7 Ways On How To Increase Appetite

This is something most of us have experienced in our lives but for some individuals, it is haunting them day by day. Having an appetite can be quite tricky for some but one must first understand the contributing factors to this condition.

But worry not as we will share with you some tips to get back that appetite of yours.

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Factors Influencing Appetite

Appetite is a natural desire of the body for food. You can feel hungry despite not having any appetite or even have an appetite without any sign of hunger.

Before we know how to restore back our appetite, here are some of the factors influencing the desire to eat:

Diet

The type and frequency of your food intake will give an impact on your entire appetite.

Medical Issues

Several medical issues contribute to the loss of appetites, such as bacterial infection, viral infection, cancer, and thyroid diseases.

Medication

Some medications can increase our appetite and ultimately increase our body weight. This includes antidepressants, antipsychotics, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diabetic medication like insulin.

Mental Health

Mood and emotional conditions can influence a person's desire to eat. Stress can either cause someone to eat too much or less.

Certain mental conditions like depression can also give an effect on your appetite.

Pregnancy

Pregnant women, they can experience strong urges and rejection toward specific food.

Nausea and constipation which is the normal situation for pregnant women can also reduce their appetite.

Companion

Having a companion by your side can have an impact on your appetite and choice of food.

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Ways To Restore Appetite

Here are some of the ways that you can try to increase your overall appetite:

1. Take More Meals Throughout The Day

Take 6-8 small-sized meals compared to 3 huge meals. Small portion meals with frequency can help you eat a lot more overall.

If the hunger comes to a lot more in the morning, then you would want to take more frequent meals in the morning whenever you feel hungry.

2. Take Fewer Fibers

A diet that is high in fiber has proven to make us feel full and reduce the intake of calories. So you might want to reduce the intake of fiber if you wish to continue to eat more.

Eating a low-fiber diet will prevent you from feeling full too quickly and help you gain that extra calories from food when you are really hungry.

3. Eat Nutritious Food

It is not just eating frequently that matters but the food itself must also be nutritious. Choose the type of food that is high in nutrients as part of your diet.

Food that has high calories and is rich in nutrients are as follows:

Sweet potato, chickpeas, and corn
Dried fruits, avocado, and 100% fruit juice
Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and barley
Nuts and lentils
Fatty fish like salmon and tuna
Milk, yogurt, and cheese
Eggs

You can also add a calorie booster to increase the density of the calories that you are consuming.

For instance, like preparing oat together with milk, some chia seed, and raisins in a salad, add cheese to baked potatoes or cooked vegetables, cereals, and the protein of your choice into vegetable oil.

4. Favorite Food

It is without a doubt that taking a balanced diet and nutritious are very crucial, however one must also make it a priority to like the food that they are consuming right in front of them.

Always choose the food and snacks that you would like despite it meaning that you would take the same kind of meals repeatedly. Because at the end of the day you would have to eat the food to get any sort of benefits from it and restore that appetite.

5. Experiment With New Menus

For some people, eating the same thing over and over again will sound boring and some variety in the meal might just solve the problem. Whether it is the same meal every week or you would always pick the easy kind of meal due to your own laziness.

You can try to experiment with something new and are more open to accepting dishes that you have never tried before to live up to your appetite.

6. Drink Calories

If you are having trouble swallowing things because of your appetite, you can also try to drink something with calories to get you motivated than worrying about how you cannot chew on food when you are hungry.

Replacing some of the food that you eat with some nutritious and high-caloric drinks might be the preferable way for you to increase your appetite.

Some examples can be milkshakes, smoothies, and the juice of your choice as a replacement for a good source of food. Be sure to use mostly fruits and vegetables in your drinks.

You can also add other sources of proteins like full-cream milk, yogurt or protein powders for that additional calories.

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7. Exercise Regularly

This might be quite difficult for some as it involves physical activity and can be quite tiring. But exercise is crucial as it releases a chemical substance in the brain that improves mood and enhances our appetite.

If you cannot jog then walking for at least 1 hour or more before your meal might be able to help you enjoy your next meal.

Increase The Appetite

Having an increase or decrease in appetite is considered normal. We hope some of the methods shared above will be very beneficial for you to get back to eating more and make it an enjoyable experience.

But if the changes you have been experiencing are too drastic then discussing them with your doctor might be a wise choice. This might be due to certain medical conditions that you did not know.

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