How to Increase Appetite Naturally

Increasing your appetite is important if you are underweight, or need to maintain your bodyweight. Some have a naturally small frame and low body fat, which does not allow them to have the bodily figure they desire. Additionally, increasing your appetite helps if you are ill and need to prevent muscle loss. According to Donald Hensrud and the Mayo Clinic, authors of "Healthy Weight for Everybody," eating when the body is not hungry is often difficult for many people. By making a few simple changes to your diet and lifestyle, you can increase your body's appetite naturally.

Things You'll Need

• Ground cinnamon
• Fruit or fruit juice

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Instructions

• 1

  Begin an exercise program if you are healthy enough to support physical activity. According to the American Council on Exercise, working out regularly stimulates your body's appetite even on days when you do not exercise. Start performing 25 to 45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, three to five days a week. Cardiovascular exercise works all of the muscles on your body, leaving you craving food to support the increased activity. Examples of cardiovascular exercise include swimming, jogging, cycling, stair climbing, rollerblading and hiking. Try different types of cardiovascular exercise until you find one or two you enjoy.

• 2

  Add ground cinnamon to your food and drinks. According to James L. Benson, author of "Gaining Weight for Skinny People," 1 tbsp. of cinnamon a day will naturally stimulate your appetite. Try adding ground cinnamon into your coffee or tea, or sprinkling it onto toast or a bagel. Additionally, you can add cinnamon in small amounts to common recipes to stimulate your appetite with every meal you eat.

• 3

  Eat more food at each meal to begin to stretch your stomach, and in turn, increase your appetite. When you feel your body begin to feel full, take a two-minute break, and eat five to ten more bites of food. Eating more at each meal consistently will stretch your stomach over time, making your body need more food to trigger a full feeling.

• 4

  Eat a piece of fruit or drink fruit juice 40 to 60 minutes before each meal. The natural sugars in fruit cause your blood sugar levels to spike and then begin to fall within an hour, writes Benson. As blood sugar levels fall, your body will begin to feel hungry in an attempt to maintain its energy level. This will make it easier to consume more at each meal, aiding in stretching your stomach and increasing your appetite overall.