Home Remedy to Decrease Appetite

Eat, drink and exercise regularly to help control your appetite. A balanced life that allows time for de-stressing will go far in keeping your body healthy and your appetite satisfied. Home remedies for decreasing the appetite will be tremendously complemented through a diet containing plenty of liquids. Consider the wisdom and practicality of the old saying to drink your food and eat your water. Chewing food to the point that it is watery allows the body time to register your intake. That along with drinking water slowly will naturally decrease the amount of food needed to fill the stomach.

Liquid

• Copious amounts of water are vital to satiating the appetite. Often it is the case that hunger pangs are really the body calling for more liquids, and water is a healthy, non-caloric remedy for that. Exercise when accompanied by lots of water will also naturally suppress the appetite. However, without water, exercise will increase the appetite so it is best to drink a lot of water and eat small amounts of high-fiber fruit and almonds or walnuts to replace the energy consumed through exercise.

  Herbal teas are popular appetite suppressants. Make your own by pouring boiling water over one teaspoon of dried herbs such as chickweed, dandelion or fennel and steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Chickweed in particular, which is sometimes considered a pesky weed, can be made into an herbal tea to help with weight loss by working to reduce the appetite. It also serves as a diuretic that flushes toxins from the body.

Habits

• It takes a full 10 minutes from the onset of eating for the body to register that food has been eaten. So, eating slowly and drinking plenty of water are important aspects of giving your appetite time to feel satiated and thus decreasing the need for additional food. Apples and whole grains are examples of high-fiber foods requiring more time for chewing. Also, having a cup of bouillon 10 minutes before meals is helpful in reducing the appetite.

Overfed but Undernourished

• Processed foods provide convenience to the modern diet. However, these foods are often manipulated to prolong shelf life with additives that can also sweeten or flavor these less expensive foods. Food additives in less nourishing foods can actually cause the body to crave more food. But the craving is for nourishment rather than for food. Making food at home rather than purchasing fast foods helps nourish the body and thus relieves the drive for more food. Food additives are also a concern for food addiction. Food additives have been shown to increase the urge for more fast food.

  Slow food is a concept that is growing among those concerned with healthy eating and weight control. Food that is grown locally and consumed when in season yields maximum nutrition and fiber for healthy eating. The slow food movement encourages avoidance of refined foods and sugars. Eating unprocessed foods can create a healthier appetite and over time can aid in weight loss that can be maintained.