Foods That Supress Appetite Naturally: Fight Cravings Straight Out Of Your Own Pantry With These Appetite Suppressing Foods!

Foods That Supress Appetite Naturally: Fight Cravings Straight Out Of Your Own Pantry With These Appetite Suppressing Foods!
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Foods that Suppress Appetite - Healthy Foods that Keep You Feeling Full Longer, Naturally and Safely

Many of us don’t realize there are healthy foods and herbs that can naturally and safely act as a way to beat the munchies and help with losing weight. It is so hard to lose or maintain weight that we look for the easy way out with fad diets and pills. Alternatively, we are so afraid we will gain or will not lose weight that we eat so little our bodies simply shut down. We must eat to lose weight because we have to “fuel the engine” which is our body.

Because we can’t simply quit eating, like we can quit smoking or drinking, food is often the hardest addiction master. Because we cannot stop the food habit, the task of keeping appetites at bay is sometimes a difficult one. But turning to manmade products is not the best decision. Instead, try some of the foods listed below to help you live a healthier life.

Weight Loss Methods

WeightLoss Drugs Photographer Unknown Flickr

The craze for finding improved methods to lose weight continues in scientific research, the weight loss industry and individuals. There are five basic methods for controlling, losing or maintaining weight:

  • Physician prescribed appetite suppressants
  • Over-the-counter appetite suppressants/metabolism boosters and supplemental meal shakes
  • Increased physical activity
  • Weight loss surgery
  • Lifestyle change incorporating correct food choices for healthy weight loss and maintenance, with the percentage of energy used being greater than the energy (calories) consumed.

Exercise and nutrition is the real answer.

Safest Way to Lose Weight

arugula and walnut salad photo by nao takem

Most health experts agree the safest way to drop unwanted pounds and shed excess fat is by combining increased physical activity with the correct food choices. A piece of cake, right?

Actually, easier said than done; beginning a diet or healthy lifestyle isn’t the difficult part; sticking with it long enough to reach goal, and then maintaining the results is where the true challenge lies. What makes the task compete with the difficulty of quitting smoking, or drinking, is we eat for varying reasons, whether from emotional or physical hunger. Finding a way to suppress appetites is one way to help cut down on the amount of food we eat. That is what the pills and surgeries often do, but at what risk? A better way to control appetites is through food.

Are you thinking, “But food is what got me here in the first place!”? Actually, food isn’t what got you to the point of needing to lose weight. There are probably multiple reasons the weight started to creep up:

  • Emotional eating
  • Lack of exercise
  • Medications
  • Depression
  • Injury or accident
  • Life changes like divorce or raising children
  • Genetics
  • Eating on the run
  • Too much junk food

Any or all of the above may have played a large part in your weight gain. So first of all, forgive yourself; you are human and this is life. It isn’t a sin or a crime to be overweight, but it can be, and usually is, very unhealthy. The good news is, it’s not a life sentence! Through changing your lifestyle, eating habits and dining choices plus sheer determination, you can turn your life, body and mind around.

Controlling Appetite Through Foods We Eat

Does controlling or suppressing appetites through foods sound like an oxy-moron? In fact, it isn’t. Think about all the herbal medicines, remedies, and medicinal products made from food, and it might give you clues why it makes good sense. So why go to the pharmacy or under a knife until you have exhausted every option available? Below, we list some common foods and the reaction your body has to them as pertaining to weight control.

Now, let’s learn about six foods that help curb appetite and control cravings.

Pine Nuts

pine nuts by Miles Goodhew

Pine Nuts

Pine nuts release a hormone into the body called cholecystokinin (CCK). Thirty minutes after consuming these healthy little nuts, the CCK releases hunger suppressing hormones which make you feel satiated longer. Pinenuts are wonderful additions to salads, sprinkled on soups, tossed in smoothies, pestos and hummus.

Per ounce, pine nuts have:

  • 188 calories
  • 19 grams fat (1 gram saturated)
  • 0 mg cholesterol
  • 4 grams carbohydrate
  • 1 grams fiber
  • 1 grams sugar
  • 4 grams protein

Apples

Apples can ease that sweet or crunch craving and take a long time to eat, making them a great appetite reducing food. They can be served hot or cold, alone or with other ingredients like oatmeal, salad or cereal. Apples have vVitamin C and other valuable nutrients. Eat the peel, too, for the most nutrition.

Apples by Deborah Fitchett flickr

Per 1 large apple:

  • 116 calories
  • 0 fat
  • 0 cholesterol
  • 31 grams carbohydrate
  • 5 grams fiber
  • 23 grams sugar
  • 1 gram protein

Green Tea

green tea flickr Thomas Berg

Another food or more accurately, herb, usually served in liquid form, that has a natural ability to curb hunger and has the added benefit of helping to burn fat, is green tea. Green tea can also help limit or control cravings. This tea is known to help increase the metabolism and energy levels, making it a viable weight loss helper. Varieties of green tea include Dragon Well, Jasmine and Sencha, among others.

