You find certain food unappealing or you desperately want to gain weight, then you have to increase your appetite. It is not easy but doable.
However, when your desire to eat less becomes chronic and particularly when you begin to feel fatigue of losing weight then you need to consult a doctor for treating the underlying health condition. Otherwise in most cases you can increase your appetite with home remedies and changes in dietary habits.
If you are a skinny person and otherwise healthy who wants to gain weight, then you have to eat more. Common sense, but your appetite is weak and you are unable to eat more. Or you are very picky about the food items and have learned to live with limited food, but everyone around you who loves you wants you to eat well.
Whatever is the motivation for you to eat more, you have to also understand that eating less is a very healthy habit.
If you have no other medical condition, you don't feel fatigued and your body weight is normal but may be on a slightly thinner side, you really shouldn't worry about increasing your appetite.
Most people in today's lifestyle are concerned about their overeating habits and consequent weight gains. You are lucky to be fit and healthy.
But, if you have noticed that your appetite has reduced recently for no apparent reason, then you must visit a doctor and rule out any underlying medical condition.
Once you are sure that there is no need to worry about health, then you can focus on increasing your appetite. There are many ways to increase appetite, but before we do that let us understand the causes of loss of appetite.
What Causes Appetite Loss?
Other conditions can be more serious, such as cancer.
Between this range there are other common causes of loss of appetite that include pregnancy, metabolic problems, chronic liver disease, COPD, dementia, HIV, hepatitis, hypothyroidism, chronic kidney failure, heart failure, drug addiction for cocaine, heroin and speed and medication used for chemotherapy, other medication such as morphine, codeine, and antibiotics.
Some of the less serious and temporary causes of lack of desire to eat include presence of stomach viruses, nausea, soreness or pain in the mouth, uncontrolled smoking, can't stop drinking alcohol and emotional stresses and pains.
Any persisting lack of appetite should be properly evaluated by a doctor before taking control in your hands. You simply can't ignore loss of appetite casually and begin to eat more.
If there is an underlying medical condition then it must be treated first. The appetite may automatically be regained as the disease begins to respond to treatment.
Lifestyle Changes and Home Remedies to Increase Appetite
So, now you are clear that there is no need to worry about any serious underlying condition. Your doctor has given you the clean chit. The following home remedies will help you to achieve your goal to increase appetite.
Even while undergoing treatment for any medical condition, you may have to regain your lost appetite. These recommendations will help there also.
Lifestyle Changes
1. Exercise
Your sedentary lifestyle may be one of the causes of lack of appetite. In fact sedentary lifestyle can cause overeating also. In any case, you need to exercise. Your blood circulation will improve, muscular activities will increase, oxygen supply to the cells will increase. All these changes will improve your metabolism resulting in increase in appetite.
Get involved in the exercises that make you sweat. You do not need to go overboard. You can start with a 45 minutes of brisk walk and continue it on a daily basis to make it a habit. In most cases this action alone should be enough to increase appetite.
2. Yoga, Deep Breathing and Meditation
Your metabolism and appetite are controlled by your brain. A peace of mind will maintain healthy metabolism. Stresses and depression can disrupt your metabolism. So find time to do some yoga, deep breathing and meditation.
3. Do Not Stick to 3 Meals a Day
Since you have a small appetite, increase the frequency of eating. Do not stick to 3 meals a day routine. Eat more often. 6-7 times a day. You may be eating less at a time but by increasing the number of times you eat you have increased your food intake. This will help you to gain weight also. Eat high calorie items if weight gain is your main objective.
4. Do Not Eat Alone
Eating alone can be boring. Eat with people. Have fun while eating. Take your time while eating. At home, enjoy with your family. Outside encourage your friends to have their meal together. Talking while eating pushes you to eat more. If you are enjoying your social conversation and consciously trying to eat more you will be able to. Your appetite is increased due to fun social interaction.
Home Remedies
1. Lemon and Ginger
Drinking a lemon ginger concoction 2-3 times a day increases appetite. Clean an inch of ginger root, peel off the skin and grate it. Add the ginger grate to a glass of water in a boiling pot. Simmer it for 5 minutes and let it cool. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice and drink it. Drink it about 30 minutes before your food time to increase your appetite during meals.
2. Coriander
Coriander juice increases appetite. You can extract juice from 50 grams of coriander leaves and add it to a glass of water. Add one teaspoon of lemon juice to drink it. This is a very effective home remedy to increase appetite.
3. Guava
Guava is a stomach filling fruit that increases appetite. This nutritional fruit is one of your best ways to increase appetite. Eat a guava between your meals.
4. Fenugreek
Fenugreek helps to increase appetite in many different ways. It removes the trapped gases out of the way from the digestion system. It also lowers blood glucose levels which increases craving for carbohydrates. You can add fenugreek seeds in your diet. You can also eat a teaspoon of fenugreek powder early in the morning daily. You should control your consumption of fenugreek if you find considerable weight increase.