If you want to lose weight, you need to eat less. You might eat fewer meals, smaller meals, or cut out high-calorie foods or ingredients. You could also swap one or two of your daily meals with a low-calorie meal replacement shake – something I believe is one of the best ways to lose weight.
In fact, it was while using one of my favorite meal replacement shakes that I noticed I was hardly every hungry. After looking at the ingredients, I discovered that it contained a unique substance called Slendesta, What is Slendesta ?, which helps you feel fuller for longer.
I don’t know about you, but I HATE getting hungry because it can make it really hard to stick to a healthy diet. I also get cranky when I’m hungry. Because of this, I decided to find more natural appetite suppressants to that I could use to make hunger a thing of the past.
1. Healthy fats
I know, it sounds crazy, but adding fat to a meal or even a replacement shake can help keep you feeling fuller for longer. Why? Fat is a very powerful gastric inhibitor which means it keeps food in your stomach for longer. The longer food stays in your stomach, the less hungry you will feel.
You don’t need a lot of fat to enjoy this benefit – five grams will do. Good choices include avocado, coconut, and olive oil as well as nut butter, coconut milk, and even ghee.
Recipes containing healthy fats
Turkey & Avocado Toasts – recipe here
Guacamole – olive oil and avocado so filling so good. Recipe here
Mango and avocado smoothie – Prepare if for breakfast and be a couple of hours hungry free. Recipe here
Coffee and coconut booster shake – A good replacement for your breakfast a complete meal shake. Recipe here
2. Green tea
Green tea is one of my favorite ways to avoid getting hungry. In fact, I’m sipping a big cup right now! Green tea is calorie-free, loaded with antioxidants, linked to faster fat loss and if that wasn’t enough, it also helps prevent hunger. You can drink green tea or use green tea extract and either take it in capsule form or add it to your meal replacement shakes.
Green tea IS caffeinated so avoid drinking it too close to bedtime. If you want to enjoy the benefits of green tea but without the caffeine, you will be glad to hear you can buy decaffeinated green tea that tastes and works every bit as good as the caffeinated version.
3. Chia seeds
Chia seeds are small black seeds from the Salvia Hispanica plant which is closely related to mint. It’s arguably one of the healthiest substances you can consume and is loaded with lots of essential nutrients despite being very low in calories.
A one-ounce (28 grams) serving of chia seeds contains:
- 137 calories
- 11 grams of fiber
- 4 grams of protein
- 9 grams of fat – 5 of which are Omega-3s
- 18% of the RDA for calcium
- 30% of the RDA for manganese
- 30% of the RDA for magnesium
- 27% of the RDA of phosphorous
- They also contain Zinc, Vitamin B3, Potassium, Vitamins B1 and B2.
However, chia seeds are also an awesome appetite suppressant. That small, one-ounce serving – which is about two tablespoons worth – swells up when added to and left to soak in water, and the combination of healthy fat, protein, and fiber will keep you feeling full for hours.
Add chia seeds to your oatmeal, your smoothies, or make chia seed pudding by adding water and leaving it to soak overnight. Add a little raw honey or maple syrup and a sprinkling of cinnamon or ginger for a delicious, light, healthy, but filling breakfast that is also gluten free.
4. Protein
High protein meals tend to be much more filling than high carb meals. Why? Protein, despite containing the same number of calories, digests much more slowly than carbohydrate which means it keeps you feeling fuller for longer.
Also, protein does not increase your blood glucose levels much, if at all. When you eat carbohydrate, it is converted to glucose and then enters your blood. When this happens, your body produces insulin to drive the glucose into your liver and muscle cells. This causes your blood glucose to fall which can make you feel hungry again.
Because protein is not converted to glucose and does not trigger the same release of insulin, it doesn’t make you hungry soon after eating.
Harness the power of protein by including some in every meal and snack that you can. Good choices include eggs, fish, chicken, turkey, lean pork and beef, tofu, soy, and whey protein – as used in protein shakes.
5. Fiber
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that humans cannot digest. This means it is calorie-free. There are two types of fiber – soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and is found in the flesh of fruit, vegetables, and grains. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and is found in plant skins and husks.
Despite containing no calories, fiber is very filling. Your body does its best to digest it, and so it stays in your stomach for a long time. This ensures that you feel full for a long time. Fiber is also fantastic for your digestive health.
To use fiber to suppress your appetite, make sure you eat plenty of fruit and vegetables – preferably with the skin on. Also, if you eat grains, choose the less processed wholemeal version that leaves the husks intact.
You can also use fiber supplements such as psyllium husks, methylcellulose, flax meal, lignin, pectin, cellulose, and guar gum. Add them to your meal replacement shakes or add them to your food to make your meals more filling.
Conclusion
Hunger can be a real barrier to successful dieting. Your body has no idea that you are voluntarily eating less – it makes the mistake of thinking that you are starving. It then uses hunger to motivate you to get up, get out, and search for food to eat. Needless to say, this is no good thing when you are trying to lose weight!
Appetite suppressants help to derail hunger by making your stomach feel fuller for longer despite your efforts to eat less. The less hunger you experience, the more likely you are to stick to your diet. Appetite suppressants are a real willpower booster.
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