Weight loss: 5 foods that can help to suppress your appetite

The greatest challenge for everyone trying to shed kilos is to eat in moderation. While it is still easy to maintain calorie intake when planning your meals, mid-day hunger can often turn things upside down. Most people give in to the untimely hunger that bothers them between mealtime. Even after having their snacks, they feel hungry and often turn to unhealthy foods to satisfy themselves. The right way to prevent this is by adding some appetite suppressant foods to the diet. There are several supplements and products available in the market that can suppress your appetite. But they work differently, which might not be healthy for you. They reduce your appetite, block the absorption of nutrients, or increase the number of calories you burn. A healthy alternative is to include natural food products in your diet. Here are 5 natural and safe products that you can add to your diet to suppress your hunger.

A handful of almonds can be an excellent snack to curb your mid-afternoon hunger pangs. Almonds are loaded with nutrients like vitamin E, magnesium, antioxidants and are even a rich source of fiber, which helps to suppress your untimely hunger pangs. Eating almonds when feeling hungry can increase the feeling of fullness. Do not have more than a handful of almonds in a day.

Who says that chocolates are not healthy? Swap your regular milk chocolate with dark chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth without consuming excess calories. Dark chocolate that contains 70 per cent cocoa can suppress your appetite. Even the stearic acid present in dark chocolate helps slow digestion and keep you fuller for a longer time. Avoid eating more than two pieces of dark chocolate at one time.

The sweet and earthy cinnamon is also an excellent appetite suppressant. This common spice mostly used in baking helps to suppress the appetite by stabilizing blood sugar levels and delaying gastric emptying. A study carried out in 2007, revealed that taking 6 grams of cinnamon powder in the diet can slow down the stomach emptying process and can help to keep you fuller. You can add cinnamon powder to your oatmeal or sprinkle some cinnamon powder on top of your tea or smoothies.

The tiny yellow fenugreek seeds have a strong flavour and they belong to the legumes family. They are widely used in Indian cuisines to add flavour to the dish and Ayurveda to cure several health conditions. The yellow seeds contain 45 per cent fiber, which is mostly insoluble. When the fiber enters your digestive system it slows down the process of carb and fat absorption, making you feel fuller for a longer time. You can soak a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds in a glass of warm water overnight and drink it in the morning or chew the seeds directly.

Ginger has been used for thousands of years for treating different kinds of health ailments. The flavourful root has amazing digestive powers. The compounds present in the root may stimulate your digestive system, can ease nausea and can also suppress your appetite. According to a small 2012 study, men who consumed ginger at breakfast did not feel hungry for at least 3 hours after their meal. You can add ginger to your diet or can drink ginger tea to reap its amazing benefits.