You’re on a diet and you’re trying to be good, but suddenly you’re hit with hunger or cravings. You want to consume everything at a meal and then some, or the thought of potato chips and dip is making you crazy. Most people dieting will have some difficulty suppressing appetite or handling cravings, but there are some natural appetite suppressants that may help you eat less or stave off cravings.
Not surprisingly the top of the list is water, a great big cold glass of water, or maybe even two glasses. When you drink water and give it a minute or two, it can provide you with a feeling of fullness. Also, some of us are wired to eat when we’re thirsty, so it’s especially important that we’re actually getting enough to drink. The foundation of any good diet is usually eight to ten glasses of water a day. Try a glass before each meal, and any time that cravings hit.
Other liquids can be natural appetite suppressants particularly if they contain caffeine. Coffee and tea are both touted as excellent means of suppressing appetite. Most diet sodas are not good appetite suppressants and may actually make you hungrier. A little caffeine in the form of coffee or tea (without tons of sugar or half and half) may be a good way to help calm down cravings.
Natural appetite suppressants can simply be a small snack. If you’re craving sugar, try an apple, which will give you some sugar, fiber and only about 100 calories. Apples are great for satisfying sweet tooth cravings.
Another way to suppress the appetite is to combine a small serving of complex carbohydrates and protein. Have a serving of peanut butter on a slice of whole grain bread, or use the peanut butter as a dip for that crunchy apple. When we respond to body signals for hunger by feeding ourselves healthy and valuable food, cravings for less valuable food may go by the wayside.
There is much talk about natural appetite suppressants made from herbs or extracts from fruits and plants. Some people find excellent suppression of appetite with extracts of hoodia gordonii. Others believe that green tea extract helps to reduce appetite. An alternative to diet supplements is to use certain fruits or flavors that work as natural appetite suppressants.
There are many who swear by eating a fairly tart grapefruit as a way to perk up tastebuds without costing too much calories. Some nutritionists recommend snacking on a pickle, which is bursting in flavor that often sates the body’s need for food. Other people find comfort in spiced foods or drinks. Chai tea may be a good choice and for a little protein have a chai latte with nonfat milk. You an also make simple ginger tea at home, with ground ginger and hot water.
If you don’t want to use natural appetite suppressants like eating or drinking, there is an alternative. You can get out for some exercise when your body if focused on food. Try to work out for 10-15 minutes before a meal, or when a craving hits. This may help flood your body with hormones that elevate your mood. It can work really well if your cravings stem more from emotion than they do from hunger, since you will have found another way to get a quick buzz that doesn’t involve eating.
