There are often situations when we encounter a drastic loss of appetite, don’t we? They can root from a number of reasons, both physiological and emotional. What is important is to bring back our eating habits to a normal routine, to ensure that our health is not put on stake. The answer to how to increase appetite should always revert with ways that stimulate appetite naturally without any force.
Suffered a bad break up or lost a close one? Many studies claim that emotional eating is not always marked by an instance; the same can root from any kind of situations. Which is why the loss of appetite doesn’t necessarily mean that a person is going to start emotional eating just to make up for the “not eating”?
If you are in the lookout for amazing ways to increase appetite, sit back and hold tight because that is exactly what this article is going to focus on. We have inculcated all the common home remedies to increase appetite naturally for you to look into.
What Actually is the Loss of Appetite?
Loss or appetite, otherwise known as absent hunger is the condition where the person’s will to eat drastically diminishes. Many people often mistake the unwillingness to eat as anorexia which is not always the case because of the fact that anorexia nervosa technically refers to intentional starving and not the unintentional unwillingness to eat, which is what our main focus is.
Our body’s appetite regulation is not a one man’s job and is a collaborative effort managed by multiple organ systems of our body, much like that of the central nervous system, digestive system and even our endocrine system.
Short term or instantaneous loss of appetite is not a matter of concern, because for the most part, these kind of situations can easily be recovered on its own when the cause is sorted out.
Persistent appetite loss is a matter of concern because the same signifies problems with the overall well being of an individual. Not just that, in order to increase your appetite, it is necessary to opt for remedies or any other supplements because the same doesn’t get back on track on its own.
What Causes Loss of Appetite?
So, what are actually the reasons for appetite loss? This and the how to increase appetite questions will never seize primarily because knowing the answers to the first one helps find answers for the second question.
There can be an array of causes for appetite loss, the tops ones of which have been mentioned in this specific part of the article. Glance through!!
1. Presence of Food in the Gut
The very first in the list of causes realms to the existence of food in the gut. There are chances that if you gut is already full, you would shy away from food, even if your favourite dish is presented in front of you.
Our gut lining is distributed with sensors which are responsible for sending signals to our brain to direct us to either eat or not to eat. Inability of these sensors to properly send signals to the brain even when there is a lack of food in the gut is an indication that you need to stimulate appetite naturally.
2. Endocrinal Function in the Gut
The break in the endocrinal functioning of our gut for producing salient responses for indication of hunger and satiety is often a primary cause for the lack of appetite. If you are to look for ways to increase appetite, it is important that there is a harmony between all the release gut hormones.
Ghrelin, the decisive hormone that controls our appetite (R) and increases the loss of appetite (especially after fasting), is a hormone, whose lack of functionality can be a huge cause for appetite loss.
There are two other hormones, peptide-YY and cholecystokinin which is secreted by ileum and small intestine respectively are responsible for suppressing appetite with regards to our satiety. But, the moment it starts dysfunctioning and suppresses appetite even with little to no food consumption, that’s where you know there’s a problem.
3. Emotional Stance Affects the Loss of Appetite
Yet another reason for the loss of appetite includes the kind of emotional state (R) a person is in. These kinds of situations bring about the short term appetite loss but the moment the same gets redirected to one’s degrading mental health, there are chances that the loss of appetite is not temporary at all and requires immediate consumption of foods that increase appetite.
4. Lack of Sleep or Insomnia
Often times, a person’s lack of sleep is coercively a lot responsible for their lack of appetite.
Haven’t you found yourself unwilling to eat when you had a bad night’s sleep? Situations like these demand what is lacking and that is sleep. Food and consumption of it becomes a secondary thought (R) in these times which is why we often experience appetite loss when we haven’t slept properly or suffer from sleeping disorders like that of insomnia.
5. Influence of thyroid gland
Our thyroid gland is one of the most important parts of our endocrine system. The secretion of the thyroid hormones (R) heavily influences our appetite.
If you undergo any kind of impairments in your thyroid gland, chances are that your appetite is going to get affected with that as well. Hyperthyroidism, or the excess secretion of the thyroid hormones, tend to be the pivotal reason behind the loss of appetite.
There have been instances which emphasize that even after embracing several ways to increase appetite; the results were little to negligible. If dysfunctionality of the thyroid gland is the reason behind the appetite loss, it is important to fight the problem right from the roots.