“Green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a powerful antioxidant known to slow down the aging process. The chemical has been shown to not only prevent the growth of cancer cells, but also kill cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. EGCG is also effective in lowering bad cholesterol levels and reducing the possibility of blood vessel blockage due to high levels of bad cholesterol. Another benefit of EGCG involves the inhibition of abnormal blood clotting, known as thromboses, as they are the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.” (1)

Per 100 ml green tea,

  • 2 calories
  • 0 fat
  • 0 cholesterol
  • 3 mg sodium
  • 0.2 carbohydrates
  • 0 fiber
  • 0 sugar
  • 0.2 protein

Flaxseed

Flaxseed is an incredible source of fiber, which gives us that feeling of satisfaction and keeps our systems moving, which makes it an excellent food to help control food urges and rid our bodies of waste. They have also been shown to help in lowering cholesterol and preventing cancer. Sprinkle on salads, baked potatoes or other vegetables.

Per 1 ounce Flaxseed:

  • flaxseed by alisha vargas flicker

    150 calories

  • 12 grams fat (1 gram saturated)

  • 0 cholesterol

  • 8 grams carbohydrates

  • 8 grams fiber

  • 0 sugar

  • 5 grams protein

Oatmeal

steel cut oats by brandi sims flickr

Another delicious, high-fiber food is oatmeal. Oatmeal (oats) makes an inexpensive, easy to prepare and delicious addition to your pantry, how much better does it get? This hot, creamy cereal enters your bloodstream more slowly, stays in your stomach longer than many foods and helps prevent cravings. If you don’t eat oatmeal now, it’s time for you to start because this food can curb appetite, give you noticeably more energy, stop snack cravings, help prevent heart disease and help your weight and pocket book.

Some people believe steelcut oats are better for you, though old fashioned and quick cooking, One Minute Oatmeal are also healthy. It is best, however, to stay away from the ready to microwave, pre-sugared packets.

Per 1/3 cup oatmeal:

  • 102 calories
  • 2 grams fat (0 saturated)
  • 0 cholesterol
  • 19 grams carbohydrate
  • 3 grams fiber
  • 4 grams protein

Beans

Beans

This protein rich food that can replace meat at meals is high in antioxidants and fiber. Beans are digested slowly so your hunger is satisfied longer. Beans also help fight cancer, are helpful for diabetics and help to lower cholesterol. Beans can be eaten as a side dish, a meat, a soup or sprinkled on salads, made into pestos or hummus. For pesto, select a cooked bean, put in food processor with basil or parsley and garlic, add salt and pepper and other desired pesto ingredients for a delightfully healthy, hunger reducing bean pesto. Beans are high in potassium and calcium, and may provide iron, according to the variety.

pinto beans jason lamb flickr

Per 1 cup of Pinto Beans: (beans come in a wide range of varieties, check nutrition facts on the variety you use.)

  • 235 calories saturated fat)
  • 0 cholesterol
  • 44 grams carbohydrate
  • 15 grams fiber
  • 15 grams protein

Make A Lifestyle Change You Can Live With Forever

The best, safest and most permanent way to go about becoming a new, healthier and, if desired, smaller version of yourself is to make a permanent lifestyle change, incorporating plenty of foods that suppress appetite and cravings and leave you feeling full longer. This new lifestyle should also include foods with a high water content like watermelon, which helps satisfy your sweet tooth, or foods to ease your need for crunch like carrots or celery. Indulge sometimes in a sinfully delightful hunk of expensive chocolate, or whatever your temptation food is, because if you totally ban the things you love from your diet, it can set up the tendency to binge on that food. Instead, plan it, enjoy it and don’t feel guilty about it. The secret is to go straight back to your new, healthy lifestyle immediately, rather than throwing up your hands and declaring “I give up!”. Good luck to you on the first day of the rest of your healthier life.

References

(Web): HealthLearningInfo - Quote and Nutrition Facts - www.health.learninginfo.org/nutritionfacts

(Web): LifeScript - Nutrition Information - www.lifescript.com/body/food

(Web): NutritionData- Nutrition Facts - https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/

Photo Credits

Linda Brewer/Fresh Tomatoes

Photographer Unnamed/OTC Weight Loss Drugs/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/cleanwalmart/1583764466/

Nao Takem/Arugula and Walnut Salad/https://www.flickr.com/photos/12832970@N00/3461742586

Miles Goodhew/Pine Nuts/https://www.flickr.com/photos/m0les/996748955

Deborah Fitchett/Apples/https://www.flickr.com/photos/31320962@N05/2970369551

Thomas Berg/Cup of Green Tea and Tea Pot onTable/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cup_of_green_tea_and_tea_pot_on_table.jpg

(1) HealthLearningInfo, Dimi Ingle, “Green Tea Nutrition Facts” https://health.learninginfo.org/nutrition-facts/green-tea.htm, accessed 08/16/2010

Alisha Vargas/Flax Seed/https://www.flickr.com/photos/31169339@N07/3462217290

Steel Cut Oats/Brandi Sims/https://www.flickr.com/photos/houseofsims/3199280019/

Jason Lam/Mesohungr/https://www.flickr.comphotos/mesohungry/3294281158/

This post is part of the series: What Diet and Weight Loss Methods are Best? Five Alternatives to Lose those Pounds

Find out about different ways to lose weight and stay fit in this millennium. Learn about what has worked in the past, is popular in the present and looks promising for the future in the weight loss and fitness industry.

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