains
Beans and legumes
Apples and avocados
Almonds
Chia seeds
Vegetables
Workout before eating
Exercise is another healthy and effective appetite suppressant.
Research based on 20 different studies found that appetite hormones get suppressed right after exercise, especially high-intensity workouts. They also found lower ghrelin levels, the hormone that makes us hungry, and higher levels of "fullness hormones" like PPY and GLP-1.
Fourth: swap milk chocolate for dark chocolate
Dark chocolate has been shown to reduce appetite compared to milk chocolate. A study showed people ate less at their next meal after a snack of dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate.
Fifth: Eat some fresh ginger
Eating a small amount of ginger powder reduces appetite and increases fullness, maybe because it stimulates the digestive system.
Sixth: Your brain eats before your stomach
The brain plays a key role in deciding what and when you eat. If you focus on your food instead of watching TV while eating, you may eat less.
Research in the journal Appetite found that eating a big meal in the dark led to 36% more eating. Paying attention to your food during meals can help cut down on overeating.
Another article showed mindfulness may cut down on binge eating and comfort eating, which are key factors in obesity.
The National Institute of Health recommends mind-body techniques like meditation and yoga to control appetite.
