A loss of appetite means a person loses their desire to eat, they might not feel like eating or may not feel hungry at all. The problem of loss of appetite is quite common nowadays and there can be various reasons for it, including mental and physical illness.
It can be a serious problem and if this problem persists for longer, it can result in malnutrition and unwanted weight loss. It can also be a hindrance for people who want to gain weight but find it difficult to prepare themselves mentally to have more food.
But we are here to help and we have brought together a list of five easy and scientifically proven ways that can help you increase your appetite naturally.
Never Skip Your Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and if the start of the day is right, the entire day goes well. But most people skip their breakfast due to their busy schedules and chaotic mornings.
According to US NIH, having your breakfasts can help increase your appetite and gain weight. Skipping breakfast makes you more hungry later in the day and you end up indulging in binge-eating or eating mindlessly, which is often unhealthy.
Moreover, breakfast helps increase the body’s thermogenesis effect, which helps your body burn more calories thus increasing your appetite.
Eat Less Fiber
This tip might take you by surprise but we aren't cutting down on fibre because it is unhealthy but because they have high satiety levels, thus making us feel full for longer. High-fibre diets decrease calorie intake and will curb your appetite.
Even though high-fibre foods are recommended in a balanced diet, they can slow down digestion and keep you feeling full for longer. Thus, you may want to moderate your intake if you’re looking to increase your appetite.
Therefore, a low-fibre diet will prevent you from feeling too full and might help you eat more throughout the day.
Include Herbs and Spices in Your Diet
You might often feel gassy and uncomfortable after eating certain food items but avoiding those foods is not a long-term solution. This is where the spices and herbs come into play.
According to PubMed, adding certain herbs and spices like fennel, peppermint, black pepper, coriander, mint, ginger, and cinnamon. These spices and herbs can help tackle the problem of slow digestion and gas, which play a major role in reducing appetite.
Herbs and spices help reduce bloating and flatulence thus improving your appetite. They also help stimulate the production of bile that promotes fat digestion.
Stay Active
Exercise helps your body burn calories and maintain energy levels to help the body function normally throughout the day. A person who stays active and exercises regularly has an increased appetite than a person who leads a sedentary lifestyle.
According to US NIH, regular exercise showed that people increased their food intake and their bodies replenished 30% of the calories that they burnt during a workout. But several days of regular exercise affect the appetite of a person and you may not feel the difference in one day.
Moreover, an active lifestyle and a few minutes of physical activity can influence several processes in the body that further stimulate hunger and these processes include increased metabolic rate, muscle mass, and changes in hormone production.
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