Appetite Suppressant Foods – Why We Need Them
As we continue on our quest for weight loss, we learn more about how the body works and we become aware that we must replace some of our old ideas. Some recently-released research findings point us to the old assumption that the key to maintaining our weight and staying healthy is eating less food. But it is now becoming apparent that we can actually eat large quantities of certain foods without gaining lots of calories. Some foods actually act as appetite suppressants.
This calls into question another assumption made by many dieters: that we need to take drugs to suppress our appetite. If you have ever been on a diet you will know that having the knowledge that you just ate a meal does not always help us to stop eating. We need the message to come directly from our bodies in the shape of that “full feeling”.
Appetite suppressant drugs tell our bodies that they are full or that they are not feeling hungry. The trouble with these drugs is that they can only be taken for a short time and they may make you tired and depressed when you stop taking them. So where are the natural appetite suppressants?
Water is a good one. Not only is it necessary for our survival but it also helps give us that full feeling. If we have a big glass about twenty minutes before meals we should feel that we have a decreased appetite. Also, being dehydrated may trick our body into feeling fatigued which could in turn trigger the release of a hormone which makes us feel hungry. So water helps with weight loss in more ways than one.
Speaking of tricking our body, pureed vegetables spring to mind as the nutritious ingredient we sneak into our children’s food hoping that they won’t notice they are eating healthy stuff. For adults it serves the purpose of adding bulk to a meal without loading the diner with calories. If a puree does not appeal, green beans will fill us up but actually makes us use more calories in the act of eating that it contains.
Cayenne pepper has long being held up as an appetite suppressant by people promoting some diet or other. But now research is starting to back up the popular wisdom. Another appetite suppressing ingredient is wasabi. It’s mostly served with sushi but you can have it with other fish dishes.
There’s a wide range of appetite suppressant foods that will help you to keep to your diet. As we often do at a dinner party, let’s start with soup. I have already mentioned that water will take the edge off your appetite, but hot soup contains few calories and the high temperature generally helps to ease your hunger. A good suggestion is chicken and vegetable soup because the chicken has protein which helps to lessen your appetite and the vegetable content will provide bulk.
Here are a few more suggestions for natural appetite suppressants:
You can start your day with porridge which contains dietary fiber but very little sugar.
Apples will give your body a dose of fiber without calories or a rise in blood sugar levels.
Flax seeds contain protein and soluble fiber. You can eat them by themselves if you want to but most people sprinkle them on cottage cheese or yogurt.
Salmon contains protein and healthy fat which will take the edge off your appetite. Almonds are another source of healthy fats.
So, there’s quite a few natural alternatives to chemical appetite suppressants. Here is a video with some more suggestions:
Loading ...