6. Peaking Stress Hormone Levels
The stress hormone of our body, cortisol, plays a very important role in the regulation of our appetite. It has been found that the levels of cortisol is directly proportional to our appetite which means that we are more likely going to eat more and without control when in stress.
Emotional eating or stress eating is a very common and is seen in a number of individuals when they are faced with a crisis. Sudden drop of the heightened stress levels often adversely affects the appetite, which makes us arrest our eating and results in lack of appetite.
7. Digestive Disorders
Sour stomach and improper digestion of the ingested food often leaves us shying away from food. It often triggers nausea and an unsettling feeling in our body which account for the primary reasons why one might lose their appetite.
8. Cancer or Cancer Treatment
Any kind of inception of cancer in the body can be a direct reason for the loss of appetite. The renowned American Society of Clinical Oncology claims that the appetite of an individual can be affected if one of suffering from cancer or is undergoing any kind of cancer treatments.
The induction of cancer or even the cancer treatments combining chemotherapy and radiotherapy are responsible for bringing about changes in one’s metabolism and hormonal balance and that happens to be the natural discourse.
The cumulative negative impacts that impacts one’s health because of cancer or cancer treatments are the primary reasons for the sudden arrest in one’s will to eat and actually enjoy it.
How to Increase Appetite?
It is important to know that foods that increase appetite stimulate appetite naturally and not all of a sudden. If the problem with appetite has been something chronic, there are chances that it will take some time to increase your appetite.
In this part of the article, we have walked you through the various home remedies to increase appetite.
1. Munch on Small Portions More Frequently
People who suffer from loss of appetite tend to not be able to eat, all of a sudden. If you have been looking for ways to stimulate appetite naturally, start with eating less but eating more number of times throughout the day.
Increasing the frequency of eating might seem daunting for people who have an impaired appetite (R) but trust me, this tactic does actually work. Try and divide your meals from the convention three times a day to either five or six times throughout the day.
Don’t start with heavy meals all of a sudden but start off with light meals and then gradually work on increasing the portion size and the ingredients that you consume.
2. Increase the Calorie Intake
Calories and the healthy intake of these help to increase the loss of appetite. That being said, it is also important to ensure that you are eating healthy calories and not just gorging down fast food and greasy fries.
Try and cook foods that increase appetite and are rich in good calories. Make sure that you introduce calories to your diet gradually and don’t just hurl it all of a sudden and all at once because that is going to adversely affect your metabolism and your body functions.
Restricting the intake of calories (R) is not necessarily going to do any good to your body which is why it is best to focus on including calories to your diet to lead a healthier lifestyle.
3. Put Nutrition on the Priority List
Lack of appetite significantly suggests that the person in question is going to be devoid of the necessary nutrition that one’s body needs. This is why it is necessary to include as much nutrition as you can in your home remedies to increase appetite.
There has been evidence that people who suffer from loss of appetite tend to rely more on the consumption of candies, chips, ice cream etc. which fill them up faster and they can get away with eating less.
If you are administering ways to increase your appetite, try and switch up the unhealthy eating options to more nutritious alternatives. Include more vegetables and fruits in your diet. Switch up your eating habits and think of nutrition first before your tastes and preferences.
4. Play Tricks With Your Brain With Visuals
One of the biggest worries of people suffering with appetite loss that they’ll somehow end up overeating. Because of this, they end up under-eating which is one of the worst downsides of this. If you are administering home remedies to increase appetite, do it right because that is what would affect your health.
A great way to trick your brain to think that you are eating small portions (R) is by plating the dish in a big plate of a bowl. This gives off the vibe that you are eating less even when you are eating adequate amounts.
5. Scheduling Can Be An Effective Stimulation
Hunger is every person’s normal cue to fill their tummies up but for the people who suffer from an irregular appetite, there are chances that these triggers won’t provide with similar impacts.
In such cases, try and schedule your meals to stimulate appetite naturally. Setting a reminder for each of the meals helps keep your meal consumption in check and you would be assured that you are consuming your food from time to time, without fail.
Scheduling helps in bringing back the old routine of food consumption in your body which is an added bonus.
6. Breakfast is An Important Aspect
Breakfast is an important meal which is why it is necessary to never skip on it. It is one of those meals of the day that more or less maintains and regulates the metabolism of the body.
If you are looking for ways to increase appetite, skipping breakfast is the last thing you should do. Studies have shown that skipping breakfast makes you eat less throughout the day which is definitely the opposite of what you are aiming for.
