The Best Natural Appetite Suppressant to Stop Hunger Pangs

Written by Taylor Stranaghan, BHK

Last updated on Aug 26, 2022

"Why Am I Always Hungry?"

Is hunger getting in the way of your weight loss journey? You’re not alone.

Managing your body weight can be a challenge, especially when there is a constant voice in the back of your mind telling you “Let’s eat!”.

Rather than resorting to diet pills to help you achieve your ideal body weight, it’s important to address specific eating behaviors that may be keeping you from reaching your weight loss goals.

This article will uncover some of the most common causes of hunger, what to do about it, and expert advice from health and wellness professionals on why natural appetite suppressants may be beneficial for you!

Follow along to find out more.

Why You're Always Hungry and How to Fix It

Having persistent hunger and food cravings can be caused by a variety of factors. From sleep patterns to unhealthy eating habits and even stress, there is more to hunger than taking in calories to fuel the body.

Here are 5 common reasons why you might be feeling constantly hungry.

1. You’re feeling stressed

Stress can be a major culprit to weight gain. For many of us, a spike in our stress levels causes us to “feel hunger” as a way to cope with the internal discomfort. The reason that stress stimulates our appetite is all thanks to another type of “hunger hormone” known as cortisol.

As a response to a stressful event, our bodies release cortisol to keep us on high alert. As a result, circulating cortisol in the bloodstream triggers the release of blood sugar for energy. When we don’t “use up” this sugar through activity, it can signal to the brain that we are hungry [1].

What can I do about it?

One of the best ways to curb hunger and stop yourself from engaging in emotional eating whenever you’re overwhelmed is to prioritize stress management exercises.

Some examples include:

Meditation or deep breathing exercises
Yoga or other forms of exercise
Socializing with friends or family
Try journaling

With intentional practice, you can effectively relieve your body from stress and help to control your hunger levels and food intake.

2. You’re not drinking enough water

Staying hydrated throughout the day can do wonders for our mental and physical health. As an effective way to flush bacteria from the gut, improve nutrient transport and absorption, normalize blood pressure, and control body weight, water offers a ton of benefits [2].

Oftentimes, when we are feeling hungry, we may actually just be thirsty.

What can I do about it?

Drinking more water throughout the day can indirectly help with weight loss by means of suppressing appetite. Having one full glass of water before every meal can promote fullness within the stomach to signal the brain to stop eating sooner.

According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the recommended daily water intake is about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) a day for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) a day for women.

3. You’re not getting enough sleep

Did you know that sleep can directly affect our hunger levels?

Not getting enough sleep at night is proven to alter our levels of ghrelin and leptin, otherwise known as our “appetite hormones”. If you’re used to sleeping only a few hours every night, ghrelin will spike and leptin will drop, resulting in an increase in appetite and food intake [3].

In time, this can cause major changes to your body weight, putting you at risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity.

What can I do about it?

Getting adequate sleep in terms of both quality and quality can help us regulate the production of our two appetite hormones to promote weight loss in the long term. According to Harvard experts, adults are recommended to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night to help reduce appetite and maintain adequate energy intake.

4. Your food craving stems from boredom

Having the occasional sweet tooth is very normal. Most of the time, these food cravings are strongly tied to our brain’s chemistry.

For example, dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is found in our brains and is associated with feelings of pleasure or reward. When we are bored, we are free from distraction or stimulation that causes our dopamine levels to drop. During these times, we seek pleasurable or rewarding behaviors to help increase dopamine levels. In most cases, this results in more eating [4].

What can I do about it?

If you find that you reach for snacks whenever you feel bored or even distracted, there are plenty of ways to curb your hunger and reduce food intake!

Some helpful tips include:

Identifying the cues that cause you to feel hungry (watching T.V, studying, working, etc.)
Planning your snacks and meals in advance (meal prep)
Practicing mindful eating by paying attention, eating slowly, and avoiding distracted eating behaviours
Invest in healthy snack options to enjoy free from guilt

5. Your food intake is not balanced

When it comes to calories, not all foods are made equally. Without balancing our food intake with enough proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates (especially high fiber foods), it can create major problems for our bodies.

For example, consuming too many refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pizza, pasta, and pastries can cause a spike in our blood sugar levels that make us hungry again.

Over time, the combination of an unbalanced diet and inactivity can result in various negative health conditions including obesity, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes [5].

What can I do about it?

The best way to address this issue is to level out your calorie intake by balancing your diet. Leading wellness professionals recommend that adult diets should comprise 45-65% carbohydrates, 25-35% fats, and 10-30% proteins [6].

If you constantly feel hungry after eating, you’re likely not eating enough sources of lean protein or healthy fats.

Proteins are one of three macronutrients our bodies require to give us energy. While lean meats are an excellent source of protein, it’s beneficial to look beyond animal products too. Other protein sources include yogurt, milk, cheese, eggs, beans, tofu, seeds and nuts [7].

Fat is another essential macronutrient that helps promote feelings of fullness. Incorporating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, tuna, walnuts or flaxseed are all healthy options that work to suppress appetite. It’s also helpful to swap out saturated fats (i.e. butter, bacon, fast food meals) for unsaturated sources (i.e. olive oil, avocados, almonds, etc.) [8].

Together with a well-rounded diet of complex carbohydrates (i.e. whole grains, quinoa, sweet potatoes, etc.), this sort of healthy balance can help you control your blood sugar levels, promote weight loss, and keep your hunger at bay.

What Are Natural Appetite Suppressants and Do They Work?

A natural appetite suppressant is any type of nutrient-dense food. Typically, natural appetite suppressant foods are composed of healthy ingredients that are high on the glycemic index, meaning that they do not spike your blood sugar levels, keeping you feeling fuller for longer [9].

Some of the most effective appetite suppressant foods that are proven to be helpful for body weight management include: