How to Control Appetite

Start your day with oatmeal. Using rolled oats or chopped oats (not instant oats) is a great way to keep hunger at bay until lunch. Oatmeal has a low glycemic index, which means it won’t trigger hunger-spanning blood sugar. ^[1] Besides being healthy, oatmeal with almond milk and a few pieces of apple or grapefruit is not a bad choice to control appetite.

• Oatmeal will not work if taken with brown sugar or maple syrup because they raise blood sugar and make you hungry.

Eat fat-free protein – eggs, lean meat or yogurt. Fat-free protein in the morning provides a satisfying feeling for the whole day. Research shows that this is also the time when fat-free protein works best. So take it for breakfast. ^[2]

• As far as protein is concerned, you shouldn’t completely eliminate fat either. Use healthy fats like olive oil and avocado to keep you fuller longer.

Add grapefruit to the menu. Although a fast weight loss diet with 100% grapefruit is something that should be avoided, the fact that half a grapefruit per serving is effective in weight loss. Grapefruit has properties that help lower insulin levels after eating and suppress hunger. ^[3]
However, if you take medication, you need to pay special attention to the interaction between grapefruit and drugs because this fruit reacts poorly with 85 different drugs, 45 of which bring extremely serious consequences. ^[4]
Be especially careful with grapefruit. Do not eat grapefruit while being treated with erectile dysfunction drugs, estrogens, statin drugs used for high cholesterol, calcium channel blockers, sedatives, thyroid hormone replacement drugs, some chemotherapy drugs and immunomodulators, antifungal and some other antibiotics, beta blockers, pain relievers and any other drugs that can be metabolized by the liver and the cytochrome P450 group of enzymes. ^[5]
Besides, grapefruit is also contraindicated for pregnant women, nursing mothers and breast cancer patients. ^[6]
In addition, since there is still not enough scientific evidence to prove the effectiveness of grapefruit, all of the above assumptions are purely conjecture. ^[7] If it works and is safe for you, keep doing it and see where it can take you.

Eat fiber-rich fruits and vegetables. Most fruits and vegetables are high in water and fiber, which helps to fill the stomach. Besides essential proteins and fats, each of your meals should consist mainly of vegetables. ^[8]

• Apples are especially good at controlling appetite. So eat one fruit every day.
• Green leaves give a feeling of fullness and are rich in nutrients. Choose spinach, collard greens, collard greens, kale, and collard greens instead of lighter vegetables like lettuce rolls.
• Potatoes have a chemical composition that reduces the effects of the hunger hormone ghrelin. You can bake, boil or lightly sauté, but don’t use fries.

Eat nuts. Research shows that including nuts, especially almonds, in your daily diet helps people feel less hungry. ^[9] They are a combination of protein, fiber and unsaturated fats.

Add whole flaxseed to your diet. You can add flaxseed to dishes like yogurt, smoothies, salads, and vegetables. Flaxseeds are rich in fiber, which helps maintain blood sugar stability, thereby suppressing hunger.

Use good fats like peic acid to kill your hunger. Peic acid, which sends signals to the brain and suppresses cravings, is found in nut butters, avocados, seeds, and olive oil.

Enjoy dark chocolate. When you have a craving for sweets and fruit alone isn’t enough, have a few pieces of dark chocolate. Unlike milk chocolate and other candies, dark chocolate’s strong flavor naturally tells the body when it’s enough. Choose chocolate with at least 70% cocoa – sip more than a few pieces, you will see the difference! ^[10]

• Always check the packaging before buying. Many manufacturers label their products “black” even though the cocoa content is much less than 70%.

Use spicy food. Bland and unappealing dishes easily cause you to overeat. Then you try to swallow just to satisfy your hunger and don’t realize your stomach is full. Food rich in flavor will stimulate the taste buds, making you pay more attention to how much you have used and when you are full.

• Cayenne pepper is a great flavoring to add to your recipes. Sprinkle over fried eggs, add to soups or add a little when eating butter for a delicious taste.
• Unlike ketchup, most chutneys don’t have too many calories per serving. So as long as the packaging has been checked to make sure there are no added sugars in the ingredients, you can use as much chutney as you like.
• Wasabi is another great spicy condiment that can help you feel satisfied more quickly.