A poor appetite can stem from many factors. Stress, depression, anxiety, worries, pregnancy and some diseases may be the main causes of appetite lacking — and that may mean that we’re not getting the calories and nutrition we need to stay healthy and recover from illness or surgery. But don’t worry, here are some great suggestions for kick-starting a healthy appetite.
1. Exercise
If you are well enough to exercise, that it might help stimulate your appetite. Your body is designed to crave more energy from food after burning calories, so you’ll always feel hungrier after exercising. Take at least a 30-minute daily walk if possible, and perform more strenuous activity if you can. Check with your doctor before adding any new exercise to your routine or lengthening the amount of time you exercise.
2. Drink enough liquids
Drinking a glass of water an hour before and an hour after a meal can help with digestion and ensure that there is not too much food in the stomach at any given time. However, you should avoid drinking too much water directly before a meal, as this can decrease your appetite and give you a false sense of fullness. You can try drinking a small glass of fruit juice half an hour before your meal. The sugar in fruit juice causes a spike, followed by a decline in your blood sugar that triggers your appetite.
3. Eat faster
When trying to consume more food at each sitting, it may help to try eating your food a little faster. Research has shown that it can take up to 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to start sending out signals that it’s full. By eating faster, you can trick your body into consuming more food than usual.
4. Home remedies for poor appetite
Fennel — Like its cousin caraway (both belong to the Umbelliferae family of herbs), is a familiar digestive aid, both for relieving stomach upset and for boosting the appetite. To enhance appetite/hunger grind Fennel seeds with Almonds and make a thick paste with honey and mashed dates. Eat daily 1 tablespoon 1 hour before starting your each meal. Not only improve your hunger but also increase your body weight.
Mango — During the Mango season, add 2-3 pinches of dried ginger powder in 1 glass of pure Mango juice and drink it daily 2 times during the whole day. Must increase your hunger.
Pepper — There are some evidences that eating hot pepper increases metabolism and the appetite. Add a few shakes of cayenne pepper to potato salad, deviled eggs, chili, and other hot dishes such as stews and soups.
5. Health Care
Lack of appetite can be a sign of serious health issues including HIV, kidney infection, heart failure, liver disease, thyroid issues and cancer. If you are currently working with a health care professional, talk to he or her about your lack of appetite and ask about medical appetite stimulants. If he or she feels that your appetite is negatively impacting your health, they may prescribe you with an appetite inducing medication, such as megestrol or cyproheptadine, which should help you to get a healthy appetite back in no time. Never attempt to self-treat a serious condition — if your appetite is not returning and you are rarely eating, seek medical attention immediately.
