Natural Appetite Suppressant: 10 Foods for Losing Weight
Weight loss is more often related to behavior and the regulation of appetite.
Are there foods that can naturally regulate the chemistry that controls appetite?
The answer is yes!
In this post, you’ll learn about natural appetite suppressant foods that can help you with weight loss.
Many natural appetite suppressant foods can help both with the process of weight loss and the maintenance of it.
Let’s have a look into this.
What are appetite suppressant foods?
Appetite suppressants foods contain certain substances that can interfere with the processes that control your appetite.
This, in turn, makes you feel full for a longer time. Foods that give you a satiety feeling can also be called comfort foods.
Appetite-suppressant foods can help get rid of your cravings for comfort food.
They can help regulate your appetite and reduce the overconsumption of food.
In other words, they could help you create new and healthier eating habits.
Why does appetite suppressant have to be natural?
Commercial diet products for suppressing hunger are usually not a good idea.
They often mask the underlying behavioral problems.
And instead of helping you resolve them, they tend to create new poor habits.
And also, any chemical products come with possible side effects and are harder for the body to process. So you are better off with natural choices.
Natural appetite suppressant foods for losing weight
Filling foods that give a satiety feeling for longer times are real wholesome foods.
They are full of nutrients and rich in fiber, protein, and good fats.
That means that the options that can help you naturally control your appetite are also nutritious and healthy.
Here we have made a list of the top 10 natural foods with appetite-regulating properties.
1. Foods rich in good fats and protein: chia, flax seeds, and avocados
A principle to regulate your appetite is to maintain your energy levels stable while feeling satiated throughout the day.
And this is also related to the control of your blood sugar levels.
When you have spikes in your blood sugar levels, you are more likely to experience cravings, bingeing, and increased appetite.
The higher and more frequent the spikes, the more difficult it is to regulate your eating habits and to feel good.
And when your blood sugar levels are low, you feel sleepy, drowsy, and lack energy.
That’s when you tend to crave sugary foods to give you a kick in your energy levels!.
So, which foods can help regulate your blood sugar levels?
Real wholesome foods are:
- Nutrient-dense
- Rich in protein
- Full of goods fats
- High in fiber
But it’s not just about what you eat. It’s also important when and how much you eat!
High quantities at the same time can trigger your blood sugar levels too high and put you in the loop of energy swings again.
Therefore the recommendation is to distribute your food in small quantities along the day and eat often but never too much.
Some examples of nutrient-dense foods with properties for appetite control are chia seeds, flaxseeds, and avocados.
2. Foods rich in fiber: legumes and rye
Following the principle of regulating blood sugar levels to control your appetite, fiber is probably the main nutrient that can help you with this.
Mixing fiber-rich foods in any meal has a direct effect on blood sugar levels. Fibre regulates and stabilizes them, making you feel full for longer.
And besides this, fiber has many other properties and benefits and helps you keep a healthy gut.
Which foods are rich in fiber?
- Legumes and beans
- Green veggies
- Unripe fruits
- Whole grains.
That means that if you are trying to control your appetite, you are better off if you choose dark rye bread over white bread.
Also, choose legumes over white pasta.
3. Spinach
Thylakoids are some components of spinach considered to promote the release of hormones.
These hormones are responsible for making you feel satiated and influence the reward system.
That means that spinach may make you feel satisfied and help you control your eating habits.
Plus they are wholesome, healthy, and delicious.
4. Mushrooms
Mushrooms can also help with appetite control.
A study in Nature Reviews Endocrinology looked into the anti-obesity and anti-diabetic properties of mushrooms.
According to the authors, mushrooms have an impact on appetite control, nutrient digestion, and absorption.
At the same time, mushrooms also promote fat loss, energy expenditure, and insulin sensitivity.
Mushrooms are full of properties that may help with the following conditions:
- Treating obesity
- Nutrients digestion and absorption
- Increase energy expenditure
- Hunger control
- Regulation of insulin sensitivity
And there are dozen of different species and varieties of them!
5. Psyllium
Psyllium is derived from husks of the seeds of Plantago ovata, traditionally used in China and India as herbal medicine for different conditions.
Some of those indications are:
- Skin irritations
- Bladder problems
- High blood pressure
- Cholesterol levels control
The consistency of the husks mixed with water is gelatinous.
This makes it easy for its absorption by the body, and also suitable for wound healing and some digestive problems.
In addition to all these properties, psyllium husks are also considered a natural appetite suppressant.
Nowadays psyllium husks are easy to find in most grocery stores and organic healthy shops.
They are usually in the same section as nuts, and you can just add them in water or any of your meals.
6. Yerba mate
Yerba mate is the famous herb used to prepare a tea. It is one of Argentina’s most valued and consumed drinks.
If you hear Argentinians talking about yerba mate, they will say that it gives them enough energy to even substitute meals.
And there may be some truths behind that.
In this clinical trial published by the journal of Complementaries Therapies in Medicine, Yerba mate showed evidence for suppressing appetite.
7. Vinegar
The effects of vinegar to control appetite and food intake have known for centuries.
Its ingestion can significantly increase satiety. However, there are concerns about the safety of this practice.
And if the reasons for its appetite suppression effects are due to its poor palatability and taste.
8. Green tea
Green tea is probably the most popular drink in Traditional Chinese Medicine. This is due to all its healthy and healing properties.
It used to be considered the drink for the kings!
And nowadays may be a candidate to fight modern obesity.
There are certain compounds in green tea called green tea catechins.
These compounds may be responsible for this due to its anti-obesity properties, helping reduce body weight and fat.
9. Coffee
Coffee makes you more alert and concentrated.
It gives a kick in your energy levels and helps you perform better both physically and mentally.
Studies show that coffee is a great natural appetite suppressant. And it is an inexpensive remedy for weight loss.
But don’t make assumptions too fast.
The reason for its appetite suppressant effects may not be due to its caffeine content!
During this study published by the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, both decaffeinated and normal coffee was given to volunteers.
They wanted to study the effect of caffeine on hunger, satiety, and the hormones responsible to control appetite.
And the results showed that both types of coffees coffee had appetite suppressant effects.
So, if you are not a coffee lover, this is good news for you.
It means that if you are more sensitive to the side effects of caffeine, you can still have a cup of decaffeinated coffee.
This can be a natural remedy to help control your appetite!
10. Hoodia Gordonii
Hoodia Gordonii is a good natural appetite suppressant. It’s a herb that grows throughout South Africa and Namibia.
It has traditionally been used by Koh-San tribes to control hunger during times of famine and long hunting trips.
Although it has been commercialized as a popular natural appetite control, the research of its effects has been made on animals.
There has been lots of controversy about the validity of its health claims.
Takeaway
Natural appetite suppressant foods may be able to naturally help you during the process of weight loss.
It can help regulate and control your appetite, allowing you to create new and healthier eating habits.
