Appetite refers to your desire to eat. When you satisfy this appetite, you give the body food that is broken down to make new red blood cells, help you move your muscles and perform other vital body functions. However, when it comes to curbing your appetite, other factors come into play, including your emotions or foods known to trigger your cravings. These factors can cause you to eat more than your body actually needs instead of stopping when you've had enough to eat. Understanding how and when your appetite is curbed can help you to avoid overeating.
Body Dynamics
Your appetite is governed by your digestive and nervous system. Your digestive system sends signals to your brain when food is in your stomach. Other hormones in your body, including insulin, leptin and ghrelin, also send signals to your brain and other parts of your digestive system signaling feelings like fullness, satisfaction or when it's time to eat again. When it comes to these hormones and signals, eating food and having enough food in the stomach can curb your appetite to satisfy the body's needs.
Cravings
Another factor affects your body's ability to curb your appetite: your emotions. Your thoughts, habits and behaviors can also affect your appetite. For example, when you are on a diet, your commitment to eating a certain portion can help curb your appetite faster. However, your emotions also can cause you to eat more. If you are feeling stressed or see a tempting food item, you can push past the body's signals of feeling full and your appetite for food temptations leads you to eat more.
Foods That Fill
Certain foods and additives help to fill you up more quickly than others to curb your appetite. For example, foods high in fiber, such as whole grains or vegetables, take longer for your body to digest. This means your appetite is curbed for longer after eating them. Protein-packed foods, such as lean meats, nuts and legumes, also are digested more slowly. Also, drinking caffeine-containing beverages can temporarily suppress your appetite, but it doesn't curb it permanently. Other foods are less filling, however. This includes starchy and/or salty foods that are quickly digested by the body, such as chips, cookies and cakes.
Eating for Your Appetite
You can take certain steps when you eat to effectively curb your appetite and help stop eating. This includes eating several small meals -- between two and three hours per day. This promotes the hormonal and signal-sending messages in your body, curbing your appetite. Eating food slowly also helps to curb your appetite because it gives your brain time to catch up with your stomach's feelings of fullness. Drinking lots of water throughout the day also makes your stomach more full, reducing the amount it takes to make you feel full. A healthy diet also helps you feel full -- eating lots of fruits, vegetables and protein makes you feel fuller longer.
References
- Oprah.com; Curbing Food Cravings; Dr. David Katz; April 2007
- "Reader's Digest": Control Compulsive Eating
- "Reader's Digest"; 10 Ways to Control Your Cravings; Paul Dranov
- Taste for Life: Curb Your Appetite with Foods Rich in Fiber; Lisa Fabian
- The Diet Channel; How to Curb Hunger; Krista Scott-Dixon, PhD; January 2008