A specific study claims that the consumption of breakfast induces thermogenesis in the body which helps burn off excess calories and makes you hungry and increases your appetite.
7. Alternate with Drinking the Calories
There are instances where people with less appetite tend to be unable to eat calories because of the feeling of heaviness it leaves behind. Don’t worry; we have got an alternative for the same as well.
Instead of eating the calories, try and drink them. You can do this by adding a dash of cream or just top your smoothie off with some whipped cream and you are good to go.
Eat your fruits in different forms, as a smoothie preferably and add some nuts and even some milk, yoghurt or protein powder to increase the calorie intake at one go.
8. Healthy Snacks is The Way To Go
Healthy snacks account for one of the best answers of how to increase appetite. Big meals are often one of the most intimidating ways to increase appetite which is why it is always best to opt for smaller portions.
Eating healthy snacks in frequent intervals is always better than gorging down a lot of food just in one go. The same often tends to make the process of digestion even worse and make you lose your appetite even before some mentions food.
Some easy options for healthy foods include fruits, nuts, protein or granola bars, yoghurt, popcorn (without butter), nut butter and whole wheat bread or even crackers.
9. Eat Stuff You Enjoy
This doesn’t necessarily require an explanation, I think. It is human psychology to delve into something that they are quite fond of and not the contrary.
If you want to increase your appetite significantly, try and eat foods that you are fond of and are healthy at the same time. Eat something that actually tastes good and not bland just for the sake of it. This will not necessarily provide with much results to increase loss of appetite.
Even a study shows how the liking towards a food increases our appetite and wants to repeat the process of eating which is a necessity for people struggling with decreased appetite.
10. Increased Exercise Helps Curb Loss of Appetite
Exercise is a natural form of burning calories without inflicting excess stress on the body. Your body needs an adequate amount of energy to replenish the lost energy from the body which is how you can increase your appetite effectively.
This is one of those specific ways to increase appetite that take a good amount of time to portray the desired results. You won’t see a spiked increase in your appetite (R) right after a day of exercise, it will take time but the results are very effective, if truth be told.
11. Cut Down on Excess Beverages Along With Meals
When you are including beverages with meal, it is essential that you pose the drink as a secondary choice. The moment the same changes and you drink more than you eat, there are chances that you will feel full very fast.
Drinking beverages with meals induce a feeling of bloating and fails to stimulate appetite naturally which was your primary motto. Drinking tends to make you feel full very quickly which is why you end up eating less than what you should have eaten in the first place.
If you want to effectively increase your appetite, try and prevent drinking at least half an hour after a meal.
12. Supplements Are Worth a Shot
Even the absence of a number of vitamins from the body is sometimes responsible for the loss of appetite. If that is the case with you, try out supplements of vitamin that increase appetite.
Even the inclusion of zinc, thiamine and fish oil as supplements in your diet can help stimulate appetite naturally without imposing any harsh side effects. Consumption of these supplements can correct the wrong and be of great appetite boost for your body.
13. Foods That Increase Appetite
Now that we have walked ourselves through the common list of ways to increase appetite, let us focus on a few foods that contribute to augmenting our hunger pangs.
A. Tamarind
Tamarind is a natural taste booster and the tanginess of its pulp is great to bring about that lost taste on the palate that often makes people lose their appetite.
It is also an amazing remedy for sour stomach, so, if your loss of appetite is because of lack of digestion, try opting for tamarind which can help with the situation and lessen the uneasiness one feels because of indigestion and bloating.
B. Pomegranate Juice
Pomegranate is an amazing remedy that helps stimulate appetite naturally. It is jam packed with a number of essential nutrients and even vitamins which make you feel hungry and boost your appetite.
This is one of those home remedies to increase appetite that is actually very beneficial on the children. Make sure that you are drinking the freshly pressed pomegranate juice because the store bought ones are loaded with a preservative which are not that good for health.
C. Pineapple
Pineapples are yet one of the amazing foods that increase appetite. It is loaded with amazing enzymes and acids that help break down the food and relieve bloating that could have been the primary reason behind the lack of appetite.
Not just that, eating a few pieces of pineapple before actual meals helps increase the appetite too and make you eat more than what you would normally eat.
Loss of appetite can be acute or sometimes even chronic, depending on the cause of it. In order to curb the issues related to it, it is best suggested to opt for remedies that stimulate appetite naturally rather than abruptly. It is very important to eat in adequate amounts and eat healthy at the same time to maintain your well being.
