measuring tape wrapped around a knife and fork

Natural Appetite Suppressants

Help with over-eating and food cravings

Natural appetite suppressants make the journey to a leaner body easier. Feeling hungry and deprived when you are trying to lose weight is a sure way to sabotage your efforts.

Eating less and doing more might be the simple answer to losing body fat but it certainly isn't easy. The key is to stop dieting and start eating properly. Find a sustainable healthy lifestyle, not a starvation diet that lasts 2 days and ends with a 2 week binge.

garcinia Himalaya appetite suppressant

Organic Garcinia - Appetite Suppressant

Promotes Healthy Body Weight and Metabolism. Made from fruit rind, leaf powder and fruit extract instead of just the simple crushed powder you may find in other supplements.

Over-eating and food cravings have many triggers, some include bad habits, nutritional deficiencies, stress, emotional factors or learned behaviors (habits) and these need to be addressed otherwise the battle to lose weight will be even harder.
 Certain foods, herbs and drinks act as mild appetite suppressants and reduce food cravings, especially reduce cravings for sugar.

Natural Appetite Suppressants - Top 5 Herbs for Weight Loss

If you’re looking to manage your weight, there are a number of herbs that can help. These herbs are natural appetite suppresants, encourage weight management and promote fat burning. Here are the top five herbs for weight loss:

  1. Green tea: Green tea is a popular herb for weight loss. It’s high in antioxidants and catechins, which promote fat burning. Catechins also reduce hunger levels while increasing metabolism. Green tea also contains caffeine, which can help to boost energy levels during exercise and dieting.
  2. Garcinia cambogia: Garcinia cambogia is a tropical fruit that contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA). HCA has been shown to inhibit the body’s ability to produce fat and increase satiety levels. Garcinia cambogia is also known to boost energy levels and mood.
  3. Forskolin: Forskolin is an herb that comes from the root of the Coleus forskohlii plant. It’s been shown to promote fat loss by breaking down stored fat cells and increasing metabolism. Forskolin is also known to increase energy levels, making it easier to stick to a healthy diet and exercise plan.
  4. Glucomannan: Glucomannan is a water-soluble dietary fiber that comes from the konjac root. It works by absorbing water in the stomach, which forms a gel-like substance that delays stomach emptying and makes you feel fuller for longer periods of time. This helps to reduce snacking and overeating between meals.
  5. Magnum solum: Magnum solum is an African herb that has been traditionally used as a hunger suppressant. It’s thought to work by inhibiting the release of hunger-stimulating hormones like ghrelin in the body.

Pine Nut Oil

A compound in pine tree nuts called pinolenic acid acts as a strong appetite suppressant by stimulating the release of cholecystokinin, a hormone that functions as an appetite suppressant. In a study, overweight women reported significantly reduced appetite only 30 minutes after taking the pine kernel oil capsules compared with an olive oil placebo. Read more about Pine Nut Oil

cinnamon sticks

Oatmeal and Cinnamon

Oatmeal in the form of rolled oats or steel-cut oats is a great option for breakfast. It has a low glycemic index,  so oats takes longer to digest which means your blood sugar level will remain stable. Oats is also high in fiber and contains some protein, this helps you feel fuller for longer. Some nutritionists recommend eating your oatmeal raw but that's up to your preference.

Ditch the sugar and sprinkle some cinnamon on your oats. It tastes great and will further reduce the glycemic index. Cinnamon may also help satisfy sugar craving which is especially helpful if you are trying to eliminate granular sugar from your diet. It is also said to slow down digestion by slowing the gastric emptying time. It also assists with the digestion of carbohydrates. If you don't enjoy the taste of cinnamon, you can  include it in your diet in the form of a supplement in capsule form.

Increase Your Lean Protein Intake

If you want to reduce your appetite then adding lean protein to your meals gives a feeling of satiety (fullness). Many people don't enjoy eating breakfast for various reasons but research shows that those who eat a more protein rich meal in the morning feel less hungry through to lunchtime compared with  people who eat a carbohydrate-based breakfast. This is because protein digests much more slowly than carbohydrates. Adding protein to your diet is not difficult, free-range farm eggs, lean meat, fish and protein powder supplements are good options. Vegetable protein powders are available too, these are perfect for vegans or people with dairy allergies.

sliced red pepper

Red Peppers and Chilies

Capsaicin in red peppers and chili and capsiate in sweet peppers have been found to mildly suppress hunger. A study showed that red pepper, when eaten early in the day, decreases food intake later in the day. Add chili to your meals, chop up sweet red peppers and eat them as a snack between meals or get them in a capsule form as a supplement. Peppers have some amazing health benefits and it's well worth adding them to your diet.

Flax Seeds As A Natural Appetite Supressant

A powerhouse of essential fatty acids, add ground or whole, flax seeds to your salad or smoothie to  help you stay satiated and fueled! The fiber in flax seed is what keeps you feeling full and help you eat less at the next meal.

water lemon slice

Fill Up On Water

Our bodies are made up largely of water and it's highly likely that sometimes thirst can be mistaken for hunger. Drink a glass of water and wait for 20 minutes to see if your appetite disappears or at least diminishes. Flavor your water with a squeeze of some fresh lemon juice and even add a bit of grated ginger for some additional detox benefits. Green tea is another great alternative to drink during the day and studies have shown some good outcomes with weight loss.

Dark Chocolate

There are some awesome reasons to eat organic dark chocolate. It's possibly the most fun of the natural appetite suppressants but it must be at least 75%  cocoa solids, not sugar-filled milk chocolate. Apart from the fact that it's full of antioxidants, dark chocolate contains stearic acid. It's the stearic acid that makes you feel fuller for longer. One study showed that even smelling 90% dark chocolate is enough to induce appetite suppression. The bitter taste also helps curb sugar cravings and its full of essential nutrients like magnesium, iron and copper. It is still calorie dense so don't rush off and eat a slab every day. Just savour 2 squares every night and know you are reaping the health benefits.

A large portion of the world's population starts out the year with good intentions to lose some pounds of body weight. Whether it's a leaner look or a reduction in body fat levels that you want, the road might be simple but it's not easy. You start out all motivated to eat less and exercise more but before you know it, you feel deprived and desperate for something sweet.

If you give in to your cravings, you feel like a failure and go all out and have a binge eating spree which leads to further weight gain and more guilty feelings. It's a roller-coaster that many people find themselves on year in and year out. Incorporating these natural appetite suppressants should give you an added boost to achieve your weight loss goals.

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